High 80’s hiatus?

Some things just have to be done. Lunch at La Torre del Mirador, set in an elevated position above the beach in Playa Duque is one of those things. Expensive yes but fabulous? oh yes! A wonderful historic building with fabulous old doors and windows, beautifully furnished and with attentive and helpful waiters, all speaking splendid English, bringing exquisite food and wine whilst one languishes in comfortable chairs, looking out over the Atlantic Ocean on a balmy warm sunny day. It does not get any better.

We had spotted the restaurant the day before when walking from Costa Adeje to Caletta and were set on having lunch there from that minute. Four miles of pleasant walking was the penance, achieved by 1pm ready for that 3 hour lunch. You might have thought that the mile and a half walk back along the beach would have sobered me up but I got into a bit of trouble with That Nice Lady Decorator when we got back to the hotel. There is a confusing lift lay out with reception being on the 4th floor but shown on the lift plan as floor 0. -4 is the ground floor and swimming pool level, and our room is on -2. This is all very confusing for an ageing music business impresario and to ensure that we did not miss our floor, I decided in what I thought was a witty fashion, to press all of the buttons in a crowded lift. I looked around the faces for some humorous response and, not getting quite the reaction I had hoped, glanced at the Angry Decorating Operative and realised that perhaps I was not as funny as I thought.

The walk from Caletta to Costa Adeje

Good humour returned however with a couple of afternoon caps in the early evening sunshine followed by a siesta. The sun, the sea, the wine, the walking and the telling off for the lift debacle combined to tire me sufficiently that we decided not to go out last night after dinner, but instead to retire early and consider the benefits of opening an account with Currencies Direct. Surprisingly, That Nice Lady Decorator did not join me in my reverie.

Today we shall walk in the opposite direction up the coast towards Los Christianos, which I suspect will be less attractive and more developed than the walk in the other direction to Caletta, however, one does not know until one sees. By my estimation it is about 4 miles to the centre so best walking shoes on. It is an imperative that we spend as little time in our hotel of the living dead, as it has become known. The average age of its guests has to be in the high 80’s with a higher proportion of walking sticks concentrated in one area I have ever before witnessed. I did think that if there was ever a fracas about who owned which walking stick then could that be called a high 80’s hiatus? but on balance decided that it was not a worthy addition to this column.

So 2 days down and a further 4 full days to go, and the colour has begun to return to my skin. That sallow grey look that overcomes one in an English winter is beginning to replaced by that bronzed Adonis look that I crave. One just feels better with some sun on ones back. I feel sure I shall return to blighty fully recharged and raring to go. I shall need to be ready for the no doubt excessive celebrations that will surround my coming of age. That age being the bus pass age.

Chris France
@Valbonne_News