"Pretend we're not British!"

It is four weeks today since Greyrocks set off from the safety of Fuerteventura, and it has been a month of huge unpredictability in terms of the impact of national policies on our  summer stay. Posts here document the "long and winding road" that brought us here, and the relaxed but uncanny lifestyle we found.

Yesterday we went to Limnaki beach as usual. Yiannis has been installing more parasols and sunbeds every few days but at 1 pm - on a beautiful calm day - no more than ten sets were occupied and the sea in the area was almost empty of bathers! Why?

Later we visited the cantina and for half an hour we were the lone punters! The huge Irish clan arrived to save the day. The consensus is that there had been a significant "changeover" of tourists of some significant origin:- maybe Austrian; and the locals hadn't come because the car park was inaccessible due to road resurfacing. Not what was needed to keep a precarious business afloat! 

Dreamliners to Crete?

We have been aware of "mother tongue" English being spoken on very few occasions. There are still the "hard-core" very long stayer or resident Brits and the free-to-travel Irish enthusiasts, but otherwise  just a smattering of middle-class English (sic) families! We had expected that from 15th there would be an influx - but none is evident in spite of the existence of flights into Chania from many English (again, sic) airports. Greyrocks does its best to help by receiving friends from York on Sunday and a party of five via Athens later in August! Then, everything changed with regard to British holiday-makers with the "Spanish Imposition"! There is now a more realistic expectation that Greece will be the destination of choice , and TUI has announced extra flights or up-sizing of aircraft- including to Crete from tomorrow.

Sweden was on the "dirty list" with UK, and not removed until 20th, but we have seen little effect here - when this has always been a significant source of tourism in the village. Finns are discouraged, Austrians must be tested before returning home. We can't tell our Czechs from our Poles - our Slovenians from our Slovaks so further speculation is futile! 

At a selfish level this low level of beach-orientated tourism is delightful - but the village needs them back in numbers so "fingers crossed" for some improvement! Incidentally, the indications are that - unless something goes terribly wrong - September will see a huge influx of Brits - and possibly Germans - so get that flight and/or room booked now (and maybe bring your own sunbed and umbrella)!

 

As for Fuerteventura we were incensed by the UK's discouragement to travel to the Whole of Spain and quarantine for those returning. Contrast that with nuanced advice and rules in force for other European countries. Don't these politicians look at the data, and haven't they got an atlas? Their performance is beyond satire, but we are nonetheless immensely grateful to John Crace in the Guardian, whose take on those lying morons Shapps and Gove has had Greyrocks in stitches. When we return to our island in October it may be in ruins! All part of the plan - of course - Gibraltar and other Brexit "negotiations"!

"Vamos a la Playa"