"No-booz-ember" and some exceptions!

Seven weeks immobilised in plaster in a noted French gastronomic region, followed by a shortened - but even so - pretty long stay in Paleo with the succession of drinking friends had their consequences, so November was earmarked for a serious diet.
But first, there was the end of October, during which Neil and Maggie were coming to their end of their restful holiday in our apartment. They greeted us with a Sunday roast on the balcony. During the days of our cohabitation we left them to their sunbathing, reading and swims, whilst we got on with boring but essential tasks, such as GP visits, the bank, the pharmacy,  the physiotherapy clinic, haircuts and 'flu jabs! The last of these involved seeing our assigned nurse, who immediately said she saw us on the Barcelona flight and had recognised us as patients! She took blood pressure as a routine and Ruth's was sky high, so more motivation for the upcoming campaign!

Brilliant stand-up comedian!

Hence there was a sense of "last chance saloon" about our remaining evenings as we ate out, covering upmarket tapas and good wine at La Bodequita, classic Spanish dishes (including goat) at Oscars, and outstanding fish dishes with good house wine at Marquesina. We had hoped for pre-dinner cocktails at the quirky Bougainvillea, but it wasn't open, so went instead to one of the (many) newly opened old bars nearby. It was OK but desperately slow in serving us our drinks. We are unlikely to return in a hurry! Our late evenings consisted largely of  mutual YouTube showings, with a large helping of James Acaster, and hilarity that probably annoyed the neighbours on the "bad side"!  On our guests' departure day we went for paella at La Lonja - a key place they had passed over, but agreed is a gem! We still haven't persuaded Neil that cheap red wine is best served chilled in our climate!

Thus Greyrocks had just one evening left for food and wine freedom! We spent it at the Slow Boat Buffet, and on - as is our habit - to the Rock Café, where the usual suspects were playing!  Good to know little had changed on that front! So what has changed in six months? Here is a selection:

• Pedestrianisation of the main street and most of its side streets

There is still a gaping chasm where Hoplaco used to be, and outside it - from the old "dove statue" down to just before the Shell Station the road is closed to traffic and taxis must wait at the bottom. New paving is being painstakingly laid, and pedestrians are directed from one side to the other around the work. It looks good, but where traffic can go it is pretty chaotic, with a real shortage of parking space.

• Welcome closure of two eyesores

The gaudy hire shop near Fazz's restaurant and the marina is closed and the premises empty. Antigua del Puerto. which owns it has also been closed since we arrived, but looks as if  it will reopen when decorated! Also Good Riddance to "Gordon Ramsay's" with its horrible neon sign. It is being gutted and may become a hairdressers'.  No sign - unfortunately - of removal of the skeletal 5* complex on the edge of town!

• The end of an era at American Burger

Soon after the start of the diet we popped in for the delicious fillet brochette, and it has disappeared from the menu! We had to go elsewhere and we mourn its demise!

• Ongoing expansion of the Health Centre

A whole new storey appears to be being constructed, but there has been little visible progress, and so Emergencies mingle with GP visitors.

• Exit Princess Ico

Foot passengers used to be able to take her for a cheaper - if longer and lumpier- passage to Lanzarote. In our absence the "Fast Ferry" has come into service, with numerous crossings each day.

• The new petrol station opens

This happened just a few says ago, and is long-awaited:- not because Greyrocks uses any motor fuel, but because it presages the closure of the tiny Shell station in the centre of town! That has been a landmark since our first visit, but now sits in the middle of a pedestrian zone leading tourist drivers astray.

• The Thomas Cook effect and fancy accommodation

We arrived shortly after the holiday company's collapse and stories abound of empty hotels and apartments, but also of staggering prices for flights with all the other carriers. Greyrocks has discerned no decrease in numbers out and about in town, but we are assured it s there! In contrast we have a spanking new place for tourists on our doorstep! this large complex has been under construction for at least ten years. Originally designed for sale, then seemingly abandoned and looming in grey concrete, it suddenly underwent installation of picture windows, internal essentials and entryphones during our last season. Then close to our departure the windows were ripped out! Now it is a "no-hotel" with low service-level studios, and luxury apartments. As the ground floor units have had to be "turned inside out" to give access from the complex entrance they have redundant gates, entryphones and "front doors" alongside highly visible terraces. It makes for an odd look, but we are told it already has dedicated fans, and it certainly good to see the building painted and in use!
Huge improvements also on the main port road near the Bristol Playa, where an old set of very tatty flats has been spruced up to form surfer-orientated apartments, and classier units - some for sale. Just this week it opened a pavement area for its bar - in a zone without such things! Also for sale and just starting to be occupied are the apartments created in the old Corralejo Garden Hotel on the top road. This little old fishing village is definitely "on the up"!

• Saturday Night's alright for ...

.. a very good load of rock!  Greyrocks is fond of the live music on most nights at Rock Café, and in the first few nights after our guests left we had been pleased to see that Gaby (Asturian), Fluvio (Italian), and Andreas (Chilean) were still in action, and that Coco the vocalist -(also from Italy) was back after a couple of seasons off. As time went by our visits included Goran the keyboard player from Croatia, and Dave Hedley - a Brit who does a mean Hendrix! All very sound, but we had still to locate Straight Ahead. It was clear they wouldn't be at Seven Pints on Saturdays:- seemingly as part of a downmarket trajectory in their entertainment! (Shame that as the do serve the best fish and chips!)
And then -early one Saturday evening - we walked through the Music Square and saw Carl-Peter Gors setting up on the stage. We had a good chat and he explained the band's fate - including that they all play - him on vocals and guitar, Argentinian Pedro on drums, Forever Trevor the ex-Slade Brit on bass and the newest member  -a Belgian on wonderful lead guitar - now play every Saturday in said square, so we have seen them each time since. It is hard to find a seat in a bar, but definitely worth it!
Live music also thrives - as last year - on Friday afternoons at Paradise, where the jam session attracts up to twenty players.

