This was our first holiday together in Lanzarote. It is one of the Canary Islands which are Spanish, but 1000km south of Spain and about 125km off the coast of Africa. Wikipedia describes Lanzarote as "situated at 29°00' north, 13°40' west. It is located 11 km north-east of Fuerteventura and just over 1 km from Graciosa. The dimensions of the island are 60 km from north to south and 25 km from west to east. Lanzarote has 213 km of coastline, of which 10 km are sand, 16.5 km are beach, and the remainder is rocky. Its dramatic landscape includes the mountain ranges of Famara (671 m) in the north and Ajaches (608 m) to the south. South of the Famara massif is the El Jable desert which separates Famara and Montañas del Fuego. The highest peak is Peñas del Chache rising to 670 m above sea level. The "Tunnel of Atlantis" is the largest submerged volcanic tunnel in the world. The island has a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve protected site status." The volcanic area is a regular location for films requiring a lunar landscape.

Our first week was in a rented villa in Peurto del Carmen. It was awful. The beds were uncomfortable, the fittings jaded and the pool cold and full of leaves. The second week we went from the ridiculous to the sublime, staying at the Princesa Yaiza Suite Hotel Resort in Playa Blanca. Despite the initial accommodation problems, Rhonda fell in love with Lanzarote, as had Michael in previous visits. We traveled extensively (car hire is unbelievably cheap) and ate far too much (food is fabulous and cheap).