Canary Day!

May 30th was Canary Day here on the Island and if you ventured into the shops and restaurants you saw the staff dressed in traditional costume. Local produce was laid out on tables for customer to taste and enjoy. In one shop we went into in Tias they had a miniature barrel on a trestle filled with wine...you simply helped yourself. Sadly, I did not have my camera with me, but I managed to capture  a couple of ladies dressed in Canary finery who work in one of the shops along the glorious seafront in Puerto del Carmen.

The local people are proud to be Cannarian and celebrate with many cultural activities; dancing, singing, talking about there heritage. Schools make a special point to teach the young ones about the rich history and culture of the Islands. The Canary Islands consists of seven inhabited islands off the coast of West Africa and although very close to the Moroccan coastline , the Islands form part of the community of Spain. Up until 1402 the islands were independent, then as the Spanish invaded they became part of the Kingdom of Castile 1495.