What's new? (Spoiler alert!) and a Funny First Month

A film location!

Dave gave us the rundown during the drive up from the airport, and it was pretty comprehensive in the coverage. It seems we had missed "fun and games" as the new bit of road was opened in full and the national park beaches had been accessible only from one end. We had also missed the lengthy period of filming near there for "Wonderwoman". What a shame! Anyway the new road is a great improvement, and we have been  - in the first month back here - discovering other developments - if not universally accepted as improvements!  Unfortunately one of our first discoveries was that we had missed this year's Blues Festival by a matter of days! Our re-acquaintance with the town has been slower than usual owing to our succumbing sequentially to a foul cough which has been doing the rounds, to a snowballing of health appointments, and to a run of very wet days! Nonetheless here are some of the more significant changes - passing over the now-traditional recycling of Italian coffee bars!

It had been on the cards when we left in the Spring! On the triangle of land outside Pescaditos (where there was once a set of play apparatus) is now a huge restaurant with an upstairs terrace and masses of outdoor tables. Its view is - of course - magnificent, but the scale is too big, and reports of the food and service are - as yet- not good! It has finally put Pescaditos out of its recent misery, and left Dave and Pete and their regular audience at a bit of a loss! Tu Casa III has lost its harbour view as well, but has exploited its street side and expanded.

This development suddenly seemed minor two weeks ago, when - overnight - they started to pull down the unremarkable Garden Grill, which spread along in front of the Hoplaco Apartments (where Greyrocks had stayed during the property purchase). A few days later three enormous palms were excavated and removed, and demolition is ongoing! Meanwhile the line of three catering establishments that line the path from street to beach are thriving. There have been changes of ownership and even name, but not at Greyrocks' favourite: the Dutch owned Anno 2011! We wait to see what will be built on the street. As Grumpy Old Folk we glumly predict fashion, shoes, jewellery and perfume shops! Just what we need! (And maybe an estate agent and an Italian coffee shop)

Near us there has been one of the restaurant closures:- next to the German bakers a total failure of a place called Miro has unsurprisingly gone, and in its place a spanking and brightly decorated eatery has been emerging all month. No prizes for guessing its genre:- pizza! It does look promising, though!

Also nearing completion (perhaps) is the upper part of the Marquesina building. For two seasons it has been swathed in netting with some occasional work, whilst the much-beautified restaurant (a Greyrocks favourite) has continued to to operate below.  Now two sides look finished and there is a trendy external lift.  We are thinking "boutique hotel"!

Not that it is looking (or smelling) too great this week!


Right outside it, and complicating access to the Town Beach is a vast abyss! (We looked into it as we pondered Brexit) All over town there are unspecified "obras" (works) involving trenches. It is making the parking situation even more desperate for those that must - or those many tourists who hire cars for no obvious reason. It seems all to be about drainage and maybe follows on from the two last very wet spells (one just before and one since our arrival). Sitting at La Lonja by the marina a few days ago we watched (and smelt) an hour or so of activity centred on a manhole 50 metres away. What came out was not a pretty sight! Which leads to news that the main town eyesore - the abandoned huge hotel construction at the entry to town - may have had a little cosmetic work!

It's good to be home. In the first week we visited Puerto de Rosario for a knee inspection (full marks!) and saw their pedestrianisation enjoying tapas by the "new" beach, we used up another session at the spa - although Ruth had to adopt a strange one-armed stroke in the pool following the finger injury - and we went on a day trip with Pete and Sandy next door, as they had a (well-justified) hire car! Unfortunately this was during the dodgy weather, but we went to Lidl and found our Xmas fare, then to Gran Tarajal where we had a stroll round and some tapas. Soon after the lurgy struck Bob!

(The post concerning two significant birthdays toward the end of the month is going to miss the November date stamp!)