Photographic memory: the dogs of the Canaries

Location: Plaza de Santa Ana, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.

What we were doing there: We were sitting in a cafe in the Plaza de Santa Ana, just outside the Cathedral of Santa Ana, while the kids ran around the wide open square.

The cathedral is kind of dark and dour in my opinion, but there were lots of beautiful buildings surrounding the plaza: I love those brightly painted houses that seem to be popular all over Gran Canaria.

There were also some bronze statues of dogs that caught my daughter's eye. Since she's dog-deprived at home (the cat would have a heart attack if one was introduced) she has to get her dog-fix where she can.

The dogs of the Canaries: The stories about the Canary Island dogs seem to change depending on what website or guidebook you read. Whatever the story, the dogs are part of the coat of arms for the islands, and there is a breed of dog called Presa Canario, which originated in the Canary Islands.

You can read more about the Canary Islands in my other blog posts about our trip there.