Sanders Blog

21st February, 2016

After breakfast, we stayed to watch the political interviews on the Marr Show and then set off back to Surrey. It was almost as delightful drive back as it was coming up on Friday. We were fairly tired after the weekend and, after Pauline had cooked a wonderful meal of tarragon roast salmon and Greek salad, we set about arranging a trip to Sussex tomorrow. The site manager responded by sending a photo of the wrap around glass back splash which was installed over the weekend.

22nd February, 2016

Set off at 9.00 am in fine rain for West Sussex. We spoke to the site office about missing sockets in the kitchen. We were told, that could be rectified but would set our ‘completion date’ back. We would prefer that it was completed but it is more important that everything is right rather than it is early. We left with that hanging in the balance but a phone call en route to Sussex confirmed that it would be rectified.

We drove on to view the fitted wardrobes we had agreed on. When we viewed them in the showroom, we were both shocked to agree that they looked too old fashioned and we had to think again. We also ascertained that our choice of tumble dryer was too big for our space in the Laundry. We have to think again.

We weren’t able to view the house because the wood floor was being laid but we will go down again in the next few days to monitor events.

23rd February, 2016

A busy day which started with an early trip to Tesco followed by a trip to the Health Club. First exercise for a few days because we have been away. It felt great. Not only was the feeling of exercise enjoyable but the post-activity feelings were gratifying and ones of increased self worth.

Just when I needed it most, my smartphone developed a problem. I can send text messages but not ‘easily’ receive them. I have to close my phone right down and then start it up again – a really time consuming process – in order to kick start text messages to come in. I’ve already talked to people in the EE shop but it looks like I will need a new sim card. It will mean a return trip tomorrow. I was doing some on-line banking and needed an urgent text confirmation. I can’t count how many times I’ve had to power my phone right down and back on again before it was successful. Still, when one’s retired, time is available in abundance. Today, we even took Phyllis to the Eye Clinic.

24th February, 2016

Returned to EE shop in Woking this morning – a cold, sharp, bright morning – to seek more help with my smartphone. After some fairly poor advice, it was concluded that I would have to perform a full factory reset which erases all my data. Great.

I did the dirty deed, established that my text messaging service was working again and then was delighted to find all my contacts were available to me. I still have to reinstall all the apps but it has prompted me to keep my smartphone cleaner and less cluttered my apps I rarely use. It has taken up a lot of my day particularly because Pauline and I maintain an on-line calendar which we access from our PCs, iPads and smartphones and, when one goes down it, it takes me hours to remember how to resync them. I’ve got more on-line accounts and subsequent passwords which I hold in my head. The one positive I take from a process like this is that I’m definitely not showing signs of Alzheimer’s at the moment. All done now and just in time for our meal.

I find cooking a really relaxing activity. Today, I prepared large, Field Mushrooms flavoured with garlic and tarragon oil and topped with parmesan cheese. We ate them with Greek Salad and some steamed vegetables.

I was really enjoying the whole process of cooking and eating until Pauline pointed out that I was in danger of becoming VEGETARIAN. Jane BG will be laughing all the way to the butcher. I am going to rescue myself tomorrow with some grilled fish or, maybe, a rack of spare ribs or a chunk of pork belly. I’m full just thinking about it.

25th February, 2016

As we retired, -seven years ago now – we pledged to each other to maintain our discipline. Wake up early, get up early, set goals for the day, month and year and really attempt to achieve them. As a consequence, the radio comes on at 5.55 am and we listen to Tweet of the Day on BBC Radio 4 followed by the News and the Today programme. Tweet of the Day features the call of a single bird species each morning presented by an enthusiast. On Tuesday it was the Carrion Crow and, yesterday, feature the Pied Wagtail. Today looked rather difficult on paper but the Mute Swan isn’t completely silent.

Soon after 7.00 am, we are up and drinking tea. Mum always said she couldn’t face the day without three cups of tea in the morning. One is enough for me. We then agree a timetable for the day with jobs to do. We discuss and decide what our meal will be. We have largely established that a couple of hours at the Health Club is the main core replacement for full time employment. We download our newspapers and read them and emails while drinking coffee. Then jobs begin. Today, I had to create an accurate, scaled plan of the ground floor of the house. I did it using Excel Spreadsheet. The purpose was to ensure furniture fits comfortably. In the meantime, Pauline negotiated dates and events with the Building Site Staff.

Lovely session in the Gym (while watching The Daily Politics) and the Pool before returning to cook roast salmon and vegetables. After that, I retire to my computer to read Blogs and write my own whereas Pauline did more strenuous jobs – washing up and washing and drying clothes. She is, of course, younger than me. Is that a valid excuse. Of course not.

26th February, 2016

I have been struck down by Man-‘Flu. I am dying. Even so, we went out at 9.00 am. Pauline drove to Sainsbury’s while I sat in the passenger seat sniffing. I’m a nightmare when I’m ill. Fortunately, I rarely am.

We drove on to Asda because my iPad app had alerted me to a good deal. I use a mouthwash which normally costs £4.50 per bottle. Asda had it on offer at £2.00 per bottle. I cleaned the shelf out. The 20 bottles saved me £50.00 on normal prices. One bottle lasts me two weeks so my purchase will last me forty weeks. I have never bought it at full price. My supermarket app alerts me when it’s reduced and I swoop. I am alright for mouthwash until December. Rest assured, Readers!

We are preparing to go down to Sussex on Tuesday/Wednesday next week to meet BT who are fitting our phone line and broadband. Because they have asked for a 8.00 am – 3.00 pm slot, we have decided to book into a hotel on the Tuesday to be up and out early on the Wednesday.

27th February, 2016

Confined to barracks by my (probably) fatal head cold, I am catching up with my reading. Particularly, I have been trawling the Eλληνικές Εφημερίδες (Greek newspapers). They don’t make happy reading – if you are Greek. This is how one of the Leading Articles opens:

It may be an exaggeration but I’ll use this phrase nonetheless just for the sake of economy of words: Yesterday, the streets of Greece were filled with refugees, migrants and farmers. The first two groups had no other choice but to be there, while the latter claim to have had no other choice. The great big camp that Greece has become today, with scenes of either complete desperation or “uncompromising militancy,” is overwhelming.

and concludes with this:

The Greek Government are trying to make inter-island ferry companies stop bringing the migrants to Athens but keep them on the islands. For some days now we have been living with news of the myriad problems of thousands of refugees trying to reach Northern Europe, while at the same time listening to bulletins regarding what road the farmers have blocked and where they will be heading next. This country is like the waiting room on a railway platform where the trains have stopped coming… They have bypassed it, taking alternative routes.

You can imagine how islanders feel about that as they anticipate losing tourists. Many islands have more transitory migrants than permanent inhabitants. They have every right to be concerned as these pictures from Lesbos harbour and a Kos street as tourists cycle through migrant groups.

