Tenerife is the highest,the largest,the most important and the most beautiful Canary Island.

The tourists flock there,because it has ideal climate all year round, it is never too hot in summer and never too cold in winter. And it has its own place in the Spanish history.In 1936 General Franco,then commander of the military region of the Canaries,set in motion the coup which led to the Spanish Civil War.The 1969 film "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" with the wonderful Maggie Smith paid homage to this era.I visited Tenerife for the very first time good 25 years ago and remember vividly walking on the top of El Teide,a dormant volcano and the highest mountain in Spain.El Teide has a Starlight certification,Tenerife has one of the clearest skies in the world.I remember taking a tour to the Puerto de la Cruz,a pretty little town and to the nearby Orotava Valley, the Botanical Gardens there with the perfect climate have a truly exceptional collection of trees and plants from all over the world.The naturalist Mt Humboldt described the Valley as the " finest view in the world."Maybe not the finest,but certainly up there amongst the best of them.For me the highlight of the day was the visit to the mansion Sitio Litre built in 1730 where Agatha Christie had stayed. As a child I used to devour her books.I love Poirot, the latest Murder on the Orient Express was shown on Ventura several days ago,Mr Branagh had done an excellent job.But no-one can and never will beat David Suchet as Hercule. My favourite Miss Marple?I could not choose between Margaret Rutherford [Murder on the Gallop my favourite, where she has an ardent admirer] and Joan Hickson,she is marvellous in every film. I do not like ZOO's,I hate to see animals kept in captivity. Loro Parque at the foot of El Teide is an exception.Over 13 hectares of grounds house mammals, birds, fishes, reptiles.[one hectar equals to 10 000 sq meters] I do not like Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital.It has 300 000 inhabitants,30 000 more than the whole of Madeira, and one can feel it every step of the way. Santa Cruz is brash,busy and bursting at the seems.I was there when a little coffee shop opened on the main shopping street 2 or so years ago, the parrots were parroting merrily,perched on people's heads, pictures were being taken.There was not a free seat to be had. Yesterday there was a free end table just for me. Freshly pressed orange, excellent coffee and a cheesecake.Now, I have tasted a better cheesecake - at Ottolenghi in Ledbury Rd,London,Notting Hill,but I have never seen a prettier one,the most enchanting concoction of mixed berries delicately perched on the top of the creamiest of cheeses sitting on a thin nutty florentine-like base on which a layer of the best chocolate was spread. A feast to the senses. I popped round to Desiqual,a Spanish chain, where everything is different to anything one can see in other shops,more colourful,better quality, and was tempted by a lovely top,I was also given a free small weekend bag,I have a loyalty card and sometimes am surprised by a gift,always a much appreciated lovely gesture.This is the way to keep a customer. There is one little town I am yet to see-San Cristobal de la Laguna,maybe the next time I come to Tenerife.Because come back I will. La Laguna is UNESCO World Heritage Site.