Just so you know.....

That other blog I kinda hinted might be created is now up and running

https://eclecticmagpie101.blogspot.com

I call it Eclectic Magpie because I believe it sums up the content; topics which catch my attention, ideas which rumble about and just general chitchat, as you do.

I have, some say, and over active thinking brain. I consider it normal to hold internal discussions and sometimes I find I break out laughing as aspects of me get embroiled in an argument which becomes progressively more humourous. The quick one liners start and me, invariably the bystander, can't help but giggle at the empass.

So, for what it's worth Eclectic Magpie is the verbalisation of some of these internal dialogues.

I hope you find them interesting, fun and potentially thought provoking. 

It's blowing up for a storm

11 December 

Leaden skies have replaced the invitation to warmth of this morning.

It began bright enough, wall to wall clear skies with small, white, fluffy clouds which took the burning away from the sun as it rose.

But by 1pm that changed and I ran for the inside and a cardigan; I'll be pleased to get changed to warmer clothes later.

Having had a beautiful lunch of a Spanish pork stew and roasted aubergine, tomato and courgette I have retired to the lounge area to watch the winds rise and the clouds thicken.

For me it's the perfect end to the holiday, and yes, on balance, if I take away attempting to poison myself with a yuk water bottle and that tuna, it's been a great holiday.

I happily forgive the rain, the winds, the cool temperatures but do wonder at my failure to use that blasted bus service...again! 🤬

If I don't next year, someone slap me!

I've already begun the hunt for good recipes of beef and pork stock and am really looking forward to getting the slow cooker out when I get home.

Next year I'll bring a kettle, that's what has driven me mad about this holiday, not being able to enjoy a drink first thing in the morning without having to go down to the restaurant and face other people. 

No, I need waking space, oh, do I need waking space. 

So, now I wait. In about an hour I'll go and get changed and then it wont be long before my pick up.

The transfer minibus is only making two stops, so we should get to the airport in plenty of time.

I've eaten well so hopefully I will last until this evening when I reach Gatwick and the Premier Inn. 

Wonder if M+S Food will still be open?

One More Sleep

10th December 

I've no idea who it was in the family that coined the phrase but the final days of any holiday were heralded by the number of nights left. 

I think it has much to do with the waking in the morning and still being on holiday and knowing there's one more full day before travelling back home. 

Whatever and wherever it came from, its something I invariably say to myself when I have 'one more sleep', one more day.

Both the forecast and the sky herald a beautiful one too. 

As usual its chilly first thing but that tends to burn back by about 10am and then the burning heat off the sun is felt full throttle.

Travelling to the Canaries at this time of year always requires a wind proof jacket with a bit of warmth attached to it. The mornings and evenings can be particularly cool especially when pitched against the heat of the midday.

I don't get picked up until 15:50 tomorrow so I have half a day extra to enjoy. 

Although out of my room by the latest midday, so they can prepare for the next occupancy, I can use the changing facilities by the pool if I want or just do a quick strip tease in the Ladies, there's plenty of room.

So, today. 

I want to go along to Ale Hop and pick up a new water bottle. Mine is now impregnated with something that is not good and however much I sterilise it, the algae comes back all too quickly.

Then its coffee at McDonald's and a wander to the surfing beach to see what's going on.

Well, that last part depends upon how quickly it gets hot. I might save McDonald's until later in the day and just hit the beach. Ale Hop will be open until 8pm so no rush.

So nice to have one more sleep left.

Lovely walk; three miles as it turned out, so I've been doing that most days. Oh dear, that sets a precedent for when I get home.

I went to all the places I said I would but failed to go to Ale Hop as a serious case of the foreigners-tummy had seized the moment.

I went straight back to the hotel after a really delightful coffee,  having already nosed at the beach; nothing happening there, too early I suspect.

Anyway, I know what it was, which had caused the holiday tummy, tuna.

Usually I love it and cooked on the hotplate its lovely, but this chef is not as good as the usual one and the fish had been sitting on the warm plate only partially cooked for some time....recipe for disaster.

As a result, I spent the remainder of the day in peace in my room, either hiding from the sun or soaking it up. 

It was really hot today. The forecast says not as hot tomorrow, I think today was the peak for a few days so I've been lucky.

Partly packed too, so I can enjoy tomorrow. Have Imodium should I need it and two more capsules to keep the sinusitis at bay.

God, I'm falling to bits here.

Mind you, for 66 years of age I'm not complaining about the photo.

A kettle makes all the difference

9th December cont.....

Strange, I've been attempting to work out why, apart from the poor weather, this holiday has not been as it should have been.

Weird things have surfaced; continually loud and excitable Spanish holiday makers (especially the women continually talking 10 to the dozen high pitch, and semi-shouting), the complete lack of friendliness from the other guests and a kettle!

At the end of the day, people are a transient issue I can move away from. I'm happy in my own company and a stack of trash novels will keep me entertained for days.

I love walking and when I am feeling well, I can walk for hours and be perfectly content.

But the kettle!

I need a cup of tea in the morning before I face anyone or anything. I like to be able to spend time in my room (I paid for it, she says, petulantly) and I enjoy sitting in the sun (er, yes, we won't go into that) on the balcony and enjoy a drink of something.....hot.

Ironically, it's the kettle which makes the holiday, everything else becomes incidental. 

The day promises sunshine and no showers

9th December 

Having been woken at 03:25 by furtive activity above me (I have no idea what they were up to, beds were moving, doors opening and closing, loudly, wardrobe doors slid back and forth) but a set of earplugs later and I fell back into a sort of sleep. 

I'd already placed my coat over me so I was warm. I stayed put until gone 07:30 when their antics became beyond adorable 🤨.

Really not that hungry but desperate for a hot drink, I went down with two teabags and my mug.

Sitting outside I was pleased I had a cardigan, the sun hadn't reached as low as the poolside and the cold air of night hugged me tight.

Went back in and had a tomato and, gathering my second hot drink, returned to my balcony to enjoy the sun and tea. Now it's this combo which makes a holiday.

In my mind it's a must. If you plan to stay in hotels and there are no tea/coffee making facilities in your room, take them! Collapsible kettles are less than £40, some less than that, and last. Dual power,  they will travel world wide too. 

So, its now 09:40, time to head for the supermarket, pick up something to drink and head for the beach. Nice weather to watch the sea.