This morning’s The Times reports:

About 20,000 destitute people, mainly Middle East refugees, remain stranded in Athens as Greece grapples with a burgeoning crisis that could lead to the country losing its Schengen status. As other European states close or tighten their borders, the situation in Athens worsens….Parts of the Greek capital resemble a refugee camp. Not only are pockets of Athens turning into cesspools, with migrants receiving no help and or advice, but criminals are seeping through trying to exploit their misery.

Is there any wonder as Europe turns its back on Greece and, almost de facto, rips up the Schengen agreement?

14th February, 2016

A cold, bright day. We have given the Health Club a miss and relaxed with the newspapers and the rugby. We have a busy week ahead. Tomorrow, we are driving down to the new house to meet the flooring suppliers and the Hilary’s Blinds fitters. We are beginning to champ at the bit.

15th February, 2016

Up at 7.00 am and out at 8.00 am. We drove in strong sun under blue skies on to a refreshingly quiet M25. The car’s gauge showed an outside temperature of 4C/39F. We were at our new village in under an hour. The flooring contractors were laying the carpets when we arrived at the house. We have wooden board flooring down the hallway, in to the Study and into the Cloakroom and Storeroom. This leads on to tiles on the Kitchen/Family Room and in to the Utility Room. Just as the Floorers were about to collect material for the wood floor, the suppliers informed them that it had been ‘discontinued’. We had gone early to make a replacement choice. An example of our house style is illustrated here from a development about 15 miles away. They have used wood throughout the ground floors. Our interior design will be much more minimalist with tiling like this:

The front garden had been lawned and planted up with its path laid. It was too cold for me to take a photo today. The back garden has patio paving laid and the fence erected but the turf has not gone down yet. They have three weeks to complete and then we move in.

16th February, 2016

Up at 6.00 am and out by 7.00 am. Clear, sharp sky presaging a wonderfully sunny day. Very cold first thing at -4C/25F with slushy ice on the car which is currently parked outside. In less than an hour down the M25 – M26 – M20 we arrived at the Euro Tunnel.

Before we knew it, we were driving off in France. From inside the car, it looked like mid-Summer. Outside the temperature was all Winter. For the first time in quite a few years we saw not a single, illegal migrant. We saw lots of these:

but little sign of the hordes that have figured in our last few trips. We are told that they are looking to move on to Dunkirk and Zeebrugge and evidence today suggests that could be so.

We went straight to the Calais Wine SuperStore. where we spent about £500.00/€650.00 on wine and saved about the same on UK prices largely because of the lower tax regime. We went on to Auchan in Coquelles, bought some food and a bit more wine and moved on to Cite Europe for a mooch before returning to the Tunnel and our trip home. Lovely drive back to Surrey and then Fruits de Mer and salad for our meal. It is so delightful and fresh tasting. I love it!

We have a mad dash up the M1 on Friday to check out some furniture in Greater Manchester. Next week, we are considering booking into a hotel in West Sussex to tie up some loose ends prior to moving in to our new house, something which looks like happening in the week beginning March 6th.

17th February, 2016

A cold day which felt colder because of the overcast sky. We were out early so Pauline could go to the dentist for a filling. On to Tesco for essential supplies and then have the car cleaned – £10.00/€13.00.

We decided that we had enough to do without going to the Health Club so went straight back home. En route, Pauline booked a haircut for tomorrow. Posted a birthday card to Bob as he is 64 on  Friday. This afternoon, I’ve got to check progress with the BT installation of our phone line and broadband installation. I’ve got to check with Sky about television provision and with our solicitor about ‘completion’ arrangements.

18th February, 2016

A warmer day with sun. We were out at mid day for Pauline’s haircut at Macco . It only took an hour. I sat and read my digital newspaper while I waited for her. It was a good cut for a fraction of the price she normally pays at Sassoons.

We then went straight on to the Health Club. We’ve only got about ten more possible visits now and I will be sorry to leave it although I’m looking forward to the David Lloyd Leisure Centre. My INR is back under control thanks to the help of the Anticoagulation Team at St Peters Hospital. They are absolutely brilliant. I only have one more call-in before we leave. I only hope the Worthing Hospital is half as good.

19th February, 2016

Happy 64th birthday to my little brother, Bob. Here are two photos taken 50 years apart. The first is of Bob & his wife, Jane, as he is currently. The second is of Bob modelling his new Levis in 1966/67. He’s barely aged…..really!

These two months when we are they same age always cheer me up.

At 7.00 am, we set off in burgeoning sunrise for The North! We drove up to Yorkshire on a near deserted M25 and M1. Actually, we drove straight on to Failsworth in Greater Manchester and to Housing Units Furniture outlet. We were going to view a dining table and chairs which we had admired on-line. This is a photo from the showroom taken on my mobile.

As soon as we saw it in the showroom, we knew it was right for us. We managed to reduce the price of the 6 foot table and six chairs by £800.00 with interest-free credit and free delivery to Sussex which made us feel good. In total, it cost us £2000.00 and should last us a lifetime – or at least 40 years. It will arrive in West Sussex in the next couple of weeks. We drove to our hotel feeling smugly pleased with ourselves.

20th February, 2016

This is a weekend for us to relax and prepare for our new house. We’ve decided not to visit anyone this time. We will just shop and relax. Today, in wetting fine rain and after a huge, full English Breakfast, we ventured out in search of … a new tumble dryer. These are the life and death objectives I have to meet. Pauline has very exacting requirements. I searched Curry’s and met her demands in full. The Hoover, condenser tumble dryer looks as if it will fit the bill – as long as it fits in the kitchen.

We will be driving down to Sussex on Monday and we’ll arrange for the delivery of our purchases. BT have confirmed a date in just over a week for the connection of our phone line and setup of our broadband. Settees and arm chair suppliers along with bed suppliers are all champing at the bit to off load their wares and we are just as keen for them to deliver. The blind man has fixed a date for installation and the fitted bedroom furniture will be measured up for in the next week. We think they will come from Chichester. I’ve still got to invite Home Office installers to supply ideas and estimates. I’ve also got to choose television sets and a company to mount them on the walls and set them up for me. It is all largely in hand now.

7th February, 2016

We left Tenerife South Airport at 20.20 last night and arrived at Gatwick after a faultless flight at 00.30 this morning. We took the shuttle bus to the Gatwick Holiday Inn and sleeping soundly by 3.00 am. Up at 7.00 am to watch highlights of the Saturday football and then down for breakfast.

By 11.00 am, we were off to the Long Stay Carpark to pick up our car which had been standing there for a month. The car park is vast and looks like this from the sky:

It was almost cheaper – £120.00 – to park there for a month than to take a taxi each way. And it’s so much more convenient to be under one’s own steam and we drove back to Surrey in 35 minutes. The sky was blue, the sun was shining and the daffodils were blooming everywhere.

