We pulled into the busy centre of La Laguna and I soaked up the tall majestic buildings which lined the streets. There are two key parts to the city: the Historical Centre and the rest of the city.
We had entered to the south west of the city and found ourselves in the more modern part, which, in itself, was still gorgeous. The terraced shops were tall and colourful and I delighted in the fact that the shops were mostly small and independent. I also noted the lack of tourist stores.
We had journeyed to this majestic city in order to find a bakery which had wonderful reviews online called Migas Bakery. A quick stroll down the clean pavement took us to the orange-coloured bakery which was located down a narrow side-street. Delicious, warm smells greeted us before we’d even made it to the doorstep.
Inside were a selection of pastries and snacks. You could look into the back through some glass screens where more goodies were being prepared. I listened to the clinking of pans and the wiz of machinery and watched as a chef began rolling out some dough.
We purchased a range of treats before stepping out into the dazzling sunlight.
We walked down the modern, colourful street whilst the beautiful midday sun kissed our skin.
The butchery was on the other side of town which meant passing through La Laguna’s Historical Centre.
My mouth was agape with awe as I took in the traditional architecture of the buildings. They were even more colourful than the modern part of town but came with unique details.
La Laguna’s Historical Centre is in fact a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after being declared one in 1999. The first designs of this centre were drawn up in the 15th Centaury.
The ground beneath out feet became cobbled and we found ourselves journeying through a pedestrianised street.
Just then, a particular building caught my eye. It was huge. Dressed in black and white paint, this special building was flanked by some grand trees.
The building which I was currently heading towards was in fact La Laguna’s Cathedral. The Cathedral was built in the early 1900’s with work starting in 1904. The Cathedral took 11 years to build. The Cathedral has a Neoclassical façade.
I was so excited about the Cathedral that we made our way to its entrance. It was there that we saw that you could pay €5 per person to enter the grand building. Entrance also came with a handset which acted as a personal tour-guide.
Lewis and I paid the fee and were given a handset each. There was so much information blasting through my handset that it was hard to keep up and take anything in. Oh, well. I still thoroughly enjoyed marvelling at the building’s high ceiling and stain-glass windows.
We visited each chapel, taking in the intricate details and shimmering gold colours.
There was also access to a stairwell which took us to an upper deck with gorgeous views of the main hall. It really was a magnificent building.
We continued walking through the old city. I took in the huge wooden doors that gave access to the colourful buildings and other traditional details.
We eventually found the butchery called Baggerman el Holandés, located at the furthest corner of the city. I spied rolling hills in the distance, an indication that we had walked the entire breadth of the city. I smiled. It had been wonderful to see so much of the beautiful city.
It also felt good to be seeing some of the mysterious places that Lewis had been visiting whilst I was ill. I hated missing out and it felt good to be a part of things again.
The city was dotted with numerous restaurants. I selected one of the closest restaurants to us to eat at, satisfied with tis reviews. We entered the restaurant and sat down at a table beside a window. We were the only guests currently dining and the staff were a little off with us.
The food was nice but not the best that I’d had in Tenerife. Up to now, all our meals had blown my socks off. I was also confused when the waitress pulled the shutter down over our window, shrouding us in darkness.
I was certain there were better restaurants in La Laguna and was slightly disappointed with my choice.
Oh, well. It was hard to dwell upon that point. I was mostly delighted that I’d had my first day out in days. It felt like my ears were starting to heal. I’d managed to equalise my ears at several points and had experienced an enjoyable day as a result.
I reminded myself that tomorrow was my last day on the island. The day after that would be our leaving day involving a plane journey. I swallowed. Was I ready to hop on a plane? I still had another full day for my body to heal. I knew I just had to be ready.
There weren’t any other options. I didn’t feel like extending my stay and wasting money on plane tickets. I was also paying careful attention to the news and the spreading of the new virus, COVID-19, was making me nervous. I had a feeling the virus was going to continue to spread and didn’t want to be at risk of catching it in an airport, or worse, becoming stranded here if the spread got too much.
On Friday I was going to fly home.
