h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

so, then, if I may be so nosy - whereabouts in Spain are you located?




I shan't be offended if you refuse to answer

Oops! Guilty AGAIN of missing a post to my space.

We live in Madrid, *very* close to a bust of Pablo Neruda (whose poem Maria posted to the 'How to Say Goodbye?' thread), as it 'appens .

It's amazing how quickly the trees and wildflowers have rushed to full growth here, this year. Just as well, too, with the summer heat arriving so early.

There are loads of trees around for shade but, once the air blows hot and the buildings start to radiate the heat they've gathered through the day, you have to remain indoors, clothing shed, blinds down, air conditioning running............

......until you realize you have to go out for a barra. Sound familiar?

You're somewhere crazy like Lanzarote, aren't you?

Thanks for taking an interest.

yes, somewhere crazy like that indeed Hence the nickname. I think we actually have it a little cooler in the summer than you do in Madrid, because of the trade winds from the North.

I spend quite a bit of time in England with my family, and am in the UK now. It is absolutely freezing here - we have the heating on. I can't wait to get back home to thaw out.

At least you can watch Rafa - I can't.

I guess I'd better leave this machine alone for an hour or two.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBllejn5fVA&feature=related

We visited Lanzarote a couple of years ago. It was a last-minute thing, so we ended up spending a week in southern hotel, much larger than is desirable, that served all meals buffet style.

We hired a car before realising that we could've walked around the island in half an hour ... or was that Cerdeña?

Certainly an interesting place, carpeted almost entirely with black lava, and with volcanos everywhere - I can't imagine how you get around.

ahah! the locals keep all the best bits to themselves. If you ever come again, let me know and I'll act as your tour guide.

It approx 60 km long from north to south, so I don't think you could've walked it easily.

I miss the soft green vegetation we have here in the UK, but it has other charms.

I can't say I know the island well, but we did take one of the Timafaya National Park
tours - extraordinarily beautiful and inexpensive (remarkable coach-driving skills thrown in at no extra charge).

We walked around a huge open market, one day, (forget the name, but it must be well known),
and drove just about everywhere in search of a beach - the day we found a decent one, free of lava,
we weren't in the mood or equipped to enjoy it.

I don't remember too much more, except that, away from the hotel, we ate as well as you'd expect
on a Spanish island ... funny, I thought we had a 'yum' smiley.

Sorry about all the brackets. I've got lumbago again and don't feel able to write proper.

*Hobbling off to reheat some food.*

Don't worry about the brackets - I have an addiction to using them that I don't seem to have a cure for.

Yes, the volcanos! The park is amazing isn't it? It sounds as if you had the typical tourist overview of the place - but the locals are sneaky and keep the best bits off the beaten track.

I live in Puerto del Carmen, and there are 6km of sandy beaches there. Playa Blanca, presumable where you stayed, is a modern resort with the needs of package tourists topmost. You either like it or loathe it.

I just amused myself by looking back at some photos - I'm flying back on Friday, and seeing the blue sea and sky, I just can't wait.

Sorry to hear about the lumbago - I hope it stops hurting soon.

Sorry for the long delay. I was waiting for Sole to return from Paris to remind me of all things past. I have always had a very poor memory, and she never forgets anything - it's frightening!

Apparently, we stayed at Costa Calero, much closer to your home than Playa Blanca. We'd been shopping and it was particularly hot the day we found the (crowded) beach you mentioned, so we just had a cool drink at the chiringuito and drove back to the hotel for a swim in one of their pools.

You must be excited about returning home - the weather for the next few days looks pleasant, though rather windy - but you must be used to that: http://tinyurl.com/yarf3y9

I wonder what made you decide to live there. Did you fall for a swarthy local, or was it work/health related?

Thanks for your good wishes about my lumbago (the Spanish laugh at the way we pronounce that word - no more than I laugh at theirs). In fact, it got considerably worse before improving. Fortunately, the medical centre is but a minute away and, as I couldn't walk, they sent over a (stunning!) nurse to give me an injection. Since then, I've been stuck in a chair with nothing better to do than search on the net for music I used to play in the sixties/seventies.

Anyway, bienvenido a casa!

¡Astalogo!