8th February, 2016

Woke up at 6.00 am after a night of heavy wind, torrential rain and sporadic thunder and lightning. After morning tea, we really hit the ground running. A month of inactivity has left us so relaxed that we welcomed a change of gear. I spent an hour going through a month’s post yesterday afternoon. Our bowel cancer test results were back and we had the all-clear.

I am less than two months away from receiving my State Pension and I had expected some paperwork about it. There was nothing when we got back so I tried to contact them through the government website to find information. As so often with Direct Gov, I was reduced to having to phone them. When I did, the response was wonderful. I spoke to three different people all of whom were delightfully sympathetic and supportive. I was told exactly what day my pension of £500.00 per four week period would be paid. It’s not a lot but not to be sneezed at.

We contacted our builders to have it confirmed that we are about four weeks away from moving in to our new house. We can now tell Bensons when to deliver the beds, Sofology when to deliver the sofas and make an appointment to have the windows measured up for blinds. Hilary’s Blinds will be meeting us at the house next Monday. On Tuesday, we will go to France for a shopping trip taking advantage of a cheap, return fare of £23.00 for car and occupants. Tell that to the Greeks! We are nipping up to Housing Units in Failsworth next week to check out the dining table and chairs prior to placing an order. I think we’ll be longing for a return to Tenerife by the end of next week. It’s going to be a few weeks until we see warmth again.

One of the most noticeable things this morning was how light it was at 6.30 am compared to the darkness at the same time a month ago as we were going abroad. Even though we are really feeling the cold today, there are some signs of the Spring coming. Bring it on – soon!

9th February, 2016

Bright, sunny but chilly day reaching only 8C/46F. We are really feeling the cold after a month of warmth abroad.

We have reacquainted ourselves with our Health Club and done a couple of hours of exercise. We only have three weeks left there. We will join the David Lloyd health Club in Worthing as soon as we move in March. It is about three times the size of our Nuffield Health Club in Woking and not much more expensive. I think our joint membership will be about £120.00 per month. The amount we will use it will make that extremely economical.

The combination of the pressure on global stocks and oil prices with the continued uncertainty over the negotiations between Athens and its creditors led to a bank stocks meltdown on the Greek bourse on Monday, with the benchmark slumping to levels unseen in more than 26 years. It has continued to slide a further 3% today.

It’s not alone. Share prices have been under pressure all round the world. The Chinese stock market has seen enormous losses and the London Stock Exchange has also lost ground. The Barclays shares I sold at £2.62 a few months ago are now worth £1.55. I would like to claim advanced intelligence but I didn’t really sell them for the financial gain.

10th February, 2016

A cold day of lots of small jobs some of which contribute towards our impending move. We have confirmed appointments in Sussex on Monday. While we are there, we can measure up for the dining table and chairs before we order them. We’ve started to arrange our finances for ‘completion’ day. I’ve decided how to deal with the digital distribution throughout the house via a panel in the loft. We got into ‘preparation mode’ and decided to skip the Health Club. I cooked roast vegetables and roast tarragon salmon for our meal. I have to admit, it was delicious and fairly healthy.

11th February, 2016

Woke up to a really sharp frost this morning – the first of the Winter. The compensation was clear, blue sky and strong, low sun. Happy Birthday to brother-in-law, Kevan, today. Kevan is the one on the right of the photograph. He looks good for 84 doesn’t he? That’s all down to Bolton air and clean living! Let’s hope he has a nice day.

We’ve done an exercise hour, confirmed the ending of our Health Club contract on the last day of February, confirmed meetings with our flooring supplier and Blinds supplier for next week and booked a day in France on Tuesday. We have also arranged a dash up to Failsworth, Greater Manchester at the end of next week to check out a dining table and chairs. BT phoned this morning but I was in the gym so I don’t know if it was good or bad news. I definitely can’t manage without internet at the start of our new residence.

12th February, 2016

A bright, sunny day has turned rather grey and damp.

We are returning to our former home this morning. Our purchaser bought all our furniture and appliances including a tumble dryer on which a safety alert has gone out. The paperwork came to us so we have to deliver it ourselves today. The last thing we want is a fire or a death on our consciences. Apparently, the company send an engineer round to make a modification which prevents a build up of fluff potentially catching fire. Until then, owners are advised not to use it unattended.

Off to the Health Club for 12.00 pm and The Daily Politics and then home for chicken and salad for our meal. We have only ten days left to use our facility and need to make the most of it. Then it is on to David Lloyd and the next life experience. We anticipate that it’s going to be fun! Certainly, it will be an interesting, new departure.

12th February, 2016

A day which the Scots would describe as dreek. Very cold and not getting much above 4C/39F with strong, fine rain. Not an inviting day to go out and celebrate the weekend. Of course, we retirees are made of stronger stuff and we drove to the Health Club for an hour or so of brisk exercise.

Pauline cooked a wonderful meal of Cod Provençal which left us feeling distinctly contented. I gazed at the post with a warm feeling especially because it contained a letter from the Department for Work & Pensions which confirmed when I would receive the first instalment of my State Pension. I’ve been looking forward to that for years!

31st January, 2016

A gloriously hot and sunny Sunday with clear, blue skies and strong sunshine which reached 28C/82F but the intensity of the sun was too much for Pauline and instead of retreating in to the shade, she put her knickers on her head.

 

Yes, you did read that correctly. Instead of going out to buy a hat to cope with the fierce sunshine of recent days, Parsimonious Pauline has been improvising by putting anything to hand over her hair to shade it. The knickers were clean, newly washed and drying on the rack in the sun. I was short of an illustration for today and persuaded her to improvise a sun hat. It is testament to her that she agreed.

What better way to see January 2016 out than by growing old disgracefully with your knickers on your head.? You should try it!

 

1st February, 2016

A happy new February to all our readers. The sun is just breaking across the mountains here and we are dreaming of moving into our new house very soon. I receive my State Pension in a couple of months and then I want to live for ever – or until both Teachers’ and State Pension Funds are bled dry. What better ambition can there be in the world?

If only Greece’s world could be as happy. They have been infected with a potentially fatal dose of the 1970s British Disease. Europe’s demands for the overhaul of Greece’s pensions system and actually paying their taxes are resulting in thousands of Greeks taking to the streets, to strikes and work stoppages. The week from February 1st to February 5th 2016 is expected to be ‘hell’ especially in terms of transportation. The month will begin with farmers continuing to block highways, national roads, toll stations and customs points.

