A hot day and a swim in TENERIFE.

Friday 30 January.

 

Back to running again this morning. I got up at 6 am and made a cup of tea which we had in bed before I set off. I had difficulties downloading the newspaper again but eventually I got it and read the news before getting up and stretching. I ran the same route as the other day out to Alcala by the main road though this time I ran a bit further. When I reached Alcala instead of going down the first street to the esplanade I ran along the cycle track that went down to the beach area further along, even further than we walked on Sunday. I had ran quite fast along the path beside the main road now that I was familiar with the route and when I reached the tiled esplanade I picked up the pace even more on the good flat surface. I eased off on the rough ground after the prom and was taking slowly when a woman passed me, I quickened my pace and kept at her back until she stopped near where the motorhomes were parked. I took it easy again until the slight incline to the tarred road but the same woman appeared and overtook me. I let her go this time but she turned left at the t-junction at the road anyway. I pushed hard again on the hills going back by the main road through town and had a very good run. I checked my time while having a final stretch at the pool, 63:19 minutes. This was 2:35 minutes faster than on Tuesday and on a longer route !

 

After breakfast Moira filled the machine with the dirty clothes and left them to wash while we went to the gym. It was now getting very warm as we walked along and up the hill to the sports complex. When we arrived the woman at the desk took our photographs and prepared our membership cards that act as a electronic pass for the gate. She must have been waiting for the blank cards or the camera to arrive causing the delay in us getting our passes.

 

Moira went to the cardio studio and did walking on the treadmill, some cycling and rowing. At first she couldn't get the treadmill to work and had to shout for me to sort it out for her. I worked on my legs and abs today with various exercises for both. The gym was quite busy but there isn't any problem getting on to the machines or use of the weights. We spent an hour there then headed back, it was now much warmer getting near mid-day.

 

We sat out on the veranda for lunch and listened at the same time to the radio. It was getting hotter and when I saw somebody swimming in the pool I decided to go in. The water was freezing but I managed to stay in for about 10 minutes and swim a couple of lengths. I washed off the pool water in the showers at the side then had a proper shower when I came up to the flat.

 

The other day we got an email from Alison in Umtentweni about our house there. She has somebody interested in buying it. The price offered isn't very good but with the Rand dropping in value all the time we think it might be better to cut our loses and just get rid of it. The people interested still have to sell their own house to get the money but want to move in at the end of March and pay occupational rent until they sell. I sent Alison an email saying we couldn't manage to get to SA before May on order to move out our furniture and also what guarantee did we have that the deal would actually go through. We await her reply.

 

I tried to publish my blog but again the Internet was playing up and it refused to go through. I sat and did a crossword instead until it was time to come in for the quizzes on TV and dinner. Moira made prawns tonight which we had with an onion-tomato sauce and garlic butter. It was very nice, the ones on that programme last night who spend £260/week on food never had anything like that to eat !

 

There was 'Mastermind' on the TV later and I didn't do very well with answering the questions. Later it was the 'Three Musketeers' series but it wasn't very good. I tried publishing my blog before going to bed and this time I was successful.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

A day at Las Americas on TENERIFE.

Thursday 29 January.

 

Today we were going down the coast to the resort of Las Americas. The bus that we used to go to Adeje a couple of weeks ago went there but there was also an express bus that missed out all the deviations to the towns and resorts along the coast and was much quicker. This bus left at 8:15 am so there was no running this morning, a bit of a rest day. After breakfast I wanted to publish my blog but I couldn't get photographs from Google+ to show up for insertion. I also have lots of problems with the iPad when downloading the 'Telegraph' while Moira gets it on to her mini iPad more or less instantly. It takes ages to connect with the Internet while with the Notebook I'm online in a matter of seconds.

 

We wore our rain jackets when we went out but it wasn't very cold. I carried the day pack with our lunch of sandwiches and a flask of coffee. The bus was on time and it took a direct route along the road up from the coast and also part of the motorway. It only took about 45 minutes and we were at the bus station in Costa Adeje at 9 am. While at the bus terminus we checked out the buses going to Pico de Teide, the large volcano at the centre of the island. There was one leaving at 9:15 am and we reckoned that if we wanted to go there sometime the bus we took from Puerto Santiago would get us to the connection in time.

 

 

 

 

 

We walked along the road a short distance and found a walkway going to the beach area. It went down between a number of huge hotels all with swimming pools and sun loungers all around. At the front there was an esplanade that ran in both directions for some distance. We turned left and set out on the paved promenade. The sand on the beach was more gray than black like Puerto Santiago and it got more golden as we progress along the front. The name of the area was a bit confusing and seemed to be called Costa Adeje with Las Americas just one of the beach section along a long stretch of sandy coast. The esplanade finished at a large harbour at the Puerto Los Christianos. The while area was very busy and crowded, lots of people walking and others setting up on the beach to sunbathe, go surfing, or play boules.

 

 

 

 

As soon as we got off the bus we took off our jackets and packed them in the daypack, it was now quite warm. Along the promenade it was very hot and sunny initially but later some clouds passed over and when the sun was covered it was again cool. The prom was lined with shops and mainly restaurants. The shops were souvenir sellers, supermarkets, massage spas with the latest fad; fish to eat the hard skin from your feet. There were lots of touts handing out leaflets for tours and excursions; one was to the island of La Gomera which we could still see to the west but it was €50 each for a sail to the island. The scenery behind the town was the mountains. That was where we had climbed from Adeje but from this viewpoint they were very attractive and the ridges and peaks stood out sharply in the clear sunlight.

