On Friday almost all of the snow had gone from the tops of the mountains so we managed to get up to the highest ridge and do a wonderful walk, so good we took 119 pictures between us in the space of three hours.
I had done the walk before on the Unnecessary Boys week and made a note in the guide “Easy - no climbing” a comment which I used in my sales pitch to Gill, the walk is graded as a 4 or “Energetic” Most of the walk is easy and the views amazing but the last 500m was quite a struggle with Gill insisting it was a “5” or Strenuous. On a clear sunny day, which it was, it is a fantastic walk.
Banner at the top is one of the many views, Gill seems please to have reached the summit at 2310m (7,500ft) but don't tell anyone we started at almost the same height. I could not resist the picture below, the telescopes don't seem very large.
Gill and I have always held the old fashioned view that we should shop local to support our local community and have therefore never ordered any groceries via the web. Now we are hoping to return home next week we will need to stay at home on the naughty step for 10 days but despite the need to lose some weight we do need to buy some food. We don’t want to trouble friends and neighbours, after all we have been away having a great time whilst they have been stuck at home, it would seem rude for us to impose on them to do our shopping.
No problem I naively said, just open a Tesco home delivery account and bobs you uncle. So I filled in the form to open a Tesco account only to discover that every slot for the next three weeks is taken. So then I tried Asda, same result – oh dear we will have to starve.
Third time lucky Sainsbury’s, they were also fully booked but they only work a week in advance so next Saturdays slots (which is when we are home) were not available until midnight on Friday night. So at one minute past midnight I grabbed a slot and spent the next 45 minutes ordering all sorts of food which I like and which Gill will have to put up with.
Placing orders on the internet late at night is always risky but I dare not change to order in case I accidentality cancel it (Sainsbury’s guide notes suggests this is easily done). I did order a token aubergine but no courgettes or broccoli.
All the slots had gone next morning so I guess internet shopping becomes a bedtime task, we will revert to shopping local after our isolation is over.
Warning: The following text contains language which might cause offence.
On Saturday we hired the very expensive electric mountain bikes, this time without a guide, and tried a much longer route but with fewer hills. The guy in the shop said we should have plenty of power to do the trip so off we went. It was a very hot day so we took things nice and easy and after about 10 miles of gentle uphill we then had a great 4 mile, 2,000ft zoom down to sea level, some nice coves and villages to pass and then of course 2,000ft of climbing.
It was a long hard slog, the bikes are amazing but we were worried about conserving power, if you run out then they are very heavy to pedal without help, so we kept the power fairly low. By the time we reached the restaurant for lunch were were both absolutely shattered. I am not sure what the other diners, in their smart clothes thought of two elderly very sweaty, scruffy customers but the food and beer were much appreciated.
The road along the south west of La Palma was once a horrid, winding narrow track which the Canarian Government, I suspect with some EU help, have straightened, levelled and widened to three lanes.
Two lanes for cars and the third, separated by barriers for cyclists. It has a nice smooth surface and is wide enough for cyclist to pass comfortably.
It must have cost millions. So why do wankers in lycra insist on cycling on the road where cars have to squeeze past. If they were knocked off their bike they would blame the drivers, the government would have to pay for their hospital treatment despite providing the safe option for cyclists. I am afraid I despair at this sort of selfish behaviour. Picture of a wanker on the left. There were many of them.
Despite the hard slog we had another great days cycling but have promised ourselves a rest day tomorrow.