• On Tuesday (Feb 2.), personnel working in public transport in Athens will launch a work stoppage from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. No bus, metro, trolley, tram, urban train ISAP.
• On Wednesday (Feb 3.),  the media will be on 24h strike.
• On Thursday, (February 4th), public and private sector unions will launch a general strike that will paralyze the country. Even shops are expected to be closed. Athens transport: bus & trolley will operate 9 am – 9 pm. Decisions are expected also by other transport workers.
• The seamen association (PNO) will launch another 48h strike on Thursday and Friday affecting inter-island travel.

Holidays on Sifnos anyone?

2nd February, 2016

A hot and humid but rather overcast day. We did our exercise routine of gym and swimming and caught up with correspondence.

We have been searching for a new dining table and chairs for our new home. We’ve looked at hundreds. Hundreds have been rejected. Today, purely by coincidence, we found what looks as though it will be the perfect choice. It is in a furniture store – Housing Units in Failsworth, Manchester of all places. The table is reminiscent of the one we took to Greece with us.

The one we took to Greece had come from Bulgaria via Yorkshire. This one will come from Lithuania via Lancashire.

3rd February, 2016

Glorious day without a cloud in the sky. After breakfast, I told Pauline I needed my haircut. I know I’ve written about it before but it still fascinates me. I haven’t visited a barber since meeting Pauline 38 years ago. Working on an average cut every 6 weeks at current prices of £20.00 per time, I calculate like this:

38 years x 52 weeks = 1976 weeks.

1976 weeks / 6 weeks = 329.33 cuts.

329.33 cuts x £20.00 = £6586.67.

That’s what a good wife is worth to a man! Actually, you can’t reduce a good wife to monetary value. No sooner had I mentioned ‘haircut’ but Pauline took out of the wardrobe her barbers’ cape and haircutting scissors.

Sitting out on the balcony in scorching sun, I had my hair cut and my eyebrows trimmed. Not only that but she had recently bought a small dustpan & brush from a local shop to sweep the hair from the balcony floor after the cut. You really can’t beat such dedication and attention to detail.

4th February, 2016

The day started off warm and sunny. We walked up the mountain to a supermarket to buy huge, red grapes and sparkling water. By the time we had walked back and made coffee, the sky had clouded over. It was still warm and bright but not hot sun. We decided to have a quiet day. I wrote to lots of old friends and to the Chief Executive of Ancestry.com who is based in California and is interested in my reviews of life in Sifnos. Pauline was washing and ironing in preparation for our departure in a few days.

As we come towards the end of this chapter, we are planning the next twelve months of life and travel. The Springtime will be dominated by moving and settling in to our new house. The Summer will see us driving across Europe and visiting Kalamata on the southern coastline of the Greek Peloponnese en route to Sifnos. In the Autumn, we will visit Athens as has become our custom and, after Christmas, we will either return here to Tenerife or go further south to Cape Verde. We have been transfixed by so many people in the celebrity world dying recently in their late 60s and early 70s. We are beginning to look at our own ages and reckon up the years left. We’ve got to get on with enjoying life while we can.

5th February, 2016

From a picture of dinghies beached in the sun to ferries docked in the Greek winter.  The Panhellenic Seamen’s Union (PNO), which has been holding rolling strikes for several weeks, on Thursday extended its action, calling a new 48-hour walkout which will keep ferries docked in Greek ports until 6 a.m. Saturday. People stranded on islands may consider themselves lucky to be prevented from reaching the anarchy and chaos of Athens.

Here the newspapers have much more fundamental things to worry about. Consider this headline in The Independent

Global warming could be causing dogs to become depressed.

That Global Warming does so many pernicious things but depressing dogs? Do they worry about it really?

It turns out that cold, wet Winters put owners off taking their dogs out for walks. Oh Dear. Hold the front page! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an appointment with a hot, sunny balcony under clear, blue skies and a delicious cup of coffee. Depression? Tell me about it.

6th February, 2016

Coming to the end of the first week of February already! Bob will be 64 soon, thank goodness.

The Times has an article this morning with the headline:

The 50 Best Holidays in Greece

but there is no mention of Serifos, Sifnos, Milos or Paros and, when you see the picture illustration, you know it’s a lazy filler piece which could have been done without leaving the journalist’s desk. Corfu, Kefalonia, Zakynthos & Lefkada, Crete & Rhodes, Santorini & Mykonos are there. Halkidiki features strongly as do the concepts of ‘Adult-Only’ and All-Inclusive’. Neither of these will please the small island hotelier or taverna owner who rely on the less well-heeled or the more inclined to spend their holidays taking a chance on the services they can find.

24th January, 2016

We are just starting our 7th week in Tenerife and today has been our first overcast one. It was delightful. One can always have too much of a good thing and a day without hot sun has been a pleasant change. Many will know of the difficulty in reading an iPad in strong sun. If you have a cloudy day, choose a Sunday papers day. Read your iPad in the shade.Also, of course, there was the Marr Show to watch followed by Andrew Neil and The Sunday Politics. This afternoon was meant to showcase Premier League football but the Everton v Swansea match hardly took off and the Arsenal v Chelsea game was punctured early by a sending off.

Still, all round, an enjoyable and different day. Just two more weeks left here and back to moving arrangements. We have planned as much as we can so far. Lots more to do when we get back to the real world.

25th January, 2016

We have been forced to suffer a return to hot and sunny weather with the temperature reaching 27C/81F. My foot is black and blue still but will be ready for a return to the treadmill tomorrow. Today, we’ve gone back to the pool and done a hard, 25 lengths – just under a kilometre.

We are already planning our return drive to Sifnos in the Spring. It is the anniversary of Tsipras and Syriza’s election. Unfortunately, Greek travel is not advisable to the unwary or inexperienced at the moment. The roads are increasingly being blocked by farmers’ tractors and the seas are about to be closed by the seamen’s union. Both are protesting about cuts to their pensions and/or extensions to their working lives. Medical and Legal services are also still up in arms as are Pensioners. At the same time, they hear Television News pedalling the government mythology of ever increasing tourism figures. New Democracy will be back soon with Dora’s brother.

26th January, 2016

Interesting day of delightful, Summer weather. I have to admit that we put off going to the gym until tomorrow. My foot is taking longer than expected to feel comfortable enough for the treadmill. We put in another long, hard swim. I wondered why my arms were creaking.

BT phoned me again this morning to keep me up to speed with the installation of our phone line and Fibre Optic Broadband. Because our house is a new-build, they find it a little more long winded ensuring all the infrastructure is in place. However, three contacts in the three weeks since I ordered it is quite impressive and suggests I am likely to get it on time. With only a couple of weeks left here and then three or four weeks to our house move, I have completed a lot of the preparatory paperwork.