 

 

 

 

There was a convenient bench after an hour's walking where we stopped for a cup of coffee and a mini chocolate bar. When we reached the harbour at Puerto Los Christianos it was the end of the walk. There was a large double hulled ship loading up there with cars and cargo, later we saw from a distance a similar vessel arriving and entering the harbour. On the way back it was even more crowded with people out for their daily stroll and being much faster than most of them spent our time weaving a way through the throng. When we reached the spot where we had started our coastal walk it was lunch time so sat on a bench facing the ocean while enjoying our sandwiches and coffee. We sat there for a while before heading along the walkway in the other direction.

 

It was more of the same, restaurants and shops on one side and the sandy beach on the other. We decided to make for the 2pm bus back and finished our walk and headed for the bus station with 45 minute to gat there. It was plenty of time and and we got there with only 15 minutes to wait. There was suppose to be the express bus at that time but a 'slow' one arrived. We weren't sure if we should wait and hope for the express but decided to just take the one that was there and at least know we were going home. This journey took double the time, it seemed to stop at every bus stop with lots of people getting on and off; the time taken to pay for a trip takes ages even with the special prepaid tickets. It was a pleasant enough ride and there is always something different to see in the small villages and resorts that we passed through.

 

Once back at the flat I made a cup of tea and we relaxed. Moira texted Suzy that we were in and she contacted us later on FaceTime. Hollie was busy eating her dinner and wasn't in a mood for talking to us. They were having lots of snow there and Suzy had worked from home today. It was time for dinner and the TV quizzes when we finished the call. Later there was a programme about a family of four that spend £260 per week on food. The experts were going through a lot of ways for them to save money. We can't understand how we can manage on about £50 for food each week and we eat very well, this family were dining on sausages, hamburgers, meatballs and stuff like that. The experts also tested various brands of tea bags, they went to a bowling club and a number of pots of tea were made and the members tasted them all. Surprise, surprise, one of the cheaper varieties was voted best. These sort of tests are very involved and can't be done willy nilly by dropping into a bowling club. The sampling and the comparison tasting must be done in a way that is statistically valid. I don't know what the programme set out to prove but it didn't confirm anything to me other than that there are a lot of idiots about.

 

Before bedtime there was this week's edition of 'Death in Paradise'. It is beginning to be much the same week after week. A list of suspects and he solves the mystery in the last few minutes and the solution is always a bit convoluted.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

It was a hot summer's day on TENERIFE.

Wednesday 28 January.

 

The route I picked this morning for my run was to the end of town and up the long hill at the start of the bus route to Tamaimo. At the first roundabout I cut down to the contour road then over to the Lidl roundabout then up the hill to zigzag path down to Los Gigantes. It was down to the tree in the town centre then back up and along the coastal path and home. I was feeling quite good after stretching and managed a reasonable pace all the way especially up the hills. My time was 59:49 minutes this was 1:35 minutes faster than the last time I did it in this direction, I must be getting quicker.

 

 

 

 

 

Stretching then breakfast after which Moira was going for a walk. I decided to go with her. We were heading for Los Gigantes but at the turning down to the coastal path we went the other way to investigate a route to the top of the hill that we had researched from a map of the town. After a few dead ends we eventually found a track from the end of a street that led up to the contour road. We walked from there the way I had run this morning, going down the zigzag path into Los Gigantes. We went all the way down to the harbour and walked round in the 'other' direction. It was mainly shops and restaurants and there was a group kitted out in life jackets preparing to go out conoeing. We turned and headed back the normal way to the coastal path and home. The views along the coast and cliff were outstanding and I got a few nice photographs. It was now very warm in the mid-day sun as we made our way back to the flat for lunch.

 

 

 

 

I got the radio going through the Internet on the Notebook and we listened to Jeremy Vine while having lunch. At 2 pm I decided to go to the gym and Moira came along for the walk, she headed back again when we got there. I spent an hour working on my arms with various exercises for biceps and triceps. I did a few sit-ups and hip extensions for my abs before heading home. I had arranged a time with Moira to open the gate but I was early and luckily some workmen had the gate open when I arrived. Moira was on the way down the stairs as I made my way up, it saved her going all the way to the gate.

 

 

 

 

I showered and shaved as soon as I got in then relaxed with a cup of coffee and listened to some comedy shows on 'catch-up' radio. Later it was the early evening quizzes on TV before dinner. There was only the Tudor period drama series, 'Wolf Hall', on later. I couldn't follow the dialogue last week and decided not to bother with it. Moira liked it and watched it on the TV in the bedroom while I tuned into a couple of programmes I had recorded on the Freeview box. There as the 'Dr. Who Christmas Special' a bit weird and very difficult to follow. Next there was an 'Inspector Frost'; it was only at the very end that I realised I had seen it before, but it was very good. When I went through to bed Moira had given up on 'Wolf Hall', she said it was all done by candle light and she couldn't see who was talking, it was like listening to it on the radio.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Just more exercise today on TENERIFE.

