in the pines

...and back down.

surrounding colours

While Pedro searched for birds, I took out my fountain pen and watercolours to sketch a pretty little Kleinia Neriifolia. Heavy clouds hung above, teasing with a bit of sun, then returning to an inky grey. With the sketch complete, I wandered up the path a little to marvel at some lichen and the ribbons of colours that ran through the surrounding volcanic rock.

in plain sight

The colours of that morning were green, white, ochre, rust, and so many grays— the beautiful palette of a volcanic island under an overcast sky. While Pedro scanned the waters and shore for seabirds, I studied the shapes of the shadows between the rocks. Suddenly with a grin, he asked if I noticed anything interesting about the rocks I had been so focused on. "No," I replied, but then, my eyes caught the tiniest movement.
Do you see it?

morning coffee in agaete

upon a bed of pine needles

High above the black volcanic beach of Agaete, a vivid green pine forest spread along the jagged spines of the rocks. At times the summits were swallowed by a grey fog which slid into the valleys like a serpent, obscuring everything in its path. The pines, and their resident Blue Chaffinch were our goal, and we were determined to brave every hairpin turn up, and up, and up...



It had been a while since I felt the soft crunch of pine needles under my foot, and smelled their sharp yet comforting scent. Though we missed our bird, I felt a profound sense of peace while inspecting the forest floor.