Tenerife Day 6

A really challenging day! We had an early breakfast as we had a scooter to collect at 9:30, but things are never that simple are they..... At the bike rental place the guy said that there had been a mistake and the 250 scooter was unavailable until tomorrow.... but we could have a 180cc Piaggio. I told him we wanted to go up the mountain, and asked if this bike was up to it.... he eyed Jan and I up and said “the 250 will be available on Sunday”.

“Sunday is no good, we're leaving then”, I explained, I also pointed out that as they'd messed up perhaps they could let us have the BMW 650 instead, at no extra cost?,,,,, Yes! So off we pootled, up Mount Teide on the “Beemer”!

It has been overcast all day, the worst day of the week actually, and as we climbed into the hills it got cold and miserable, in fact it got so misty as we entered the clouds that I considered turning back. We broke through the mist, and the weather was beautiful at high altitude, we were actually above the clouds and the sky was fantastically blue.

We had a great ride, I was very impressed with Jan siting on the back like a seasoned veteran! The roads were clear and smooth and the views were magnificent. We got to the cable car base, (which carries you up to the summit if you so wish – although it wasn't running due to the strong winds), and had a break.

Coming down was a bit bleak, the clouds were thicker and so it took a while to get through them, and I was frozen by the time we reached sea level – no gloves or biking kit remember, we had to stop at a cafe to thaw out!

We have returned safely to the hotel and are chilling out now, where to go for our last evening meal is the pressing problem now.....

Tenerife Day 5

A bit of a change today, we decided to go for a trip along the coast, to a resort called “Los Gigantes”. The name refers to the towering cliffs above the sea - (The Giants). Anyway we took a service bus and the journey was just under an hour, we hadn't thought about it, but as today is Good Friday, a holiday in Spain, the bus was very busy with locals, we couldn't get the first bus that stopped, it was full, but eventually we made it.

The trip was worth it, Los Gigantes was a nice place, I thought of it as a Spanish Whitby, more older buildings and some really twisty little roads – a nice harbour with big fish swimming about the boats.

It was late afternoon by the time we returned so no poolside chillin' today, after a siesta in the room it's off to find somewhere to eat......

Tenerife day 4

Wow! The excitement has been difficult to bear! Today we went on a tourist “bus”, (meant to look like a little steam train), around the resort.... We saw all the sights, the tacky boutiques, (including a Thai Sex shop no less!), the apartments and time-share units, the authentic “Irish” pubs, (with “live folk music, Mon, Wed, Fri”), more boutiques and plenty of pastey tourists... Oh the culture and history!

Any way I had a hair cut and now look dapper and well groomed..... so no change there eh?!

Jan fancied a trip to a Water park type place, so we made enquiries, seems that the “Loros Parque” is quite a journey away, so it may not happen, we'll see how we feel tomorrow.

Took some Bobby Bear pictures for school.. on the bus ride, and at the poolside.

Tenerife Day 3

The days are slipping into a steady rhythm - breakfast, a long walk up or down the sea front , stopping at a bar for a coffee and coke, back to the room to collect our poolside accessories, and then an afternoon of reading and swimming......

In the evening we pick a bar that serves typical “Mediterranean resort” food, (variations on steaks, pizzas, spaghetti and chips- “rubbish for veggies”), and then we watch some football in another bar!

It seems ideal for a week away, although any longer and I'd get bored – in fact, on the subject of getting bored, I've reserved a hire scooter for Saturday, and Jan seems happy to come along into the mountains! Watch this space.....

Tenerife Day 2

Well it's been a bit overcast today, in fact I decided to wear my long trousers for our morning stroll along the prom – it did warm up though, and I became a sweaty so an' so before long! Spent too much time fending off hawkers who were trying to sell us sunglasses and watches – I was wearing both, so why they thought I might need to buy more I don't know!

We watched some surfers “hangin' ten” out in the bay, I told Jan how easy I thought it was, and if it wasn't for my dodgey knee I'd have shown 'em.....

Last night we sat in an Irish bar, played pool and watched Nottingham Forest against Newcastle on their big screen, we left before the end, and so didn't find out that Forest had lost until this morning, we'll probably return there tonight to watch Man Utd. in the Champions league.

This afternoon was awful, sunbathing and relaxing, reading and chillin', I suppose someone has to do it! I have bought a memory card reader however, so expect some pics....

Tenerife Day 1

So here we are in extremely sunny Tenerife! The chillin' has begun already. Jan slipped up with her travel agent bit, she assured me that the flight was “about 2 hours 30 minutes”....... However the pilot had different ideas, “we will be arriving in Tenerife in approximately 4hours, and 40 minutes....” Oh how we laughed!

The drama began soon after we landed, whilst waiting for our transfer I realised that I'd left my glasses on the plane, sigh........I rushed to the Iberia airways desk, and after a phone call and a short wait the glasses appeared! Excellent service! I didn't even have to make a spectacle of myself!

Our hotel seems really good, built in a north African “Moorish” style, (the chocolate isn't the only thing “moreish” on this Island.....). A great breakfast this morning, a good view of the sea, and two nice pools, (one salt water).

We have been relaxing by one of these pools all morning, and now I'm a little bit “lobstery” - mad dogs and Englishmen!

“Ricky's bar and diner over the road served us a lovely spaghetti last night, and the local strawberries are especially good with ice cream. Later this afternoon we'll check some other likely eateries....

This blog may have to be without pictures, because I've realised I don't have my media card reader, if I can pick up one cheap we may have photos, otherwise you'll just have to use a little imagination.

That's all folks!

It seems that the public are clamouring for more thoughts from Chairman Riddo!
But the holiday is over and like us reality has returned. The Holiday news is suspended until our next little trip.... I'll keep you posted. If anyone wants to check out where we stayed I've posted comments on Trip Adviser, (Tripadvisor.co.uk), on the following hotels and attractions:
Port Renfrew: Coastal Kitchen
Sooke: Sooke Potholes:
Field: Emerald Lake Lodge:
Sooke: Country Cupboard Cafe:
Vancouver: Sutton Place Hotel Vancouver:
Jasper: Lobstick Lodge:
Banff: Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa:

Bye bye, thanks for following, and watch this space!

Dave