Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

[Kim 3,977]

Reporting to my constituents on a successful and stimulating interim board meeting, I'll begin with just a few "postcards" culled from the memory card.

View of Mt. Teide, volcano on island of Tenerife; Faith Bishock focuses on dried silver swords, volcanic formations in background.

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[Kim 3,977]

Directors visiting the Jardín Botánico in Puerto de la Cruz...

Samples from the private garden of Jesús Fernández in Santa Ursula...

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[Kim 3,977]

Blooming Brugmansia at Icod de los Vinos, site of the famous 1000 year old Dracaenae draco:

View of Mt. Teide from the Hotel Botánico where the meeting was held:

[Kim 3,977]

View of the rocky waterfront of Puerto de la Cruz:

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Much more to follow......

[dalmatiansoap 461]

Nice pictures Kim, cant wait for the mainstream pics

Any pics of that Methuselah Draco?

Edited October 22, 2011 by dalmatiansoap

[Pedro 65 1,009]

Certainly a beautiful location to have a meeting, very much look fwd to seeing all the pics to come. Stunning pics Kim, especially Puerto de la Cruz, and you surfed right there,fantastic, thats making the most of the moment,great stuff. Pete

[peachy 294]

Has Bo still got left over seeds from when he planted it ?

Peachy

soon to be stumphead PT person

[bgl 3,193]

Here's a photo of the draco, taken with my small Nikon. Didn't bring my larger one and I know Kim has a higher quality shot of it. And Peachy, you should know that the seeds expired a while back! Plus, it would take more of an effort to achieve Stumphead status.

[bgl 3,193]

And a great view from the hotel room at Hotel Botanico. Atlantic Ocean is about one kilometer away and there were of course lots of Phoenix canariensis all over the place!

[Walter John 219]

That's a teaser Kim, now show us the firecat ?

[Patricia-CR 37]

Thanks for the sweet taste. Waiting for the real treat.

[Ken Johnson 199]

I am so excited that pictures and stories of an interum meeting could be spread so fast. Thanks PalmTalk.

Where will you meet in 2013?

[bgl 3,193]

Interim BOD meeting in 2013 will be in Inkaterra in Peru. Flying into Puerto Maldonado, and either coming or going we'll take in the sights of Cuzco and Machu Picchu! And for those of you who are interested in being part of this, all you have to do is to become a Director next year (Thailand Biennial).

[Kim 3,977]

The purpose of the interim trip is to have a Board of Directors Meeting, bringing together Directors from all over the world to hash out the details of IPS business. From 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, IPS President Bo-Göran Lundkvist prodded us through the agenda; motions, seconds, discussions, votes, and lots of tangential spirited discussions, good humor, some laughter, and maybe a little grumbling, and overall a very productive, (and for me, educational) and enjoyable session.

The Directors in the Cañadas room at the Hotel Botánico: left to right, first photo, R. Haresh, India; Tom Jackson, California, USA; Jim Cain, Florida, USA; Tobias Spanner, Germany; Fernando Rocha, Peru; Elena Beare, Uruguay; Norman Bezona, Hawaii, USA; Horace Hobbs, Texas, USA; Bo-Göran Lundkvist, Hawaii, USA; Jill Menzel, Brazil; Jeff Brusseau, California, USA. Second photo, continuing to the right of Jeff Brusseau, Scott Zona, Florida, USA; John Dransfield, UK; Don Martin, California, USA; Larry Noblick, Florida, USA; Mike Merritt, Hawaii, USA; Faith Bishock, Florida, USA. In attendance but not pictured: John DeMott, Florida, USA, and yours truly, Kimberley Cyr, California, USA. Late arrival: Grant Stephenson, Texas, USA.

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[Kim 3,977]

During the lunch break, I caught a few photos of the Directors in a more relaxed moment. I told them to smile for Palm Talk.

Bo-Göran Lundkvist, Heather and Don Martin, squinting in the sunlight ... Scott Zona, protesting mildly ... Norm Bezona and guests Talla and Mary; Jim and Elizabeth Cain

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Guest Marise with Horace Hobbs, John Dransfield, Jeff Brusseau, and Tom Jackson ... Faith Bishock with friend Jim

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Larry Noblick, Mike Merritt, Jill Menzel and John DeMott ... Elena and George Beare, Haresh, Fernando Rocha

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Lauri Coulombe and Toby Spanner with charmer Alexander, age 6 months ... Scott Zona again, with yours truly, Kim Cyr

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[bgl 3,193]

Kim, thanks for the great coverage! I know you have lots more coming! I'll add a few as well here and there. Here's our outstanding guide, Carlo Morici. Carlo, thanks a lot for everything! Visiting Tenerife was a great experience for all of us and we left with lots of wonderful memories!

Bo-Göran

[ariscott 48]

It would be nice to just pack up your bag and go everywhere every year... one day maybe when all the kids have left home....

