Sales talk instead of excursion in TENERIFE.

Thursday 26 February.

 

The excursion to Santa Cruz with Millard Travel turned out to be another disaster. It all began well as we set off again after breakfast to meet the bus at the corner in plenty of time. A young man who was then joined by his father came up to us and said that they were involved in organising the trip and the bus would be along in a few minutes and sure enough it soon arrived. When we got on a guy with a clip board asked which trip we were on, the one to the bodega and Santa Cruz or to the Mercedes forest. It appeared there were two tours today and the bus from Los Gigantes and the other one that started from Las Americas came together somewhere before Santa Cruz and they separated us into the different tours then!

 

Before getting going there were more people to pick up, all the way into Los Gigantes. The last pick-up point was the bus stance in Los Gigantes then the trip really started. The route was the one we are very familiar with, up the winding road to Santiago del Teide and down the other side through Erjos to the coast. The weather was the same as the other day, lovely blue sky all the way up then thick mist and cloud once over the top. At least this bus was a bit quicker as it didn't have to keep stopping to pick people up and could keep going steadily. The guy with the clip board gave a bit of a commentary as we drove along, first in English then switched to Spanish. He pointed out a few things we hadn't noticed before; like the pine trees on the slopes that don't need much soil and somehow managed to root into the rocky surface; that the new motorway had been used in the making of a Hollywood film and they blew a big hole in it with explosives and that was why it still wasn't in use; and a camel ride place after Erjos where we saw the camels lined up. Other than that he talked a lot of rubbish typical of tour guides. When we got down near the coast it kept away from Icod and Puerto de la Cruz and picked up a motorway, now making good time along the highway. The guide told us we would be stopping soon at a service area to reorganise the different parties and trips and would be coming around to collect the fares. He also wanting €2:50 each for fresh orange with the proceeds supposedly going to some cat and dog home. We just paid for the trip, €2:50 was expensive for a glass of orange juice. He also said that there was some sort of presentation we would have to sit through before the trip continued.

 

We arrived at the service area just off the motorway and beside a small town. We were all divided into language-preference-groups and where we were going then put into separate rooms. There were tables and chairs with a flask of hot water to use with instant coffee or tea bag. Also we got a Magdalena cake and a glass of wine. It was 10 am and we had to wait until the ones on a bus from Los Americas arrived, about half an hour later. Once they settled down with their breakfast and wine the presentation began. This was done by an obese Scots woman who was quite amusing at first but the whole thing began to drag and got thoroughly boring. The brochure said an interesting Product-Info event; I thought the presentation would be, maybe, about the environment, climate, and other things of interest about the island or if they were selling something perhaps some local ethnic product or at the worst 'time share'. It turned out that she was selling bedding; mattresses, pillows and duvets; from Germany. She asked if anybody had been to the presentation before and a couple at the back put up their hands and said that they had bought the product and it was wonderful and effective for the guy's bad back; I though they were plants in the audience and afterwards was convinced they were. As I said it became very boring and it didn't seem to be going to end; when she finished her discourse on the mattress and began on the pillows. I looked at my watch and it was now mid-day we had been there nearly 2 hours. I looked around and others were looking fed up and trying to keep their eyes open, I decided I had had enough. I stood up and asked how much longer we had to suffer this nonsense as we had paid for a tour not a sales talk. She took exception to my interruptions and it was then that the exchange got heated and we walked out.

 

In the corridor I saw the clip-board guy from the bus and asked him when we were going to get started again. He said 'soon', I asked for an exact time but he didn't know. Surely they have a laid out itinerary but he just looked blank. I asked for our money back and said we would find our own way home. Another woman who seemed to be in charge got involved and another shouting match developed, she told me it was in the brochure that we had to attend a presentation, but not for 2 hours I pointed out and it still was going in full swing. Eventually she funded our €30 and we stomped out to find our way back somehow.

