To escape the rain in Belgium, Wim and myself are treating ourselves to a little holiday in Gran Canaria. This will be my first trip ever to the Canary Islands.
Did you know about the legend of Atlantis? There is an intriguing connection to Greek mythology that suggests that the Canary Islands could be the mythical lost continent of Atlantis. According to the legend, Atlantis was a large landmass ruled by Poseidon, God of the Sea. For many generations, wise people famed for being fair and generous, inhabited it. They gladly passed on their skills and knowledge, their laws of justice and peace to others and they were the most advanced people in the world. However, over the years they changed, they became greedy, warlike and the story suggests they discovered the secret of the cosmic forces that the gods controlled. It was because of this that Zeus, King of the Gods, decided to punish them by destroying their Utopian civilization. In the course of a single night volcanoes, fire, earthquakes and huge tidal waves caused Atlantis to sink into the sea and disappear almost without trace.
The Greek philosopher Plato believed that all that was left of the lost continent was the tops of the seven highest mountains peeking above the ocean. These islands still exist today and are known as the Canary Islands.
Of course, there is no evidence that the Ancient Greeks knew about the Canary Islands but it is feasible that lost Greek sailors stumbled upon them in their travels and they became part of the legend. According to one version, there is a sea that took its name from Atlantis: the Atlantic Ocean. It is also claimed that the palaces and temples of Atlantis are still to be found at the bottom of this ocean. But now Gran Canaria is just one of the 7 larger islands that make up the archipelago we know as The Canaries. The biggest among them is Tenerife, then Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. The Canaries lie in the Atlantic just 62 miles west of Morocco and all have volcanic origins making them visually, very very unique. Though the islands lie just off the coast of Africa they belong to Spain so my Spanish will be useful!
Anyway, I am totally ready to get some sunshine, to practice some yoga and do some sports, maybe even some golf – since our first ‘hotel Salobre is a serenity & golf resort 🙂 https://www.salobrehotel.com/.
And leaving from Ostend airport is heaven! I have only 2 bus stops and I’m at the airport…so peaceful and I see only 1 plane on the tarmac 😁. So much more relaxing than Brussels…
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