Tuesday 27 January.

 

I didn't sleep very well last night my legs were a bit sore after the walk yesterday. That still didn't stop me going for a run this morning. I stretched as usual to try and get the circulation going in my legs and set off at my usual time. I wanted to run out to the esplanade at Alcala where we walked to on Sunday. I decided to take the road out to the village and come back by the coastal track. I took it easy through the town, my legs were still feeling stiff and my knees sore. On the main road to Alcala there was a dirt section at the side of the busy road with a well trodden path. It was slightly downhill and I was able to pick up the pace slightly. When I got to Alcala I noticed a cycle track and followed it down the hill and it took me to the sea front and the promenade. I now knew where I was and started to head back. My legs and knees were feeling much better and I was able to step up the pace a bit more on the way back, especially on the hills which I went up easily. My time for this route was 65:54 minutes, it must be close to 11km. I stretched again beside the pool then upstairs for my breakfast.

 

 

 

After breakfast Moira went out for an hour to do some shopping, I stayed in and read the newspaper. When she returned I got ready and headed for a session at the gym. The weather was lovely again as I walked there, the sky bright blue and it was getting very warm. Just before getting to the gym I checked out the route where we had come down the stairs from the contour road yesterday. It came to an end just on the other side of the sports fields next to the school, only a short distance from where I was standing but there was no way through because of fencing and a deep gully.

 

At the gym I concentrated for a half an hour on my abs doing various exercises to strengthen these muscles. For the rest of the session I worked on my upper body; chest, lats and shoulders. I finished at mid-day and then strolled back on time for lunch. In the afternoon I read the newspaper, did the crossword and updated my blog. I sat outside on the veranda at first but I found it too hot and came inside to the cooler lounge.

 

After early the evening quizzes there wasn't anything to watch until the second part of 'Silent Witness' later. After dinner, we had a rabbit stew tonight, I turned off the TV and we both read until 9pm when 'Silent Witness' came on. Moira went to bed to read, she wasn't interested in the programme. I should have done the same and spent the time reading as it wasn't very good and difficult to follow.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

A long walk in the hills on TENERIFE.

Monday 26 January.

 

Today the plan was to go for a walk in the hills. We had a route map for the TF 60 trail that went from Santiago del Teide to Arguaya. There was a bus service from Arguaya to Puerto de Santiago but the buses were few and far between, so we made other arrangements from the finish. Our guide book had a route from Tamaimo to Santiago del Teide via Arguaya and we would try and follow it 'backwards' then when we reached Tamaimo there was the track to Puerto de Santiago that we walked last week. It would be a good long walk and take most of the day.

 

It was an early start so no running this morning. We had breakfast just after 7 am and made for the usual bus down on the main road. We put on our rain jackets before leaving and didn't feel the cold as we waited for the bus. When we reached Santiago del Teide I checked at the Tourist Info Office, which was open, about where the walk began. On the map of the town it had the TF 43 marked but not our route the TF 60, the woman told me they both started at the same point. We got there and sure enough both were signposted, the 43 had yellow and white flashes and branched off about halfway along the trail and headed towards the volcano Chinyero, our route was marked with green and white bands and was 9 km to Arguaya.

 

 

It started climbing right away and underfoot it was rough going with loose lava rocks and gravel. It was a steady climb and not too taxing. It was cold initially but it was just our hands that were feeling it, our bodies were kept warm by our rain jackets. As we climbed and looked back we had splendid views of Santiago del Teide below and the roads winding up the hills out of town, one crossing the ridge to Masca and the other heading in the other direction to Puerto de la Cruz that we took the bus along last week.

 

 

 

The area was originally covered in pine forests but these were gradually cut down and the wood transported along bricked roads using carts and animals to pull them. As we reached the top of he hill part of this brick road was still intact. After that the path became lava again and the surrounding area just a field of huge lava rocks and volcanic debris. The last volcanic activity was in 1909 and the Chinyero eruption was the first to be photographed on the Canary Islands and studied by scientists. At the top there was a shrine to commemorate the time when the villagers fearful that he lava would reach their village and houses went near the lava flow and prayed, the lava stopped 20 m from them. Every year there is a festival, El Calvario de los Baldios, when the image of Christ is brought to the spot and the shrine to give thanks.

 

 

Across the top it flattened out as the track wound its way through the lava field. In the distance to the left was the pointed peak of Chinyero and what looked like snow around the point. Shortly afterwards the TF 43 branched off to this volcano, the signpost said it was only 1.5 km which was surprising, it looked much further. As we started to descend we passed a group of lads having a break from their walk, they passed us later when they got going again being much nimbler and faster than us. We were now close to the last remaining pine forests and they were originally used for the extraction of the pine oil for turpentine and rosin, used to plug their boats. Further down the almond trees were in blossom and these trees are used totally; the nuts for traditional recipes, the shells for fertilisers, the leaves are cattle feed, and the trunks for roof beams.