 

Fortunately it was only a short distance to the main road that ran parallel with the motorway. We walked along it and soon found a bus stop, the town was called Tacoronte and eventually I found somebody who knew about the buses that ran through here, he told us that there was a bus to Purto de la Cruz every half hour. We only had about 10 minutes to wait until one came along. Tacoronte was quite a way from Puerto de la Cruz and it was after 1pm when we arrived at the bus station. It had been a nice drive and we saw another part of the island that we hadn't been to before. From the bus stance we walked down to the front, it was cold with a bitter wind blowing from the sea. We found a bench near the harbour that was sheltered by a tree from the wind and there we had our lunch; luckily we had come prepared with sandwiches and a flask of coffee not depending on what the trip had organised for our lunch.

 

The wild Atlantic at Puerta de la Cruz

 

After lunch we strolled along the front but it was cold so returned through the shopping areas which were more sheltered from the wind. We did a lot of window shopping before heading back to the bus station for the 3 pm bus back home. It was cloudy and then misty at Erjos as the bus climbed over the hill but on the other side Santiago del Teide was again bathed in glorious sunshine. The drive down the pass is always a joy and the mountain and ridges now magnificent in the afternoon glow. It was a long bus trip back and it takes 2 hours from Puerto de la Cruz and it seems to pick up or drop off people at every bus stop.

 

We were back at the flat in time for the quizzes and I relaxed with a cup of coffee while watching them. For dinner we had pizza then read our books until 9pm when we watched 'Death in Paradise' which was a bit better this week. When we got to bed we read for about an hour before getting to sleep.

 

We had a lot of discussion about this excursion afterwards and what the firm hoped to achieve. First of all they did have a captive audience as most people would feel trapped in the middle of nowhere and have to put up with it; not like us, we can find our way to and from anywhere, we did managed to navigate our way from Canterbury to Rome without many problems. Next people on holiday may buy local goods, like the carpets on sale in Tunisia when we were there or the papyrus picture we bought in Cairo but its doubtful whether bedding is of interested. For a sale like that it had to be short and sweet with a tantalising bargain to be had, this one went on far to long and the price was a big secret only to be revealed at the end. There was also too much phoney science in an attempt to make people feel guilty about not looking after their and their family's health. Lastly the couple that said they had purchased the bedding on a previous visit were definitely part of the act, there is no way that anybody would go on one of these trips again knowing they had two hours of torture to sit through. So reader, if you are going to Tenerife be warned about going on an excursion where there is some product presentation to endure and avoid it like the plague.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Another relaxing day on TENERIFE.

Wednesday 25 February.

 

It was a lovely day today but Moira decided to take it easy and relax on the veranda with her knitting and her reading. After breakfast I worked on my blog and listened to the radio before getting ready for a session at the gym. As Moira wasn't going out I took the keys to get in at the gate when I returned, so I didn't have to leave the gym at a set tie to meet Moira to let me in.

 

I warmed up with a short session using the light dumbbells then did some balancing on the half sphere and the medicine ball, I'm getting much better. I concentrated on my back, shoulders and deltoids today and built up gradually to some heavy weights. I finished off doing squats with a large ball between me and the wall. I rolled down the wall as I bent me knees then rolled the ball up again, I think the idea of using the ball is that it keeps your back straight. It ended up with a 80 minute session today as there wasn't any rush before walking back in the warm sunshine.

 

It was lunchtime when I got back and Moira had made a minestrone soup which we had with a crusty baguette. Afterwards I finished a crossword then started to edit a few more days on the VF pilgrimage. I have now reached a third of the way or 600km and its interesting to read again all that we went through to accomplish the marathon walk.

 

It was the usual quizzes on the TV when we came in, and then after dinner there wasn't much on the box that we wanted to see. I read my book and it is really enjoyable. I did put the TV on later to check out a programme on the history of women' rights, it turned out to be very interesting and we watched it before returning to our books. It was nearly 10:30 pm when we got to bed tonight and tomorrow we have the excursion to Santa Cruz, hopefully the bus will turn up this time.

 

 

 

 

 

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Wrong day for trip to Santa Cruz on TENERIFE.

Tuesday 24 February.

