Down but not out!

Well:  - as we approached the UK House of Commons' third vote on May's ludicrous Brexit proposal  we were out and about in Corralejo - and without access to a news bulletin. We watched Spanish TV news and it gave us the result but using the the verb rechazar which defeated us, as did a series of double negatives in the subtitles. Bob had to leap on the bike and go home to sort this out! So, as expected, we get a stay of execution!
We caught up with each other at Paradise - a renamed establishment in the refurbished Hoplaco Gardens area, where on Friday afternoons there is now a jamming session that has replaced the old Pescaditos event. Greyrocks enjoys it, and it is generally poplar with players and punters alike. 

On this occasion it really was only fit for players! They were huddled in the roofed area playing for each other, as the demolition of the aged apartment block on the street reached a critical point, and the noise and dust was barely tolerable in the outside drinking area. Great company as ever, but not a place to linger!

By today it is just a compacted heap of rubble (the apartment block. that is:- not the bar, and watching the UK go that way is only funny if you aren't a Brit ex-pat in Europe!

Note: rechazar translates as "reject"

March 23rd 2019: A day of two rather different marches

On Saturday afternoon Greyrocks was glued to various UK channels and websites to follow the progress of two aspects of a cause very dear to the heart: the swelling number of signatures to the petition to revoke Article 50, and the million-plus strong march through London. We had both signed the former days earlier, and we were there in spirit at the latter, and indeed in live contact with "fellow-traveller" friends who were there in person, or - like us - just too far away! We really need these confirmations that our home country is not the xenophobic and regressive place that the referendum result suggested: particularly being - it seems - surrounded by Brexiteers: both tourist and ex-pat!! We reached 7 pm feeling a lot better.

(There are wonderful photos of banners, placards and personal adornment on the New European's site)

We were then off to witness another parade, for it was the big night for Corralejo's carnival. The two events are not unrelated. The theme this year was "Cities of the World", and until a week before the plan for a costume - which Ruth at least has always donned - was to pay homage to "Bruselas" with  blue and gold clothes and a specially-created hat rather like this one worn by Lizzie Windsor!. The hat had been bought at the Chinese shop, and the stencils for stars partly made. Then we reflected on the poisonous atmosphere between the two Brit factions and decided against it.

The bodged offering of some Indian clothes a la Mumbai was so weak most people didn't notice. making it the most unimaginative  of the eleven Greyrocks has done over the years, Another casualty of Brexit!

Nonetheless we enjoyed the evening - with the main part of the parade viewed as usual from the inside of American Burger. The floats conveying the various "queens" were as beautiful as ever, but barely "on theme", and after that something had gone wrong at the top of the street as there were enormous gaps between floats, and there was very little interesting going on upon them (only on on-board barbecue, for example). Eventually we decided it must have finished unceremoniously and left! Out on the streets there was plenty of fancy costume, but mostly general purpose, plus a lot of Mexicans. We dropped in at Blue Rock where - as usual - Claire and Jules really had made an effort and were "Turning Japanese".

On Sunday we had a very good supper at Marquesina - in part for the view there would be of "The Funeral of the Sardine" with its attendant fireworks. All pretty good this year and now "The Carnival is Over".

Also on Sunday at the Rogues' music session a drunken German tried to engage a group of Brits over Brexit. Whoops!

A Bumpy Journey Home

Not the finest in the fleet!

Today we received from BA a dismissive response to our complaint, so it's weapons drawn and time to catch up with this blog where we had hoped to record a victory. Resolving this may take some time!