Now, that swim wear, is it decent enough for a swim......? Er, no.

I decided on the beach as it was so lovely, so as to stand in the surf and watch the surfers who were out in force today.

Watching the water, and the ways people were unexpectedly being bowled over, I gathered these still had some energy. 

There was a mixture of surfers, some body surfing using half boards and others with the full boards attempting a ride. I suspect the body surfers had a better time as it demands good surf rather than good wave and there was plenty of surf for everyone. 

I noticed one guy going out with a waterproof camera. Made me quite jealous.

I'm back in my room now having just had some lunch. The sun is burning and looking in the mirror I already resemble a medium roast coffee bean.

So sad about the swimwear but I was obviously not meant to swim.

This afternoon? I'm going to let the sun cool a tad, then go for a walk. Fancy a coffee and a wander to the main surfing beach. Always good fun watching them ride the waves as the crash past the breakwater.

The sun has its hat on and the birds are singing

8th December 

I wake at 03:00 and pull my coat over my bed. I've followed this ritual these past few nights, it's cold and it stops me sleeping well.

The night sky is clear and the stars are clearly visible; they will have good viewing from the observatories tonight.

Once more I fall asleep knowing the bed will warm.....

Its 07:00 and I need the loo. Dragging myself out of bed I aim for the balcony door and swing it wide open.

Fresh air; still dark and the cockerels are still silent. 

I stagger to the bathroom, one eye firmly shut and then return to bed.......just five minutes....💤

So, by 0800 I was more inclined to get up. Dress, tidy room (I must have fallen asleep before 22:00) and then a breakfast....want a hot drink more!

Really didn't fancy anything there so ended up with hot milk and two pear halves with my cocao and coco powder topped on it. It's a nice combo and gives me numerous mineral salts and fibre without the need of much food. 

As I said to Kellie, right off food at the moment.

Anyway, the sun has finally returned and I am on my balcony listening to the cockerels sing their final choruses 

across the valley.

Time for me to catch up on the news.

Sadly, the sun only took its hat off for a couple of hours and then returned to cloth itself in deep cloud cover and the occasional pitter, patter of rain.

I walked.

I'd been sick and had one of those bad headaches and neck tension, so my system was crying out for.......a packet of biscuits, I need an injection of carbs.

Knowing its Sunday, I went out to get some fresh air but there was a chance.

I wandered round the block and to my delight came across the Hotel Turquesa and its associated mini-mart.

Two cans of Fanta and a packet of Hob Nobs later I came out and headed for the sea. It was cold but I was determined to enjoy some of the day.

Snow had fallen and the volcano is white

7th December 

I felt somewhat dejected yesterday with just three cards and no texts; a feeling of unloved washed over me and sadly, it stayed all morning.

By lunchtime I had heard from Ems and I felt better, then three more texts as people remembered and an e-card from one who also has a December birthday.

It was a grey, wet day too and that didn't help. I'd come for the sun and some vitamin D but was being given the leaden skies and downpours of England.

Opening the curtains this morning breathed new happiness in me; the rains may have been in torrents at sea level but had fallen as snow on the Teide. 

Clear air free of cloud, for now, showed off her white shroud and as the sun slowly lifted itself to the top of the mountain range, it lit the shroud with tinges of red and orange.

I looked toward Puerto Cruz, the clouds were thick and low, visibility limited and possible rain storms were rolling in from the sea.

I have a window, a glimpse of beauty gifted by Nature to lift my spirits and that it has done.

The rains fell in torrents once more and I went walking. The sea called and I was intrigued by the amount of power it would be unleashing on the beaches.

No surfers were out, several of the smaller bays were fenced off and red flags flew in the strengthening winds.

Slowly the storm blew itself out and the sun returned by mid afternoon. 

Sun worshipers quickly grabbed sunbeds and stripped off; no-one ventured in the pool.....too chilled after the past few days.

Me? Had some lunch and am sitting in the sun on my balcony enjoying some light jazz from Spotify. Wonderful. 

Oh, just to feel better, have washed my large cardigan.  It's now drying peacefully on the line next to me.

I have washing out on the line and the world is ok. 😊

Happy Birthday to me

6th December 

Well, it's my birthday and I'll.......if I want to.

Feeling low today. I should be upbeat, excited, happy but I feel saddened so few even remember  my special day. Oh well, as long as I remember theirs that's all which should be important. 

I do thank Diane, Amanda and Ann for their cards though.........nice to open on my birthday,  thank you.

So, weather wise it's another cool and overcast day. Sitting here I can see the clouds rolling in off the mountains but there are breaks in the clouds so it might become more of a nice day and less of a damp squib. 

What's not helping my mood is I'm off food again. Having just fought fractionally over a week of IBS cramps, headaches and feeling generally bloated like a puffa-fish, my body is saying,  enough.

This is when I need to be in my own kitchen able to prepare a ramen; that would go down a treat right now.

So, today? If it were a hot day I'd sit on the beach as I'd planned in my mind. Take a Spanish omelette with me and eat that for brunch.

Mother Nature has other plans for today so.........mm.

It's my birthday and I'll.......if I want to....

Went walking instead; still feel depressed but ache a bit too much to dwell on it.

It keeps chucking it down and the sea reflects the storms at sea by their stored energy breaking up the cliffs. Spray and waves are far bigger than yesterday and even the surfers have stayed away.

Areas of ground are flooded but the plants will benefit. 

I've seen a few butterflies out this morning so they are obviously on the hunt for nectar, mates and whatever.

Went past the central hall and they had their bonsai exhibits out again. This time I did choose my favourites in the categories. One especially I'd love to win recognition.

Gives me an idea for my spindle trees too......

Weather really didn't ease up so retired to the lounge area and finished the book.

Ok, it was a trashy love story but still enjoyable and light enough to read in a matter of a few days.

Have the next trash novel lined up, The Little Flower Shop by the Sea, by Ali McNamara, which, if you know about such novels, is another light-hearted love story; perfect holiday reading.

I got back to my room to find a strawberry torte and card in my room celebrating my birthday which was nice.

So sugared out now I can tell you.

Well, 66 years old now, so nearer 70 than 60. Seems amazing I've got this far, seems amazing I'm as fit and healthy as I am.

All I can say is, long may it continue.

And the rains came tumbling down...

5th December 

The forecast last night heralded a storm was coming and it certainly landed. No thunder, no lightening show, just copious amounts of rain coming in deluges.

