Running again on TENERIFE.

Tuesday 17 February.

 

It was back to running this morning and after stretching I got going just before 7:30 am. I ran more or less the route we walked to the market yesterday in Alcala. I was a bit stiff at the start but once over the first hill I began to feel good and was able to pick up the pace. When I reached the coastal track I was running quite fast. I thought I would ease up along the esplanade in Alcala but it was more comfortable on the firmer surface and I kept up the pace. I turned at the end of the prom and up the cycle track to the main road then down to the track through the banana plantation. I was still moving at a good speed and only slowed slightly when I reached the street into town and my legs were starting to get tired. My time for the run was 63:39 minutes, it was the first time I had run this particular route so didn't have anything to compare it with.

 

I stretched beside the pool then up for breakfast that Moira had ready for me. Today was going to be an easy day in the flat, it was Shrove Tuesday,a public holiday, and the gym was closed. It was cloudy when I was running and it was still overcast. I sat outside after breakfast on the veranda and listened to the radio. It was chilly and I had to put on my fleece. I continued reading my book, 'Wolf Hall', but it finished abruptly and I found that there was a second volume to read. I will leave it for a while before getting the next part, its a bit heavy reading.

 

In the afternoon it brightened up and got warmer as the clouds cleared. It was nice sitting on the veranda after lunch. People were now appearing down at the pool area, sunbathing and some venturing in for a swim. I had the radio on and we listened to some of the comedy on Radio4 extra via the iPlayer and catch-up. I started a new book by Ann Cleeves who wrote the detective series 'Vera' on TV. This one is called 'Raven Black' and is set in the Shetland Isles. I read a couple of chapters and it seems quite good.

 

I came in at 5pm for the quizzes on TV but in the evening after dinner there wasn't anything on that we wanted to see. I put the DVD player on and we watched another of the Wainwright discs. This was about his travels around the highlands of Scotland. I didn't know he had spent so much time in Scotland and that he appreciated the mountains there but he spent holidays there every year. There was five, half hour, programmes and they were all very good. It was bed time when it finished.

 

 

 

 

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Alcala market on TENERIFE.

Monday 16 February.

 

I wasn't running again this morning but was intended to go to the gym after breakfast. Moira wanted to walk to Alcala where they have a market each Monday and the first plan was to meet me at the gym then we would continue from there. I gave it some thought then changed my mind and we headed first thing to Alcala and I would go to the gym on the way back.

 

We left at 9 am and it was a very brisk walk through the town and along the coast to the esplanade into Alcala. Moira had a small map of the town but it didn't help until we could find the names of some of the streets. We cut up from the prom into the town shopping centre but ended down at the harbour area where the stalls were set up. If we had continued along the esplanade to the harbour we would have got there quicker. It wasn't much of a market, a lot of the stalls were selling the same things and it was mostly touristy junk. Moira was hoping to get some knitting wool but there wasn't any. We decided to head back.

 

We cut up towards the main road then came down at the first turning into town and picked up the track through the banana plantations. It was a bit shorter and we were soon back on the coast path. Moira felt I had raced going out and forced me to take it easier going back. I left Moira at Mercadona to do some shopping while I carried on to the gym. I took the turning next to the supermarket but it went into a banana plantation and the owner shouted at me and I had to turn round and get out. I found the turning I should have taken, the next one, and it was up the hill to the sport's complex.

 

I warmed up with sit-ups at the wall bars, stretching and twists. I then worked on my back muscles with lat pull downs, body bends, and seated rowing. I finished with squats and more ab exercises. I was tired after the walking and workout and took it easy on the stroll back. Moira was waiting at the gate with a load of shopping that she had got at the supermarket next to the complex and I helped her up the stairs with it.

 

It had been lovely and warm on our walk this morning and it was even warmer as we sat out on the veranda for lunch. We listened to the radio, I put the music programmes we normally enjoy each Sunday afternoon on the computer via catch-up and read my book. Where I was sitting was partly in the sun and it became so hot I had to move into the shade.

