Gringos Tontos and Felices Fiestas Round 1

One of many seasonal sand sculptures in town

One of the benefits of being ex-pats retired  to a non-Anglophone country is the humility meted on otherwise competent folk when best efforts with language and local custom just aren`t enough. The  past month has seen a series of "doh" moments:
First there is the Big Toe:- how dumb to have imagined Ruth would walk in off the street and have the operation done there and then, but we did think this resulting in us making arrangements based on that assumption. It was, in fact, just a fairly brief X-ray inspection and consent-granting visit, so Greyrocks continues to wait for the call, and now it can´t be done until after Goa.
Second, we have the saga of the (extortionate - don´t they want visitors?) Indian visas. For three consecutive annual applications Greyrocks has traipsed down to Puerto del Rosario by bus to send off the passports to Madrid by the specified courier. Its office having moved south to beyond the airport we were distressed. This would mean an even more tortuous journey, which we reluctantly pencilled in until we were talking about this with a friend who asked why we didn´t have the package picked up from home. We rang the couriers and asked how much extra this would cost. The answer:- nothing - all included in the extortionate price! The nice man called round next day!
Feeling relieved but stupid we waited to find out what was wrong with the visa application as there always is something! Sure enough the phone call came through from Madrid:- we had left out some documentation and would have to send it by e-mail. This interchange is taking place in slow simple Spanish. The attempts to spell out the e-mail address numbered six! This is because it includes the letter "k" - a late entrant to the Spanish alphabet and pronounced in a most peculiar way. Very embarrassing! In further pre-Christmas acts of stupidity Ruth has fallen off the bicycle, stabbed one finger on the sewing machine and chopped into another with a vegetable knife, but we did manage to complete the re-decoration of the whole duplex just in time for the festivities. (About time, after over eleven years!) The swimming pool and sea remain untroubled by Greyrocks`presence, and we have had some "interesting" weather:- notably between 9th and 13th when the whole archipelago was hit by a tormenta. Our island got off lightly compared to - in particular - Tenerife.

"Not Frosty the Snowman!"

Claire's inspiration 2013!

Aftermath at the Rock

Normality on the climatic and domestic front resumed and by Christmas Eve afternoon we were able to sit outside Los Pescaditos in bright sun with a bottle of Prosecco listening to neighbours Dave and Pete, who - to our disappointment - added three festive numbers to their repertoire, and British tourists attempted to whip up Xmas jollity. Ah well:- the Bah Humbug hat came out next day for the traditional afternoon with roasties and meat rolls at the Blue Rock! Greyrocks had done its festive meal by then, finding the Spanish practice of cooking for the previous eve a more restful thing. After a glorious sunny time there we lurched down to La Tasca for a beautiful Chateaubriand, and that was Xmas - done and dusted!



Yarmouth Boy presents the new Fishwife

The plinth outside Blue Rock has yet another occupant! Regular readers (or indeed visitors) will recall that a water feature, an urn and a peculiar cartoon figure have been there and been removed!  A couple of weeks ago this statue  - in remarkably good taste - suddenly appeared. Greyrocks almost organised a proper caption competition, but didn't. Some suggestions have included:
There's a plaice for us
Gotta whole lotta sole
Found it at last - I wondered what the smell was!
etc!



Meanwhile today Greyrocks is off to the pantomime. "Oh, yes we are!"