 

 

 

When we could see the village of Arguaya below us we stopped and had a cup of coffee and a mini chocolate bar. It only looked a short distance down to the houses but the track wound round the hillside and zigzagged down. It took a lot longer than we imagined to get to the tarred streets. We reached the main road and rechecked the guide book for the route to Tamaimo only to discover a small section where the route wasn't recommended due to the construction of the new motorway. We weren't sure what to do when the group of lads who passed us earlier on the trail appeared and we asked them for directions. They didn't recommend the route to Tamaimo either and told us to follow them back on another route to Santiago del Teide. The track was on the other side of the main road and we set off behind them. The guy that spoke good English said they were all waiters in a hotel and this was their day off. He offered us a lift back to Puerto de Santiago but we decided that as it was only 12:30 pm we had plenty of time to walk back from Santiago del Teide on the familiar route. It was a pleasant walk round the hillside with a few ups and downs. Below we could see the new motorway, still not open, and the town of Tamaimo on the other side. The track met the motorway before Santiago del Teide and the guy said to cross over it and take the path that led down to the road which we could follow to Tamaimo.

 

 

The track took us down quite a bit before picking up the road just outside the village of El Retamar. Instead of staying on the road to Tamaimo we searched the side roads for a route to pick up the TF 65. We could see the track at the bottom of the valley and eventually we picked up a track heading in the right direction. We were in luck and it joined up with the main track and we were soon heading downhill home. After about 10 minutes we found a nice spot where we sat on the grass and had our lunch. The early morning chill was well gone and it was now very warm and we lay in the sun and soaked it up when our picnic was finished. Just before starting again a couple were heading up the path and spotted the Camino de Santiago badges on my cap, they had also done the pilgrimage. The woman said they were heading for Masca and I told her it was quite a distance after Santiago del Teide. She said they were getting the boat back and I told her that was another two hours down the gorge from Masca. They didn't have any maps or guide books and didn't have a clue of the distances involved. I worked out that they had about 6 hours walking to reach Masca Bay for the boat; it was then 2pm so they would get there at 8 pm. Not only would it be dark but we doubted that the boat would still be running at that time of night. They said they had better get a move on and quickly left !

 

We were now quite tired but the route was familiar and we were able to make good time and stride out especially on the flat sections. When we saw the signposts it appeared that we hadn't been far down the route when we joined the path, probably about 6 km to the end. This would give us a walk of nearly 20 km for the day. When we reached the tarred road at the end I suggested as we were at the top of the hill near the roundabout to take the road down from there to the next roundabout and then down to the contour road. It worked out a bit further that way and it became even further when we spotted a flight of stairs that seem to go down to where our complex was. We headed down and down more and more stairs then it came to a dead end just above the banana plantation above our flats. There was no way down any further although we searched all over. In the end it was a long climb up all the stairs again and at the top over to the road down past Lidl and home. That probably added another kilometre to the day's distance.

 

It was 5pm when we got in and I made a longed-for cup of tea. It was time for 'The Chase' then 'Egghads'. After dinner there was only 'Top Gear' on TV and I refuse to watch that right-wing idiot Jeremy Clarkson. Later there were more quizzes; 'Uni Challenge' and 'Only Connect'. They were difficult this week and I didn't get any of the answers. After that there was this week's first part of 'Silent Witness', again it was difficult to follow. Moira went to bed early and was sleeping when I came through, the walk today had been very tiring.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Met other Camino & VF walkers in TENERIFE.

Sunday 25 January.

 

Out running again this morning at 7:30 am after my normal stretching. I ran the route out to Los Gigantes that I ran on Friday. Even with my sprints yesterday and the Power Pump class I was feeling fine and was running easily right from the start, I even managed the stairs at the end of the coast path quite well. I moved up all the hills from the turn in Los Gigantes to the very top roundabout at an even steady pace. Once over the top I was able to keep to the road as the traffic was very light early on a Sunday; this enabled me to get up a good speed and maintain it on the even surface all the way. I eased off a bit at the start of the town but picked it up again half way along and speeded up towards the finish. My time was a lot faster than Friday's run, 56:24 minutes which really reprised me. I stretched again then up for my full-English breakfast.

 

 

I watched 'Match of the Day' while having my bacon, sausage and eggs. It had been FA Cup yesterday and a few of the big sides were knocked out by opposition from lower divisions; Chelsea, Man City Spurs and Southampton. Chelsea lost to Bradford, after leading 2-0 they were beaten 4-2. Once the football was over we got ready to go out for a walk.

 

We walked along the front to the dirt road by the beach where I ran yesterday after my sprint reps. On the way we were stopped by a couple from France who spotted the Camino badges on my cap. They had done the various Camino de Santiago routes and also the Via Francigena from Northern Italy to Rome. We exchanged email addresses and promised to keep in touch, I also gave him my blog address. Before parting the man said he had climbed Kilimanjaro, I told him so had I. After we left I said to Mora that we forgot to tell him about the Chilkoot Trail in Alaska, I bet he hasn't done that !!

 

 

On our walk when we reached the the t-junction where I turned left to try to find a route to the road (unsuccessfully) we turned right instead. The track narrowed and became rougher but there were beautiful views along the coast to the port and the magnificent cliffs and mountains behind. After a little bit of minor scrambling the path came to an esplanade, a wide promenade with three paths: it looked like one for cycling, another for walking while the third had people jogging along it. The paths led into the resort of Alcala with lots of big houses near the front and large hotels. There were lots of people out walking and the weather was very nice, dry sunny and warm. We continued along the front until just after 11am, this gave us an hour out, then turned back. We had just been strolling on the way out but after turning we picked up the pace and it was then a fairly brisk walk.

