Hi from Tenerife.
Yes, hubby and I are here for a week and we have been looking forward to this break for some time. I'm not sure that I have ever felt so in need of sunshine and relaxation.
We are in an adults only hotel in the south west of the island. Not too much info to give really so will update daily and then publish at the end of the holiday. Hopefully a good way to remember the holiday in the future.
Sunday: arrived at Gatwick, parked the constantly overheating car (we had to use my old banger as hubby's car was written off in an accident less than a week before our holiday), checked in our luggage and made our way to a lounge that we had paid extra to use. It meant that we could have eats and drinks etc in relative peace which we both enjoyed.
The four and a bit hours flight seemed tedious but I had downloaded a couple of films from Netflix so I had something to watch. Hubby battled with his earphones that he can never get to fit properly, finally gave up the ghost and spent his time doing sudoku. I knocked my gin and tonic plus ice cubes and lemon into my lap which made for a most uncomfortable journey!
The baggage reclaim and subsequent coach trip in the dark to the hotel was uneventful and we checked in, ate a salad prepared and left for late arrivals, wandered through the hotel and went to bed.
Monday: I slept quite well which was awesome. We opened the curtains to get our first daytime view of Tenerife only to be met with a cloudy scene. However, by midday this had cleared and we had solid sunshine for the rest of the day.
It was amusing to see, at 8am sharp, a procession of people marching to the pool area with their towels to secure their sun beds. It really made us laugh initially and then we thought it was really sad but each to their own.
Hubby went to the gym after breakfast and had little wander around the area surrounding the hotel which consists of souvenir shops, bars and a harbour. I secured a fab large round beach chair big enough to lay in and settled for a few hours. It was wonderful. I applied sunscreen liberally, I swam a couple of times and I genuinely practiced trying to be mindful, trying to relax. That's actually harder to do than you would think. Especially when you have a mind like mine. However, with the sea crashing nearby and with sun shining, I closed my eyes, focussed on my breathing and listened really carefully to what I could hear and it was great. I really want to focus on being focussed if you know what I mean.
This evening was our first dinner which was lovely. Lots of choice and a white chocolate fountain which was glorious. We went for a wander, found a tiny beach which was cordoned off and where the sand was dark grey due to this being a volcanic island and then stopped at a cocktail bar on the way back. I couldn't finish my huge g and t and hubby had a Mojito and a cucumber gin cocktail.
Back in the room by 9.15pm and ready for bed.
We did have sangria at lunchtime which I was dubious about as lunchtime drinking is not good for me these days but it was lovely. Looking forward to tomorrow and more relaxation.
Tuesday: didn't sleep so well and then hubby woke me up for breakfast at 8.30am. Much sunnier start to the day and I'm trying to remain focussed on being positive. We have booked a trip for tomorrow which will be interesting. We are having an afternoon and evening at a volcano. No idea what to expect really apart from the obvious so we shall see. I am now looking forward to another day in the big chairs relaxing. Hubby has gone to explore as he usually does when we are away. We spent the morning reading and lazing about. Hubby found a coastal path so he was happy. I heard that two people drowned here last week literally 50 yards from the hotel. A 64 year old Portuguese lady was taking photos and got knocked into the sea by a big wave. A passer by jumped in to save her. Both lost their lives.
We walked to the harbour and had seafood paella and sangria for lunch which was lovely although the sangria tasted a bit weird to me. Then we walked around the harbour and saw a large ray and lots of fish. We then had an ice cream and made our way back to the hotel. A bit too much food and drink me thinks. Siesta time and then more of the same...food, walking and so on. Ended up in a bar watching a bit of the Man Utd v Everton game on a big screen. Started to get a headache. Feels like it might be a migraine coming on. Went to bed after taking paracetamol hoping to sleep it off. Unfortunately now at 2.29 am I have just taken solpadeine as headache not gone and want it to go by the morning. Hate lingering headaches that threaten a migraine. Make me feel anxious and a bit sick.
Wednesday: writing on a Thursday by the pool. Yesterday we had a leisurely/lazy morning. Great for me. Boring for hubby who is getting increasingly aware of being surrounded by older people and of the lack of anywhere to explore. I'm very happy to sit around all day to be honest but he is really getting bored. Anyway, we had an afternoon and evening planned. An excursion to a volcano on the island, a 3 course meal en route and stargazing to finish it off. We had a glass of wine before going to our room at lunchtime to pack our bag for the trip. We set off to walk the two or three minutes from our hotel to the pick up point really looking forward to our afternoon. When we got to the bus stop I put my bag on the bench to see that one of the sections was open. I never leave my bag open. Alarm bells rang in my head straight away, a quick rummage through my bag confirmed my worst fears. My purse containing our credit cards and most of our cash among other things had been stolen. I ran back to the hotel just to make sure that I hadn't left the purse on our bed but I knew, in my heart of hearts, that it was a waste of time. My wallet was gone. We couldn't go on the trip as we had to contact banks etc. On the walk back to the hotel we looked in all the bins, behind fences and in gardens just in case my purse had been chucked away after the cash was taken out but to no avail. We must have looked ridiculous rummaging in the bins when I think about it!
