Friday Faithfuls – 26.06.2026
Sarahan Dust
When the Desert Comes to Visit
Living in the Canary Islands means we occasionally receive an unexpected visitor from Africa.
We call it Calima.
Millions of tiny grains of Saharan dust are lifted high into the atmosphere and carried across the Atlantic by the trade winds. The sky turns a strange golden-orange, the horizon disappears, and the mountains fade into silhouettes. The sun glows through the dust like a pale lantern, and every surface is coated in a fine layer of sand.
For me, Calima often announces itself before I even see the sky change.
One or two days beforehand, my back begins to ache. It’s become one of those signals my body has learned to recognize over the years. By the time the dust arrives, I already know it’s on its way.
When my daughters were little, Calima was something we dreaded. They both struggled to breathe, and we made more than one anxious trip to the emergency room because of it. On the worst days, schools would close, people were advised to stay indoors, and wearing a protective mask became essential.
It isn’t just about the beautiful colours.
For many people, Calima brings headaches, irritated eyes, sore throats, and breathing difficulties. Airports have even been forced to close when visibility drops dramatically, and daily life slows until the dust finally settles.
Yet this isn’t a new phenomenon.
The Saharan Air Layer has been crossing the Atlantic for thousands of years. The same dust that coats our cars and windows also carries minerals that help fertilize the Amazon rainforest, reminding us that our planet is connected in remarkable ways.
I’ve included some of my own photographs from different Calima events over the years. They tell the story better than words ever could.
The desert may seem far away, but every so often it comes to visit us, painting our skies in shades of amber and reminding us that even the smallest grains of sand can travel across oceans.
Sometimes nature arrives not with rain or snow…
…but with the breath of the Sahara.
With love, coffee, poetry, and stardust,
— Maggie The Afterlove Voice 💫
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