Sunday, 1st November, 2026
Happy new month, Dear Reader. October 2026 is gone forever. Although, you can revisit it here. It has been a lovely, warm month and yesterday we hit 20C/68F which for the end of October is wonderful. It was cooler and raining in Athens but much warmer – 27C/81F in Tenerife where leave for tomorrow.
Just been out to buy things for the trip and we are both wearing shorts and tee shirts still as we pledged. It is no hardship at all. It is so mild that the beach was really busy this morning. It is the scene of Beach Run which is our equivalent of Parkrun around the country. Ironically, as we drove home, Radio 4 was featuring an interview with Paul Sinton-Hewitt, founder of Parkrun. He started with one run of 13 runners and now sees his hugely successful concept
Before that, I’ve had my haircut. The hairdresser came early to do it in the kitchen. Actually, I may be oversharing but she was already here and we slept together last night. Sorry! Anyway, the Beautician didn’t turn up because I was deemed beyond help.
The cases are packed, the arrangements are made. We will drive to Long Stay at Gatwick and then go to our hotel for the night. We have a simple but perfectly adequate room overlooking the airport runway for the night. I have checked in online already.
Actually, we have to be in Departures early on Tuesday morning and the simple walk across there is quick from out hotel. Things are changing about Gatwick Security scanners. We can now take things through – a full bottle of Aftershave, for instance – which we haven’t been able to do for some years. Even regular flyers like us have to read the small print every time we go.
It’s a long flight of 4.5 hrs to islands just off the coast of the Western Sahara but the discomfit is soon forgotten as we relax into the sunshine.
Monday, 2nd November, 2026
Up early after a rather fitful night. I never sleep well the night before travelling. The window cleaner arrives at 7.00 am. The bins go out at the same time which is useful. Yesterday was spent setting up the Hive lighting, sorting out the heating in the Gym, charging everything in sight like shavers, toothbrushes, watches, iPads, Kindles, phones, earbuds, etc..
I was a bit distracted when I got a message from my car that an update was required. It turned out to be for the sat.nav. mapping. It involves connecting the car to the house wifi and downloading map updates for UK and Europe.
It was taking so long that I downloaded the updates onto a USB stick in my Office and then transfered them. Even then it took 40 mins with the engine running to complete the job.
It is the most beautiful day with blue sky and strong sunshine. It will be a lovely drive to Gatwick which takes about an hour. Now the Connected House is working well, all services will be at my fingertips which makes me feel better.
Of course, this morning I learnt two things. Firstly there was nothing this month from Premium Bonds and secondly, I have really become a creature of habit. The Digital Memory Box threw up lots of photographic memories for this month over the years. They all seemed to point to Tenerife over more than a decade. Must get out of these habits more!
Lovely drive to the airport but we went from blue sky to light drizzle as we looked for a prime parking spot to leave the car for a month. We always seem to be lucky and, once again, found a vacant end spot to suit a large car. Actually, post Half Term, there were lots of spaces. Shuttle bus to the airport and a covered walk to the Accor/Sofitel. It is only one night and we will leave around 5.00 am so it is fine for this. I like the huge, all encompassing atrium. It has a village of coffee shops and restaurants.
Tuesday, 3rd November, 2026
Up at the ungodly hour of 3.30 am and out in to the pitch darkness for a short walk into Departures at Gatwick North. One of the great things about travelling at this time is that all the services are quiet.
Straight through Security without a hitch. Lovely that you can now leave everything in your bags these days – from Gatwick at least. Different story on the way home. I must look suspicious because both my bags were checked but it was so quiet, they had nothing else to do.
Not only do I look like suspicious but I am getting suspiciously old. I did two, stupid things yesterday. First I parked up, got the shuttle bus to the carpark, went to collect my key at the hotel and realised I’d left my phone in the car. Had to drop my bags and get the shuttle bus back to collect it.
Got back to the hotel, set my laptop up and realised my mouse wasn’t working. Turned out it wasn’t the batteries but the little USB blue tooth connector that I’d left in my Office back home. Had to wait until I got airside at the airport to buy a new mouse. What a relief but order restored and I could start my Blog.
Off to No 1 Executive Lounge for coffee. Normally, I would have a full English Breakfast as a treat but not today. The diet will be strictly followed throughout the month and that includes alcohol. Newspapers downloaded. The flight is on time and we go to Gate at 7.00 am. See you just of the coast of the Sahara Desert, Dear Reader.