In the wider world, Schengen is disbanded – ostensibly for two years but in that read ‘in perpetuity’ –

and it looks as if Greece will be forced out altogether. With a shambolic migrant management system cracking under intolerable strains and lack of government finances, Germany, amongst others, want Greece to be sealed off from the rest of the EU. It is unclear how this will affect the tourist industry. It could badly reduce it, limit it to Eastern Europeans or just destroy it.

The EU proposal is for Greece to host huge detainment centres/POW camps housing up to 400,000 migrants. It all has a tinge of Nazi nostalgia which is not lost on the Greeks and probably won’t be on Angela Merkel. It won’t do much for happy holidaymakers either!

27th January, 2016

Today has been the hottest and sunniest day of our seven weeks here so far. It was so hot that even the ‘orange people’ were heard to complain and seek shade. We did a bit of shopping and a lot of swimming. We lunched on huge, locally grown red grapes – sweet and as big as plums. Just a handful are enough to get one through the day.

I watched Prime minister’s Questions and witnessed ‘Call Me Dave’ seriously rattled by Corbyn  as he picked away at the sore of corporate tax avoidance, the ‘Spare Bedroom Tax’ and the news later of the faltering energy policy. The Tories general lack of empathy with the common person was laid bare. Osborne trumpeted the ‘success’ of the Google tax deal’ yesterday only to see it crumple all over him today as it became obvious that the settlement was paltry. At the same time, the High Court judgement acknowledged what most thought that poor people living in modest accommodation were being threatened by rich posh boys. The Tories were being depicted in the age-old way as on the side of the wealthy and not of the poor. The irritation of Corbyn’s questioning brought a slip from ‘Call Me Dave’ which betrayed the-self-beneath-the-smarm. He blurted out that Corbyn had met a bunch of immigrants. It didn’t really offend me but it showed a latent insensitivity.

Meanwhile, any useful, political consensus was completely breaking down in Greece as ferries were tied up in ports because of the second 48hr seamen’s strike this week. Motorways are being blocked as farmers have stepped up their protests against the government’s plans for pension reform, increasing the number of blockades on national roads with hundreds of tractors converging at key junctions and disrupting traffic. Notaries, Lawyers, Engineers, Doctors and other self-employed professional are striking and taking to the streets. Greece is a country slipping back into crisis. Tenerife seems so calm!

28th January, 2016

Today started a little cloudy and took some time to get going but get going it did with strong sun and no breeze.

Had a bit of a shock this morning. I self-test my INR for blood coagulation every couple of weeks irrespective of my official test. My target is INR 2.0 – 3.0. I manage to keep it within that range for months on end and take pride in hitting INR – 2.5 although I know it isn’t much to do with me. I have had to cut so many vegetables that I love out of my diet because they mitigate against my Warfarin medication. Celery, peas, green beans, cabbage, broccoli, sprouts, lettuce, samphire, asparagus, avocado, green herbs like parsley are all high in vitamin K and banned from my diet. It does make my low calorie drive a bit more difficult.

Self-tested this morning and had a reading of INR – 4.8. It absolutely shocked me and I tested again an hour later to check. It gave me INR – 4.7. I emailed my Woking hospital and within an hour or so I had a very reassuring reply and dosage advice. I know how stretched the Anti-coagulation Department is but how wonderful is their response!

29th January, 2016

A day of exercise and enjoyment in the warmth of Tenerife. We are currently being told that we should put in 30 mins of moderate exercise around 5 times per week amounting to 150 mins.. Walking and swmming are the recommended forms of achieving that and we feel gratified to be in step with the advice. Of course, the advice may change and often does but we will attempt to keep up with advice.

We spent more than thirty years looking at the ancient rocks of Sifnos and dreaming about the tales they could tell. We have spent the past couple of months doing something similar with these black, harsh, volcanic formations. The name Canaries has nothing to do with birds even though the islands are home to lots of exotic looking birds. The name Canaris came from the first explorers finding the islands home to packs of wild canines. The name was derived from the latin – Canis. In nearly two months here, I don’t think I have seen more than one dog. Interestingly, we have seen virtually no insects – bees, wasps, even flies. How can that be?

30th January, 2016

A gloriously hot and sunny Saturday with clear, blue skies and strong sunshine during the day and long, slow, backlit skies at the going down of the sun.   The day reached 28C/82F but the intensity of the sun was too much for Pauline and we retreated to the shade. We did an hour’s exercise split between the gym and the pool but lost a lot of liquid because of the ambient temperature. The transition from the steamy gym to the cool, salt water pool is delightful and reviving.

One of the problems with the iPad – and I love mine, would feel lost without it and am already thinking of upgrading it to an iPad Pro – is the fact that it is useless in the sun. This is a limiting factor of smartphones and other tablets as well but not a problem for the paperwhite screen of the Kindle. It means that one can either enjoy the bright light or read. It is limiting and a source of frustration that will, ultimately, have to be addressed. The iPad Pro, on the other hand, will help me to leave my laptop behind and do serious work on the tablet enabled by the larger screen, cover-cum-keyboard and some sort of pointer/mouse.

17th January, 2016

Today we started our second week of our second month on Tenerife. On a day when residents of our former Surrey home awoke to find snow had fallen, we sat outside in 24C/75F and whiled away the day. Actually, Pauline did. I, sad man that I am, watched Jeremy Corbyn interviewed by Andrew Marr, The Sunday Politics with Andrew Neil and then two Premiere League matches that didn’t really go as they should. United beat Liverpool with a very dodgy, after-time goal and Arsenal drew 0-0 with Stoke.

I wasn’t glued to the TV screen all day. A lot of the time I was enjoying The Sunday Times. Mum wouldn’t have enjoyed it at all. Page 2 featured the headline:

Post-Christian Britain arrives as majority say they have no religion

I’ve been praying for this for years – most of my life. Mum didn’t believe people would consider going to supermarkets on Sunday let alone eschewing religion. How wrong she was!

18th January, 2016

We are in Tenerife. It is warm and sunny. The waves do crash below our salt water swimming pool. We do eat in the restaurant every night. However, we don’t feel we are on holiday nor do we act as if we are on holiday. What we are doing is using our time living in a pleasant place to fill in between houses. Because we have come with this attitude, we do nothing that the tourists are expected to do –

• lay around pools all day covered in oil,
• take part in organised events like wine tastings, cookery demonstrations, boules championships,
• go on organised excursions to explore the island,
• book lots of very expensive, essentially meaningless and manufactured visits to waterparks, shopping opportunities, chances to sample local cuisine,
• dress up for dinner,
• stay up half the night drinking wine and dreaming of buying a property here when we retire.

We wake at 6.00 am, listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 until 7.00 am when we get up just as we would in UK. We Breakfast on the same things as usual and read the papers, I follow the political programmes, we exercise in the gym and the pool. We do the same correspondence, planning, research, preparation for future events, etc. as we always would. Our daily lives are merely played out in warmer, sunnier climes. This is largely how we treated our life in Greece as well. It has a strangely reassuring feel to it and, even though today was gloriously sunny and warm, we continued our life of serenity.