 

 

It was lunch time when we got back to the flat and we had toast with chamenbert cheese and pâté. I got the radio going via the internet on the Notebook and it worked well going through the speakers we brought with us. It was Radio 2 today with Elaine Paige's 'Music from the Musicals' then Johnnie Walker's 'Sounds of the 70's'. While we were out I had taken some photographs with the camera now that I have a battery to power it. I put them onto the Notebook and unloaded them to Google+. While listening to the music on the radio I read my book about children growing up in the 60's and finished it. I then had a go at the Sunday prize crossword in the 'Telegraph'. I managed it all except one clue so couldn't submit it.

 

The TV was good tonight after dinner. We had 'Countryfile' followed by the new series of 'Call the Midwife', both were very good. After that I watched the second part of 'Silent Witness', the first part I watched on Friday from an iPlayer download. For some reason the subtitles wouldn't work and I had difficulties following what they were saying, so I missed a lot of what was going on. I got to bed at 10 pm.

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Battery charger arrives in TENERIFE.

Saturday 25 January.

 

It was quality work on my morning run today. I ran along the front to the end of town and down to my favourite tiled path for sprinting. I was nicely warmed up from my jog and the couple of hills so was able to get a good speed up straight away. I did 10 reps with easy jogs back to the start after each one. I timed my runs roughly and I was doing 24 and 25 seconds. When I finished I jogged easily along the dirt track beside the rocky coast. I ran further than before and came to a t-junction where I turned left hoping it would take me to the main road and I would run back that way. Unfortunately at the top of a climb that was rough underfoot it turn to the right and seemed to go starlight for a long way, not going anywhere near the road. I turned back the way I had come, my legs had now recovered from my sprint reps so I was able pick up my speed. It was another good run and my longest, 73:08 minutes, it must have been close to 12 km. I did my normal stretching beside the pool then up for breakfast that Moira had ready.

 

Moira was going to the post office to pick up the package with the camera battery charger after breakfast so I decided to go to the gym for the Power Pump class. We arranged when I would be back so that Moira could come down to open the gate. We walked out together and at the front she turned right to head up the hill to the PO while I went the other way to my hill climb to the gym. The gym didn't open until 10am on a Saturday and there was a queue waiting to get in when I got there. I had 5 minutes to wait for it opening and then it was straight up to the room upstairs for the class.

 

It was mostly women training but one man did arrive so I didn't feel out of place. I kept the weights light but I still found it hard especially the knee bends and lunges. Also there are lots of repetitions which eventually tire out the muscles and they get sore. Even with the pain I am determined not to be the one to stop so I force myself to keep going. It was quite a good workout but I was feeling very tired afterwards. I strolled down the hill and found at the bottom that I had only 4 minutes to get back for Moira opening the gate. I strode out briskly and arrived just at the same time as she did.

 

Moira had got the package with the charger. It was a different shape from the one that came with the camera and the two batteries looked bigger. I checked one of the batteries in the camera and it fitted and worked, I took a photo successfully. I put one of the original batteries in the charger and plugged it in, the light came on and it charge the battery in a couple of hours. Everything is OK and I now have 4 batteries for the camera.

 

After lunch we sat outside on the veranda but after about an hour I found it was too hot, I came inside. I was also feeling stiff and tired after all my training this morning, I had a shower and then felt much better. I did the prize crossword in the 'Telegraph' and submitted it. I had the radio playing through the Notebook. It seems to work a lot better through it and doesn't cut out as often.

 

Moira made a nice chicken curry for dinner followed by strawberries and iced cream. The TV was poor tonight so we watched some Christmas specials that I had recorded on the Freeview box. There was 'Call the Midwife', 'Miranda' and 'Strictly Come Dancing'.

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Aqua-aerobics for Moira onTENERIFE.

Friday 24 January.

 

It was back to my early morning run again and after stretching I set off at 7:30 am. I ran the reverse of the route I did on Wednesday, except that at the top of the zigzag path above Los Gigantes instead of taking the contour road I continued up the hill. I past the view point then the start of the hiking trail to Santiago del Teide before reaching the roundabout where the bus turns up towards Tamaimo. It was now a much longer run down the hill to the road into the port. I was running quite well, handled the uphills all right and managed to stride out on the long downs. I was surprised at my time as I thought with the extra loop further up the hill, the distance and time would be longer, it was 57:57 minutes. I must have been running a lot faster than I thought.

 

I stretched again then up for breakfast. We both decided to go to the gym this morning, I wanted to do the spinning class while Moira opted for the aqua-aerobics. We left at 9:40 am so that we wouldn't have to hang about when we got there. It was feeling a bit cool on the walk there when we were in the shade but at the top of the hill at the sports centre it was in the sun and very warm. Moira's class didn't start until 10:30 am so she went to do some cycling and walking on the treadmill first. My spinning started at 10 am and I had a few minutes to do some sit-ups and stretching before it started. The cycling was much the same as the other day and was just a variation of hand positions and whether you were standing or sitting all to loud thumping music. I managed all right but it took a lot of adjusting to get the foot straps buckled properly and not rubbing against the pedal cranks. When I finished Moira was still at the pool and I went to the gym to workout there until she finished. I did calf raises and leg presses and after a light dumbbell routine was busy with a tricep exercise when Moira arrived; she had had a good session and it only lasted half an hour. It was all in Spanish like the spinning but she was able to follow what to by the demonstrations and from watching the others. We headed home right away. It was now much warmer on the way back with the sun high In the sky and very little shade.

