The Teide caldera with its subtle colours and black lava flows.

Explorations of Tenerife were mixed with swimming and walking. It was fun swimming at Las Galletas as the beaches were surrounded by rocks and plenty of low growing scented shrubs such as dill and helichrysum. Previous bathers had built rings of small rocks at the start of the beach as though setting up camp. The sea was never a flat calm and the rollers where big and frothy close in.

We had a great time in Las Galletas but had to move back a few miles up the coast as the marina had a fleet of charter boats transferring from the Mediteranean coming in that had booked some time before us. In fact it was probably for the best as our shore lines had taken some punishment in the surge which we had got used to. We sailed up to San Miguel still in the shadow of Teide and where Peter spent the rest of his holiday with us. He and Chris walked back along the coast to retrieve the hire car discovering some new sea-side places and their idiocyncratic character. One bizarre sculpture at Costa del Silencio caught their attention and we are still wondering what it is all about as there was no explanation. See gallery.

The morning came when Teide was clear. Lunch was packed, water bottles filled, waterproofs stowed in rucksacks and walking shoes stowed in the car. It's quite a long way taking 2 hours with stopping points.

It got colder as we ascended to the caldera which is huge and still looks raw with subtle colours from various chemical strains in the laval deposits, mainly ochre and green amongst the black and brown volcanic landscape. It's eerie and awe inspiring. The last summit erruption was in the 9th century but there have been more recent erruptions lower down the last being in 1909 from the side of the volcano at Chinyero. It all looks very recent which of course it is in geological terms. There are numerous fumarols where steam gushes from within. We saw these when we came with Hattie and Peter as young children but they were higher up as we were able to take the cable car then.

The cable car which goes nearly to the summit was not operating due to high winds and as we watched the summit the clouds gathered over it and heavy rain began to fall. It was cold windy and wet, we bolted for the car and ate our lunch in relative comfort with a great view of the swirling peak which gradually cleared.

Peter's time with us was all too short and the day for his early flight came all too soon. Sadly he didn't have the best of weather in Tenerife but hey, we see him again in early December when he and Harriet join us in Grenada to sail through the wonderful Grenadines and St Vincent to St Lucia. We are really looking forward to celebrating a Caribbean Christmas and New Year with them.