Pavements ran with mini rivulets and people sheltered in disbelief it rained here 😂, how else is the Oratava kept green and the rest of the island a desert?

I shook my head and grinned. I am fine, long fully waterproof coat and integrated hood, belongings safely stowed in a waterproof bag and my shoes recently waterproof.

I didn't 'splash in the pavement rivers' however, not foolish enough to tempt fate that far. 

Decided my best course of action after the long walk yesterday (wish I'd remember not to wear flip flops when I do these jaunts 🙄) was decent shoes and a gentle stroll.

Only a couple of miles admittedly but enough to stretch the legs, enjoy the wildness of the sea and stroll back for a lunch of green salad and mackerel. Was very naughty, had a small piece of fresh coffee-cream and almond sprinkles. Really enjoyed it but now am hoping my system does too.

The sea was at it's most tempestuous today, I've not seen it so filled with energy as that,  at least not here. 

Waves were at least twenty to thirty feet tall (~18 to 25m) and crashed against the coastal defenses as if they were no more than small rocks on the beach.

I wondered at the fresh fish restaurant whose table looked over the sea. People had a ring side seat at the tops of the waves where, usually, they fell well beneath eyesight.

Now there is a softening in the weather but the clouds hang heavy over the mountain range. Teide is obscured completely as are the tall peaks on the opposing ridge. But there are glimpses of blue sky and a tantalising glimpse of maybe warmer weather coming.

Aah, the sun has just poked its head out on my balcony....excuse me if I join it.

The Tree Surgeons Cometh

4th December cont..

Following the removal of two parked cars by two trucks and the parking up of a long/high reach crane, the surgeons got to work on the palm trees.

I will admit, one surgeon was much neater than the other and left the tree tidy and adorned by it's new crown under a cleaned trunk. The other left the trunk, jagged and ready for bug infestations should they come.

I know in the region of Malaga owners of palms have to trim and spray their trees each year so as to prevent palm beetle. My hope is, it's not here on the island. If it is, then the trees cleared by surgeon one will be ripe for colonisation. 

This hotel has two types of palms, one husked and the other not. The former grows with beautiful silver trunks and is topped by elegant, long, voluptuous fronds and a myriad of tiny berries. This is the Royal palm, and the other is darker stemmed with palm shaped fronds, called Chamaerops humilis, or, not surprisingly, the fan palm. 

I Am Cold; my birthday approaches and its getting chilly

4th December 

What time is it? Oh, not again! It's only 05:15, why am I awake so early?

Oh yes, I'm cold, hungry and desperate for a drink. Never a good combination. 

I stayed in bed and refused to open my eyes too far, but the earplugs came out, no point in keeping them in.

The world was quiet and I just laid there thinking of jobs to do in the garden. I went to the loo and grabbed the bath towel to put over me. It held in some warmth at least around my middle.

I must have drifted off for a while because the next thing I realised, it said 06:24 on the clock and I could hear someone quietly getting up, dressing and leaving their room. 

Aah, the morning jogger was up.

*********

So, the tree surgeons arrived this morning and sorted the palms; very interesting to watch.

It's an overcast day so ideal for a walk and I decided to explore a path (in the distance) I'd seen people using. That fateful question came to mind, where does it go?

I found that out pretty quickly and feeling in the mood for a longer wander, aimed upward.

If you know Puerto Cruz at all you will be aware there is little that is flat in this valley, mostly its upwards or downwards depending upon your direction and the upwards is steep ( whilst the downwards is scary 😬)!

You may also be aware many of the 'roads', although nicely tarmaced, fail to have pavements or necessarily be two way. 

Often, they are little more than cart tracks done up for the average car to travel along instead. Most are one way and most have blind bends which pose dangers for pedestrians and car drivers alike.

I found one of these roads and walked upward. I reached the end of that one stood momentarily on the small area of flatness, then crossed the road and headed up the next, then the next, then......you get my drift.

I suddenly arrived at a petrol station, a wide road and the main service road onto the Autopista del Nte, a fast motorway connecting the north with the south, basically.

In other words I had walked approximately five miles pretty much straight up, no wonder my legs ached.

I wasn't far from the Centro Commercial so I aimed right in hunt of the roundabout. I was interested in that coffee which already had my name on it. ❤

After a bit of hunting, doubling back, ducking round and generally flying by the seat of my pants, I reached it. 

Slowing now, I walked across the busy interchange fingers crossed the traffic would slow enough to let me cross and then hunted for the entrance to the shopping centre. 

Coffee!

McDonald's!

At last!

Sit down.......and breathe.

I would say knock yourself out if you're a shopaholic but the biggest draw seems to be an enormous supermarket which appears to sell everything. It even had a wrapping service for toys bought as Christmas gifts! This is a superstore on steroids.

Needless to say, I'm no shopaholic and I am bored all too quickly by shops-to-part-with-money-cos-its-fashion shops. 

I found the exit (eventually) and seeing a church spire in the distance,  aimed for it. A spire usually means a town square and I was interested to see where this was.

Iglesia Plaza La Vera.......ok......but where am I? The best I got was it's a suburb of Puerto  Cruz and is called La Vera. 

Hey, don't shoot the tourist.

I walked down and ran out of road, instead I was confronted by a wall and banana trees laiden with their precious fruits. Some had been wrapped in blue plastic, others were still ripening.

Mm, a way down......?

Now, if you saw the goat track I ended taking you would have watched with hands over your eyes. 

Cars were coming up but there were few places for me to squeeze against so as to be out the way. The edges of the road were nothing but points at which the tarmac ended and steep slopes began; there was nothing between you and a twenty foot drop into the water bullet beside you.

Yes, that narrow, and it continued for some distance before I reached a 'road' which was a car and a half wide.

I wove my way back to the hotel via the supermarket. I needed a drink and some chocolate, then food!

It was gone 2pm.

I arrived back just in time, the weather turned and the rains came. Just gentle drizzle but the forecast suggested it would turn far worse and last most of tomorrow. 

I ate and retired to my room. I'm tired but the 10.4 miles is quite a trek.

A water feature and the pigeon

3rd December 

Walking, as you do, I found I'd wandered up to the far side of Puerto Cruz, so, instead of looking in the windows of the souvenir shops, I moved to the other side of the promenade where the sun was shining.

