What goes round.....

Brighton's latest feature!

Tuesday afternoon: 37 deg C, and a bathe in the warm Arabian sea!
Wednesday evening: a blizzard!
In between a fairly unremarkable journey largely the same as last year! We were picked up at 4am IST and took a domestic flight which was full - mostly with a party of Indian tourists within which most of the men were wearing stetsons - inexplicable! At Mumbai we knew the ropes -and were delighted to find that BA have improved the check-in service and we could go straight through to Departures. It was then a long wait,and then Ruth got frisked again (4 times since Goa!)  but the flight was almost empty and on a new 777, so we got in some good films and TV.


At Heathrow we were ready for silliness in getting to the Central Bus Station, but we got straight onto a bus that was free, negotiated  an early coach to Victoria and were ready for the streets. We had only to walk for 10 minutes to the railway station. Out there it was ghastly! There was a dramatic snowstorm and it was freezing cold; and we had no proper winter clothes. We had a couple of pints in the warmth of a Wetherspoons at the station and then braved it again with a train to East Croydon, and another walk in the snow to the hotel.

The Wine Tower - too expensive for us!

It was a cold six days in UK! We did some business things in Balham, met up with Pete, and spent a day in Brighton. This was so cold that all plans for wandering round were dropped and after haircuts we did little else outside. We then met Chloe after she had cashed up, had a very pleasant meal and caught the last train back. Next day we went for Lois' 50th birthday lunch at our usual family hotel in Hampshire. On Tuesday we took ourselves to Stansted airport and as a treat (on Valentine's Day?) we stayed at the Radisson. Shocked by the restaurant prices we went back over to the Terminal and had a disgusting (and pricey) meal at the thing they describe as a pub! Avoid!

We flew at 6.30 or so and so were well and truly ready for Canarian sunshine. We had had enough of British February. We were in for a shock!

Gone Goan Again Part 3: The inevitable slide-show!

Well, here it is!

Gone Goan Again Part 2

Strange times, indeed!

Still there on February 15th!

So - safely back in the Canarian sunshine Greyrocks gives some observations on Goa 2012 under the theme of peculiar timings. First - the Santa decoration hung from our balcony roof! When we arrived on January 17th there was also a larger and fully illuminated version, but that came down ten days or so afterwards. 

Second, the delights of the open-air cinema. It has been spruced up since last year with a stable screen replacing the bed sheet, a flash canopy and a self-supporting projector. It shows a good selection of films with BBC World TV before and after, and their varied menu available all night. Early on we went to see War Horse (well made and quite gripping, but over-sentimental especially at the end), then we had the night of the farce! There was a good turn-out for George Clooney's The Descendants. It starts with a dialogue-free dramatic incident, and then moves on to voice-over, so we were 15 mins or so into it before the serious lack of sound synchronisation was discovered. The projectionist started it again and the same thing happened, and then twice more, before two young Germans stopped him and made a public announcement that we were going have to choose between DVDs of The Debt (already seen) and (Oh Dear!) We Bought a Zoo! There was vote in which we abstained  and the latter was shown. We still had food to eat, so stayed. Mmm - at least it was free! 

We went twice more to The Steak House for films. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was superb but barely audible owing a noisy non-viewing party of (yes!) Russians; and we wondered if anything more suitable for Goa could be found after last year:- it was! Some bright spark requested Withnail and I. (Don't try the drinking game!) It was not well-attended. We sat next to Tracey and John from The Office, and Tracey left when the camera turned to the kitchen sink! Ex-copper John stayed the length, but possibly only to observe Bob in hysterics! At the end the guy who had organised came over to tell Bob that his enjoyment was greatly enhanced by said laughter. So apt!

In stark contrast were the goings-on at the Catholic church across the road from our guest house. Soon after we arrived a day was spent erecting a huge yellow and red canopy over the area in front of  it. Thereafter we had a week in which every evening there was a religious service with electric organ, fire-crackers on the patch below us and Bingo with numbers called in Indian English. Bizarre - but there was more to come! On Saturday evening a 5-piece Oompah band outside played such things as "Roll out the Barrel" and there were serious fireworks. OK, but they started playing again at 6.25 am next day. This went on for 25 minutes and resumed at 9.30, at which time the congregation started to assemble in great finery. Ruth tried hard to find out the nature of the festival and concluded it was something local.

Finally - the big Talking Point of Goan Tourism! With very little notice a ban on the sale of alcohol was introduced - first for 11pm and then 10pm. The logic of this - related to national elections in March escaped everyone! as there is a substantial body of tourists for whom nightly excess is the main purpose of trip, there has been tension - and threats of suing Thomas Cook! One benefit was improved Sundays at The Nest. In normal conditions it would be spewing out from early morning  the debris from the Silent Noise disco, but that event had to be cancelled. Shame!

Gone Goan Again Part 1

Hard days at The Office



Fancy a dip, dear, or shall we just laze in the sun?



This is a place holder whilst we can't do very creative things with photos.