19th January, 2016

Woke up at 6.00 am and listened to the Today programme until 7.00 am when we got up and ready for Breakfast. The sky was crystal blue from the moment we opened the curtains and the day has been immensely hot (28C/82F) throughout.

When we get back to UK, we will have to hit the floor running with only a handful of weeks before we move in to our new home so this morning – in between countless cups of coffee and newspaper reading sessions sitting in the sun on our balcony – we brainstormed our To Do list of things that have to be completed prior to moving in. We have to arrange Doctors/INR testers and Dentists. We have researched them all and for the surgery we like we are just outside catchment. I am currently crafting a letter to the Practice Manager and the Senior Partner making a case for them to accept us. We know that potential patients have the right to do that now and receive serious consideration.

I’ve booked BT phone line and broadband but I will need satellite installation to be fed throughout the house to seven televisions. I am currently researching that. Similarly, we will need blinds measuring and fitting throughout the house and we are researching agents for that. We have decided that in the days just before getting the keys, we will need to stay in a nearby hotel so we can receive and consult trades people.

Off for a couple of hours hard exercise in the gym and the pool watched by people filling their faces with sandwiches and glasses of wine in the scorching sun. Back to our room for a shower and sharing a plate of sweet, green grapes before getting back to the To Do list. We have ordered all the flooring – wooden, tiles, carpet – but I have to source a local supplier of our lounge carpet so I can get a swatch for Pauline to match with other furnishings.

Griddled chicken breasts with Greek Salad for Dinner and then some correspondence to write and send out to family and friends. Keeps me busy until Newsnight!

20th January, 2016

January, for us, has proved to have sunnier and warmer weather on Tenerife, so far, than our month in November. Today has probably been the best day of our five and a half weeks here so far. Sky blue sky with strong and very hot sun and just a hint of breeze. We are near Africa and have little experience of the daylight hours here. We have been surprised to find that the sun rises considerably later in the morning and goes down considerably later in the evening than in November. The restaurant opens an hour later here for Breakfast because of the later sunrise.

We did a long walk up the hilly terrain out of our hotel grounds this morning. We followed this with a session in the gym and another in the pool. It felt good to be pushing ourselves. As we sat out in the sunshine, we both agreed that we had rarely felt so relaxed or carefree in the whole of our memory. We really have nothing to worry about apart from life itself. Our whole lives have been dominated by ‘5 Year Plans’, ‘Annual Goals’, ‘Monthly Savings Plans’, ‘To Do Lists’ for the day, etc.. Often we have seen these as of life and death importance. We are still making To Do lists but they are of minimal significance at all and we are totally relaxed about them. It is a delightful stage of life to have reached.

This is thrown in to sharp relief by our luck/skill/determination to extricate ourselves from our Greek obligations. Stavros really did us a favour. There is persistent talk in the Economic Forum in Davos this week that the Germans want to force Greece out of the EU. There is talk in European political circles about the extremely precarious position of Tsipras as Greek leader. The Greek economy continues to ‘tank’. Ekathimerini headlines:

Greek housing market posts second fastest drop in EU

[The Greek] residential market is dropping at the second fastest rate among all European Union countries. …. this country experienced a 6% annual drop, second only to Latvia’s 7.6% slide.

At the same time, Ernst & Young forecasts that Greek GDP will contract by 2.9% this year. Happy Days. Set against that, we are in clover!

21st January, 2016

Hot, Hot, Hot continues with peerless blue skies. We had a bit too much sun today – sitting outside chatting away and not realising how powerful it was. Did our couple of

hours in the gym and the pool; back for showers and just sitting down to a cup of tea when my mobile went. BT were telling me that the proposed day for installation of phone line and broadband was hitting a snag and that the had a crack team working on the problem. Not what I wanted to hear but I’ve increasingly learned patience as I grow older. I already knew that the green, fibre optic cabinet was full and had to be extended but I’m sure it will get sorted out.

 

For Dinner tonight we had Revithia (chickpea soup) followed by ‘suckling pig’ and Greek Salad. After Dinner, Pauline is doing some washing. Being here for a month brings its own logistics. I’m writing emails to friends and looking for good deals to replace our car in the near future.

Someone asked me the other day why I intended to have seven televisions.  Why did I need them? I know you can’t watch seven at one time but they fulfil real uses. Upstairs, one will go in our bedroom. Who can sleep before Newsnight, Question Time or This Week is over? Two more will go in the two, main Guest Bedrooms. We want our guests to feel comfortable. One will go in Bedroom 4 which will be Pauline’s ironing and sewing room. She needs distraction while she’s ironing. Downstairs, one will go in the Lounge. Everyone needs a television in their Lounge. One will go in the Kitchen-Dining-Family room so we can watch the News while we are having our Breakfast or preparing our meal evening meal. One will go in the Study so I can sneak away and watch sport and not annoy Pauline. Hope that explains it.

22nd January, 2016

Hot and sunny throughout the day again. When will it stop. …Only joking. It’s been delightful. Of course, all weather is delightful in its place. The Times featured this photo of England this morning.

As I seem to do every time I go away, I stubbed my toe on my way out of the pool this afternoon. Of course, I manfully showed no reaction but it really hurt and, as usual, went blue and then black within hours. It swelled up and became painful to put weight on. I know from experience that it will take a day or two before I will be on the running machine which means I will have to watch football this weekend. Life is hard!

23rd January, 2016

It is 7.00 am. I have downloaded The Times. The day lies a tabula rasa ahead. The weather is set fair. This is one of my favourite times. It is a time when I reflect on how lucky I am to be alive.

‘Call Me Dave’ continues his phoney campaign in Europe cynically believing he can persuade Brits to believe he is negotiating radical change. The is how The Times cartoonist sees it. Unfortunately, the timing of the negotiations seems to be out of step with the developments in Europe. The migrant crisis has already made many question European membership. Now, an attempt to replace Schengen with a quota system will add to his woes. Don’t think he quite thought this through.

Been a lovely day, talking, reading, eating fruit in the sunshine. Just about to settle down to watch West Ham v Man City. Just been reading the Greek government’s protestations that snap elections are not on the agenda which means they will probably be called next week. This may be hastened by the mass protest hitting the streets in reaction to more changes to pensions. I note that Europeans are considering suspending Greece’s membership of Schengen until the migrant flow is brought under control.

10th January, 2016

Woke fairly early and made a cup of tea. Went down to Breakfast. As we walked down the stairs instead of taking one of the lifts, the windows were all open on the sea side. The sun was streaming in but the most noticeable thing was the roar of the waves crashing against the black, volcanic rock beneath and beyond the hotel pools and gardens

When we were here six weeks ago, we thought the crashing waves indicated the turning of the tide but it went on today all day. It must have something to do with the seasons or the lunar cycle or something we ought to understand but don’t.

