La Palma and La Gomera
17th to 26th January
My favourite Canary Islands.
These are small islands. It would be a shame to overwhelm them with visitors, so I am quick to point out that they probably wouldn’t suit you! There are no golden beaches, nightlife is subdued – perhaps I’d call it ‘refined’ – and souvenir shops and Michelin restaurants are in short supply. But there are lots of bananas and, for a quiet old Englishman (late middle-age anyway), these islands have enough to keep me perfectly content for many many months.
After Stephanie left, I stayed a while longer on La Palma, happily sandwiched between my three delightful and beautiful Dutch neighbours (hopeless with names I recall them as bracelet, brains and heartache, and trust they’re not offended). Never very keen on sitting about, I swam and walked more cliff and mountain paths and tried not to drink too much.
Next, unplanned and spur-of-the-moment my sister, Margie, arranged a short visit. So I sailed back to La Gomera, ferried across to Tenerife, bought a new iphone and returned with said sister. (These things are not linked: my phone was broken).
Margie has today returned to Somerset. It was a treat to see her. And now it’s hard to tear myself away from La Gomera. There is not much wind in the air anyway. So I’ll stay. One day soon -maybe – I’ll roll up my sleeves, buy some onions, summon more energy, and head across the Atlantic.
- Good breeze approaching San Sebastian (I was passing…)
Sailing Henrietta 