 

I got up at 6:30 am and showered while the kettle was boiling for our morning cuppa. We had breakfast an hour later after downloading the newspaper and having a read. Moira filled the thermos flask and made sandwiches for lunch on our trip to Santa Cruz. The special bus was supposed to stop at the hotel on the corner at 8:40am and we were here with time to spare. But it didn't arrive, we stood there for over half an hour then gave up and went back to the flat. Moira phoned the company doing the excursion later and found out that she had an old pamphlet and the trip was now changed to a Thursday. She booked us on the one this week. She also picked up a new flier for the excursions and it confirmed the trip was now on Thursdays.

 

We spent the morning now on the computer. I wanted to get into my Facebook page but couldn't remember the email address I had used. Moira said that I couldn't have used our normal one as she used it for her account and seemingly you can't use the same email twice. We tried everything we could think of along with various passwords but with no luck. We then decided to open a new email attached to our normal one and open a new Facebook account for me. At last we managed it and I started to put names on as friends from the email address book. This took us until lunch time to complete. I said to Moira that we spend half our time either waiting for a bus or sorting out problems on the computer.

 

We had lunch and listened to the radio until 2 pm then I headed for the gym. The weather was nice, clear blue sky and warm. I concentrated on my abs and back for over half an hour with sit-ups, leg raises, twists, planks, and body bends. For the next 30 minutes it was squats, legs presses, dumbbell presses on an inclined bench and the shoulder press machine. I timed my walk back nicely for Moira to be waiting at the gate for me.

 

I did a crossword when I got back then it was quiz time on TV. After dinner I started reading another book by Ann Cleeves, this one is with her woman detective 'Vera', it is good so far. There was European League football on the TV, Man City v Barcelona. I turned it on just before half time and Barcelona were 2-0 up. I switched off and turned on again for the final 5 minutes, Man City had scored but still ended up losing 2-1, luckily, as Messi missed a penalty which was the last kick of the game.

 

I went to bed and continued reading for a while before getting to sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Short walk to Erjos on TENERIFE.

TODAY'S PHOTOGRAPHS.

 

From the forest track above Santiago del Teide.

Another view from the forest track.

Friendly duck.

 

Wetlands pond.

 

Church at Erjos.

Monday 23 February.

 

We left after breakfast to catch the 8:20 am bus to Santiago del Teide for the start of our walk. The bus was late and we had about a 20 minute wait before we were on it and heading up the hill. The weather was beautiful, it was a cloudless blue sky and the mountains and ridges were clear and striking as the buses zigzagged up through the pass to Santiago del Teide. The route today was one that Moira picked up from a blog of various walks specialising in viewing flowers and birdlife. The start was up the hill to the forest track then round the hill and down to Erjos. This was the way we had walked last week when we came the other way from Los Silos. Once at Erjos we would follow the directions that Moira had downloaded to her mini iPad that she had with her. The walk would take us in a loop round the base of Mont Tomaseche and through the Valle de Arriba back to Santiago del Teide.

 

When we got off the bus and started walking it was again typical weather for the altitude we have become accustomed to. There was a strong wind blowing and it was cold even though the sky was bright blue and the sun shining. We walked along the sunny side of the street to the turn off for the track and it helped a little with the temperature but the wind was still bitter. At a point on the road where we had to come of the path and cross a small barrier on to the tar I lost my balance and fell back into a deep ditch. Fortunately it was thick grass and I didn't damage anything; Moira remarked that it was lucky we weren't walking along the side of one of the ravines!

 

Once on the mountain track we were sheltered a bit from the wind and it was now at our backs so not such a problem. We were able to stride out and push hard up the hill, this kept us warm. There must have been rain recently as the path was wet and there was water flowing in some small streams. It took us the usual time to reach the forest track, 30 minutes, it doesn't seem to matter whether we are going up or down we move at the same pace. Once into the trees and the forest track it was easy going on a flat surface strewn with pine needles. The wind was blowing strongly again but as path wound its way round the mountain side at times there was shelter while at others it was straight into our faces. The last part was a short climb up to the tarred lane that we crossed, to go then all the way down again to Erjos. There was a large group of walkers on the lane, some having a rest while others were busy taking photographs.

