Saturday, January 31, 2009

Camels on the Moon

It's a tough job. It feels particularly tough right now, getting our first look at the stunning view from our rented villa by the sea. We're on Lanzarote island, near the village of Playa Blanca. The community we are in is called Finisterre, which pretty much translates to "The end of the Earth". It's just past noon, and the sun is blazing down over a turquoise sea. Across the water to the south, you can see the hills of Fuerteventura rising up in all their glory. The villa is literally right by the sea, with only a narrow walkway and some pitch black rocks between the shoreline and our backyard. The soothing sound of the waves crashing into the rocks is constantly present.

Everyone's a little dizzy and exhausted, but we couldn't care less. It's been a short night, as the flight from Helsinki to Las Palmas departed at 5 AM. Fun flight it was too, as we were more or less cracking up every time the words "Las" and "Palmas" were uttered. At Las Palmas airport, while boarding our connecting flight to Lanzarote under a glorious blue sky, the cracking up soon turned into a smile that stayed on our faces. It was easy to see a great deal of sense in our decision to come here. We have 8 days of recording work and relaxation ahead of us, and the change of scenery couldn't come at a better time.

It's less than an hour's drive from Arrecife airport to Playa Blanca on the southern tip of the island. Looking out the window, you pretty much get an idea of what this island is all about. The landscape consists of black volcanic soil and hills, with a hint of grey or maroon here and there. There's hardly any vegetation, but we did catch a glimpse of some camels standing behind a fence by the side of the road. The narrow roads look really out of place here — it's as if roads had been paved on the surface of the Moon. There isn't much traffic, and every time you see a car, the sight is like something out of a television ad. We are totally in awe and really excited about this place. Time to settle in, looks like Johannes has already hogged the master bedroom with the best view...

Tommy