Day of the Cross in La Laguna… A Stew, a Story, and the Stone Cross

Some traditions aren’t loud…

They sit quietly in the background… but they’ve been there for centuries.

A Walk Back in Time

This piece follows Cipriano Arribas y Sánchez, a 19th-century visitor who documented everyday life in Tenerife.

Not big events… just how people actually lived.

The Table Comes First

One moment stands out…

A simple meal in a house in La Laguna:

  • Escaldón (gofio with broth)
  • A proper Canarian stew
  • Bread, water… nothing fancy

But it wasn’t about the food.

It was about the setting… the way people gathered and shared it.

The City Then

From there, the walk continues through La Laguna:

  • Calle La Carrera
  • Plaza del Adelantado
  • Small houses that no longer exist

A version of the city that’s mostly gone… but still recognisable.

The Stone Cross

And eventually… the Cruz de Piedra.

Even back then, it was already in poor condition.

But what mattered wasn’t how it looked…

It was what it represented:

  • Built in 1560
  • Linked to the Battle of Aguere
  • A reminder of the island’s past

Why It Still Matters

These aren’t grand stories…

They’re everyday moments, small traditions, places people pass without thinking.

But put together… they explain a lot about where things come from.

Worth Knowing

Before the fiestas, before the crowds…

There were just moments like this.

A table, a walk, and a story that somehow stuck around.

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