Not only was the flight on time but we arrived 20 mins early to the most lovely sunshine and 27C/81C of warmth. Taxi to our month’s home took just 15 mins and we paid €40.00. the property is spectacular. Almost brand new and the specification is great. The grounds make one breathe out in satisfied relaxation. And to crown everything, the WiFi is wonderful.
We have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large kitchen-lounge and a laundry room. This is our patio. I suspect we will spend a lot of time out here – eating, Blogging, listening to the radio, talking to friends across the continent, discussing politics. There was a tricky moment when we arrived. The manager presented us with a wonderful bottle of red wine to welcome us. After 10 weeks without wine, it was all I could do to resist it.
But resist it I did and it was at that point that I realised I hadn’t eaten for almost 24 hrs. No wonder I was tired. We ate roasted cod loin with white beans in a tomato sauce followed by Greek yoghurt and fresh raspberries. It was accompanied by a glass of sparkling water. Didn’t feel right but I have to cope with it. Watched Channel 4 News predicting the demise of Trump as the sun went down over the pool and the grounds beyond.
Watching Man Utd on Amazon Prime but they are playing like I feel – absolutely knackered. Suspect I will sleep well tonight. Tomorrow’s going to be another good day, Dear Reader. You should be here to share it.
Wednesday, 4th November, 2026
Well, I wrote too soon. Man Utd stormed from 0-2 down against Roma to a glorious 3-2 win and added a little enjoyment to my evening. I was watching out on the veranda and it was all I could do to restrain my celebration. As I usually do before sleeping, I watched the review of Wednesday’s newspapers on Sky News and, of course, I was looking for views about the mid term elections in the USA. The suggestion was that Trump’s party could just loose one of the Houses.
I woke at 3.00 am and put the radio on to learn that the Democrats had indeed taken one of the Houses. I again went back to sleep happy. Waking up 6.00 am as usual, the radio was full of the news of the utter rejection of Trump’s America as the Democrats had taken both of the Houses. It’s going to be a good day. Might not be that good for mini-Trump, Farage and his Deform Party because it symbolises the retreat from populist Right politics. Mind you, a would-be Dictator without hope is even more dangerous and now is the time to be most alert.
At this early time in the morning, with the sun just coming up and the clouds of night time being pushed back on to the horizon, the view from our veranda is of peaceful calm only broken by the movements of the pool cleaners. every inch of the area is being cleaned which is as it should be. Four weeks here will have cost us around £5,000.00 so we expect a high standard of service.
First, with 4 weeks spread out before us, we have to go out and buy essential supplies – dishwasher tablets, washing machine pods, toilet roll, mosquito spray plus store cupboard essentials like olive oil, salt & pepper, dried herbs, etc. Fortunately, we have a Sainsburys within walking distance.
The big purchase of the day was a Granny shopping trolley bag to trundle groceries back from the store for the next 4 weeks. Purchased in a Chinese sell-everything store, it cost just £30.00 and will make life easier. We seem to buy one every time we go away these days.
And so it is just like I intended. Life goes on largely unchanged but against a different backdrop. If I live until the evening, I might update you, Dear Reader …..
….. Still alive and a happy update:
Rather belatedly, government bonds contacted me to announce I had won another £50.00 last month. Ok, it is not £50,000 or £500,000 but it is better than nothing and it means that my £18,000.00 is not losing too much contact with inflation while still holding out the hope of a big win. And it’s paid for a shopping trolley. What’s not to like?
Thursday, 5th November, 2026
Very warm night which didn’t fall below 22C/70F and a delightful morning has broken. I was awake at 5.00 am listening to a podcast about the Democrat’s probabilities of impeaching Trump & Vance, of reversing the excesses of Trump’s frauds on the American people and building a base for a Democrat President in two years.
Up at 7.00 am and into the symbols of a successful marriage – separate bathrooms. We have always had them wherever we have lived and so it is here. I shave every morning immediately. It makes me feel better. I know friends who go days without shaving but I can’t bear the stubble and I feel as if I am lowering my standards. In spite of the fact that we only carry hand luggage, we both bring electric toothbrushes. Couldn’t manage without those these days.
Breakfast is fresh orange juice poured from the Supermurcado’s fresh orange machine and a cup of Yorkshire Tea brought with us. The water here makes it taste like a different drink but I’ll cope with it. At home, I drink the juice of two, large oranges each morning which my Chef juices for me. I wonder if our supermarkets offered this sort of service whether I would bother doing my own.