[DoomsDave 10,082]

kim more more more more more not less

ow, my head

[bgl 3,193]

There'll be more! During our travels around the island of Tenerife we saw thousands of Phoenix canariensis of all sizes. These three are growing in the courtyard of the Museum of Natural History in Santa Cruz. It was nice to see that these endemic palms are allowed to grow the way they should be grown instead of being mutilated the way you too often see elsewhere.

[Carlo Morici 151]

I was very pleased to meet you here on "my" island. The time was too short and I had so much to show!

I am glad to see this pictures. I look forward seeing more!

Carlo

[bgl 3,193]

Carlo,

thanks again for everything. Visiting the Palmetum in Santa Cruz was a great experience since all of us here on PalmTalk have been able to follow the events, good and bad, over the last several years. It's already a beautiful garden, and will be even more so in the years to come.

Bo-Göran

Two photos, with Carlo proudly showing off two Hemithrinax ekmaniana and a fruiting Pritchardia lowreyana.

[bgl 3,193]

And Carlo with his beautiful family - wife Alejandra and darling daughter Laura. (Directors Toby Spanner and Faith Bishock in the background)

[bgl 3,193]

That reminds me - I have this photo of Faith and Jim! Faith, thanks a lot for bringing Jim along! It was great to meet him and spend time with the two of you. Too bad he is such a shy guy! I look forward to seeing the two of you in Thailand. We should probably alert the Thais in advance to Jim's pending arrival!

Bo-Göran

[Kim 3,977]

Thanks for adding your photos, Bo, you caught some good ones.

I will be adding many more photos, thanks for the interest everyone. As usual, I took so many, it's quite a process to sort through them. I may even have a photo of a hot tub, Ken, but I'm not sure. Maybe it was a jacuzzi. But I don't remember any rum. Just vino and cerveza.

[sur4z 423]

Kim- The pictures are great...keep 'em coming. While there did you feel any seismic activity?

The southernmost island El Hierro, I read, had 720 earthquakes in one week this past August.

[John in Andalucia 636]

Nice pics Kim! I wish I could have been there. (I'm leaving Peru and returning to Spain in 4 weeks.) I hear the next interim board meeting is in Puerto Maldonado, Peru - which is practically on my doorstep, as of right now.

Did you have any Anís? A shot of aniseed liqueur with ice is a popular morning tipple, with a cup of coffee.

[Kim 3,977]

Finally a few spare moments to add some photos. John, we don't seem to have coordinated our continents very well... It's fun to meet the local palm nuts wherever I go, certainly we'll cross paths one day, probably on some other continent.

So, back to the beginning. First impressions, usually very poorly recorded from a bus, or in this case, from a taxi. Even as I whip out the camera, I know the photos will be haphazard and blurred, but I don't care! It's so exciting to arrive in Tenerife!

On the autoroute . . . . . . . . . . . . . The native palms immediately introduce themselves, not shy! . . . . . . .Sorry, slow reflexes, the missing word is "Puerto...

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Dracaenae draco is prominently planted everywhere in the dry landscape

At last we arrive at Hotel Botánico, our abilities of speech somewhat impaired after the long flights. The lobby is sumptuous and welcoming. I have a feeling we'll all be quite comfortable here.

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[Kim 3,977]

Indeed the views from the rooms are stunning, the island dropping toward the ocean in all directions. The cloudy sky seemed to portend rain, but the taxi driver assured us of a dry evening and he was correct. We had Goldilocks weather: not too hot, and not too cool, it was just right.

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[Kim 3,977]

Of course the next day was devoted to the meeting, as described earlier. In the evening we boarded a bus and were taken to a very old building complex, a former winery, perched on the hillside well above the ocean. We were given a tour of the wine facility -- by the way, when I say old, I mean 1700s-type old. The single story buildings surrounding a paved central square reminded me very much of the city of Santa Barbara, California. Out toward the ocean was a broad and wide terrace facing the ocean, a single sturdy Phoenix canariensis robustly growing on one end. You'll have to take my word for it -- didn't lug the camera along.

As the sun dipped toward the horizon, we found our way to the center courtyard where we indulged in local cheeses and samples of wines while catching up with the various board members and their guests. After this extended period of hors d'oeuvres, we slowly congealed into the dining room, finding seats at large round tables set with far more forks and knives than commonly seen at your average restaurant. Perhaps someone else will add photos (oh, be careful what we wish for!). I did keep a souvenir menu, just to give you an idea:

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As you can see, it was a very special dinner, with a menu customized for the IPS guests. At first we thought we'd be asked to choose one of two selections for each course. Oh, no, my friends, they served up the entire menu! At our table we were fortunate to have Faith's friend Jim, a sometime chef, who deconstructed each amazing dish for us. Plate after plate of exquisitely presented small mouthfuls of delightful local flavors... but they did add up. Oh, it was not so easy to rise from the table after this gourmet exercise! What a delight! A most memorable evening...

[Kim 3,977]

Next morning we are up early on the bus, heading for Santa Cruz de Tenerife, to cruise the downtown and view the palms lining the boulevards. I was frankly surprised by the variety we found -- Veitchia arecina, Pritchardia sp., all generally thriving, although those receiving recycled water were looking better than those receiving direct municipal water. Directly beneath the palms is a tunnel, so they are essentially in small pots of soil, but growing very well, the microclimate created by the surrounding pavement and concrete buildings proving a great help.