 

I came in at 5pm for the TV quizzes. 'Eggheads' normally comes on at 6pm but they put another new quiz on at that time 'Two Tribes' and moved 'Eggheads' to 6:30 pm. Why couldn't they leave things as we are used to and put the new programme on at the free time slot? There was more quizzes later with 'Uni Challenge' and 'Only Connect' later. I turned over to BBC1 then looking for a detective mystery or the likes but it was football. Preston NE v Man U, a FA cup tie; it was the second half and I wouldn't have bothered with it but Preston were leading 1-0 and it was well into the second half. I was hoping to see Man U losing but no such luck, they eventually came out on top and won 3-1.

 

Moira had gone to bed when the football was on and I joined her when it finished.

 

 

 

 

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Walk from Los Silos on TENERIFE.

Sunday 15 February.

 

We wanted to go for a walk today but weren't sure about the frequency of the buses on a Sunday. The plan was to go to Los Silos a town we passed through before reaching Buenavista the other day. It turned out that the buses we normally take still operated on a Sunday; so we made our way to the stop at the corner at 8:15 am after breakfast and watching some of yesterday's football on 'Match of the Day'

 

The bus arrived a few minutes earlier than advertised and with little traffic and fewer people getting on and off made good time on the trip up to Santiago del Teide and over the other side. A group of walkers got off the bus at Erjos, this was the village where we are making for from Los Silos. When we arrived at Icod the connection to go along the coast arrived early and sat at the terminus for about 10 minutes before setting off. We were examining and discussing the guide book to determine where to get off at Los Silos and a man in the seat in front overheard us. I think he was German but spoke good English and told us he was also starting the walk from Los Silos and would keep us right. When he rang the bell as the bus entered Los Silos we followed him and on getting off he pointed to the signpost for the start of the trail which was on the opposite side of the road. He pushed off briskly but we took our time and examined the signpost before setting off. The route was a circular one round Erjos and back, so there were two options from here with vastly different distances. The direct route was 5.6 km whereas the one we were taking was 11.5 km on the other side of the ravine and moved away from Erjos. At the top of the gorge the trail turned to go through the wooded hillside to the town.

 

It was 10 am when we got going and the start was on a concrete path that changed to a cobbled track all the way up to the few farmhouses of Las Moradas. It was a steep start and more or less straight up for the first hour until we reached the farms. There we stopped at some rocks where we sat for a coffee and a biscuit. There was a nice view back the way we had come with Los Silos sitting on the coast. The deep ravine ran down to the coast and we could see the other track on the hillside opposite. Above and around us were mostly rounded tops thickly covered in forests. When we got going again from Las Moradas the incline wasn't as steep and underfoot it changed to a hard earthen path. We now began to meet people coming in the other direction having started at Erjos. Moira recognised the group that had come off the bus at Erjos and we stopped to talk to them. They thought that walking up was too much for them and preferred the easier descent. We said we would probably see them again on the bus going back in the afternoon.

 

We were able to make a faster pace now it wasn't so steep. It was narrow and winding with zigzags in places to even out the incline. Soon we reached a wide forest road at the Monte del Agua. There were some mountain bikers on the path and it turned out to be a good surface for cyclists. It was 4.5 km to Erjos along this track that more or less followed the contour round the hillside. There was a boardwalk out to a viewpoint halfway along the track but we were now up into the base of the clouds and the view of the gorge below was obscured by the mist. We were now striding out at a fast pace and soon Erjos came into sight in a dip below, the houses in a cluster and the church steeple clearly visible. There was a long drop with steps down into a valley and a climb up the other side to the village. We were intending to have our lunch break at a convenient place in Erjos but in the dip before climbing up again there was the PF 51 trail that went all the way to the junction with the PF 59 down to Masca. We weren't going that far but taking the track down to Santiago del Teide. The signpost said 5.9 km to Cumbre de Bolico but that was further on at the col before dropping down towards the Masca turning. We reckoned we had plenty of time, about 3 hours, to reach the junction and get down to Santiago del Teide in time for the bus. We stopped a short distance along the track at an old building where we put down our rain jackets to sit on with our backs to the walls of the building and there we had lunch, sandwiches and coffee and fruit for dessert.