 

Yesterday while we were away the woman that owns the flat sent a text that she had left the PO box key under our door. When we got back I checked the box but the camera battery charger hadn't arrived yet. As we got back today the Correos (post office) van was just leaving the resort. I checked the box again and there was a note that the package was to be collected at the post office. We had a cup of coffee then Moira decided to go to the PO and collect the package, the office was up near Lidl supermarket. The delivery van hadn't returned with the package yet and she has to go back tomorrow to collect it. While she was out she got hamburgers and a baguette at Lidl and we had that for lunch.

 

In the afternoon we sat out on the veranda in the lovely warm sunshine and listened to the catch-up on iPlayer radio. I managed to complete a crossword and worked on my blog. I wrote up yesterday's adventure to Puerto de la Cruz and inserted photographs that Moira had taken on her iPhone. I managed to get it posted, the WiFi was working quite well.

 

I came in at 5pm to watch the 'Chase' and 'Eggheads'. Later, after dinner and the washing up done, there wasn't much to watch on the box so I put on some programmes I had downloaded from iPlayer to the Notebook while at Cardiff. One was the first part of a two part 'Silent Witness', it was quite good and I was able to follow it all right as it had subtitles. Before going to bed I turned on the TV for the result of a Cup-Tie that was being shown live. Cambridge United against Man U. It ended up 0-0, not a bad result for Cambridge and they had missed the best chance of the match.

Posted with Blogsy

A day in Puerto de la Cruz, TENERIFE.

Thursday 23 January.

 

We were taking the bus to Puerto de la Cruz this morning and spend the day there having a walk round. It was the same bus we took on Tuesday to Santiago del Teide for the walk, Puerto de la Cruz was another hour or so further, situated on the north coast. This was where the couple we met at the bus-stop on Tuesday were going and not Santa Cruz de Tenerife as I thought at first. Santa Cruz is quite a bit further, right at the top of the east coast. So there wasn't any running again this morning and when I got up at 6:30 am I made the breakfast instead of just our usual weakening-up cup of tea.

 

We just had our shorts and t-shirts on again when we left but at the bus stop it was cold again so we got our rain jackets on. On the bus there was a couple form Swansea behind us and we got talking to them. They were here for a week having book only last week on a 'last minute' package. They were catching another bus from Santiago del Teide to Masca then walking to the coast, they had booked the water taxi back. We told them about the other walks we had done and they were interested in doing the one we did on Tuesday back to the port. The bus carried on from Santiago del Teide still climbing to the top of the ridge to the pass, Puerto de Erjos at 1117 m before dropping down towards the coast at the other side. On the way up we could see the other road that went up to cross the ridge to Masca. It was a long winding road going down now with magnificent views of the rocky coast dotted with little villages and resorts far below. The road passed through the small towns of Rigomez and Tanque and still inland was the big town of Icod where a number of people got on and filled up the bus then it was down again to Puerto de la Cruz. It had been a lovely bus ride with mountain scenery then a lovely coastal panorama.

 

The bus station was at the top of the town and it must be a major hub for buses going all over the island. There were a large number of buses stances and we searched around for the one where we would catch the bus to take us back in the afternoon. We made our any down to the sea front, there was still a cold breeze blowing so we kept our rain jackets on, also there was a lot of cloud about. It wasn't warm and sunny like where we are based and it gets a lot more rain here. We now spent the day just walking all the way along the water front. There wasn't much of a beach anywhere to swim, the coast being very rocky with cliffs and outcrops of rough stony promontories. There were a few old fashioned tidal pools for swimming but it didn't look as if they were used much, having fallen into disrepair but there were two nice modern swimming baths that appeared more popular. There was some activity at one bay where the surfers were out in force and the big Atlantic breakers were a good challenge for them. Out on the piers and jetties there were the usual large contingent of people fishing but as usual we didn't see anyone catch anything. The most exciting thing on the coast was the waves breaking over the rocks, piers and sea walls causing fountains of spray to cascade through the air. We walked all the way to the end of the prom and up the pavement to the top of the cliff for an outstanding view back along the coast. Where the pavement ended we turned and headed back.

 

The thing missing from the town was toilets. There was a MacDonald's which is normally a good place to find a loo but this one had a key pad on the door and you got the code from your receipt. Instead we wandered into a Casino and used their toilets, if required we could have played one of the slot machines and claimed to be customers, it was only 2c a go. On the way out we stopped and sat on a bench where we had a cup of coffee from the flask then when we returned stopped again to have our lunch, another coffee and a sandwich. The place was fairly busy with people mainly looking at the shops. I don't know where there is any tax incentives here like Gibraltar but there were lots of shops selling cameras, tablets, phones and binoculars at very attractive prices. There were others selling luxury goods, booze and cigarettes also at discounted prices. I looked at the cameras and if the battery charger form Margaret doesn't arrive soon I might buy a new one.

