A Painter and His Island — Lanzarote

When the Caronia announced a tour based on an artist's influence on his island, Lanzarote, I thought that no artist could have the impact on his native land that the write-up suggested. Not true. Cesar Manrique has exerted influence on his island that continues nine years after his premature death in a car accident.

A guide on another bus called Manrique another Leonardo. This would be stretching the truth, but he was an artist of vast talents. He painted and sculpted and even worked as an architect. It was as a designer-architect that he left his mark on the landscape. Manrique had the sensitivity to make his buildings, including his own home, conform to the lava fields. He built stairs out of the rock and constructed curving rooms under the volcanic"bubbles." Claustrophobic tunnels separate these rooms.

As a best friend of the president of the Canaries, Manrique was able to influence the look of the island beyond his own designs. Because of him, the buildings are still painted white with trim that is either green, brown or blue colors of nature. People inland are allowed to use green or brown; those near the sea may add blue. Low-income residents can even obtain their paint free from city hall as long as they use the designated colors.

Perhaps this is the first color-coded island.

Martha Nell with Bunny Hoest Comic Writer for "Laugh Parade" Manrique worked with the government to impose a number of controls on the citizenry .They disallowed billboards along the roads and stopped the construction of high-rises after only one (now deserted) was built. He also managed to get controls on the numbers of tourists and saw that only three areas of the island would be available for these tourists, no more than 60,000 per year.

According to our guide, at one point when some of the residents wanted to build modem homes, Manrique personally visited the villages and persuaded his people to stay with the traditional architecture. They agreed.

Manrique is gone and the president is no longer in office. Still, the presence and prestige of this artist is felt. He was a unique person combining the extraordinary sensitivity of the artist and the courser qualities of a lobbyist.

Will another government come along and want to change the remarkable conformity of this island? This is my fear.

Taha'a Pearl Beach Resort

“It's a very special place. The Taha'a Pearl Beach Resort is a real gem. It's the closest to a five-star facility we visited and head and shoulders above the other Pearl Beach resorts we visited and heard about. It's very secluded, so there's not a lot to do outside of the resort, but Bora Bora is only 20 miles away. Taha'a would be a great first stop for honeymooners before moving on to Bora Bora, which was my favorite island.”

M.W., Jacksonville, FL