As you turn the bend along there, you come across the entrance to the big water park which has swimming pools arranged in the same layout as the Canaries themselves, and in similar shapes. In one part is a hug fountain which is invariably photographed and used in promotional literature, but I was transfixed by the pigeons.

At the entrance are a series of small pools with grasses growing in the centre. There is a wide, cement lip and a small gap between the plant and this lip.....

.....one lone pigeon was standing in the water enjoying a bath.

I sat down on the ground by this and watched. I never realised just how territorial they could be.

Other pigeons tried to get in but as soon as they did this one chased them off.

It took it's time and when thoroughly wetted, it fluttered out and sat on a wall not far away, preening.

The others scurried in.

No sooner had they begun, than the original bird returned and sent them all packing.

I laughed. 

It may not want it but it wasn't going to share,  just like kids when they go through that, "Its Mine!" stage.

Cool but still not coat weather

3rd December 

My room was still warm when I awoke this morning but the world outside had lost its cosiness, replaced with a strong, bitter wind and leaden skies. The threat of rain was imminent and I was all too content at staying close to the hotel.

Still not feeling 100% I was more than content to stay close to home although itchy feet had a calling, and the prospect of a decent coffee at McDonald's was a real pull.

After an early breakfast I returned upstairs and sat on the balcony out of the gently falling rain. 

My weather app told me it should clear by about 10am so I was happy to ride it out.

By the time 10am arrived, the weather had indeed cleared, and although it was still cloudy, the warmth was returning and I was off wandering.

Coffee.

McDonald's and a medium Americano with a glass of hot milk. 

Ironically, I enjoyed the hot milk the most. It reminded me of when I was younger, how I would hit the hot milk then. In fact it was by far my favourite hot drink.

Note to self; consider this as an option whilst away. I really do dislike the tea they have in Spain and the coffee can be very bitter depending upon where I go.

So the day passed and after a visit to the library (a bookcase with various books left by other guests in varying languages) I found a nice piece of 'fluff' reading - A Vintage Summer by Cathy Bramley.

The book I have on Kindle is fantastic but is a real tear-jerker. I decided modern day fluff was needed, something I could read, enjoy and move on. This other one is about the resistance in the Netherlands during the Second World War and its, how shall I put this? Raw.

Sadly, the weather didn't really pick up so it was a day of cardigans and curled up on a warm settee.

I had my evening meal then came upstairs to watch the Selby v McDonnell game of snooker on Eurosport. 

Come on Selby, get your game together!

Update on the screaming woman and the room?

2nd December cont..

Today's weather has been a bit hit and miss so this morning I took advantage of the break in the cloud and went onto the beach.

As I left my room, armed with beach towel etc, the door to the room this lady was in, opened and a painter and decorator stepped out. 

I peeked in,  the whole room had been freshly whitewashed and all the furniture removed. 

Does that explain the subsequent visits by staff that night, I wonder?

What did she do in there? And where is she now? 

I've not seen her or her friends since that day. I did hear what sounded like one of her friends talking (more like shouting) at the woman at about 01:15 that night so it makes me wonder........

I'll never know the full S.P. but its intriguing all the same.

My birthday cometh in but a few days

2nd December 

Well, it maybe 17°C but it feels chilly this morning, so much so, I've ended up putting my cardigan on.

Pleasingly,  there was no repeat of the previous night's escapades which meant, apart from the neighbouring television, peace and quiet reigned supreme.

Breakfast in the buffet looked as though it had already been attacked by some hoard of hungry people. Although I get down as the doors are meant to open, one waiter seemed tasked with clearing away over half the available tables. Very unusual. He worked hard and with little or no expression, but I can imagine his inner thoughts as he cleared and watched the early-bird coming down only to find empty tables and little choice.

Finally another of the older waiters appeared and as he took over the final clearance the first took the fully laiden trolley into the back to load up the dish washer (at least, that's what it sounded like).

Hats off to these two, they were doing the work of three or four.

Back upstairs and sitting on the balcony once more. Its windy and chilly with the forecast suggesting rain at some point today. Lower temperatures too, maximum 18°C which compared with yesterday's 28°C is quite a drop. No wonder I'm noticing the difference.

What shall I do today? Not sure yet, its ruled by the IBS and how that'll play out this morning. We'll see. 

Beach! Mm. Lovely. Paddle. Better. Wet. Who cares?

Had to giggle. A child of about less-than-two was being introduced to the waves by its father. The child screamed with genuine excitement and automatically kicked its legs as if swimming. Repeatedly father attempted to leave the sea, repeatedly the child became a screaming serpent in his arms. More than twice he attempted to leave the water and still the happy giggling child was replaced with a tantruming, writhing serpent now screaming with intense rage.

I had to giggle, this is probably what I was like at that age. 

Sorry mother, I must have been a right handful.

I'll tell you more of those exploits of mine on Eclectic Magpie 101, my other Blog, which runs alongside this one, but for now, just imagine......😏 sic

At the other end another child of similar age was being introduced to the sea and waves. Same leg actions, same screams but not quite insistent. That, however, grew with time especially as people walked past paddling deeper and with such nonsolence. Then the child became braver, then mum became less so. Again I giggled. One ended up swimming with dad, bouncing through the waves, the other, held firmly by mum and not allowed to sit in the water.

The morning after the night before

1st December 

I finally surfaced at gone 08:30, it had been an eventful night.

I watched one of the early Harry Potter movies (in Spanish), and was contemplating settling to sleep when the commotion began somewhere in the corridor.

Loud voices, banging, screaming, it all began in earnest at about 23:30. 

It carried on and on.

In the end I gave up, put a sundress on, and went outside to see what was going on, only to find a prostrate female lying semi-clad just down the corridor from me.

Walking up to her, I realised she appeared to be only just conscious, so training from teaching kicked in, my first thought, get back. I called reception. If she was ill, she needed attention. 

She stopped me and started jabbering on about something of which I had no idea, but I quickly realised, she wasnt ill, she was blind drunk.

I went back to my room, called Reception and then went outside to keep an eye on her. She was in quite a state so I attempted to quieten her by just being there.

Eventually she gestured at me, "go" so I did.

Long and short of it, Reception came and let her in to the room she was performing outside. 

For some reason it all started again some forty minutes later and they came up again, and again, and ag......I fell asleep; earplugs are marvellous things.

So, yes, a late start this morning and that final hour of breakfast serving is not a good time to go down. I ate something, had a drink and left as fast as I could.

Now I'm sitting in the sun, sundress on, enjoying the peace, solitude and warmth of my balcony. 

I'm tired, but will sleep all the better for it tonight.

The day unfolded as others have previously,  I enjoyed the early part of the morning on the balcony, spent until about 14:00 enjoying the pool and a stint of lying in the sun, then up to my room for a shower, change and sudoku. That game is addictive. 

By the time I looked up I'd missed the lunch period (IBS been playing up since I arrived so not really a problem), so out for a walk. Again.

Now I'm back and believe it or not am really tired. That disturbed night, watching the film 'til late and then being 'right out of salts' has done me in.

Did enjoy my paddle in the sea though. Believe it or not, its warmer than the pool! 🙄

Bliss! Silence and I slept til 06:45.

30th November 

Sad, when you're ruled by alarms, clocks, watches and smart phones. My alarm is finally off, my watch is in the bottom of my bag and the smart phone is now a mobile streaming device. The day is going to be another good one which means another high intensity vitamin D intake, wonderful. 

Today?

My back is still playing up so I'll head for the beach in a while and enjoy the waves; it'll be interesting to see what mood the sea is in today, amber, green or red. Now which is it going to be..🤔 shall I guess?

Worked out why my back is hurting, another nerve is being pinched and its slowly losing sensation. I suspect, well hope, these are its death throws.

So, did I make it to the beach? 

Did I 'eck, I remembered it was the weekend and the beach would be full so I stayed by the pool then changed and went out for a walk.

I'd made the big mistake of eating fruit and the reaction was pretty instantaneous; I felt headachy and muzzy headed. I needed to walk the fructose off, so I went for a 'round-the-block' wander. I love these, I never know where I'm going, hence place markers at junctions.

I did recognize quite a few roads but one or two of the side streets I'd not explored before. Twenty-eight degrees and climbing I went to burn off the 'wrong type of fuel', vowing not to repeat that again.

So, its 14:23 and I'm back at the hotel having enjoyed the walk, my late lunch and the shade which is now shrouding the poolside. One very happy bunny.

Lunch and back out again.

 I fancied walking to McDonald's for a coffee and explore some of the souvenir shops on the way. It was a really pleasant walk and the warm weather held nicely.

I love Puerto Cruz as the night sky begins to form, there are such pretty street lights and they illuminate the buildings with such warmth, a colour pallet which is missing during the day.

That bloody alarm clock and I are going to fall out! 🤬

29th November 

At precisely 05:30 the alarm chirps the dawn of a new day! I really did think I'd switched the bugger off, but no, happy as the lark it heralded, it trilled out its earth shattering noise which pierced the earplugs. 

Great.

Another early before the sun has risen mornings, not what I had envisioned at all.

Time crawls slowly when I'm tired I've found and breakfast was far from inspiring. Once more it was a small salad and American cheese, which, I must say, is not the real cheese I have become accustomed to. Making the decision I need to furnish myself with an alternative,  I am enjoying a cup of black tea (no milk, it tastes .....different, yes let's leave it at that shall we) and then it's a wander to the small supermarket just down the road. 

Keto plus this hotel equals a problem sadly.

Houston we have a problem.....

I decided to have a swim, my only problem is, this is definitely the wrong swimwear. This is larger than me, it's rather, um, roomy hanging low in the crotch....too roomy to be decent. The excess fluid I always pick up, flying, has gone and I'm considerably smaller than I was yesterday. Bugger. Might end up getting another down the road. 

Anyway, the day was nice enough and the temperatures reached 25°C at its zenith. Compared with home (8°C max), that's a massive difference. I have some short sundresses so I'll wear those instead. Just as good and in a way, far more flattering. 

So onto the beach, enjoy the sun and the return for lunch of pork skewers and salad.

It's now 17:09 and the temperature is a comfortable 22°C. People are congregating outside at the terrace bar whilst a couple still swim in the pool. 😕 love to join them, but not really ideal coverage at the moment.

Wish my back would stop hurting so much. It's now a case of 400mg nurofen just to calm it down. Oh well, it eases at night.

And why did that alarm go off?

28th November 

There are times!.......nestled beneath warm bedding I heard a familiar sound, the alarm. 

Great. 🤬

Set for 0530, not a time I wished to be woken!

Turning over, I groaned. I'd gone to bed early and now having had seven hours, I knew I wouldn't fall asleep again.

Early breakfast then...... 

The sun is just starting to poke its head out between the clouds so it might be a nice day.

I've had breakfast (mm, missing the ship) and now listening to the Canarian sparrows in the date palms. Nice.

Went down to the beach and have spent a really enjoyable morning watching the taller than a six foot waves, pushing people off their feet as a wall of water cascades onto them. Quite entertaining especially with the disrobing of both sexes as the waves did their stuff.

With the sun came a fear of too great an exposure, so I wandered back to the hotel, got changed into swimwear and went for a short swim in the pool. It was nice once I was in but the initial shock......eek.

Shower, dry and then back out for a walk to McDonald's. I didn't go in. The clouds are back and the temperature has dropped. It feels as though it could drop rain any minute.

I'm tired, my back has pinged something, somewhere and hurts like heck. I'm back at the hotel....that's enough for today.

Out with the lark, travelling all day

27th November 

The alarm may have been set for 05:30, but waking at 02:35 was a tad early even by my standards.

I cannot remember being consciously awake at this time of the morning, 05:45, to witness the feverish activity in Gatwick airport, but so many Easyjet flights were leaving to places such as Copenhagen, Rotterdam and Reykjavik (🥺), it was as if I was watching an organised ant colony on the move to new quarters.

I watched, wistfully, as the people scurried off to catch the flight bound for Reykjavik. It maybe -2°C there at the moment, but my heart did leap when they called the destination. 

Wrong clothes in my case, and already booked for hotter climes, I waited for my flight to be called.

When one eats a ketogenic diet, it's really hard to find food which is not laden with carbohydrates. 

Living where I do, I am spoilt with organic vegetables and fresh, pasture raised chickens, locally caught fish and wild boar. On arriving at a place such as this, I realised just how disparate my eating habits had become. 

I found a crayfish and avocado salad after much hunting. Strange what I end up eating for breakfast, but still.......

I had an Easyjet flight, so knew it would not only leave on time, but it would also be a comfortable flight. Their planes maybe Airbus but they certainly went for the better seats and seating arrangements. 

Much to my delight the only children were way off from where I sat, yay, and being in row 29F, one of the "by the emergency doors" seats, I had ample leg room.

So, four hours and five minutes to Tenerife south, then ninety minutes transfer to Puerto Cruz. 

I have been spoilt recently; arrival wasn't as I imagined it would be. Ok, the weather didn't help going from beautiful blue skies and hot sun in the south, to thick cloud cover and cooler temperatures, but even so, the ships have raised the bar when it comes to luxury and comfort. I immediately missed the sound and smells, the cosy but perfectly appointed cabin and the pleasures of wandering up and down the ship in search of the Coffee Port, the buffet restaurant and the open deck. 

Oh dear, I think I'm converted.

Anyway, the room is nice and the balcony a boon. I knew one of my first jobs would be the little bit of washing,  but first.......foray out to the supermarket,  I need something to eat (it's gone 15:30 so no surprise there, restaurant's closed until 18:30) and I also need some water.

I must admit, I have little or no intention of doing anything with the remainder of the day except relax my back off (hurting like hell) and just chill.

Mm.........where can I go next September? Not back here......🤔

Travelling to Gatwick for an early start

Thursday 26th November 

Yay, its come round again, time for another foray to the warmth and enjoy a relaxing birthday in the Canaries. 

I love these islands and go back to them time and time again. There's something magical about them which pulls me back and as they come in sight I feel as though I am coming home.

The trains are being good and apart from escalator trouble at Gatwick itself, the rest looks easy.

Oh well, one night at the Premier Inn and a 0520 alarm call for me. 

Up out and flying to the Be Live Adults Hotel and two weeks of being utterly spoilt.

A day out; Borough Market and along the Thames to Charing Cross

What with the prospect of losing our own supplies of pasture raised meat and dairy in favour of a cheaper and somewhat inferior commodity from the USA, I came to the conclusion it was time to go hunting for some 'good' stuff.
Yes, I reasoned, I would pay more for the privilege but as I have read somewhere;
" what you pay to the farmer today, saves paying it to the pharmaceutical companies later on", and I want wellness, not illness in my final years.
I am lucky enough to live in Kent, and we are blessed with numerous farmers markets, one in fact, coming to our town each month, but it doesn't have the variety, something I have become used to over the years of Spanish imports.
I wanted to find that supply.
I wanted to taste vegetables with the full flavour I remember from my youth when the birds followed the tractor and pretty much everything grown was truly organic. I wanted to see the mud on the crops and the words 'organically grown'.
I wanted more.

So here I am, at London Bridge, indulging in a smorgasbord of delights, from meats to fresh fish, vegetables to fruits and brews to herbal mixtures. The smell of ripened cheeses filled my nose as did the smell of the sea, all around the oyster bar People jostled to get their oysters, their Indian, their Jamaican trays out of the crush and find a wall or small piece of peace to stand in and eat their purchases. Others moved through the crowd with doughnuts, still warm and half eaten, munching away as the jam, or cream dripped from their mouths, sugar coating their lips like frosting.
I headed for the cafe at the centre of the market. Its been there since the start of the market I reckon, and serves the best bubble and squeak I've ever known. Hot, freshly made and steaming in the cold of the day, platefuls of it were being served up with beans, or burger, or as part of a full English. 
I had a mug of tea, made in the large stainless pot and brewed til its almost black. With half that and half boiling water added, the tea was hot, strong and beautiful. 
Refreshed I went in search of some bits and pieces and found, at last the one place I knew was here, The Olive Oil Company.

These people make some of the best olive oil infusions I have found so I splashed out with a bottle of black truffle infusion and some regular oregano infusion. 
If you've not had a black truffle infusion, try some, its earthy, peppery with a back-of-the-throat kick. I imagine it would be wonderful on beef but I know its great with mushrooms and that was my aim.
So, two bottles of oil and the few groceries I managed to pick up, I came to the conclusions;
Number 1 - I would come back once a month
Number 2 - I would avoid Saturdays like the plague!!

With half a dozen free range eggs in my bag, lovingly wrapped in my bobble hat for security, I headed for Costa over the road .. two things were on my mind, the need for the toilet and a desire for a really nice warm place with a really gorgeous latte. Bliss.

I managed one out of the two, the coffee was brilliant, the toilet, out of order.

I was not far from the station itself (its really within spitting distance of the market, and Costa's) so I went back into the station and looked around. I knew where they were by two things, the sign pointing that way and the group of men standing with cases and bags looking forlornly at a long line of women. Yep, that's the toilets, always a queue and it ain't for the mens.
The barriers had swallowed my ticket when I came out so I had to decide if I would walk to Charing Cross or use my Oyster. I came to the conclusion the bag didn't seem too heavy so I'd walk; it'd do me good and it would be a nice way to see the river.

Coming back out of the station I headed toward the bridge and went onto the north side for a while. The cross rail development is going strong over here and roads around Cannon Street were closed to traffic. It was lovely walking along and not having to dodge the buses, and walking in the road was a novelty I thoroughly enjoyed.



I made the mistake of not taking the second set of stairs down to Lower Thames Street and ended up doing a bit of a loop along Arthur Street. Interesting though and in my meanderings came across the Wells Fargo Centre... amazing what is displayed in shop windows if only people would look. I'd already seen the carcass of a racing car and a mannequin in, I presume, the winning driver's one piece suit.

After a short walk I arrived at the Millennium Bridge, and knowing there were some small images on the bridge itself, I decided to cut across to the south bank and then head up to the stands and stalls by the BFI Centre. If you ever get to cross this bridge, keep your eyes open for these tiny little insignias, made I think, by Banksie. They blend in rather well with the chewing gum trodden into the grooves by ill-mannered people, but these have colour and say things. Worth a look anyway, and is good fun for children to hunt for as the go across.

The bag was getting heavy by now and my shoulder was telling me all about the fact it would have preferred me to use the Oyster, but the walk was good albeit my back hurt and my right hip was now playing up something rotten 😧. I knew things were getting bad when I started overheating and the sweat started trickling.....pain.....yes, I hear you but this is neither the time nor the place.