 

Once we got back into town again we continued along the front in the other direction. Here there was a sea wall but we didn't walk along it when we saw the waves breaking over it and drenching a couple who were strolling along the top. We reached another small beach that had a breakwater that made it calmer for swimming but nobody was in. It might have been too cold but there were some hardy souls lying on the beach stripped off and sunbathing even though it was still cloudy and overcast. One bonus at this beach was that there were toilets, after making use of them we headed back for the bus to return home.

 

The bus was at 3pm and we still had plenty of time, we sat at the front watching more waves breaking before heading up the hill to the bus station. We had about 20 minutes to wait and we were first in the queue so got the choice of seats. We sat at the front and got a good view through the windscreen on the way back. It took an hour and a half to reach Puerto Santiago, it was much the same time on the decent as the initial climb, the roads are narrow and winding and I don't think the driver exceeded 60kph the whole way. Once over the top at Santiago del Teide the clouds cleared and it looked as if it had been a nice sunny day on the west coast.

 

It was nearly 5pm when we arrived at the flat and it is very pleasing that the bus drops us practically at the door. There wasn't much cooking for Moira to do, she had a pizza from the supermarket and she just had to heat it up in the microwave. We had it while watching the quizzes. There wasn't anything we wanted to watch until later when 'WinterWatch' came on then the next in the 'Death in Paradise' series which wasn't very good. It was off to bed at our usual time of 10 pm.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

A long run on TENERIFE.

Wednesday 21 January.

 

It was back to my morning run again. I got up at 6:30 am but didn't go back to bed with my cup of tea but sat in the lounge and downloaded the newspaper and let Moira sleep. I stretched an hour later, made Moira a cup of tea and then set off for my run. I headed for the end of town intending to run down to the dirt track along the coast but changed my mind and followed the route the bus took yesterday. It was a long steady climb up to the t-junction where the bus went left to Tamaimo but I took the right turn that went down to the contour road. The hill had been tough going, my legs and knees were a bit sore after the downhill walking yesterday so I took it easy; there wasn't any pavement and I had to run on the stony rough patch beside the road to avoid the traffic which was busy. Once down to the contour road I headed over to the Lidl roundabout and went up the hill to the top roundabout. I made my way down a zig-zag footpath that we spotted yesterday from the top and this came to a road that headed to the junction just down from the bus stance. I did a loop down to the middle of Los Gigantes by the back street and up by the main street at the junction with the tree in the middle. From the top I ran back via the coastal path. It was a good steady run and my furthest in Tenerife, my time was 61:24 minutes and I felt that I could have easily run around the route again which would have given me close to a half marathon !

 

After stretching it was up for breakfast which Moira had ready. I spent the rest of the morning in the flat working on my blog which I had neglected over the last few days. When I had it up to date, more or less, I managed to complete one of the 'Telegraph' crosswords. I tried to listen to the radio but the WiFi still wasn't very good, the reception still keeps coming and going. I transferred the photographs Moira took yesterday on our walk from her phone to the Notebook. They came out quite well and I connected the laptop to the Internet to upload them to the Google+ cloud storage that I can access from the iPad and then insert into my blog.

 

After lunch I went to the gym, Moira came along with me for the walk. She left me there and carried on walking on her own. We arranged the time I would be finished and be back at the complex so that she could meet me and open the gate to let me in. I wanted to work on my legs today so warmed up with 5 minutes cycling then another 5 minutes on the cross trainer. Next I wanted to spend some time on the steps machine but couldn't get the thing to adjust to a reasonable working level, it was much to tough and I could hardly move the steps. Instead I went to the weights room and did heel and calf raises, leg extensions and hamstring curls before finishing with exercises for my abs. I gave myself 15 minutes to get back to the complex for Moira opening the gate. I got there a bit early and got in when a woman opened it to go in, I met Moira on the way down.

 

While I was out the photographs from yesterday were uploaded to Google+. I was now able to insert them into my account of yesterday's walk and attempted to publish it to my blog. Unfortunately I tried three times and it failed each time, the Internet here is dreadful and we are paying extra for it. I will try again In the morning when fewer people are using it. I had a shower and it was the time for the quizzes on the TV.

 

After dinner we watched 'Winter Watch' from the Cairngorms which was thick in snow. It was quite interesting investigating the life of the animals and birds in the harsh winter conditions. After that there was a new serial set in the Tudor period, 'Wolf Hall'. I couldn't follow it very well with a lot of mumbling that I had difficulty hearing. I gave up before the end and left Moira watching it. I was sleeping before she came to bed.

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

In the mountains on TENERIFE

Tuesday 21 January.

 

Today we decided to go off early for a walk so no running. We had a map from the Tourist Information for a route from Santiago del Teide up in the mountains behind us that came all the way back down to Puerto Santiago. The plan was to get the bus to the start in Santiago del Teide. There were only 4 buses each day going there the first was at 8:20 am but the next wasn't until 10:30 am, a bit late. I got up at 6:30 am and made the breakfast which we had in bed. I thought we had to go to Los Gigantes for the bus but Moira said it started there but came through the port and we could catch it at the stop just down the road, so there was no rush. Moira made sandwiches and a flask of coffee for lunch and we set off for the bus at 8:15 am.