 

Once over the top the weather immediately deteriorated. The wind had dropped but there was a mist covering everything, we could see all right where we were walking but the scenery was completely blanked out. We must have been right in the clouds and there were spots of fine rain that had us donning our rain jackets. Underfoot it was a bit wet and large pools of water were lying in places; on the initial steep downhill section we had to take it slowly especially over rocks which were extremely slippery. When we got down to the wetlands with the large ponds the track levelled out and we met a duck wandering along towards us. I thought it would be frightened when it saw us but waddled up to us and posed while I took its photograph. We reached Erjos at 11 am, 2 hours of walking and found a bench in the village square, for a cup of coffee. There was still a thick covering of mist and spots of rain and we were getting colder now we had stopped.

 

Moira now consulted the guide she had downloaded to her iPad from the blog. She found that it did start at Erjos but took the way we had just come to the wetland ponds where it took another track. We now had a decision to take, did we go all the way back and pick up the route that may be difficult to find in the mist or look for another walk. I checked the guide book but there wasn't anything that tied in with the buses. The other alternative was to call it a day and get a bus back from Erjos. Moira checked the time table and a bus left Icod at 10:30 am and should reach Erjos after an hour. It was 11:15am so it was due quite soon and that was what we decided to do. We made our way to the bus stop on the main road and had about half an hour to wait for the bus, it was running late. It was also full and we had to stand until it reached Santiago del Teide where a lot of people got off. The mist was still thick until we crossed the hill and down to Santiago del Teide where the sky was blue and not a sign of cloud or mist.

 

We got back to the flat about 12:30 am and we and our lunch, that I had carried in the daypack, out on the veranda. It was nice and warm there and it is surprising the difference in the climate from one side of the hill to the other, and between sea level and at altitude. We spent the afternoon listening to the radio and reading. I got the few photos I had taken on to Picasa and then up to Google+. We sat outside until it cooled down late in the afternoon then came in for the TV quizzes.

 

After dinner it was more quizzes with 'Uni Challenge' and 'Only Connect' then an old episode of 'New Tricks'; Moira said we had seen it before but I couldn't remember it. We got to bed at our usual time, it hadn't been much of a walk today but we did get some exercise with our 2 hours in the hills. Tomorrow it is a bus trip to Santa Cruz and a visit to a winery.

 

 

 

 

 

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After the gym an easy day on TENERIFE.

Sunday 22 February.

 

I watched 'Match of the Day' while Moira made our week-end full English breakfast. I went to the gym again this morning and Moira went the other way, to Lidl, to do more shopping; she wanted to get her shopping done over the week-end as we plan to go for a walk tomorrow and on Tuesday we are going for a bus trip to Santa Cruz in the far north of the island.

 

The weather wasn't too good as I made my way to the gym; lots of cloud overhead and a bit on the cool side. I was back to a extensive warm up up with the dumbbells, making sure the ends were on tight. I worked on my biceps, triceps, shoulders, deltoids and wrists, gradually increasing the size of the dumbbells up to 6kg. After that I practised my balancing skills by standing on a half sphere, there was the flat part to stand on while the curved side was on the ground which wobbled about and required controlling. I made sure I was near something to hold on to if and when I lost my balance. After that I tried to stand on a medicine ball which I managed fairly successfully. My main workout was concentrated on arms, chest and abs. It was another long session, 80 minutes this time. On the way back to the flat the weather had improved, the clouds had cleared, the sun was out and it was a lot warmer.

 

It was mid-day when I got back with Moira there to open the gate. I got the radio going through the computer for our favourite music programmes that are on Radio 2 on a Sunday. After lunch we sat outside and listened to the radio while reading. I managed to complete the 'Telegraph' for yesterday and also today's, another prize one, and submitted them both.

 

We came in at 5 pm when it began to get cold and I continued reading my book while listening to the Paul O'Grady music programme on the radio. I finished my book and I enjoyed it, a good surprise ending. Later once dinner was over we had 'Countryfile' on TV and that was followed by 'Call the Midwife'. After that we read for a while before getting to bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Long gym session on TENERIFE.

Saturday 21 February.

