La Palma to La Gomera

Sunday 9th November 2008, day 113. 28° 18’.1 N, 017° 21’.4 W. On passage to San Sebastian de La Gomera.

Canarian Food The good: rabbit in mojo, tasty little slices across the rabbit’s spine, with the skin making a slightly chewy, bacony contrast, and tiny kidneys attached every now and then, casseroled in pimento and olive oil, with almonds added for a treat.

The bad: bienmesabe (literally “tastes good to me”) a wonderfully unhealthy and unfinishably delicious pudding. Imagine melted turkish delight, add some golden syrup, and then mix in chopped nuts. Eat very slowly, ideally chilled, while watching old black and white films.

The ugly: pulpo alla Canaria. I love octopus, but prefer it chopped up into manageable slices and, frankly, with the suckers decently disguised. The Canarian octopus tastes just as good as its Gallician cousin, but is served with no false modesty; just a purple, eight-legged dollop, complete with eyes and beak.

We left La Palma at 5 in the morning, in order to arrive at our destination in daylight. The sky was clear, the first time in a while, and we could see the Plough – which has moved! It’s rotated 90° anti-clockwise, to stand like a question mark in the sky. The two stars that indicate the Pole Star are now pointing downwards, to a point hidden behind the island.