Bob's gap years

01/02/2021

Hi. First a correction. On the 19th Jan I reported on my 40 minute washing machine rinse episode without the soap bubble in. I now find out that soap is dispensed automatically in the machine so I have been wasting my precious capsules. Is this how exciting life has become?
Had a walk with drama with Maria I. We met at the highest bus stop and walked to the top of the mountain. (4,900 ft) This time there were no clouds and the view was spectacular. The islands of Hierro, La Palma, Tenerife and Gran Canaria were all visible. Then it all went downhill (literally). We set off for Chipude where there was a restaurant and, most importantly a bus stop. Maria thought she knew the way. After about an hour I noticed the sun was on our left and pointed this out. The reply was si
( that’s Italian) Then said we were going north. Si. Then said Chipide was to the south. Si. Then a few Italian words I didn’t quite catch as we realised there was not time to get the last bus in either direction. Not a joke. It’s cold up there at night and absolutely no villages cafes or anything for several km. We carried on up a rough track (a very beautiful one) and then, thank the stars, a car came crawling up from behind and gave us a lift. We then met a forestry truck coming down who stopped v close to the rock face for us to pass. The driver then had what I thought was a fit, got very agitated, out of the car and started shouting at the truck. The wife (both Spanish with good English) told us he suffered from serious vertigo (so sensible to take a car into the mountains) and would be incapable of going ahead and would need to calm down (us too!) and asked me if I could drive as she couldn’t. The line would have taken us to the unbarriered edge of an impressive drop into a pretty river gorge. Anyway, persuaded the truck to go on the outside and hubby managed to drive up the rain gully on the inside and drive unsteadily up to the main road and kindly to a bus stop which gave Maria15 mins to wait and me 30. Well. This old boy stopped in a beaten up old car and said ‘Sebastian’ ,my way. Maria spoke to him and said he was a vineyard owner and was making a delivery to town. I took the lift leaving Maria with some tourists. Off we went all the way up the hill in 3rd gear at a steady 20mph with a few cars getting very agitated behind us, flashing and hooting. He just waved his arms (very Spanish) and I did the same not wanting to upset him. Then we stopped at a Mirador, a viewing point, now dark and with not a single light in sight and he said ‘vino, vino’ went to the boot and produced a filthy bottle of p..s coloured wine with an old cork stuffed in the top, smiled and said ‘ cinco cinco’ So I gave him €5 not wanting to be abandoned ( 2 1/2 times the cost of the bus!) He insisted I took a taste. It was awful so to keep him happy smiled and said magnifico. On we went for the 14km run down the mountain. This time the whole distance was done in 2nd gear, again at 20mph or less, with no evident breaking on the corners. It was not fun. Evidently there are many isolated hill dwellers with abandoned vines who continue to make this awful stuff ( some good Gomeran wine is made) Eventually got to town and recycled the stuff down a drain then went for a pizza and a glass of good Gomeran Red.
The Red Cross work goes on and in addition to the immigrants English lessons I have been servicing and getting spare parts for their stock of donated wheelchairs etc.
News back home is more encouraging but as the politicians say it is still a long way to go.
Exeter was as warm as Horta in the Azores one day last week. Keep well.
The big question is - will there be a further instalment to the laundry soap opera?
Rob