 

The track was wide and flat at the start as it passed man-made wetlands. A notice said there were a variety of birds and wildlife in the water and the area but all we saw were a duck and a swan swimming in one of the ponds. It also said that Tenerife and the other islands in the Canaries group were a convenient staging post for migrating birds on the long flight from Europe to Africa in the autumn. After leaving the wetlands the track narrowed and it was a stiff climb up to narrow tarred road which we crossed to pick up a wide forest track. It was easy going and quick all the way to our junction. This was the highlight of the day's walk as we were rewarded with magnificent views of the volcano El Teide. It was crystal clear on the horizon and the surfaces up to its sharp point streaked with snow. Once we picked up the track dropping down to the main road it took half an hour, the same as when we went down on Thursday.

 

It was a bit warmer going into the town compared with Thursday and there were lots of people about and both sides of the street were lined with parked cars. We had 45 minutes to wait for the bus again so first of all we went to the pub for a beer to quench our thirsts. We got to the stop at 4pm in case the bus came early and it was, arriving after only a 5 minutes wait. The people who started the walk at Erjos this morning and we met on the trail coming down were on the bus and welcomed us. I had my iPad with me in case we had a longer wait for the bus and I read the newspaper on the bus going back.

 

It was much warmer back on the coast and in the complex the pool area was full of people out sunbathing with a few in for a swim. I put the TV on as soon as we got into the flat to catch the end of the rugby. It was Scotland v Ireland, Scotland scored a try in the final seconds but still lost 26-23. I did the 'Telegraph' crossword while Moira made dinner. It was another prize puzzle and I submitted the finished product again hoping to win.

 

After dinner we both had our showers and felt much better getting rid of the sweat and stiffness. The TV wasn't bad tonight; 'Countryfile' and 'Call the Midwife'. Later there was the first part in the adaptation of he JK Rowling novel 'A Casual Vacancy'. There was a warning about strong language, so I switched it off. I read the book and it is about murder and mayhem to obtain a position on the parish council. I think it needs a lot more than swearing to make the plot more realistic. We read instead and I uploaded the photographs I took today to the computer and Google+. The pictures of El Teide came out very well and are impressive with the snow on the upper slopes.

 

 

LOS SILOS WALK PHOTO ALBUM

Los Silos

The top of the hill?

Flowering cactus

 

The ravine

 

Forest track

Still more climbing

Moira and the spring flowers

 

The wetlands

 

The volcano 'El Teide'

Another view of 'El Teide'

 

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Relaxing on a sunny day in TENERIFE.

Saturday 14 February.

 

My foot was feeling all right but there was still little twinges beneath my toes as I walked. I didn't want to chance running on it so settled on going to the gym later for my exercising. I got up at 7:30 am and made the breakfast then read the paper and tackled the crossword until it was time to head to the gym with its later opening on a Saturday. Moira came with me for the walk and then continued on to Mercadona to do some shopping.

 

I didn't risk the dumbbells this morning for my warm up but instead worked on my abs with a series of crunches and leg raises. Between each ab exercise I did some stretching of my legs. For the main workout I did a couple of exercises for each body group. Legs: presses and squats. Arms: tricep pull downs with the rope and bicep curls. Chest: presses and bench pull overs. Back and shoulders: Lat pull downs and shoulder presses. It took the usual hour and I headed back to the complex in time for Moira meet me at the gate.

 

It was very nice again, sunny and warm, and we sat outside on the veranda for lunch. We stayed out all afternoon and listened to the radio and read the newspaper. I managed to complete the prize crossword on the 'Telegraph' and submit it, hopefully I'll win the prize one of these days. The rest of the afternoon I spent reading my book until I came in for the football results. Morton only managed to draw this week away to Brechin City. I watched the second half of the rugby; Ireland v France, Ireland won but it was close at the end.

 

The usual poor TV on a Saturday so after dinner I put on the Freeview recorder. We watched a John Wayne film 'Macklintock', it was a sort of comedy western and was good. When it finished I put on the lottery quiz but that was rubbish and we got to bed.

