It's me again ...

I'm back: ...cough, cough, hack, sniff, sniff .................... only kidding!

Wow:- just a few hours in fresh Atlantic Ocean air, sharp spray smashing off the volcanic rocks, warm sunshine and constant promise of papas arrugadas with spicy coriander sauce and garlic (I really mean GARLIC) prawns ..... not a cough nor splutter - bliss.

What a gem is Puerto de la Cruz on the northern side of Tenerife - from the little back street tapas bars: La Muralla does THE best bacalao fritters & accompanied by a wonderfully trill canary; the glorious architecture of the colonial squares; the monumental power of volcanic Mount Teide towering over the skyline; the (incredibly cheap) Jorma's Finnish cafe ...... don't even think of getting 'tired and emotional' and attempting to chat up some poor innocent sweet seventeen blonde Finn waiting for her herring supper ..... see the size of the biceps on the lady chef - see how easily she picks up tipsy/annoying Spaniard and 'carries' him out of the door .... ask no questions ... round of applause .... and a VERY good glass of white wine & glass of Cava only comes to £2.50 ...

This wonderful little town IS Spanish and IS a working town (good shops too) - however, it accommodates tourists and (yes I have to admit it) lots of them ... Scandinavians by the SAS-ful; Germans by the Lufthansa-ful; and yes, a few of us Brits. BUT, not the lager-swilling, disco-diving, foam-clubbing louts who seem to invade the South western part of the island - Playa de thingies ....etc.

Puerto is rather more 'sedate' (God, I'm getting old)... for the more 'mature' visitor ..... yes, go down to the San Telmo Cafe by the rocks - fabulous photo opportunities for seaspray fanatics - for your wine and tapas and you can certainly watch the Baywatch Red Swimsuits and Hasselhoff swimming shorts emerge from the waves, tossing their hair back as they swagger to the cliff-face shower points ..... it's just that they are ALL the 'other' side of 60 - good on you!!! It actually make s me feel better about MY body.

Go down to Playa Jardin (beautifully 'designed/sculpted' beach by the late, great,Lanzarote architect Cesar Manrique) and you might find the bikinis (or at least the odd half) on a few under 50's ...but not many! Looking around (apart from being slapped for looking around too often at the Lifeguard station .... definitely under 50!... definitely weight-trained and no artificial padding - ouch!! just been slapped again) you see REAL people, enjoying time together, young couples with baby and buggy in tow who just want to relax, enjoy each others company ............ sheer bliss.

And here I am ... back on the keyboard ... back to work tomorrow .... viewing two properties before breakfast ... back to 'the grind' .... but ........... I have life; I have love; I have laughter .... how could I be happier ......... x x x