We are in Palolem once again, suffering 35 degrees C, warm sea and an even cheaper cost of living than last year, thanks to the exchange rate. Someone has to do it! Airmiles were changing the rules, so we got in quick and got our return London-Mumbai flights for nothing, building the trip in with the 50th birthday bash of Ruth's sister Lois.

 We left Corralejo with its closed and jellyfish-infested beaches and rather nasty weather on 15th Jan:- flying into Stansted, foaming at the mouth at prices various, and taking two cheap coaches to Heathrow, where we discovered there is no bus shuttle between Heathrow Central and T5. This is the sort of public transport rubbish that is going to make The Olympics a farce:- but that is another story and not the problem of retired ex-pats, so enough!!!! Anyway we worked round this and got ourselves to the hotel, where the public computers weren't working, and we spent an age on the concierge's own machine to get one boarding pass printed! We found it very cold that evening and the next morning, but all went smoothly and we had a flight on a 747 this time, which meant less viewing choice, but still many goodies in a cabin about a quarter full!
Mumbai airport was as chaotic as expected, but we eventually got ourselves transported to the Domestic Terminal for free as we failed to do last year, and with the wisdom accrued last year found a quiet spot to wait for the morning to arrive assisted by a bottle of wine from duty-free! The internal flight was almost empty and took off early, so with an immediate taxi ride with a madman we were in our room at the Hilias Retreat by 8 am, making it 42 hours in elapsed time since Dave picked us up in Corralejo!
Compared to last year our stay is more blighted by health. Ruth went down with a filthy cold just before we travelled, and Bob was a few days behind. We raided Boots at Heathrow, so were able to dose up, but it took the edge off the first week or so.
At The Office (see Feb 2011) the absence of Dick and Jane is evident, but the staff complement was increased for the first 10 days or so by Roger and Anna from Norwich who are parents to Ellie of The Nest, and when not helping with the two grandsons were on duty at the sunbeds! Within a week we had both the Office Party, and the Office Outing - documented in next posting!
Daily Life is a little changed. The sellers and beggars have been banned from the beach. This is enforced by a security guard of diminutive stature, but with a big stick and a whistle! The ban largely works, but is evaded by the DVD sellers, who can hide the goods quickly, and Julie who has a little shop and operates by befriending any newcomer, and pressurising them. We have fireworks every evening, and the Russians are just as numerous, but better behaved! The same cannot be said of a throng of young(!) Brits who now share The Nest. We are here until 9th Feb - so watch this space!

Festivities and Feet

Those short and not really fat hairy legs

... in the Empty Nest!

Ready for the unkindest cut - but they were pork!

No Chloe this year for the Xmas etc holiday as she needed to slave away in Brighton with anti-social hours and the minimum wage to try and dent the student debt and take a rest from study before the Masters! Thus we hunkered down for austerity, atheist fun. On the night of 24th we attacked a pheasant. This year not a wild English one helpfully and cheaply transported by the daughter, but rather a farmed creature reared on the Spanish Peninsula and expensively shipped to order by our friendly supermarket butcher. (Who also could have done the same for kangaroo, and did have a turkey in the chiller for 130 euros.. crisis?) Bob rooted out the Bash Street festive socks.
On 25th we did the usual breakfast thing and then went down to the studio for Hot FM's mince pie and mulled wine "meet the audience" event. No trouble getting a seat there, then! Onwards to the Blue Rock, which was heaving, and well into serving its roasties and roast meat rolls! Scrummy, and the sun shone wonderfully until about 4.30 - as it usually does on Christmas Day! This year the excellent decorations there have had the theme of Santa's Workshop. This includes a list of locals annotated to show whether Santa will be calling because they have been good or......

Poor Laurence shouldn't have been so naughty!

We are not sure what happened to the evening, but we were "up and at 'em" the next day (which is not a holiday in Spain) with an early evening invitation to a buffet chez Dave and Sandra. This went on until 03.30 Tuesday, with a wonderful range of very live music from Dave, Pete and guests, and a plastic chair incident about which we will say no more! Needless to say the Monday's MoTh day suffered a little slippage!
Between this and New Year we wrestled to meet a deadline for greatly reducing our broadband costs. Bliss and rapture.. Telefonica are now all under the brand name of Movistar - but are still blue and yellow! Their particular speciality is the Catch 22:- you can't have X because of Y, but you can't have Y because of not having X! This done in pigeon Spanish and imperfect English was a ghastly experience, but we have won, and saved 20 euros per month, and the passports got back from Madrid though we had to stick notes on the entryphone - that is another story of frustration that we will spare the world!!!


On New Year's Eve we went for a bike ride and ended up at El Campenario shopping centre, where there was an excellent local duo singing and playing, whilst one of the waitresses got into the party mood with gusto! We had booked once again for dinner at Caracoles, which was full. A beautiful five course set meal- and we were seated next to a couple from Madrid whom we have met there on several other New Year's Eves. As midnight approached we went to see what the council had laid on in the square and the answer was a rather dull DJ, so we moved on the Rock and saw in the New Year there. No fireworks again in town!


