Christopher Columbus's Last Pit Stop

 

 

Original inhabitants known as Gaunches

    In case you don't already know, my favourite place for a vacation is the Canary Islands, Spain. Having just returned after a two week break on the island of Tenerife, I thought I would tell you about one of the other islands I have rediscovered after last visiting there twenty years ago.

La Gomera Rises out of The Atlantic

    Rising out of the Atlantic Ocean, off the west coast of Africa, La Gomera is an island that to a certain degree time has forgot. There is no shortage of mod cons, but the inhabitants live much of their lives as they always have throughout the ages, tilling the rich fertile land and tending to their flocks.

 

    Whether the crop be potatoes, tomatoes, or bananas the micro climate allows the small population of around 16,000 people to be self sufficient. The island is the second smallest of the seven islands, that make up the Canary islands. But what it lacks in ground mass only measuring 15 miles across, it certainly doesn't lack in beauty, including an Unesco World Heritage Site.

 

         Harbour at Valle Gran Rey

    Travelling by car from the port and capital, San Sebastian, after disembarking from the ferry, which we boarded in Los Cristianos, Tenerife,  to the resort of Valle Gran Rey, the scenery was breathtaking. The island itself is mountainous, but feats of engineering, in the way of mountain tunnels and good roads make the journey quicker and less treacherous than it was on my last visit.

A villages nestling in a deep ravine.

    Small villages defy gravity by hanging precariously onto the edge of the mountains, while others nestle in the deep ravines. But the people of each village, working as cooperatives use the sides of these mountains to grow vines and crops. Whilst their sheep and goats dot the rocky outcrops.

Castillo del Mar, Vallehermoso, on the Atlantic. 

Goods, mostly bananas, were dispatched here onto steamboats.

    It's no wonder that Christopher Columbus visited this island three times to replenish his ships with food and water. The first being in 1492 when he stopped here with three ships before crossing the Atlantic. The second in 1493, this time with approximately 17 ships and finally again in 1498 before his onward journey to the Americas.

Typical village street.

 



    I would recommend to everyone who visits the Canaries (Las Islas Canarias) to make a pit stop here, without a doubt.

   

#Tweeting

   

    I introduced my friend Robin (above) in a post back in November 2012; but I wanted today to introduce you to the new kid in town (below). This new little guy is the first of Robin's new offspring. How cute is he/she?



New Kid in Town

Perfection!

    It has been sometime since I've worked in an office and on occasions I've thought it would be great to have some coworkers again.

    But after reading the survey conducted by 'The Institute of Leadership and Management,' the things I don't miss about working with other people came flooding back.

•     The unwashed cups piled in the staff room sink.
•     The half  eaten, mouldy food cluttering up the shelves of the fridge.
•     The anonymous colleague who always uses the last of the coffee.
•     The back stabbers.
•     The ear picker.  

     Of course I can list all these little niggles because I'm perfect and my ex-colleagues I'm positive never found anything I ever did caused them any irritation.       

It Has Been Just One of Those Days

    A recent survey done in the UK by Crucial.com, found that slow computers were top of the list when it comes to the things that irritate us most .

    According to their research, computer rage is more common than road rage. Now, as someone who regularly engages in an animated conversation with this particular inanimate object, I'm glad that this survey was carried out.

    Why? Because I can at last admit to the world that I shake my fist, pull at my hair in frustration and raise my voice on a regular basis at the screen that's in front of me. Especially when I'm trying to post my blog, tweet or e-mail.

   My partner on many an occasion has stuck his head around the study door and asked "Are you okay?" Only for me to tell him that "Yeah, I'm good. I'm talking to the computer." Whilst typing this very short piece,  I have had several disagreements with this necessary evil, but I think I'll just put it down to having one of those days.

    Do you suffer from computer rage?

  

Saying It With Flowers

 

 

    Last week my work finally came to fruition and my book went on sale. I received many emails, phone calls and cards of congratulations, so many I was rather overwhelmed.

    The above bouquet was given to me by my family and has pride of place in my study.The wonderful smell of the flowers fills the air and reminds of how lucky I am.

    I'm not just fortunate to have had my work published , but to have such wonderful family and friends.

    For a sneak preview of the first four chapters, please check out Amazon. My book is published in both paperback and ebook, which can both be purchased through www.featherweightpublishing.com and it's also available through Amazon, USA, UK, Spain, France, Germany, Australia.

   

Android Love

    Two weeks ago after months of procrastination I finally invested in an android tablet. Because I wasn't convinced that it was something that I actually needed, I have invested in one which isn't a market leader.But it does everything that I want from a tablet. I can use social media, read/answer emails, watch TV, listen to the radio, read my Kindle library and browse the web.

    I spent yesterday morning looking for free apps, downloading them and I couldn't wait to show my partner last night. He was somewhat surprised at my new found love for the devise, because he had spent months encouraging me to take the plunge and buy one.

    Having done lots of research on androids for my book,  I knew the advantages of this wonderful invention and I can't wait to take it on a trip somewhere. Although I don't have a trip planned I think I should organise one just so I can take it with me.

    

Happily Ever After

     The eventual kiss, the killer's demise, the surprise when the frog turns out to be a Prince, and the bad boy/girl turned good, are some of the endings we all read and love in books.

     The ending of a book is as important as the beginning, but we all want different things from our literary experience. It could be that we want a little romance, justice to be done, or just a lovely warm feeling of contentment when we close over the cover.

     It's also possible that we want something from the end of a story that we believe for some reason, or another is not attainable in our own lives. Because after all in the real world, life doesn't always go the way we planned.

     We may vary our reading material, because we believe variety is the spice of life. Then there some of us who stick to reading only one genre solely for the reason that we can more, or less guarantee that we're going to get the ending we want. But I do think we all like to believe that in the end, we all live happily ever after.


     What kind of endings do you like best?