Off to Tenerife

Set off Saturday for Leeds Bradford airport, a first, never been there before. It's a nice little airport, was quite impressed, especially with the premier lounge which we got in courtesy of Priority Pass. Only problem was the plane was delayed by an hour. And of course, when we got on it, we sat for a further 45 mins on the tarmac because the take off slot had been missed and we had to re route due to storms over the Atlantic. We were leaving in the short Indian summer we've just had, and the captain announced that for the first time in his flying career he could say that Leeds at 29 degrees was hotter than Tenerife at 26!

A good, but long flight and we landed two hours late at just before 9pm. The airport was very efficient, and we had our bags and car and were out by quarter past. A ten minute drive to the apartment was lengthened slight by Stu going the wrong way as we came off the motorway, and taking us back to the airport again. Got there eventually, and were directed to a very nice two bedroom apartment, despite having booked a one bedroom one, and rushed to the Italian restaurant before it closed for spaghetti and lasagne, washed down with welcome beer.

Then to the outside bar overlooking the sea where the pianist was having a Beatles night, and when that closed to the pub where we caught the last of the karaoke, and the beginning of happy hour. Yep, happy hour starts at 1130pm! No aircon in the room, so slept with the French windows wide open to the sound of the waves crashing onto the beach.

Next morning we decided to go to the supermarket and stock up on provisions, as well as getting the top down on the little Renault Megan we'd hired. But, apparently supermarkets don't open on a Sunday on Tenerife, so we had a nice little drive but came back empty handed.

Then to the pool. There were a few clouds, but it was mainly sunny, and we spent a couple of hours reading, swimming and listening to our iPods. Then back to the apartment for lunch, and a nap, before going back down again. More of the same, then we noticed a few raindrops so decided to come in. Out to the pool bar to eat, then to the pub for the evenings entertainment which turned out to be a Barry White tribute act, and very good he was to. I seem to remember getting involved in some sort of love train around the room. I'd nodded off before he came on, and again when we got back, and realised that I'd changed the antihistamines I was taking in case of insect bites and they were knocking me out. Have changed the make today to if I can stay awake a bit longer!

Monday was blazing hot, and we set off to drive to Guimar to see the pyramids. Now I know this is Tenerife and not Egypt, but there are pyramids. Quite, small, and quite different, but pyramids nevertheless. They're just outside Guimar, about 50mins drive away, and we shot up the motorway with the top down, my hair blowing all over the place, Stu's head burning in the sun.....

It's a lovely little park, and as well as the pyramids there's a couple of very informative displays and some nice Canarian gardens.

The pyramids are not the only ones in the Canaries, but many have been destroyed by farmers who thought they were piles of stones left by previous farmers when fields were being cleared. as well as the pyramids, there's a lot about the explorer Thor Heyerdahl, famous for sailing the balsa and reed raft the Kon Tiki from the west coats of South America to the Polynesian islands in 1947. Since tenths sailed a number of reed rafts across oceans to prove that settlers could have done it, and until recently there was a replica of one of them, Ra, on display here, but it's been damaged in a storm. We caught a glimpse of the new one, still wrapped in polythene waiting to be installed.

After the pyramids we went to Candelaria where we saw the church square with its bronze statues of Guanches lining the seafront.

We had lunch in the square, and made a slight mistake ordering tapas. We asked for bread, cheese, ham, mixed salad and fritatta to share. We got enough to feed about 4 people!

After lunch we went in the church to see the statute of the Madonna that it's famous for which was apparently washed up on the beach

A lovely trip, and we made it back in time to get the last hour and a half by the pool to catch up with some reading, listening to music and he obligatory nap! I'm reading American Gods by Neil Gaimen, which is long, odd, and just right for a holiday.

In the evening we walked along the coastal path to Son Blas, and had a meal in a restaurant we've been going to for years. We got back in time for the start of the entertainment, a parrot show - we thought we'd be too late for that and miss it, but it did make me laugh, rightly or wrongly. Wrongly I suspect.

Then the dance show, which was slightly odd, but very good, in a strange sort of way. Of course, when they asked for volunteers, I was up there.... Me, extrovert?

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