DINING WITH A DIFFERENCE
10 February 2021 | CAFE CUBA
Robert Coates | NICE
08/02/2021
What appalling weather back home. There aren’t seasons here as we know them but just smaller changes to the same routine. Spring is a wonderful time, which I always think is a great uplift for the soul. Longer days, spring flowers and abundant colour, then the first day you feel the real warmth of the sun, and to know that there are lovely month’s ahead to look forward to. We take for granted the beautiful greenery and lush fields. Spring, I always feel is a time of anticipation of better things to come. I miss the seasons even though we have to endure the hardships of, especially, January and February! Hang in there. Longer days are with you, the sun is higher. The colour will come soon and above all else, with due care, freedoms to live as we should will slowly return.
Rain is rare here and when it does come everything and everyone is basically unprepared. It was a friend, Dan’s, birthday last week so six of us went for a meal out
to a very nice restaurant in an attractive covered courtyard. All chose different dishes which were shared (good for me!) plus a selection of side dishes. Really yummy. Then if rained. The roof had multiple leaks. Chaos. The staff leaped into action (sadly not having had many rehearsals) tables moved. New leaks. Tables moved again. It was good exercise as we lent a hand. Ended up squashed against the side wall with our waterproofs on. Fortunately we had nearly finished the meal. Water was running across the floor with some gusto. Pity the bill wasn’t washed away. It was wet, but fun.
Finally, after two weeks of effort the new s/s pole is welded to the back of the boat for the new wind generator. The electric cables (over 12 metres of them) are presently in Santa Cruz customs and I am getting a blitz of Spanish emails with information requests (what have I paid TNT for) before release. Not finding it easy but good practice for when the generator itself is shipped. Brexit has made things at present far more officious. After being alongside the commercial quay for the welder took the boat out to sea with Dan and an Austrian friend to give the engine a good run. Had a short sail as well and back to my berth. It was wonderful.
The present state of the La Gomeran chess grandmasters international multisex (no discrimination here) final is 3 : 2 with two draws. sadly my score is the 2. (Actually, there were only two of us in the competition to start with but that’s not the point) Gary Kaspoppoff eat your heart out!
Didn’t explain my wildlife photo last week. Last year saw some really beautiful pictures of garden blooms on the RCDW weekly zoom from my horticultural expert friend Peter Gibbs. Well, Peter, this was to show you that two can play at that game. Enjoy your garden this year.
This weeks picture is in the restaurant/shower mentioned above.
Look after yourselves and each other.
Bob