One of the things that Spanish/Canarian supermarkets do well is present high quality and good variety of fresh fish. They do it because it is so much more popular and quite a bit cheaper. A kilo of Salmon is just £16.00 set against UK price of £20.00. For people who mainly eat fish, this is delightful. First three evening meals – Cod, Salmon and Tuna. Today, Chef will be making meat sauce for Stuffed Peppers later in the week.
It is Bonfire Night but I don’t think it’s big in Tenerife. In fact, I suspect they’ve never heard of Guy Fawkes. We’ll have to make our own fireworks.
Friday, 6th November, 2026
We did didn’t fall below 22C/70F last night. We actually had the air conditioning on it was so warm in the apartment. I was shattered last night after so much fresh air and exercise. Swimming uses so many different muscles. I was really feeling it and cramping a bit. Still, I slept well and didn’t wake until 6.00 am.
This morning, reading the newspapers, my thoughts were provoked by this article in The Telegraph. Throughout my life I have this huge ambivalence to patriotism, nationalism, militarism, populism ….
I am not a pacifist and I do not object to the existence of armed forces. What leaves me cold is the fusion of military remembrance, national symbolism and patriotic display. Having grown up in an outward-looking, post-war generation, I tend to identify more strongly with internationalism than nationalism. I am comfortable with cultural identity and local belonging, but uneasy when national identity is presented as something requiring public affirmation. Britain’s place in the world has always seemed sufficiently secure. I’ve never believed it needed strengthening through flags, military sentiment or demonstrations of loyalty. This view has been engendered in the uneducated classes feeling displaced by immigrants.
Unfortunately, this is exactly what we are seeing around the Western World currently. I came of age not during a period of national emergency but during an era when many educated people were looking beyond the nation-state. Europe, international cooperation, technological progress, travel, cultural exchange, anti-colonial movements, and the notion of a shared humanity all exerted a strong pull. The future was imagined as becoming more interconnected, not more tribal.
As a result, displays of national symbolism feel backward-looking to me. Not threatening, exactly, but perhaps rather parochial. And it is taken to the absurd for me when a gang of women spend their lives crocheting poppies to adorn their church in Suffolk. In my village, they adorn post boxes and traffic lights. Sheer, blue-rinse madness.
People try to argue that wearing a poppy or supporting a sports team is not political and should not be dragged into the political sphere. Of course, they are and everything is political in life – even breathing, as the mayors of London & Manchester have demonstrated with their clean air/low emission zones developments. Poppies are political and have been used as such through the last century. Pacifists wear white poppies. The black and purple poppies have allowed other interests to be expressed. Now, the Palestinian flag has been added and I have to ask myself why I welcome that at the same time as feeling uncomfortable about flying the union jack.
The Right Wing have tried to claim the flag to represent a form of patriotism rooted in anxiety. The nation must be defended, asserted, celebrated, remembered, protected from dilution, held together. I have much more confidence in our survival as an integrated member of the European Community form a trading and defensive bloc in an uncertain world. And so I go out to swim in the Canary Island pool.
Saturday, 7th November, 2026
Last night promised much – shepherds were definitely getting delighted. It never ceases to amaze me how fast the sun goes down as you get nearer to the equator.
Whether the old saw has any validity or not, the morning delivered this time. Just as predictions of a Polar Vortex about to hit UK, the Canarian climate is fairly flat. Actually, we may have some rain next week but that will just add to the interest. When you have 4 weeks stretching out, the odd blip is inconsequential.
The night stays at 22C/70F and then day slowly climbs to 27C/81F. The range is minimal and people who live here must welcome any variation like rain or cold.
It is 11.30 am and I’ve just done a walk followed by 30 mins hard swimming. I haven’t eaten today yet. Looking forward to home-made Muesli. First I need a shower after swimming.
I’ve written before that I’m a man of a certain generation and I’m not big into washing. I’ve got better as I’ve got older and my Carer certainly monitors my regime. Can’t believe my progress at the moment. Don’t know whether to be proud or sheepish about the alcove in my walk-in shower today. I’ve started using hair conditioner / hair mask. Not really sure why but I am persuaded that it will keep my thinning hair healthy and thicken it up. Who could argue with that. I am also using two different shampoos. One is Vainilla & Miel – vanilla & honey. It smells like scrumptious toffee …. and so do I, Dear Reader.