 

 

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Accident at the gym on TENERIFE.

Friday 13 February.

 

Another lovely day but I didn't run again. I went to the gym after breakfast while Moira went for a walk to Los Gigantes. I started off my workout with my dumbbell routine to warm up. I was halfway through when the end came off one of the dumbbells and landed on my foot. I was hopping around with the pain and the attendant came over very concerned. I took off my shoe and sock and it seemed all right visually but the guy got some ice to cool it down and ease the pain. It got better and I was able to continue with my exercises. The end of the dumbbell screws on to the shaft and it had worked loose. For the rest of the session I concentrated on my arms with exercises for biceps and triceps then finished with some work on my abs.

 

The walk home was a bit painful on my toes where the weight had dropped but it eased by the time I reached the complex. Moira was waiting at he gate to let me in. In the bedroom we had a look at my toe and there were no serious damage done, I took a pain killer to help anyway.

 

We sat outside on the veranda and listened to the radio in the lovely sunshine. We had lunch there and in the afternoon I worked on editing my VF story. It was 5pm when we came in, the quizzes on TV had started. After dinner we watched some more of the Wainwright DVD, there are 4 of them about not only Lakeland but the Pennines, outer Fells and Scotland. So we have a lot more still to watch. Later there was the 'Three Musketeers', it was a version of the 'Magnificent Seven' where they helped villagers to stand up against an oppressor. It was all right.

 

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Walk from Buenavista on TENERIFE.

Thursday 12 February.

 

We decided to go for a long walk today, from the north coast to the ridge above Masca then to Santiago del Teide for the bus back. We left at the normal, after breakfast and lunch packed, for the 7:20 am bus. The weather was looking not bad but we wore our fleeces as it was a bit chilly and it would be colder as we climbed. We took the bus to Icod where there was a connection for the bus for Buenavista. The bus to Buenavista came from Puerta de la Cruz but we weren't sure when it arrived at Icod. Our bus got caught behind a slow moving truck and was late arriving in Icod, our connection had just left. The timetable was a bit confusing and it looked like we would have an hour's wait until the next one. It was a surprise when a bus for Buenavista turned up at 9:45 am and we were on our way again.

 

It was a nice trip up the coast and there wasn't any twists and turns that wound up and down hills. The bus arrived at Buenavista bus station at 10:15 am and 5 minutes later we were on our way. The guide book was very good and I followed its directions out of the town and to the route up the hills. It was a steady climb all the way on mainly tarred lanes initially but later fairly smooth narrow dirt paths. The distance marker for the road to Masca said 17 km but the road zigzagged in sweeping bends all the way up the hill whereas our route went straight up reducing the distance but making it harder, crossing the tarred road at a number of places on the ascent. It was very warm at the lower altitude and our fleeces were soon off and in the daypack as we became soaked in sweat. We stopped after an hour and sat on a wall to have a cup of coffee from the flask and a biscuit.

 

The first village we came to at the top of a short really very steep climb was El Palmar. This was through the El Palmar valley and on either side were ridges of very high hills. From that village the route was now well waymarked, the TF52.2, to Las Lagunetas. The tarred track took a loop round Montaneta de Palmar, a massive conical volcanic hill rutted with deep furrows. The guide book described it as if it had been sliced like pieces of cake, we saw this clearly as we later gained height and had a overview of the hill and the furrows. When we reached Las Lagunetas our waymarks changed to the TF56 going along a grassy track beside meadows and terraces to the hamlet of Las Portelas. The track became narrower and we had a bit of a downhill as it dropped to cross a small stream. We were able to get a nice cold refreshing drink from the running water. On the other side it climbed again to meet the main road. This was the last time we crossed the tarred road and some serious climbing began. Previously the ascent had been mainly steady with a few steep sections but now it was on a narrow mountain track to the top of the ridge above Masca. This was now the TF59. It was signposted 2.8 km to the Cruz de Hilda and we were under the impression this was the 'crossroads' on the ridge but we reached the path junctions a lot sooner than we expected. This was called Cumbre del Carrizal, 920m; Cruz de Hilda, still 1.5 km further, was the view point on the road above Masca. We weren't going that far but taking the route along the ridge up to Degollada de la Mesa, the col before the descent to Santiago del Teide.