 

My legs were still a bit tired when I got up so I didn't consider running. Instead I went to the gym later in the morning and decided to have a longer session, 90 minutes. We left at 9:45am and Moira walked with me to the sports complex before carrying on to Mercadona to do some shopping.

 

With my legs warmed up after the walk there I started off doing heel raises, squats, leg presses, leg extensions, calf raises and hamstring curls. I also worked on my chest muscles and the usual assortment of exercises for my abs. It was a good long session and I was feeling exhausted after it as I walked back. Moira was waiting as arranged to let me in the gate when I arrived.

 

We sat outside on the veranda for lunch and listened to the radio. The weather was very warm and I had my top off and tried to get some sun on my body. I did the crossword in the 'Telegraph' but didn't managed to get it finished to submit for a prize. I worked on my blog with the description of our walk yesterday, incorporating photos into the write up. I have now found the way to put a caption to the pictures using the Blogsy programme.

 

At 4: 30 pm I came into watch the football results on TV. Morton beat Stranraer 2-0; Stranraer are top of the league and now Morton are just a point behind in second place. We had a nice chicken curry for dinner that Moira made and afterwards we both read our books as there wasn't anything on TV that we wanted to watch. I am still reading the detective novel set on the Shetland Isles, 'Raven Black' by Ann Cleeves, it is very good. We were both in bed at 10 pm as usual and soon asleep.

 

Today we got an email from Eric Baxter on the 'Greenock Telegraph' saying that he had completed a final article about our Via Francigena pilgrimage for the newspaper and it was published yesterday. Maybe it will get people interested and will result in some more donations for Pancreatic Cancer.

 

 

 

 

Port couple’s marathon effort for charity

Published: 21 Feb 2015 10:00

A RETIRED Port couple are hoping to break a £2,000 fundraising barrier after completing a marathon walk of more than a thousand miles.

Jim and Moira in Rome after their marathon trek.

Jim and Moira Sutherland walked for three months to finish a 1,180 mile trek from England to Italy in three months.

They are raising money for Pancreatic Cancer UK, following the death of George Campbell, their daughter Suzanne’s father-in-law.

Highly experienced hikers Jim, 73, and Moira, 64, have completed various religious pilgrimage walks in Europe, and have now finished the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome.

Jim, who was a sugar chemist at Tate and Lyle, and Moira, a former civil servant, said it was the most demanding and lengthy walk they had ever undertaken.

So far they have raised £1,894.

Jim, who battled through back pains at the start of the pilgrimage, said: “Our walk covered the military cemeteries in the north of France with row upon row of white crosses made more poignant in the centenary of the start of the Great War.

“We climbed the Alps to the St Bernard’s Pass, and there was so much to make our efforts worthwhile and things to store in our memories to recall in the years to come.

“Before starting we thought of it as one day at a time and one foot in front of the other. That was just the physical side, but mentally it was even more taxing.

“Moira was strong and never seemed to have any doubts about making it. She suffered from blisters, sore feet, and various other aches and pains, but just soldiered on. She was an inspiration and put me to shame at times with all my complaints and moans when things weren’t going as planned.”

Jim added: “Please help us get closer to our objective by donating through www.justgiving.com/suzmar or send a cheque directly to Pancreatic Cancer UK, 2nd Floor, Camelford House, 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TW.”

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Coastal walk to Las Galletas on TENERIFE.

Friday 20 February.

 

The plan was to go for an easier walk today. It was a coastal walk from Los Cristianos to Las Galletas but didn't turn out to be as easy as we anticipated when we did an extra loop to the top of a mountain. We made our way out after breakfast for the express bus to Los Cristianos. We had our fleeces on when we left for the bus but when we started the walk later it was much warmer and our tops were soon off and in the daypack.

