JWG's Done and Not Begun January 18-21, 2011

Zwerglipatch  January 18, 2011  9:11 a.m.

 As my camera erases its drives of images from our past few jaunts, I am anxiously awaiting the hours to fly until we, ourselves, are up in the air on our way to Madrid, then, The Canary Islands. A woman in the bank was very excited to hear we were going to The Canaries. When she went, she said, she was treated royally. She insisted it will be one of the best vacations we will have ever spent.

Fortunately, it is raining today and not snowing. And, the temperature is well above freezing. So, no de-icing of jets.

Daddy Garand’s physical state is still precarious. It always was. It always will be. I have no qualms about leaving. My sister, Betsey, is capable. She has proven herself in the past. I do not envy her position, nor, do I wish to interfere. I do believe staying away can be the best, in the end, for all.

I have cleaned off my desk. I have a bit of business to do. I will write a couple of notes. I am peacefully getting on with the usual which, for me, is good. The unusual is no longer upsetting. I expect the days ahead to be clear. I expect to learn. I am planning on playing. Rest? Yes. Walk? Yes. My eyes are open. My heart is full. I enjoy these days.

Madrid, Spain  January 19, 2011  10:52 a.m. CET

 I am rested after last night’s flight on the warmest jet I have ever been on. I had to take off my jacket. Thankfully, it was an uneventful flight. We are now awaiting another flight to the island of Gran Canaria. We have an hour before boarding. René is napping.

Here we sit in a new terminal in Madrid. The undulating, slatted ceiling was waves as I watched it while riding on the many moving walkways.

Yesterday, at home, Peter [our eight-year-old nephew] marvelled about our busy hustle and bustle. The business kept coming in. Thankfully, it, the business, has money in the bank. I shan’t worry about that.

Peter kept saying how René and I, the day of a trip, were calmer than his home would be. He remarked how we did no yelling. I told him we planned and kept to our schedule. He wished he were going with us. I did tell him that I thought the three of us would do a lot more travelling in the future. He was happy to hear this. He is, also, looking forward to his trip to Switzerland this coming June.

At this gate, René and I are waiting for our plane with another young man. One would think Gran Canaria is not a popular destination.

Another adventure begins. Truly. We will soon explore another island. I do hope the nighttime sky will be as clear as the books say. I do hope we can see a meteor or three. We’ll see.

Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands January 20, 2011 8:42 a.m. GMT

 Our bungalow at Villas Blancas is, as usual, better than we expected. Our first night was relaxing. (I slept nine hours!) We already are “home”.

Gran Canaria, here in The Canary Islands, purports to be entertaining for the next month. Yesterday was proof of that fact.

A supermarket and mini-mall is a short walk away. The dunes and beach are a bit further away, but, doable. Our accommodations here at Villas Blancas, a men’s resort, are superb and much larger than we expected. The people are friendly. This is a relaxing atmosphere. René and I are very happy.

When The Full Moon rose last night as we walked to The Dunes and the Beach, the size and brightness stunned us. Our saunter was relaxing. It was a perfect button to a perfect day.

I use the word “perfect” due to the fact that yesterday was an uneventful travelling day. I, myself, was amazed how much energy we both had. Our winter vacation has begun.

I am outside, sitting, nay, lounging, in the sunshine. Yes, I do have a shirt and long pants on — for the moment — they will soon be off. This weather is Spring — may I use the word “perfect” again? I will have to delve into the thesaurus for I am certain that I will desire to use this specific word many times during the next month.

Maspalomas  January 21, 2011 8:48 a.m. GMT

 After having walked twice to the Yumbo Center, we now have this regular walk which is comparable to walking in Manhattan from Chelsea to The Village. Of course, the second time seemed shorter. This is usual. Short cuts, too, are being found that make this walk more efficient. This walk to Playa del Inglés has an overlook over Maspalomas for the road is gentle to traffic and pedestrians.

In the morning, we did shopping. We found a place that specializes in Indian food. Pre-packaged curries we can heat up were on sale. Over Basmati rice — yummy! Snacks include spicy, very spicy, peanuts which are not hard, but, rather soft, in texture, as if freeze-dried. Different, and yummy, too.

I feel impelled to write that full lunches (pork and chicken meals, thus far) are more like dinners and are under ten euros. This includes beverage and dessert. René is ecstatic. We never thought the food would be so affordable.

At early evening, at The Yumbo, we had a cup of good, European coffee. We sat and watched, with a bit of envy, a scene we wished our Long Island could have. People, of all types, angst-free, enjoying themselves. Families. Tourists. Locals. Many Gays. All were happy. All were enjoying the lights — and, the climate. We had read that perpetual Spring was in The Canaries. The books were right.