 

We stopped at the trail junction for our lunch. The views were outstanding, when we were here last week on the way to Masca it had been misty but now it was crystal clear. The mountains were magnificent around Masca and in the other direction we could see all the way down the valley to Buenavista and the ocean behind. As we had climbed from Las Portelas there were a number of people on the trail going down. Now at the junction as we had lunch people were coming up on the path from Masca and down the ridge we would take. The weather was lovely sunny and bright but a cold wind was blowing as we got higher, but it was obviously still bringing the people out on to the hills and the trails.

 

After our break we set off up the ridge. There were a few short steep rocky climbs but mostly it was on a smooth earthen track that went up gradually. Our last walk along here in the other direction was through mist and no views. Now we stopped at all the viewpoints for the panorama of the ridges and hills that surrounded Masca, its houses that we could now see far below. There were even more people coming down this route and it was obviously a very popular walk. It took an hour to get to the col, Degollada de la Mesa, 1247 m. This was just below the Pico Verde at 1318 m, we could now see the summit which had been shrouded in cloud last time.

 

We were quite worried about the descent now after all the climbing, and how it would affect our knees. As it turned out it was fairly easy and we made good time reaching the road at the bottom in just over half an hour. We made our way along the road into Santiago del Teide and it was now getting quite cold in the shade with a biting wind. We checked the time of the bus when we reached the stop and found we had 45 minutes to wait. It was too cold to sit even in the shelter so we headed to a nearby pub for a beer. We came out again before 4 pm just in case the bus arrived early. It didn't and we had about 20 minutes to wait, it was in the shade and very cold. I crossed the street into the sun where it was surprisingly very warm. The bus arrived and it was only half an hour before we were back at the flat. On the way down there was had a wonderful view of the volcano Teide behind the ridge above Santiago del Teide, up the sides to the pointed peak there were streaks of snow.

 

When we got in it was first a cup of coffee and some nuts then the quizzes on TV. After dinner we showered then it was the programme on TV about another couple of idiots who spend a fortune on food each week. These were first class clowns and with only two young children their weekly food bill was £325. I've come to the conclusion that the whole thing is a fake and the people are actually actors playing the parts, nobody is that stupid and want to display it. The experts only managed to cut their shopping bill by £100. After that it was 'Death in Paradise' which was again the same format as previously and getting boring. It was off to bed at 10 pm, a bit stiff and sore after our long walk today.

 

 

WALK PHOTO ALBUM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Beautiful weather on TENERIFE.

Wednesday 11 February.

 

I made the breakfast again this morning as I gave the running a miss again. Later I worked on my Via Francigena book and edited another 2 days before getting ready for the gym. Moira came with me for the walk; she left me at the gym door and continued further on her walk.

 

I did some arm exercises with the light dumbbell and crunches with my legs up on a big ball. This warmed me up nicely for the workout for my upper body. I did some dumbbell flies and bench presses and felt a twinge in one of my shoulder muscles as if it was pulling. I stopped and did some other exercises that didn't involve these muscles. I finished with a few ab exercises before heading back to the flat. I managed to get in when somebody opened the gate and this saved Moira from coming down.

 

The weather was magnificent today, a cloudless blue sky and very warm. Other people in the complex were already down by the pool sunbathing on the loungers and some in swimming. We sat out on the veranda for lunch and spent the afternoon there reading and working on a crossword. After watching the DVD on the 'Coast to Coast' walk I began to examine the guide book to plan our itinerary. We got an email from Alison in South Africa about the sale of our house there and it seems to be going ahead all right. This might require us to go out there about May so we will have to postpone our 'Coast to Coast' until later in the year.

 

In the evening after the quizzes and dinner I put the Freeview recorder on to watch the rest of the film 'Spartacus' that I started last night. After that there was a nature programme about Alaska. I started to watch it but fell asleep part way through. When I woke up I decided to get to bed, I was very tired for some reason.

 

 

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