 

There were a few people waiting for the bus and it was unpleasant with a very cold wind blowing. The other people there were well wrapped up in long trousers and warm fleeces while we were in shorts and t-shirt. The bus was about 15 minutes late which didn't help standing in the cold. There was a couple from Manchester we spoke to who were going to Santa Cruz on the other side of the island for the day, the bus went all the way there. They spend all of January every year and the man said that the route to Santiago del Teide is a long continuous climb all the way up the mountain and he has seen snow up there previously when it gets this cold. Another couple we spoke to were from The Netherlands and they were going walking, taking the route to Masca and probably making it to the coast to get the water taxi back to Los Gigantes.

 

The bus eventually arrived and it was much warmer inside. Further along the road a bunch of walkers got on equipped with day packs and hiking poles, it appears to be a popular area for walkers we were heading for. The bus turned uphill at the t-junction at the end of town rather than contining down the coast. It was a long steady twisting climb up the hill and into the mountains. The views were outstanding with high peaks and ridges surrounding us and the road ahead winding up the hillside. The bus past through the small town of Tamaimo before a further climb to Santiago del Teide. When we reached Santiago cel Teide we waited until others got off and hopefully it would be near the start. Unfortunately the bell to stop the bus wasn't working and the other walkers missed the stop where they wanted to get off and were busy complaining to the driver. It was even colder up at this altitude with the wind stronger and freezing. Fortunately Moira had our packed our waterproof jackets in the daypack, we donned them and felt much better and warmer.

When we had got off the bus the Dutch couple headed straight along the road towards Masca but the others had disappeared somewhere else. The bus had stopped at the Tourist Info Office but it was closed. We walked about to see if we could spot any signposts or markers with the route number on it, TF65, but found nothing to help. There was one of the Masca Trekking offices nearby, they didn't actually do any trekking just provided the water taxi at the end. I went into their office to ask directions but when the guy twigged that I wasn't spending any money he lost interest and told me to go to the Tourist Info opposite. We went there again to see if anyone had arrived and luckily found that it was now open. The woman was very helpful and marked a map of the town with the direction to take and where the route began. It wasn't very difficult, it was back down the main street the way the bus had come. I think the people who were complaining that the bus didn't stop early were wanting off to do the TF65. We found the start easily, opposite the Medical Centre.

The start was on a wide dirt path which was quite flat but it soon began to drop becoming rough and rocky. The signpost at the start said 6.7 km to Puerto Santiago but after walking for about 15 minutes the next sign said 6.8 km to go and 1.2 km back to the beginning. Later the distances got mixed up some more and increased further, eventually ended at 8 km to the top end of Puerto Santiago with still about a kilometre to go on the road to the sea front. It was still very cold, our jackets kept our bodies warm but our hands were freezing. The sun was coming up and when we were sheltered from the wind it was getting warmer but it was only when we were down near sea level that we were able to take off our jackets. The path varied from narrow-steep and rocky to wide-flat and gravel. The views were wonderful with high peaks on either side and ahead the Atlantic Ocean. To our left was El Risco Blanco a high rocky peak at the end of a long narrow ridge. There was a signpost indicating a route that way and it might be worth climbing in the future. To the right was the town of Tamaimo which was the halfway point along the walk. The route basically followed a dried up river bed in the valley between two ridges and all the way down there were plantations of bananas growing in a metal frameworks covered in material to protect them from the cold.

 

Some of these covers were in tatters and the plantations appeared to have been left to resort to the original bush with grasses and wild shrubs now growing there. We didn't see anyone else going down, if the ones from the bus were taking this route they were faster than us and well ahead. Later there were lots of people heading on the way up and it may have been better if we had gone in that direction and got the bus down as the decent was taking its toll on our knees. At 11 am we stopped in a sheltered spot at a run-down farm with lots of goats running about where we had a cup of coffee from the flask and a mini coconut chocolate bar. As the walk was shorter than we anticipated we decided that we would be back at the flat in time for lunch.

When the track eventually met the road we could see the Lidl supermarket further down the hillside and the road winding its way down towards it. At the first bend in the road there were a number of cars parked where there was a view point. It gave a magnificent panorama of the coast at Los Gigantes with the towering rocky cliffs above standing out sharply in the sunlight. As we continued down the hill we came to the roundabout where I run up from Los Gigantes and further down we reached the supermarket. From there it was down the hill past the 'short cut' stairs and we were soon home. It had been a very good walk and had taken us 3 hours but downhill trekking isn't that easy and we were both a bit sore and tired.

 

Even though I was feeling the effects of the walk it didn't stop me going to the gym about an hour after lunch. The walk there loosened up my legs and I warmed up the rest of my body by starting off with exercises for my abs and back. I then concentrated on my upper body with lat pull downs, dumbbell presses, bicep curls, tricep pull downs etc. I worked out for an hour then walked briskly back.

 

It was 4:30 pm when I got back and had a shower to get rid of the sweat. The early evening TV was the same as usual but later there wasn't much else on. I watched the second and final part of 'Silent Witness' after doing a crossword them got to bed.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy