Arrecife is a port city on the eastern side of the island of Lanzarote, located in the Canary Islands and a part of Spain.

This island is so different from Las Palmas in that it is very dry and looks much more volcanic in origin. All the islands that make up this archipelago are volcanic in origin. This more east are younger than those on the west and explains why this island appears much more volcanic that Las Palmas.

There are more than 300 volcanic cones on this island. The Timanfaya volcano remains the only active volcano but without lava flow. It only spews steam these days.

As a bit of trivia: The Canary Islands are not named after the bird. It is a latin word for, dog (canaria).

What is most striking on this island is that every building and house must be painted white…. but more on that later.

The first part of our excursion today was exploring part of the island by Twizzy with a stop at a winery. Twizzy is an electric, two seat micro-car made by Renault. These cars are small. How Small? Well, it is so small the passenger needs to sit behind the driver. Knowing I was going to be filming this episode via GoPro left Meredith to all the driving, but that is no different from our normal life. And what better way to showcase this part of the excursion than with a video.

The second part of our tour was visiting the home of César Manrique Cabrera (April 24 1919 – September 25 1992). Why I have never heard of him until now is a wonder. To say he was an artist is an understatement. Take Andy Warhol, Picasso, Frank Lloyd Wright and they still would not stack up to this man. Tragically, he died in a car accident in sight of his home in 1992. His (volcano) home is now a foundation and if you find yourself on this island… DO NOT MISS THIS!

He was instrumental in the planning regulations on Lanzarote, and recognized the potential of tourism in the future. His wind driven artworks are visible everywhere. It was Manrique’s influence that homes on the island are white, against the lava black sands. The only color permitted are on the shutters and woodwork: Green if you are in agriculture, blue if you are in fisheries and brown for all other.

This island feels more like an artist community than anything else. One day, Manrique was exploring the lava fields on a farm and noticed what are called lava bubbles–– cavernous openings below the surface. He purchased the land and built this home to the likes of nothing I have ever seen before. His eye for architecture and placement is unmatched. There are elements of Frank Lloyd Wright design with features that make this home so comfortable and connected with nature. His love for life and everyone on the planet are echoed in these walls. He had fun and I will leave it at that. You can only imagine what his life was like, you can hear the whispers these walls could tell you.

It was time to head back to the ship and get ready for a full evening of cocktails, followed by a special event in the cove by an orchestra and opera singers from Italy who will be staying aboard the ship until Miami.

Then off to dinner, entertainment and a night of singalong in the saloon before heading off to bed.

But let’s not forget the dress!