January has been the month of "Learning New Tricks". Firstly Ruth has been gradually taking the reins down at the radio station on Thursday afternoons (2 till 4 Canarian/UK time). She has been encouraged to move to the side of the table with the mike, and to handle the various sliders, culminating in getting through the daunting 3pm news slot. Last week she was left in sole charge and made only one gaff!
Friend Eileen has needed to give up her slot in order to take on paid work so Ruth is now officially its keeper, and has a 2-4-1 Sunday roast to give away each week, thanks to Mike at The Casbah next door to Blue Rock. She has homed in on a "Who am I?" quiz associated with the music theme she has used. So far we have Shirley Bassey for the Bling for Kings week, Queen Sofia for the "Ladi
es with an S" and Rolf Harris for the "Heaven" progamme. An overambitious week with Music Film Soundtracks went down like a lead balloon, with the only correct answer coming from Scotland on the web! Some dumbing down has taken place!The weather in early January was very good at times, so eventually we arranged to go and claim our own prize from before Christmas of a round of golf at the new 9-hole, par-3 course on the outskirts of town, called Mirador de Lobos. It is a long bicycle ride from our end of town to this freshly-developed end and it was a very hot afternoon. We had a wonderful time! Joe helped us with grips and coached us in both the driving and putting areas then let us loose with 3 clubs each and 8 balls to try the course as a whole. It is exquisitely laid out and maintained in a deep hollow with an oasis-like water feature in the base. Holes 3 and 4 have their tee up-top and it isn't easy to reach the greens down below. There are a good few balls in those pools! Everyone who has been sings its praises - whatever their golfing skill. Bob was ple
ased to have completed many holes in 3, and went back just two days later with Gary our neighbour and his dad.Speaking of whom - last Friday we went on a trip to unknown territory. Ian and Audrey took us in their hire car over to the mid-West of the island - via the delightful agricultural town of Pajara to Ahuy. This is allegedly where Europeans first set foot on the island, It is difficult to see why - as it has very rough waves nearly all the time and the route up to Betancuria, which became the capital is ghastly! We insisted on taking the gentle route to get to the bay at Playa Negra. There is a black beach and a couple of restaurants. We walked up to the top of one of the cliffs for a view and as we stood contemplating we heard a voice saying. "Do you know any good restaurants round here?" It was John - brother of Julia whom we meet every year in Paleochora! He was in Corralejo for a week with Sally -
one of Jill's twins. A real "small world" moment! They joined us for lunch in Pajara and later in the week we went for dinner together. They enjoyed Caracoles so much with us that we heard they went back the next night (their last) without us.Their final days on the island were cold and wet. We have been suffering night temperatures of 12 degrees - unheard of; and evenings have been chilly too! (Put away those violins, we know we should be grateful!)
Today shops shut a little early at lunchtime causing some inconvenience. This is in anticipation of Monday and Tuesday being festivos. Also we had trouble getting a table at La Lonja - the fishermen's bar - which only happens at such times. We had no idea about this as they are not national holidays that come up on the calendar, but local ones for a patron saint. It means two more days of schoolchildren on the streets, and we had only just got shot of them after Kings! Ex-pat parents grumble particularly about this. We think Spain beats even France for official "days off" per year. Next will be three days for Carnaval. Ah, the hypocrisy of the jubilados (retired)!