Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Tenerife is the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, located off the west coast of Africa, dominated by Mt. Teide, a dormant volcano and Spain’s tallest peak.

Today we took a semi-private tour of the island. The drive was scenic, with stops at several beautiful locations for photos. We ascended to an elevation of 2 km, and the weather was perfect—so much so that we found ourselves literally above the clouds.

During the tour, we stopped at a local restaurant and tried a Barraquito. This layered coffee drink is typical of the Canary Islands, made with sweetened condensed milk, Licor 43 (a Spanish liqueur), espresso, and frothed milk. It is usually garnished with a cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon and a twist of lemon peel. To drink it properly, you stir all the layers together. I can’t say I loved it, but it was interesting to try.

By the end of the tour, we stopped in La Corona, a small town, for a brief walk around and lunch, before returning to the ship.Read more