 

The route began at the harbour in Los Cristianos and Moira had a map of the town that we used it to find our way from the bus terminus to the waterfront. Our way from there was along the prom and it was already busy with people out walking and lots of joggers. At the end of he esplanade it became a gravel trail that headed towards the Montana de Guaza, this large hill that blocked an easy route along the coast. The guide book said we should go straight and the path got very steep to reach the top. Unfortunately there were lots of different paths cut into the hillside and we ended up following other people who were making their way to the top. Unfortunately they were taking an alternative route that cut inland to the actual summit of Guaza. It was a very busy track and lots of people were on the path as we looked backwards down the hillside. It was a good walk, not too steep, and we were rewarded with some magnificent views. Over to the left were the hills we had crossed on Thursday, Conde and Imoque while along the coast was Los Americas and Los Cristianos. At the top it was quite flat and again there were lots of tracks but no signposts or waymarks. There was another couple there and we decided to follow the route they were taking.

 

We were on a wide gravel path that continued to be flat for a time with views of rounded peaks on the inland side. After a while the track started to descend gradually and we could see busy roads below and a town in the distance. We overtook a couple who spoke English, they were heading for Las Galletas as well but like us were lost. We left them and eventually caught up with the couple we followed from the top. They didn't speak English but were only going as far as a bus stop to get transport back to Los Cristianos. Eventually we reached the busy road that we had seen from the top and it had a good wide hard shoulder. There were lots of bus stops and buses running so there was a way back if we didn't find our coastal route. We headed in the direction of the sea. At a roundabout there was a road sign, the major road went to Las Galletas while a smaller road headed directly to the coast at Palm Mar which was on 'our' route and where we should have been by now.

 

It was about 2 km to the coast and the first part was still a busy road but there was a good path running at the side. Then once we entered the town we had a pavement all the way to the esplanade. We found a bench where we had a break for a cup of coffee and a biscuit. We could now see the path that descended from the top of the cliff, the one we should have taken; Los Cristianos was still partly visible on the other side of the cliffs. It was now mid-day and we had three alternatives: take the route back over the cliff path; walk to the main road again and catch a bus; carry on to Las Galletas. On consulting the map and guide book we found that we were about halfway along the route at Palm Mar, and it was now flat all the way along the coast and easy to follow. We had plenty of time and estimated it would take another 2.5 hours and we would get there about 3 pm with a stop for lunch. So we chose to carry on to Las Galletas.

 

At the end of the prom there was a well defined gravel track that followed close to the coastline. There were lots of rocky coves with the surf breaking in a shower of spray. The path was smooth initially but turned rocky after half an hour then flat and easy again as it made for the lighthouse, Faro de Punta Rasca which had been visible in the distance for some time. The walk to the lighthouse we both felt was very similar to the route we had taken a number of times to the lighthouse at Cape Trafalgar when at Conil. On the steps up to the lighthouse we sat and had our lunch. It was beautiful with the flat shoreline covered in shrubs and cacti while inland were the high mountain ranges. We had met a number of people on the route going the other way but now as we took our break some people passed heading for Las Galletas.

 

Shortly after leaving the lighthouse we came to a large banana plantation with a wide track between it and a line of palm trees. It was a very pleasant walk along this fast attractive track which eventually became a narrow path again as Las Galletas came into sight. It was a large town and stretched quite a distance along the coast and round a bay. There were lots of tracks over the flat foreshore but we kept near the sea and headed towards the far end of the town where we could see the harbour and the marina. We crossed a couple of small beaches before reaching the road and a pavement into the town centre.

 

We hadn't gone far when we spotted a bus stop on a street to the left. We checked and there were lots of people waiting and confirmed it was for the Los Cristianos bus. There were buses every 15 minutes but we must have just missed one as it was over 10 minutes before the next one arrived. It was about 2:45 am and we didn't think we would make it into Los Cristianos in time for the express bus at 3pm. We were pleasantly surprised when the bus that turned up now was the 477 express that went all the way to Los Gignates. Later Moira checked the time table and found that a few of the 477 buses went all the way to Costa del Silencio, the other side of Las Galletas, and back each day. We were lucky in that we didn't have to change buses but it was anything but express and took nearly 2 hours to get us home. It stopped at nearly every stop for people to get on and off, the ticket machine wasn't working and it took ages to process each passenger's ticket.

