Sand and sea:- there's such a thing as too much!

Latest travel option: Don Juan

When we left the airport in Fuerteventura the temperature was 29 deg. C! This was a good sign and, indeed, the first week featured glorious afternoons. Greyrocks settled into some tedious jobs and the purchase of a few household items until Friday, when we had an arranged rendezvous with our Goa/Derbyshire friends and occasional house-sitters who are also regular visitors to Lanzarote. we considered taking the new Lineas Romero "fast ferry" which replaces the rather basic Princess Ico. it comes recommended and would have been ridiculously cheap, but Bob was worried about the state of the sea so we went instead on the usual Fred Olsen. The sea was like a millpond in both directions, and the sun came out during our long tapas lunch and there was - at that stage -  no sign of the much-heralded bad weather!

Calima effect on the balcony table!

 Next day, however, it started! The wind was ferocious, sea lashing the shore paths and roads, and the sand from the calima started to accumulate on the outdoor furniture! Until early evening we nurtured thoughts of a meal out and some live music, but then we considered the wind tunnel outside our gate and made the Chinese take-away delivery guy suffer it instead! Sunday was also a challenge, but we made it to the spa for a swim. With the sea and beach so uninviting a lot of holidaymakers had the same idea and it was not as restful there as usual. The view out to sea through the picture windows was grim! Lobos had disappeared! The passers-by often had scarves over their faces! We sat inside for the first time ever at La Bolada, where we went for our Sunday "dinner"!

Yes- that is sand! Airports closed!

But we were lucky! Ruth spent a lot of time watching local TV, and the news - particularly from Tenerife and Gran Canaria was terrible! Along with the wind, rough seas and sand, there was a wave of fires causing evacuations and destruction. Over the two main days 822 flights were cancelled across the archipelago. A notable one was a Jet2 incoming from Manchester to Fuerte, which was  diverted to Faro and entailed two nights in a hotel there for the passengers!


Monday was rather better and flights began to resume normal operation, but the domestic clean-up was a foul chore!