We left Palolem by taxi at 4 am, so the road was clear and we arrived at the airport in good time, but had to mingle for entry with passengers for at least two Russian charter flights, so ended up with no long wait. There isn't much to say about Dabolim airport these days. It is a lot better than it was! Our Air India domestic flight was pretty full, the "breakfast" was a joke, and we were seated behind an Israeli new age family, which was a bit of a challenge to the patience! In Mumbai everything was easy and having reached the BA check-in we were offered the chance to be processed early. This was in very welcome contrast with an appalling experience last year, but we eschewed it as we had a cunning plan involving a bottle of wine in hold luggage and a discreet carrier bag! We killed time and then cadged paper cups, opened the wine and killed some more! At check-in we waltzed up to an empty desk and were away in five minutes. The clerk didn't seem to understand why we were amazed. So far, so good, BA!

One last Kingfisher - at a price!

All the other stuff - immigration, security, tediously complicated route through duty-free shop, eye-wateringly expensive beer  and lengthy boarding passed off without mishap and we settled in to our special seats - for which we had paid GBP 100 extra. They were the "twin" pair at the back, so no neighbours, near galley and loo, and a great place to spend ten hours or so watching films and TV! The expectation was that the selection would be better than on Qatar coming out! On came the safety film and Bob had nothing on his screen! Nor did he for the whole flight! Unlike the treatment six years previously when - unlikely as this might seem - the same had happened he had to manage without. No offer of a seat move, no champagne, and just a bit of sympathy from one crew member in the closing stages of the flight and some better wine! We were also given a case number - which as we see today was a complete waste of time and effort!

The flight was not improved by being both extended in time and extremely bumpy. It was Day 2 of the stand-off between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, and Pakistani airspace was closed, so the usual route up over the Caspian Sea and into Central Europe was not possible.  Instead we headed over the Arabian Sea, Egypt and the Med. Whether the re-routing itself or some other cause is to blame barely matters: we had the worst and longest-lasting turbulence we have known - complete with spilt coffee and wine. Still, we made it to Heathrow over an hour late, but were still able to catch our coach round to Gatwick - and it wasn't too silly to be in cropped trousers and sandals. We spent a very comfortable night at the Premier Inn, caught some rain crossing the road to the terminal, and had an uneventful flight back to Fraggle Rock with Easyjet. Dave met us as usual and told us of the great weather there had been in our absence.

This week it's Carnaval time in Corralejo! Bring on the clowns:- such as those in BA Customer Relations!

Exit pre-Brexit and at last a "touchdown"!

Talpona Beach

The last ten days in Goa were notable for the weather. Those in the know said it was more like March than the second half of February, as the days would warm up to levels like 38C, then the evenings turn chilly and the nights humid. Greyrocks made a day-trip to Agonda, which made a change, and feeling that we hadn't done enough strolling at the south end of Palolem beach set off on a very hot day to walk - at the optimal tide time - to the Sundowner bar with its glorious view, Having waded waist-deep across the river and manoeuvered round the rocks we discovered it was closed for a wedding! So we never did get there! But we did get to see a beach new to us, when the six of us (as in Beer O'Clock and The office) were invited for coffee at the "new" home of The Nest's Mohan and Ellie, which is not far from Talpona Beach. we were all enchanted by their house (in Portuguese colonial style), their garden and their plans. Rather less fun was the rapid descent of a large coconut which just grazed the arm of Harvey, making that the second close encounter of the coconut kind in a fortnight! We then went to the beach itself where there are two shack restaurants, and no beds or umbrellas, and we had an absurdly cheap and fresh lunch. As with Galgibag further down the coast it is only a matter of time before this lovely little spot is developed!

Beer O'Clock happened almost every evening and the setting of the sun was watched with interest! Bets (suitably small in size) were sometimes even made as to whether the base of the sun would be seen to touch the horizon. For many weeks it never did - being obscured by the layer of "pollution" that is a regular feature, and then on Greyrocks' penultimate evening it did, Was this a sign that we could now depart?

In the final few days we were lucky to be offered spice shopping in Chaudi by our restaurateur friends and the package was one of the few things we brought back, having a loathing for the haggling entailed in clothes and gift shopping!
It was a truly great holiday, and some advance plan were made for 2020.