In Search of the "Feel Good" Factor

November progressed well until the final week with great weather, a day visit from Lanzarote by Goa (and Derbyshire) friends John and Tracey, plenty of sea swimming and some investigation of the music scene around town. We were engaged in that at Rock Cafe when there were newsflashes about the Paris shootings, plunging us into despair! And then, -in a repeat of last (and several other) years - it was the birthday break and time for winter to start!

The spa at Geranios Suites 4*

 Gran Canaria was out because of awaited hospital appointments, so it was dear old Caleta de Fuste by bus again for Greyrocks. It is easy to be snobbish about the resort, which is predominantly British package in clientèle; but we have our two favoured haunts (a tapas bar and a British-run restaurant) to pull us in, and there are good hotel deals to be had, We booked three nights at the Geranios Suites, and were very comfortable there:- apart from the weather! There was a lot of sheltering from the cold wind and threatened rain; but the meal at "15" was almost up to standard and a new discovery:- "555" - was so good we dined there twice. (There is an outbreak, not fully explicable, in numbers as eatery names in Caleta:- bizarre!)

On the last full day Greyrocks decided the sea and outdoor pool were just too uninviting and bit the bullet by taking up a special offer for the hotel spa. It was the first such experience on the island, and now we are hooked! Such was the bliss of warm water, various bubbling and spraying bits, peace and space for swimming and exercises that we were back again next morning before checking out! On our way to the bus station in Puerto del Rosario we visited the public  hospital to try and resurrect Bob's cardiology project. We were sent from pillar to post but emerged with an appointment with a nurse who is the "outward and visible sign" of the cardiologist for the next day. We went for tapas by the ferry port and ultimately for an evening appointment at the private clinic and were told the date for Ruth's knee replacement: December 10th. Since then we have had a number of related appointments, financial jiggery-pokery, and aspects of planning to work towards that day; and Bob has been settled into an anti-coagulant regime which we hope will be proven to be over-cautious and can be suspended. The sense of getting old and there being no let-up in health matters is overwhelming!

The spa at the Bahia Real 5*

Bulletins will be issued during Ruth's hospitalisation of 3-5 days!

The Coco Beach Bar and Restaurant

Corralejo's weather had been no better, and some half-hearted attempts to bathe in the sea failed, so - both delighted by the spa experience and needing the therapy before the op. - Greyrocks went down to 5* Bahia Real Hotel at the other end of town to see what deals could be secured. The centre is bigger than the one in Caleta, and the entry price entitles you to stay all day and visit the hotel's restaurants for lunch (arm and a leg, of course!)  We loved it so much and got so much vital exercise there for our varied ailments that we signed up for season tickets, and have been practising phrases such as "We deserve it!", "You can't put a price on Health", "We don't have any other expensive tastes" and  "There are no pockets in shrouds". Yesterday we visited for the day not knowing when or how we would do so again given the imminence of the surgery.


Watch this space for (suitably truncated) news of Ruth's knee thing and recovery!