We were tired after travelling yesterday so decided to relax and enjoy the Sunday papers. We sat in the sun for a couple of hours on our balcony which runs round two sides of our room. I watched The Sunday Politics on BBC1 in the middle of the morning and, later saw Leicester being unlucky to be held to a draw by Spurs in the FA Cup. This evening, after Dinner, will feature War & Peace.

11th January, 2016

It always surprises me how easy it is to switch from huddled inside against the elements to lounging outside in the warmth. All it takes is sunshine. It has been wall to wall today and extremely warm. After Breakfast – Porridge and fresh Papaya fruit for Pauline (lots of Ps there) and a bowl of vanilla yoghurt for me – we drank coffee in the sunshine on our balcony.

After the Daily Politics on BBC1, we went and did a good workout in the gym followed by a hard swim in the saltwater pool. The water temperature almost matched the air temperature and the experience was quite delightful. All around us were the sounds of an enthusiastic Boules match going on in the sand pit, roars of excitement from a match in the Squash courts, clinking of Weights being lifted in the gym, the instructor’s commands being barked out in the Pilates group and the splashing of swimmers in the pool. This may be a time for older travellers but many of them are trying hard to keep the aging process at bay. What better climate could they have to do it in?

We were preparing to go down to Dinner when the most unruly row broke out somewhere outside. We rushed to the balcony and strained to find the source of the noise. It sounded like dozens of birds fighting furiously to the death.

Eventually, we settled on a wire across the square on which were perched two parakeets and, far from fighting, they were courting – with enough squawking to attract the neighbourhood.

12th January, 2016

A day of wall to wall sunshine and 24C/75F without a hint of a breeze. We are in danger of turning into the ‘orange people’ of perma-tan land. We sat on our balcony for hours this morning, making plans for the next stage of our life in Sussex, fine tuning requirements for the house, our proposed modus vivendi and such things. We have to sort out doctors and dentists with some urgency.

More importantly, we have to book a Sky installation. I’ve already booked a BT phone line and broadband.  I’ll also take BT Sport as well. I’m going to negotiate a ‘smart’ price for a job lot of seven ‘smart’ televisions and have them installed – one in the lounge, one in the Kitchen/Family room, one in the Study and then one in each bedroom. There is a distribution box in the loft to enable all of that. We still have to source a dining table and chairs, easy chairs for the Family room and side tables for the Lounge. I still have to get the garage door automated. These are the sort of things that we knocked around, sitting idly in the sun. Of course we did an hour or so in the gym and the pool as well.

13th January, 2016

A sunny and even hotter day which reached 26C/79F. We rather binged out on hot lethargy although we did a vigorous and non-stop swim for 40 mins..  I have yoghurt and figs for Breakfast. Pauline has porridge and prunes plus fresh papaya. We try to eat only fruit during the day – a banana and a pear. Today we went to the local supermercado and bought juicy, red grapes.

We usually eat our one main meal of the day at 3.00 pm and then just survive on drinks – coffee and tea until the next day’s meal. Dinner in our hotel begins at 6.00 pm and closes at 10.00 pm in the ‘winter’. We have only been here four days and are both still struggling to adjust to the changed Dinner time.  By the time it comes, we are starving, eat to much to compensate and then spend the whole night feeling full. We are trying to develop a new approach for our stay here.

14th January, 2016

The day is forecast to be sultry and very hot. It should reach 30C/86F. I self tested my INR and have just emailed Woking Hospital with a perfect score of 2.5. I woke up with a queasy stomach so Pauline has had the pleasure of me looking away while she eats porridge and prunes followed by papaya. Going to take the day easily and watch Day 1 of the Third Test in South Africa.

15th January, 2016

I spent the entire day yesterday sleeping. When I’m ill, I just shut down and wait for it to pass. I’ve woken up this morning aching in every joint, with a slight temperature and wanting to sleep. I accompany Pauline to Breakfast but just read my newspaper while she eats. I suspect I won’t be going far today. At least I can watch the Test Match. A second day without food won’t harm me at all.

The Test Match was going well. After sleeping most of the morning, I was feeling better. I went mad and had a banana! Joe Root pulled England up in the test.

The banana reacted well in my system. I accompanied Pauline to Dinner and ate steak and salad. It’s all going very well. Just noticed that Ruth and I traded in our Barclays shares at around £2.61 per share. Since then, the oil price has plummeted with a subsequent sharp drop in destabilised share prices. Currently, Barclays shares are standing at £1.90.

16th January, 2016

This has been a glorious day of sunshine and hot temperatures – 28C/82F. I am feeling a lot better if not perfect. I went out and bought a pair of shoes to celebrate.

They are soft, Spanish leather and cost me €69.00. I shall enjoy padding about in them.

It is a day on which I have enjoyed watching Stuart Broad destroy South Africa in South Africa by taking six wickets. He was unstoppable.

 

3rd January, 2016

A grey, wet and cool day – one of those days to be ‘tucked up’. We’re going out to the Health Club. I am champing at the bit to watch the cricket. Yet again, I am missing it because I don’t have Sky TV. As I write, Ben Stokes has 232 and Bairstow has his first test century and is at 109.

There don’t even appear to be highlights on terrestrial television which is very frustrating.

Ran through torrential and pretty cold rain to the Health Club today, did an hour and a half’s exercise and then left under a dry and mild sky. Exercise, as Jane BG will confirm, improves everything …. except the seemingly incurable religion called Global Warming. Each of our exercise machines in the gym have their own mini-tv and mine was showing the cricket on Sky Sports 2. It was heaven. I nearly stayed on the jogger longer than usual but, fortunately, they went off for Tea before I passed out.

4th January, 2016

Beautiful day – blue skies, strong, low sun and relatively mild 10C/50F but windless. Quite the opposite in Greece Force 8/9 gales restricting ferry sailings and feeling cold. Not an ideal time to be on a Greek island. We went out to Sainsbury’s this morning and then straight on to the Health Club to exercise and watch the Test match. We have done quite a lot of exercise recently and, after 35 mins., I began to flag. For once, I decided to stop and rest. The cricket was rather slow anyway.

We went to the Jacuzzi and the sauna, showered and went home to make a meal. I cooked roasted peppers and shallots with mushrooms and garlic. With this vegetable mixture, I cooked fillets of duck. The problem is these days that we fight the need for food all day, given and cook in the mid afternoon, eat but, almost immediately, feel full.