 

When we got into the flat the first thing was a cup of coffee then I worked on the photographs I had taken today. I put them onto the computer and when connected to the Internet unloaded them to Google+. While that was going on it was time for the TV quizzes. Suzy phoned on FaceTime about 6 pm and we spoke to her for about 15 minutes while watching Hollie get up to mischief. They are all keeping fine and Hollie was supposed to be helping to put the shopping away in the cupboard. Later the photos of today's walk were finished and they turned out well with some nice ones of the coast and waves breaking on the rocks.

 

After dinner I worked on a crossword until it was time for 'Mastermind' and that was followed by the 'Three Musketeers' which wasn't bad. It was off to bed at the usual time after a harder day's walking than we had planned.

 

 

 

 

LOS CRISTIANOS to LAS GALLETAS PHOTO ALBUM.

Prom at Los Cristianos

 

The climb up Guaza

 

View of Conde & Imoque

 

At the top of Quaza

 

Palm Mer coastal resort

 

Prom at Palm Mer

 

Los Cristianos in the distance

Los Cristianos in the distance

 

Rocky coast and surf.

 

Lighthouse, Faro de Punta Rasca.

Lighthouse, Faro de Punta Rasca.

 

Coastal path, bananas & palm trees.

 

Las Galletas.

 

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A windy day on TENERIFE.

Thursday 19 February.

 

I was wakened by Moira getting up this morning to make the tea. It was 8am, I had a great night's sleep and must have been tired after yesterday's walk. When I eventually got up I made the breakfast then worked on my blog inserting photographs from the walk while listening to he radio. At 10 am we went out, I was heading for the gym and Moira joined me for the walk.

 

I was back to warming up with the light dumbbells, I made sure that the ends were securely screwed on and tight. Once warmed I worked on my arms with curls for my biceps and dips to strengthen my triceps. I did a few exercises as usual for my abs before heading back after an hour's workout. The wind from yesterday was still strong and it was cold when in the shade as I walked back to the complex in time for Moira to open the gate. Moira had gone to the supermarket at the gate when she came down and had a big bottle of water that I had to carry up the stairs, another workout to keep me fit.

 

We sat out on the veranda but it wasn't very warm with the wind so we were soon indoors for our lunch. We spent he afternoon after lunch inside listening to the radio, reading and I managed to complete a crossword. Soon it was quiz time on the TV followed by dinner. In the evening there was football, the UEFA Cup with Liverpool playing a Turkish side. I watched a little of the game until 'Death in Paradise' came on and we watched that. It was again the very same format as every week, the only thing that changed is the type of murder. I turned back for the football when it finished and it was still 0-0. It was a rubbish game but Liverpool eventually got the winner from the penalty spot near the end. Moira had gone to bed when I put on the football and I joined her as soon as the match finished.

 

 

 

 

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Arona to Adeje walk on TENERIFE.

Wednesday 18 February.

 

It was off walking again today. This time we were heading south to the area around Adeje where we did our first walk on Tenerife. We left after breakfast and caught the express bus to Los Americas. We were there on time for the connection that goes to the volcano El Teide but we were only going a short distance, to Arona, where our walk started. There was some confusion when we boarded the bus, Moira was under the impression that the driver said he didn't go to Arona but the sign on the front of the bus said it did. It turned out that the problem was that he didn't accept the prepaid ticket and she had to pay him in cash for some reason. The bus was quite crowded with people heading for the volcano and more got on when it stopped at Los Cristianos. It was only a short distance, 7km, from there to where we got off and fortunately Arona was just a small village with one bus stop so there was no alternative about where to get off.

 

From the bus stop the guide book said to follow the main road in e direction of Vilaflor and picked up the trail after 10 minutes. Instead we took a different route that was signposted to the left shortly after leaving the bus stop. This pointed to the Roque del Conde, the flat topped mountain that dominates the region and to Ifonche at 6.2 km and halfway along today's route to Adeje. This was slightly longer than the more direct route to Ifonche described in the guide book but it was one with some outstanding mountain scenery.