The sight of the Black friars station and then the book stalls at Southwark told me I was reaching the destination. I arrived at Southbank itself and realised, feeding time had begun. The stalls were open and the punters were gathering like seagulls outside a fish and chip shop.
Time to go.
I waked across the bridge and looked forward to a cuppa on the station, then a train home.
I was hurting and sadly the final thirty minutes had been lost in a haze but the rest had been great.

Next time, I promised myself, I would come up on a Thursday and I would bring my trolley with a cooler box inside, there's a free range chicken with my name on it and I'm keen to taste the bird roasted with vegetables cooked in coconut oil.
Delicious! 

On arriving home, I unpacked. Everything was still intact including the butter! The eggs were fine and went straight into the fridge. The two leaflets were grabbed and placed somewhere in the kitchen so I wouldn't lose sight of them and everything else went into cupboards or on shelves.
That was it, I was exhausted, but elated. The train journey had been a nice rest and the walk back to the car had been a lot less painful than I had expected (but I had put my neck back in joint whilst on the train), so all that was left was to collapse in my chair with a hot water bottle and a mug of tea.

Homeward bound and its a nice day!

Sunday 20th October

Fairy-feet next door was up bright and early. It never ceases to amaze me just how many times someone has to walk back and fore in such a short space of time?!
So I was awake. With the same routine as yesterday, tea, podcasts and then shower and dressed, I added the other layer of final packing.
Yes, it wasn't raining, the sun was just about out through white clouds and it looked as though I would have a much better journey back than I had had coming down.
What a relief.
Paul and I had breakfast together and chatted over our tea. It was great to catch up. We've known each other since our twenties and much has happened to both of us in that time. We have been really close, rowed, fallen out and not spoken for years, married, divorced, gone away and licked our wounds, only to finally find a new friendship in our later years. Its nice and although we still don't agree on everything, we have a new respect for each other, neither of us were really capable of finding in our selfish youth.
Paul went back to his room and got everything sorted to leave as I did mine. 
I waved a final goodbye and got into my car, set up the SATNAV and set off for the return journey.
M25 here I come!!

It had been a nice long-weekend, sadly marred by the sound system at the Ball, but you can't have everything can you and I had seen much more this time than I have in the past. 
I got to Street and to Wells. I understood my need to move on from Glastonbury and the surrounding area; I've visited it all now and want to explore new areas.


Have bus pass, will travel....that's me, always looking round the next corner or up the next side street, after all, you never know what you'll see....
 

Meeting up with Paul and a Faery Ball

Saturday 19th October

So, today is the Faery Ball and this year is its an anniversary, so the theme is something to do with Lights. 
Mm, sorry folks but as pretty much everything I possess is far too big for me and I haven't got round to replacing it all with stuff which is smaller (sic, and I really do dislike shopping for clothes), its a case of what I've got is what you'll get.
Anyway, I'm jumping ahead as normal.
I opened my eyes at about 06:45 because fairy-feet next door had obviously got up and gone to the loo, I presume. 
So tea time and listen to the latest podcasts from Westminster and the Trump impeachment saga, then shower, dress and out for a walk up to get some breakfast.
Same as yesterday although I sidestepped the long circular route! 😏 I'd learnt my lesson and really didn't think I could cope with another round-robin tour, however interesting it had been.
It wasn't raining! every now and then the sun appeared between clouds which warned of impending doom at any moment, but that held off and the walk into town was pleasant.

On my way round to Morrisons I spied this Mini. I smiled and thought back to my old girl. Not red, but undercoat grey, she sported various hand painted bits and pieces as well as an aluminium plate on the drivers door sporting the important phrase;

THIS IS NOT DRINKING WATER

The car was well known in the area and strangely, never got stolen. It may have had something to do with the dragon's head on the bonnet, ZZ Top stripes down the sides and copies of their car and rocket on each rear door? Not sure, but it turned heads. Grinning, I carried on walking, my stomach was growling and I really needed food.
Breakfast came and went and so did I back into town to have a look in a few shops (book shops to be honest) whilst I waited for Paul to get here. I had little idea when he would arrive and sent it up into the ether for him to send me a text.
Within ten minutes one came through, he'd be there for about 2pm, so having exhausted the book shops and having had a really nice cup of coffee, I headed back to the hotel. I was bored with Glastonbury, it was getting chilly, I wanted a cardigan and to be honest and a sit down. I was still weary from yesterday.
We met at the hotel went back into town and went to the Faery Fayre in the town hall. It was good to have a look about and we were lucky enough to catch Brian Frome (of Dark Crystal fame) on his own and have a good old chat with him.
We looked at most things and were almost on our way out when Paul spotted two of his old mates from years ago.
Needless to say we got chatting and as they too were going to the ball later agreed to meet up. They had also decided to go as they were....made me feel happier.

 
The hall filled up with faeries and pixies and pirates and refugees from various times throughout history. I even noticed a Wilma and Fred Flinstone, so anything went I think.
Sadly, the man on sound really did have a problem, which I would say was akin to acute deafness!
It was like a blind painter doing your windows, somewhat pointless and very much over the top.
It started and I suspect the whole of the foundations of the buildings on that side of the High Street were given exercise. My ears hurt and my feet vibrated with over modulation. I looked at his curve for the sound....all pretty much at maximum.....its not that big a hall!
The first group to come on were really good, but you needed your fingers in your ears to hear them. No idea what they were called, I couldn't make out what the King and Queen were saying.
Sadly, the evening continued in this vein, with people coming on, over modulation making everything impossible and then the lights went on!!

At about 22:40, the house lights went up as a fireman strode through the centre towards the stage......the fog machine had set off the fire alarms and because it was just too loud, no one heard it.
Now, from a Health and Safety perspective, isn't that rather dangerous??
We filed outside. It was bloody cold but at least we could hear ourselves think. Many left at this point, valuing what hearing they had remaining, the diehards waited, slowly turning light shades of white, red and blue, and that wasn't the lights they were festooned with either.
We stood outside for a while and continued to have a chat with the couple we'd met early. They'd had enough and were off to find a pub. We heard the final band strike up again. The sound was better out here than anywhere else. If it had been warmer it was a good place to stand, but is was far too cold, we wandered back in, stood for a few minutes and surveyed the small handful who remained.

Neither Paul nor I were that interested in our ears being assailed any further and we both needed to sit down, so we left and sat in the foyer where we chatted for about half an hour. Time to go. We went back to the car and drove back to the hotel. It was time for tea and bed.
For me it was tea, bed, podcasts and attempting to unwhine my ears enough to get some sleep. It was a bad one, not falling to sleep until well gone 1am.
I was going to be very tired in the morning and had that journey home to face.
 