Hubby made all the calls, cancelled bank cards and that was it really. Left us feeling deflated. We sat in the sun and had a drink and reassessed our situation after telling the holiday reps what had happened just in case there was a protocol to follow. There wasn't really. However, whilst waiting to speak with a rep we realised that they were dealing with a much more important matter. An elderly lady was distressed because her husband had been taken to hospital and was in intensive care. She was alone, confused about what to do and worried about flying home, her husband's well being etc etc. It put into perspective our predicament. We are both fine. If someone has a good time on the Euros that they stole from me so be it. They have themselves to live with and I won't let the actions of a loathsome individual ruin our holiday.
Positivity is the key and I'm genuinely trying to work on it every day at the moment. I'm annoyed about what happened to my wallet but it's happened and it's dealt with for now. No point dwelling on it and we have the trip to look forward to this afternoon instead of yesterday. I'm sitting in the sun, by a pool, in Tenerife on holiday for a week. How lucky am I?
Thursday: after yesterday's disappointment we got on with our day which really meant breakfast, pool, sunbathing and a bit of lunch. Then we set off for our rescheduled trip to Mount Teide national park which I didn't know even existed. What an amazing experience it was. I'm so glad we did it. The coach drove us 7000 ft up to the park with a couple of stops just in case anyone got altitude sickness. We were amazed at the scenery. It was almost like being on a different planet. It was like a desert but it was really cold and the lava formations were incredible. We had a set 3 course meal as part of the trip and took lots of photos of the Teide volcano which was awesome on its own. We then drove on to see the sun set with a glass of cava in hand. It was bloody freezing but so beautiful. We were above the clouds...a view we would only normally get from an aircraft. We then drove back down the hill a way and pulled over to be given a tour of the constellations in the clear night sky. Our guide was so enthusiastic and he used a laser to point out each group of stars which was great.
It was a long but wonderful trip and worth every euro. It made the disappointment of yesterday all but a distant memory.
Friday: a disappointing cloudy day on the whole. I can see the island of La Gomera fairly clearly from our balcony for the first time this holiday though. It has been shrouded in clouds all week...so much so that you wouldn't know it was there unless you were told about it.
We walked around the coastal path to Santiago which was nice. Hubby has done it before but I hadn't. I was in search of salt! I know, weird but I needed some to make a solution to slosh my mouth out. We found some! The hotel is getting busier and sunbeds are at a premium. Easter holidays I think. We have had enough of lazing I think...or at least hubby has. He is getting bored and restless. This place is a little too quiet for him. I like it but I know what he means. The sun came out in the late afternoon so we sat out for an hour or so before getting ready for a 5 course meal on a sun terrace at the hotel. It was very pleasant but a little chilly once the sun went down.
I don't think we have ever gone to bed so early so often in a holiday. We must be getting old. We also brought a bottle of cava and put it in the fridge when we arrived and it's still there. Another novelty for us.
I have been trying not to think about what we have to do when we get home and I'm being pretty successful I think. I'm a born worrier and always have lists of things to organise or that I think I have to organise but I am really trying to not do that. When I find myself starting to get anxious about future stuff I just stop and bring myself back to now. In fact I've just walked around the hotel garden and taken photos of the flowers there. I've walked that way every day and not ever really noticed them until today.
Saturday: hubby is perturbed about being away from home for the Grand National so he rang his brother and got him to put on some bets for us. He has also planned where we will watch the race later. It's another cloudy day today which is a little disappointing and there is not a single sunbed to be had. All are taken at both pools. This morning we had a round of crazy golf which was fun. I started off well...a hole in one....and then gradually got worse until I almost gave up on the last hole. In the end I was beaten fair and square. We may have to have a rematch.
Sunday: a long day as we had an evening flight home. We also had the room for longer than usual so we didn't have to worry about our bags after checking out. I think we are both looking forward to getting home. It's been lovely to have the chance to relax and reboot. Things were a bit muddled and stressful before we came out here and the break has done us both good. We have learned that we prefer b and b to half board, that we like to have a beach close by and that we like to be around younger people.
Homeward bound xx
