23 November 2016
Although we had another day before the first of the running events, Commando went for another social run this morning. There was no chance for me to laze in the hotel room or sit dreaming on the balcony though. Eddie had invited me out on a walk. It was a challenge I couldn’t resist. I think he was trying to test my mettle. Continue reading Coral Bay, searching for a shipwreck
22 November 2016
By the time I got back to the hotel, the sky had clouded over. Not thick grey clouds like the ones at home in England you understand, but a gauzy layer like a thin voile curtain pulled across the blue sky. Commando woke up and decided, in the absence of searing rays burning his skin to a crisp golden brown, we should ‘do something.’ That something turned out to be a bus trip to Paphos to find food and have a wander. Continue reading a bus trip to Paphos
21 November 2016
From the cold windy coastline at Gosport yesterday we dashed back home to get warm with coffee and showers. There was just time to download all the race photos from my camera to my Mac and from there blue tooth them to my iPad before were were off again. This time we were Gatwick bound. Continue reading Gosport, Gatwick, Pafos
Boxing day 2013, the sun was out, Commando was out on a run, it seemed like a good time to go for a little walk. Apart from anything it might walk off some of the Christmas food I ate before it had a chance to settle on my hips. At first I thought about trying out a new route but the river was calling and my feet were listening even if my head said try something new. Continue reading A little Boxing Day walk – first published 26 December 2013
We were back in cold, grey, damp old England. No more sun. No more sandy beaches. No more watching the morning sky turn from inky blue to pink or the evening sky do the same thing in reverse. Now it was all post-holiday blues and piles of washing. It never ceases to amaze me how much dirty laundry can come tumbling out of a very small, very sparsely packed case. Continue reading Back to earth with a bump and a shiver – first published 24 October 2013
Our last evening in Lanzarote ended on a high wth us watching the sunset by the pool. Then we had a morning to fill before our transfer to the airport. What do you do on the last day of your holiday? You have to check out in the morning so you can’t go back to your room for a snooze or a shower. Ok you can use the hotel facilities but swimming wouldn’t be the best idea when you have no room to get changed in and you don’t really want a wet costume in your hand luggage. What we did was go for a walk… Continue reading sunrise, sunset, sea and being careful what you wish for – first published 23 October 2013
The trouble with holidays is they’re always way too short, and cold, hard reality is always there at the end of them. Commando and I had come to the last full day of our 2013 Lanzarote adventure and it was almost time to say goodbye to the volcanic paradise where the sun always shines. For some reason I’d woken every morning at around seven, later than I would at home but earlier than I normally would on holiday. Each morning I crept out onto the balcony as quietly as I could and sat, listening to the pigeons cooing, the birds waking up and the sea crashing against the rocks below my window. Slowly the sky would turn from dark, inky blue to white clouds tinged with pink. It was nice to have the time to sit and watch the dawn. Continue reading Paradise and cold hard reality – first published 22 October 2013
Lanzarote, and another day of lazing on the beach. It was a holiday after all, even if I was beginning to feel slightly under exercised and over fed. There was the occasional stroll down to the marina with coffee in Nud d’Naplun. While we were there we sampled the delights of the frozen yogurt shop next door. I’m not sure if the yogurt was low fat or not and the toppings most certainly were not but it served as lunch so I guess it didn’t matter too much. Continue reading Timanfaya National Park – first published 21 October 2013
Part of being on holiday is relaxing and the second day of our 2013 Lanzarote adventure was a chill out day. After breakfast we wandered round the pool looking for some sun beds that hadn’t already been nabbed by the early morning towel brigade. It was going to be a lazy day. Continue reading a little walk along the beach – first published 18 October 2013
One of the things that had drawn me to Lanzarote of all the Canary Islands was Arrecife born artist César Manrique. For many years I’d admired his work and been fascinated by the influence he’d had on the island of Lanzarote. It was he who lobbied to ensure development and tourism did not spoil his beautiful homeland and, because of him, there are no high rise hotels on the island. Our first visit of the holiday would be to his home at at Tahíche, Teguise, which was also the scene of his death in a car accident in 1992. Continue reading César Manrique’s amazing house – first published 17 October 2013