Wet and a bus ride to Wells

Friday 18th October

Waking this morning, one of the first things I did was to look at the weather. Mm, Met Office says cool with the possibility of showers...... more like very cold showers containing shards of sleet only just defrosting from ice. It stung the face and turned my nose blue....winter was a coming. But more of that later, let's wake up first.

After some early morning coffee I came to the conclusion it was time to, one, get dressed and two get some breakfast. But before I could eat, there was a walk that needed doing.

The cooked breakfast here at the hotel is £10 per day, so I decided to pop round to Morrisons and have one of theirs at £5.75 including a refillable pot of tea. Sorted.

I wandered round to the main bus stop in Glastonbury and waited for the bus. Most people were hoping the 376 would come fairly quickly, it was cold standing here and it had started raining again; the bus shelter doesn't offer much protection for all of us.
One thing did make me smile. There were a group of women, I could only call 'aging hippes', each with their bus passes, standing there in gypsy tops and long layered skirts, off to play 'granny' as they put it. They may have grown older but their clothing was just as it had been for the past 40+ years. Inwardly I giggled. As long as they feel comfortable then that's fine. I suspect they'd have more of a problem my side of the country.
Great thing about bus passes, it's all free as long as it's a local service. So, bus pass in hand I too waited for the 376 and travelled the 9 miles free of charge with no parking to worry about. 😊 bliss; there are some advantages to getting old.

I'm now sitting in Costa, with a really lovely coffee and dodging the worst of the rain. Once the 'showers' subside I'll move on once more. I am so glad this raincoat is virtually to the ground and warm as well as water tight!

Its Friday and I'm free to do as I please. I feel for those who still have to work. What prompted that thought? A man sitting a couple of tables away, laptop out, and on the phone having a difficult conversation with someone over when and where a meeting would be scheduled and whether he could get to Bristol in the next 10 minutes. Tee, hee, a candidate for an early heart attack if he doesn't slow down.

So I took myself into Wells Cathedral and if you're ever in Wells, without children, this is an amazing place to visit. It's free to enter but a donation is readily accepted (it's a big place to keep going and well worth all you are willing to give).

 You walk along the most amazing arched, covered transit and then turn into the church itself.

Look up at the ceiling, the painting of the patterns there are amazing.

Everywhere you go there's something else, including a rare example of a clock!

I've included some pictures here, in the hope you'll be inspired.

 When I walked into the church itself I was greeted with the most beautiful singing. A girls school from somewhere, I didn't catch the place, were rehearsing for an evening recital. If I'd known I would have been tempted to stay at the Premier in Wells and go to it. I had sat through one of these recitals before and the quality of singing is excellent.
Never mind, I was lucky enough to hear them rehearsing and after a break for prayers at the top altar (keeping the cathedral a place of worship not just a tourist attraction) the soloists returned. Wow, they were good. Mentally, I kicked myself for not going on the website and finding out what was going on that evening.

One thing I do when I am out is continually ask myself, "I wonder what's round that corner? I wonder what's up that side street?" It's how I get to see places which most tourists fail to see.

In the cathedral there were doors open; I looked out for "No Entry" signs and as they were not present, wandered through. This door intrigued me. It had been shut the last time I came here, now it was open, I wanted to look......The stairs you see above showed just how many feet had gone up and down over the years. It took you up to a meeting room where those who ran the cathedral itself would meet. It was a huge room with a central pillar supporting the roof and on each of the walls, there was a nameplate and coat of arms of the person who stood there (or maybe sat there originally, but there was no furniture in there at all when I was there). The staircase continued up to this observation window. You could see across the courtyards in front of the main entrance towards the original route of the monks and nuns as they came to pray. You could easily see anyone coming that's for certain.......from what I read, during the time of Henry 8th, that became very important because the cathedral was ransacked and put into ruin by orders of the King.

Next? After I'd listened to the girls choir rehearsal I went back to the bus station. It was early enough so I decided to stick on the 376 into Street. I'd not been there for some time (last time I was in a sun dress and wearing flip flops) so decided to be nosey. 
Yet again it was that, I wonder where this bus stops? Is it close to Clarke's Shopping Village?

Well, if you're into retail therapy then knock yourself out! This place has major high end brands galore most supporting factory prices. Handbags I'd seen on the ship at supposed tax free prices paled into insignificance by these. Mind you, there's no £20 bag sale, prices start at £89. I did say high end.
My nose caused me to wander over to a large house which said, Free Entry to an exhibition; mm, free, open, wonder what's.........yes, I was off. I happily left the retail hell to those who enjoy parting with their money for labels and kudos and headed towards this house. 
I talk to anyone ( it gets me both into lots of trouble occasionally, but most of the time, loads of information and a nice interaction with someone). By the looks of it I was the only person in the building (save those working there), so mouth engaged, I strike up a conversation with the lady on the door. Fascinating. Even more intrigued by what she has told me, I go into the exhibition ready for some hard reading off display boards.
The exhibition centred around a lady called Emily Hobhouse.

She was seen as a traitor in this country but as a heroine in South Africa because she exposed the truly dreadful conditions of and for the Boars in the prisoner of war camps. What she found were women and children being incarcerated in conditions without proper access to water or food.
Angry and frustrated by the British officers attitudes towards the prisoners, she set up feeding centres for these women and once the war was over brought them out to places where she taught them skills to make money for themselves and their families. A co-operative as it were.
In the first world war, which made her even more 'an enemy of the people', she highlighted the same plight of German women and children in the Allied prisoner of war camps and cited that unless these women and children were given help and support there could be serious consequences for the future. She wasn't far wrong there.
I was there some hour and a half, having had a further conversation with the woman on the door, chewed over the fat from what I had gleaned about this lady, and decided I wanted to find out more. She was certainly an activist in the very early days.

Having exhausted my appetite to shops ( low desire at the best of times) I headed back to the bus stop only to watch it pulling off the stand. Aaaargh! It only leaves every half an hour, I walked.

I'm back at the hotel now with feet aching, back complaining and hunger pangs growing. It's gone 4:30pm and I've not eaten since the small cooked breakfast I had at Morrisons at about 9:00am.
Time to leave my room for the final time today and grab some food and water, then its veg out in front of the TV. 💤