 

It was particularly strenuous and the paths were mostly hard packed earth, smooth and well defined. There was a drop down into a ravine and up the other side before a steadier ascent to a col between Roque del Conde and Roque Imoque. We couldn't see the flat plateau on the top of Conde from this side but the other mountain Imoque was a beautiful pointed peak that was very striking. From the col the trail kept mostly to the contours as it rounded Imoque through wondrous natural gardens of various cacti and white daisies. Soon we came to another col this one separating Imoque, 1107m, from Roque de Los Brezos, 1108m. The col was at about 1000m but we hadn't climbed that much as our starting point at Arona was at an altitude of 630m. There was a cobbled threshing circle with a small wall of flat stones where we sat for a cup of coffee and a biscuit.

 

From the col it was still 1.7 km to Ifonche and we could see the houses of the community scattered over the surrounding hillside. The little village itself was along a tarred lane that made its way across the relatively flat mountain top. We passed a spot where the cliffs dropped away sharply and commercial hang-glider companies used it as a take-off point. As we passed a number were soaring into the air on the thermal currents. The guide book (we were back on its route again) was a bit confusing about the direction to take from the centre of the village but when we got there it was perfectly clear, well signposted and waymarked.

 

We now entered a most delightful area through pine forests. The route again wasn't particularly taxing as it followed the contours round the hillside and going in and out of ravines. The first ravine we came to was the top of Barranco del Infierno, this is where the highest waterfall on the island is found. A few weeks ago we wanted to come to it from the other direction but the route was closed for safely reasons. Now it seemed to be completely dry and just the tall trees and sheer cliffs were the spectacular scenery to be enjoyed. There seemed to have been a fire a some time through the forest as all the trees had their barks blackened and charred. The next ravine was the Baccanco de la Fuente and the route took us all along one side to the top where we crossed a dried up stream then down the other side. As we headed to the top of the ravine we could see other walkers on the other side, it was a popular route.

 

Soon we cleared the trees and could see the village of La Quinta on the other side of a deep gully as we headed down to the col at Boca del Paso. This was where we reached on our first walk on Tenerife about a month ago when we climbed up from Adeje. We stopped and sat on some flat rocks where we had our lunch. An English couple who arrived just after us from Ifonche enquired about the descent to Adeje and I assured them that it was fairly easy. Seemingly they didn't like going down and had considered walking over to La Quinta and getting a taxi from there. We passed them later a short distance away having their lunch, they had decided to do the walk down. I don't know what their concern was as they seemed to be experienced walkers having spent a lot of time over the years on the island and knew all the popular routes.

 

The first part of the descent was mostly on zigzag paths, a bit rocky in places but fairly easy and fast. After that it was flat and quick over a long shoulder before dropping again to the road leading down to the town of Adeje. We did the descent in 90 minutes and it was 3:45 pm as we were making our way to the bus stop; there were buses every half hour and I was hoping there would be one at 4pm. It was 5 minutes early, we arrived just on time and were on our way back to Puerto de Santiago. We had been walking for about 5.5 hours which was in accordance with the guide book's time for the route. It was been a wonderful day out and one of the best walks we had done with a mixture of mountain vistas and enjoyable forest scenery.

 

Back at the flat we relaxed with a cup of coffee and were I time for the quizzes on TV. We had a lovely chicken curry for dinner after a starter of avocados. The avocados were the ones we got a few weeks ago from the people picking them from a tree when we passed walking down the track from Santiago del Teide. They were very hard when we got them and Moira had left them to ripen, now they were soft and delicious.

 

There wasn't anything on TV after dinner that we wanted to watch. I managed to finish a crossword in the newspaper then we both read until bedtime. The weather today had been beautiful, clear blue skies and very warm but since we got back the wind had become stronger and was bringing in the clouds.

 

 

 

PHOTO ALBUM FROM ARONA to ADEJE

The trail on leaving Arona

Roque del Conde

Roque Imoque

The coast and Las Americas

Mountain cactus and daisies

Roque Imoque again.

Signpost at col before Ifonche

The coast from the col.

Into the pine forest.

Ravine and rocky cliffs

From the head of Barranco de la Fuente

Blue sky over Boca del Pasa.

View from trail down to Adeje.

 

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