 So into the next phase of a Spanish festive season... growing shopping frenzy up to "Kings" on 5th to 6th, and other enterprises not sure whether they are operating or not! We spent time on exploring health care! Bob took the newly delivered certificate of entitlement up to the Health Centre and was issued with the magic card and assigned a GP.  He asked if he could have a check-up and was given an appointment for that very afternoon. In the ensuing weeks with follow-up and so on we have been very impressed with the service - although the 8am "extraction of materials" session was an interesting experience with several dozen punters waiting for the doors to open then standing in a queue to give their armful! What they won't do, however, is chiropody; but we were given excellent directions to a private clinic in Puerto del Rosario, and Bob has now been there three times to try and sort out some ancient and deeply embedded verrucae. Some very painful treatments have ensued, mobility has been restricted, and Spanish medical vocabulary has expanded considerably. Fingers are now crossed for the month away!

At last on January 6th there is relief! Ruth was on the radio in the afternoon, and based the whole lot around the Twelve Days of Christmas. Rather clever! We watched the Kings' procession from the vantage point of the American Burger Bar terrace, and it was a good one (three marching bands, one float, two mini-trains and the Kings themselves on camels), although chilly. No boat arrival as last year - they had come from Lanzarote on the 11am ferry, but what was new this time was a decent firework display to welcome them to their thrones in the square. That's another year done, then!

December: a month of Spanish Practices and Displaced Moths!

As described previously during December one is never sure what will be open when, and when the kids will be off school. With the two official holidays of 6th and 8th falling on Tuesday and Thursday there is scope for not just "forming the bridge" but also expanding in either direction to weekends. Then things go quiet so it could be a good time for restaurants to take a holiday! Carefully negotiating our way around these obstacles we chose the 12th for our little "do" at Casa Manolo's.
There is not much to say about it - just good and relatively clean fun!

.. and what of the Moths? On September 1st Ruth launched the MoTh initiative. We had picked up the idea in Goa, where some Brits at The Office are practitioners, although the name is our own.  It involves making each Monday and Thursday alcohol-free, and Bob joined the club in October. Once here in Corralejo we have been discovering acceptable alternative drinks:- fruity things in the supermarkets and alcohol-free beer in bars. As the latter is known as a "sin" there is scope for plenty of puns!
Anyway - until December we managed total compliance by straight swaps of days , but we confess that we have had a net loss of two days across the not insubstantial festive period. Read on! Still... one day at a time!

I am a Traveller - You are a Tourist - He is a Holidaymaker!

After our three days we took the bus down to Maspalomas - as we have done several times now -  for a lazy break based on a tourist complex. We were happy to return to Vista Flor - this time 60 per cent Scandinavian in occupancy - but at least they are generally well-behaved! We didn't do much - but that was the idea! Bob rented a bicycle for a few days and went for some rides up and down the coast. Ruth sometimes took the bus to meet him at strategic points. On one occasion he spotted a Paleo pal:- Fred (as in Zygos) had said he would be there, and  he was! It was very warm most of the time and Ruth used the outdoor pool on four of the days, but the wind was strong and gusty - preventing beach and sea activity. Both the world economy and global climate change have done yet more damage since last year. At commercial centres there are more closed businesses (especially at Faro2 which is reduced to just three restaurants), and at the big beach the wind and tides have swept away vast amounts of sand to greatly reduce beach depth. Various attempts have been made to reduce this erosion, but the effects don't look impressive!

Whenever we mentioned where we live there would be a remark about Fuerteventura being "quiet", and we were - once again - struck by the fact that the Gran Canarian resorts are different from Corralejo (although perhaps not too different from Caleta de Fuste!). In Maspalomas there is no sense that it is a functioning town, the timeshare menaces are still very present and active, restaurants all seem to have the same menu (often with pictures and/or translations into Finnish, Russian, etc), and Spanish is rarely heard! On the other hand there are some nice touches which come from the island having been developed for so much longer:- like the well-established Botanical Gardens, and substantial bus network.
We flew back on the Saturday and encountered rain at Las Palmas airport! We even managed to co-ordinate with Eileen who was picking someone up at the airport, so we were home  in super-quick time, with just two birthday-related activities ahead of us - Bob's registration with the Spanish Health Service, and the hosting of the tapas evening!
The former involved a bus trip down to Puerto del Rosario, bearing many, many documents. We found the right place, pulled our queue number from the machine, and waited half an hour or so. Then it was in to the fray, use Ruth's increasingly fluent Spanish, show the white paper from UK (S1), the green paper, the passport copy and off we went smiling!  We celebrated with tapas at our favoured bar near the port, seeing the new Olsen service (fast to Las Palmas), and in delightfully sunny weather. Then we did the business at the couriers to send off passports for Indian visas, had a beer and got the bus back! Jobs done!
... and then there was the party.. read on!