Ruth reaches the end of the month with a loss of 8.5 kg weight from the shameful - but explicable - base, which is a great start; and that is due to a very strict régime! The only descents from "the wagon" being the Birthday weekend in Las Palmas documented in the next post,  and two social occasions as follows.

The mature ladies' lunch involved Ruth along with Sandy, Jill and Elaine. We chose Fado Rock, which is close to all our homes, and we were made very welcome, with a range of freebies across the meal. Ruth - despite some encouragement to do otherwise - stuck to mineral water throughout, eschewed the sharing plate of desserts offered at the end. We were there chatting for hours, and at the end out came four balloon glasses of purple cocktail. Ruth could only sniff, but determined it was violet flavoured, and we got some idea of its composition, and some top-ups! Then it was over to La Luna where Ruth did have a glass of wine - accompanied by just a little guilt; and we all went home with no hint of silliness!

Marella Explorer

The cruisers' liaison was just two days later. Greyrocks had been contacted by John and Tracey of Goa fame but also flat-sitting and various inter-island meetings. They were on a Tui cruise around the islands and would be in Puerto del Rosario for a day, so Greyrocks took the bus to meet them there for lunch. It was a Thursday, and experience told us that that is a day to avoid owing to the presence of large numbers of cruising folk!  As we entered the capital we saw that there were two cruise ships in port:- The modest Tui, and the monstrous newest Aida, which is predominantly German in passengers. We got off the bus to find a very large and well-ordered queue of would-be travellers to Corralejo, seemingly far exceeding the bus capacity. and out and about in the city centre many thousands of German and British tourists, and Canarian folk troupes entertaining in the streets. It is no secret that Greyrocks' idea of holiday Hell is a cruise, and we didn't change our mind that day! Restaurants -of course were jam-packed, but we found a pleasant -  if somewhat pricey - one near the "new" beach, and the four of us enjoyed tapas and wine, with Ruth going a bit off piste on the food front and also having a couple of glasses of house white!

Nonetheless the steady rate of weight loss has been maintained through the month.

The Bizarre Barcelona Bus Ride

We departed from our palatial Montpellier apartment unscathed in terms of penalties, and announced we would be back in the Spring. The journey down the autoroute was uneventful:- busy as would be expected on a Saturday in the school holidays, but in great weather, and all the congestion was behind us the other side of the city. After crossing the border it was quiet on the Spanish side and we rolled up at Yvette's winter home earlier than anticipated. Bob dropped Ruth and the luggage at Girona airport, dropped off the car and walked back, and we had a beer in the near-deserted cafeteria. At this time of day there is no direct bus to Barcelona airport, but there would have been time to catch a bus that would connect at Girona city. We chose, instead another beer and a taxi into the city;- justifying the EUR 30 expense on grounds of heavy cases and Ruth's recovering shoulder.
Throughout our stay in Montpellier French and Spanish TV had been showing a lot of footage of the public pro-independence manifestations in Barcelona following from the jailing of Catalan politicians on October 14th. By the time we were due to travel through there had been a general strike, and the city had been brought to a standstill on Saturday. We boarded the bus  - which was half an hour late -  at Girona not knowing what to expect, but with plenty of time. The indicator on the bus said only "Barcelona Norte" - the main bus station, but we confirmed with the driver that the intention was to continue to El Prat, and a very pleasant Moroccan off-duty tour guide confirmed this.

An hour and a half later we were on the outskirts, and all seemed calm. The only peculiarity was the presence of hundreds of parked coaches. We then started to see small groups walking towards the centre with Catalan flags, and then more, and then the traffic diversions started. The majority of passengers wanted to get to Barcelona Norte, but after getting out and talking to the police the driver announced that he could get close but not fully  get there. This was translated for those that needed it by the Moroccan! We pulled into some sort of bay to give time for retrieval from the "hold" and a self-help group formed to direct folk's onward walk!

This left a handful of us wanting the airport, which would involve getting back out again to the Ronda and heading South. We started going down small streets - often with views up to the vast assembly of people. At one point we were in the middle of a housing estate and had taken a wrong turn so negotiated a tiny roundabout to turn back. The Moroccan explained that the driver was not from Barcelona! (His name was not Manuel!)  Eventually we made it to Terminal 2, and we didn't have the heart to insist on our preference of Terminal 1! We were now very late!

What we didn't need was a 55 minute wait for the hotel shuttle as darkness fell and the prospect of sitting outside with a cool drink receded! But the overnight stay was satisfactory, and the shuttle back in the morning was as comfortable and reliable as ever. It wasn't such a doddle at the airport as last time, but then Ruth was then in the wheelchair. It was Bob's turn for the nuisance neighbours. He won a group of giggling Spanish young women - possibly a hen party! An easy flight, though - a pick-up by Dave, and we were soon eating a Sunday roast created by Neil and Maggie - our house-sitters!

Stop Press

We were lucky! Today a splinter group has closed the main route to France: AP7 leading to A9. We know that bit of motorway pretty well after 12 consecutive years.

And just for the record:
Greyrocks is largely agnostic on Catalan independence - other than deploring the heavy-handed Franco-esque actions of police and judiciary!