In the village of Tias, in Lanzarote, was the great part of the last years of his life the Nobel Prize in Literature José Saramago.

He defined his house as “a house made of books”. Now is a museum, and let us visit the study where he wrote “Blindness” or the ‘Cuadernos de Lanzarote’. Also we can see his library, hiss record collection, his desk, his memories and the views that he contemplated from his garden.

When things got complicated in Portugal, José Saramago decided to move to the islands, and he chosen Lanzarote to be the last 18 years of his life. He had some relatives living in the island, so he never felt alone. 

Once he was settled he decided to go around the island, walking through its valleys and volcanoes, enjoying the sun rises and the sunsets by the sea, letting himself be captivated by the “magic” light that surround Lanzarote. The beauty of the island inspired him and its “Cuadernos de Lanzarote” described what had captivated him.

Today, his house is a must to visit to every literature and Saramago lover. When we arrive to the house, a big olive tree welcomes us in the area of the Library Building. Was the writer who bring the olive in a small pot and between his legs in a flight from Portugal. This olive tree symbolizes his childhood in his country, growing up far away in the volcanic land where he arrived in 1993.  

 

Enter into the house makes you feel to be in the writer’s refuge. It was here where he wrote Blindness. Every step you take in the house makes you discover the everyday life of the writer and his wife.  

Every clock of the house is stopped at 4 pm. The same time the writer met his wife. His favourite books are around the house, his favourites pictures hang on the walls and some horse figures show the weakness to these animals. 

The kitchen smells of coffee, the welcome coffee to everyone who goes there to know more the writer. From the courtyard you can see the views that inspired him lot of time and that today continue being amazing. But may be the place that generates most emotion to the visitors is the library, a place where you can feel the genius of the writer. 

His wife is the person in charge to care his legacy, his house, his work… She is the one who keep intact his bedroom, where he passed away peaceful the 18th of June of 2010.

Although Saramago was not born in Lanzarote, he felt the island as his home and he demonstrated it  in his famous quotation:

“Lanzarote is not the land of my birth, but it is my land” 

 

 

Photos:

  • cadenaser.com
  • turismolanzarote.es
  • visitarcanarias.com
  • expresso.pt

 

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