Erin in Tenerife

In our never-ending search for fresh produce on this island, Mama Emma and I have been trying out all the grocery stores and local markets. It is surprising how different the produce sections are from store to store. Our favorite is still the weekend farmers' market. We try to get there as close to 8 am on Saturday before it gets crowded. That in itself, shows how much we love it.   Mama Emma was so excited to see bananas as soon as we walked in. Besides produce, there is a butcher, goat milk and cheese counter, a couple cow’s milk cheese counters, a bakery, and local artisan goods.     This week I purchased ingredients to make Chilean charquicán (a vegetable stew). I forget how long it takes to cook from scratch with all fresh ingredients. Well, the beef was packaged.     For lunch that day we had Chilean charquicán , Ecuadorian rice, and Chilean green bean and tomato salad.     I am learning that food is something to linger over instead of rushing through.

On Wednesday morning, I arrived at the airport in South Tenerife, Canary Islands with all my suitcases, a few stomach issues, terrible jet lag from traveling for two days, and a smile on my face. I figured the middle two were probably linked and would improve with rest. A neighbor of the Dye family, whom I met once last year picked me up. I didn't know what photo Steve had sent him, but I knew I definitely looked worse for wear and snapped a selfie so he'd be sure to recognize me. It wasn't pretty, but I was smiling! I am glad to be back. Mama Emma is my roommate at Steve and Priscilla's house. She was born in Haiti, emigrated to Venezuela at 19 and has more recently traveled to the US and Ecuador where her kids live. She is hanging out in the Canary Islands while working to get her visa paperwork so she can go live with her son and his family in South Carolina. (Venezuelan citizens have a special amnesty in Spain and don't have the same hassle to get a visa like th