TEIDE

TEIDE FROM MASCA - Pauline Woolley 2014

I have always been interested by volcanoes. I am not really sure where it started though I remember as a child that there was a lump of rock on the windowsill of my parents dining room that I assumed for a long time was a piece of coal left from the first footings of New Year.  I remember asking my Mum about it and she told me that it was a piece of lava.  It felt cold and smooth and dustless unlike the coal that my parents used for fuel.  To this day I still don't know where that lava came from but my fascination continues.  I had known for a long time that Tenerife was home to a volcano but had never been.  Iceland is a bit of a spoiler in terms of volcanic landscape but on visiting Teide and it's national park, it's spectacular lava field did not disappoint.  

DAYLIGHT MOON RISE AT TEIDE 1 - Pauline Woolley 2014

Expanse of sky and prehistoric landscape over 2000m up contrasted with the preconceptions of the island.  The intensity of light created a crispness to my vision that seemed to match the thinning of the air at the top of Teide.  The cable car station stands over 3000m above sea level.  Casting my mind back to the Boubly mine experience I remembered there I was over 1400m underground.  I thought about these two extremes whilst gazing to the horizon and following the slight curve of it with my eyes.  The other incredible thing about Teide is as well as being over 3700m above sea level at the very top, it also sits 4000m below sea level making it one of the biggest (not in altitude) in the world.

DAYLIGHT MOON RISE AT TEIDE 2 - Pauline Woolley 2014

This place made my head race in terms of seeing it's potential for a location for creating work. This coupled with the want visit to the observatory that sits across at altitude from Teide I think a return visit may need planning.

Weird lunar landscape and constant sun...what more could I need?