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In the photo below you see the Auditorio de Tenerife, designed by Spanish architect, sculptor, and structural engineer, Santiago Calatrava. To my eye it has the look of the helmet of a Spanish conquistador, a very striking form on the shoreline. Other photos depict the major construction and cruise ships in port.

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We made a stop at the Museum of Man and Natural History, primarily to use the bathrooms before moving on to the Palmetum de Santa Cruz, where such facilities are not yet constructed.

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[Kim 3,977]

After picking up our friend and guide for the day, Carlo Morici, we arrived at the Palmetum de Santa Cruz. Impossible to describe the amount of passion and energy that has gone into its creation. Impossible to appreciate the special qualities of the transformation of this site without tramping through it with your own two feet. But we'll give it a go...

Team IPS approaching the site...... .. .. Bismarckia of impressive proportions confirm to us we have arrived. Circular stairway building with elevator to higher levels.

... ...

We are met by dignitaries. Maria Flores, Manolo Caballero, the mayor (if I am not mistaken), and Carlo Morici welcome us to the nascent Palmetum. You can feel how important it is to them to have the IPS visiting this budding botanical park, so many years in the making. Elena Beare (Uruguay) in photo mode.

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IPS members pass through the native Canarian section and enter the Caribbean section. As you can see, Santa Cruz has an industrial origin; the Palmetum is actually built atop a former landfill. Take a moment to imagine this view after the palms and canopy have matured; it will bring dramatic changes to the city.

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[bgl 3,193]

Kim,

Thanks a lot for the outstanding coverage! Great photos and commentary. And I know there's much more! I'll just squeeze in two of my own from the Palmetum. I really liked the way these Bismarckias had been planted up on the slope. Very impressive. And Carlo is obviously having a great day. He deserved it! (And Carlo, if you read this, and I am sure you will - our visit to the Palmetum was definitely a highlight we had all looked forward to! Very special! ).

Bo-Göran

[Jeff Searle 1,204]

That reminds me - I have this photo of Faith and Jim! Faith, thanks a lot for bringing Jim along! It was great to meet him and spend time with the two of you. Too bad he is such a shy guy! I look forward to seeing the two of you in Thailand. We should probably alert the Thais in advance to Jim's pending arrival!

Bo-Göran

So, now you all know what EXACTLY us locals have been enjoying (dealing with)since Jim has been coming around. 3-4 years now? We love you Faith!

[Mandrew968 1,775]

That reminds me - I have this photo of Faith and Jim! Faith, thanks a lot for bringing Jim along! It was great to meet him and spend time with the two of you. Too bad he is such a shy guy! I look forward to seeing the two of you in Thailand. We should probably alert the Thais in advance to Jim's pending arrival!

Bo-Göran

So, now you all know what EXACTLY us locals have been enjoying (dealing with)since Jim has been coming around. 3-4 years now? We love you Faith!

Hey, let's be nice--Jim is a fun and outgoing person who speaks his mind. I met him and he seems like he would be a blast to hang out with, when palms are no longer the focal point. Of course, I can't say enough about Faith--she is just as much fun and down to earth. I can't wait to say hello at the november palm sale(not to mention, see what kind of goodies Faith will be bringing). Sometimes you need a guy like Jim to shake it up a bit, when pretenses are overbearing...

[Patricia-CR 37]

Thanks so much, Kim. I'm fully enjoying this.

[Daryl 1,800]

Nice photos everyone. It looks like a great place to grow palms...and to have IPS meetings!

Daryl

[Kim 3,977]

Copernicia rigida and others enjoying the sunshine (corrected text)

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Carlo explains more about the collections and how they are organized geographically

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The pond area . . . . . . . . . . . . Madagascar palms D. leptocheilos, D. decaryi, and others

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The spiders seem to have decorated the bromeliads for Halloween

[Kim 3,977]

A passage through a wall leads to an impressive viewpoint; John Dransfield takes in the view

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Woven palm fencing? .... .... .... No, merely the dense retained leaf skirts on a few Washingtonia robusta

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A handsome group of Coccothrinax proctorii ... ... Horace Hobbs photographs a spiny Acrocomia

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We'll get a group shot here in front of these Roystonea. If anyone has the group shot, feel free to post here.

[bgl 3,193]

How about this one! - - - EDIT: thanks Carlo, for sending me this excellent group shot! Photo taken by Manolo Caballero. Thanks Manolo!

[Kim 3,977]

Copernicia baileyana, I believe. One of many different Copernicia species of significant size

Carlo is not doing the hula, though his hand motions might suggest it; he is explaining that the Pritchardia minor which Bo is about to plant was grown from seed collected here in the Palmetum. The palm is an endangered species in its native Hawaii, but growing successfully here in the Palmetum de Santa Cruz, and the offspring very suitably being planted by the IPS President from Hawaii.

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.. .. .. .. Bo digs in...

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