As British joblessness seems to be falling steadily month on month, the Greek story is very different. Kathimerini reports that young academics, entrepreneurs are increasingly emigrating to the United States. Certainly, there are plenty of young, Greek doctors in the UK Health Service. It must be a worry for parents of children preparing for Tertiary education. Should they send them abroad to university and will they ever return to the narrow, parochial, goldfish bowl societies of the islands?

5th January, 2016

A day at ‘home’ today catching up on jobs related to our upcoming trip and merging into the ordering furniture for our (hopefully) imminent move to our new house. Pauline is busily trying to fit enough for a month into her recently purchased set of Tripp suitcases.

She is so much better at packing than me that I just leave it to her. I have been organising the essential I.T. tools – Kindle + charger, 2 x iPad + 2 x different chargers, Laptop + mouse + charger, phones charger, cube multi-socket extension lead + adapter. This more than fills the carry-on case. Clothes are ironed, folded according to some biblical rule and laid in a manger suitcase. Before leaving, however, I’ve got a trip to the dentist for my new crown to be fitted and a trip to the south coast to walk round the inside of our new-build house in the midst of its internal fit.

6th January, 2016

Today, for religious freaks, is Epiphany. For party freaks, it’s over and back to work. For politics freaks, it’s Wednesday which means Prime minister’s Questions. It was a little foggy here at 6.00 am but now just grey and dank. The Government took another step towards leaving Europe as ministers were granted a ‘free vote’ in the referendum which is now likely to be held this summer. This means that at least three, senior cabinet ministers will join the ‘Out’ campaign, giving it added credibility. We are seriously in danger of sleepwalking into isolation.

We are going for an early swim this morning because I am due at the dentist this afternoon to receive a small crown in return for£560.00/€765.00. This is the profession to be in. It beats bank robbery!…..
……….. a lovely swim, Jacuzzi and sauna and then on to the dentist. It takes him ten minutes to fit the crown and me two minutes to pay the money. Actually, he has done a good job and I am satisfied. As I am leaving, he remembers to wish us ‘happy holiday’ and good luck with our house move. He also hands me the plaster cast made of my teeth which he said I could keep as a memento. They are hideous and will go in the bin tomorrow.

We went on to Benson’s for Beds to discuss the purchase of three beds and bedheads. Each bed is currently discounted by £100.00/€136.00. After this initial discount of £300.00/€408.00, the price was £4150.00/€5660.00. I asked the very pleasant young man who professed to be ‘The Manager’ for a better deal and promptly was offered an additional reduction of £550.00. Quite quickly, we agreed to purchase. ‘The Manager’ then asked how we would like to pay and suggested interest-free credit over 36 months. I asked if there was a discount for cash and he told us there wasn’t so 36 months of very little it is.

7th January, 2016

Up early and out in a day of blue skies and strong, low sun to drive to the south coast to view our new house. All the ‘extras’ we had requested were ticked off and we rechecked the lounge dimensions prior to buying the furniture. It now looks like it will be the first week of March before we are in so about eight weeks away. That’s fine. It will give us more time to source furniture and services.

We drove straight from Sussex to Slough to order our lounge furniture which is guaranteed delivery within eleven weeks but could be done earlier. If we didn’t order today, it would be mid-February before we could do it. We chose the sofas (2x 3-seater + chair + footstool). The style is illustrated below:

The salesman insisted we pay it off interest-free over 4 years. We couldn’t reduce the price by paying it off upfront. Oh well!

8th January, 2016

Kathimerini reports under the heading –

House prices set to fall further

Property prices in Greece may have plunged in recent years, but a comparison with other crisis-riven countries in the Eurozone suggests that the market has some distance to slide yet before it bottoms out….. property sector professionals who insist that the market has yet to bottom out and that prices remain relatively high, especially when compared to the purchasing power of households, might just be correct.

For those hanging on for a lower price, and we’ve met one or two of them ourselves, you’re going to be waiting for a few years more. Suddenly, life becomes too short.

This morning, I phoned BT to sort out a new phone line, broadband installation and BT Sport for our new house. The building manager advised me yesterday that BT lead-in times were long and I should get on with it. I followed his advice and BT said they could do it next week if I wanted. I actually found myself trying to delay them a few weeks.

It’s certainly a grey and chilly morning outside. I’m looking forward to Canarian warmth and sunshine. We are off to Gatwick this afternoon. Before that, I have to cancel our Health Club contract from the end of February and pack the car.

Our only difficulty this morning was balancing the dual priorities of having enough in our cases to get us through a month while not overstretching the weight limit for the flight. I had ordered a luggage weighing tool a couple of weeks ago and it hadn’t arrived. We guessed the weights, and I went out to pack the car. Outside the door was a parcel….containg the luggage weighing tool.

By that stage, I couldn’t be bothered.

Left for Gatwick at midday in light rain. We drove to the Long Stay Car Park. We are staying at the Holiday Inn prior to flying tomorrow.

This is a relaxing way to travel. We relaxed, had Dinner and an early night.

9th January, 2016

For once in our life, we got up at the leisurely hour of 8.00 am, had Breakfast at 9.00 am and drank coffee in our Suite until we took the shuttle bus to the airport at midday. The airport was extremely busy and we dropped off our bags and went straight to the Aspire Lounge which, unusually, was also fairly busy. There one can help oneself to the buffet lunch, wine, coffee, etc but we were too full from Breakfast and just made use of the relative comfort of the surroundings and good, wi-fi connection.

Our flight left on time, was very comfortable over the 4 hrs. 20 mins duration and completely uneventful which is what we want from a flight. The transfer to Los Gigantes is about 40 mins through narrow, winding streets and we arrived just as Dinner was finishing.

Staff took our cases to our room and whipped us in for Dinner before it closed. We were given our room ‘keys’ and some correspondence which turned out to be cards and letters from old friends we haven’t seen for more than thirty years. That was a lovely start. When we got to our room we found two bottles of champagne and a bottle of red wine with glasses waiting for us. We were absolutely shattered and went to bed immediately.

27th December, 2015

Welcome to the start of the Blog’s 8th year. A particular welcome to the Poison Dwarf. Can’t wait to meet up. Let’s make it a New Year’s Resolution!

At least Christmas is over for another year. Stress levels are dropping and we are off for a workout in the gym. Of course, it is this time of year when the number of Health Club members suddenly leaps as resolutions about health, fitness and weight loss are made. We regulars know that, by mid-January, the pressure rapidly decreases. Of course, as retirees we are lucky to be able to do everything off peak. Many would say we are past our peak as it is but Pauline would never admit it.

28th December, 2015

Officially, today is Boxing Day. Unofficially, it’s Monday. The day opened at 6.00 am with the most wonderful sky of glorious colours. When we stepped out, it was sunny and incredibly warm. By 10.30 am, it was 16C/61F. We went to the Health Club and the exercise felt glorious. I watched Bolton Wanderers beat Blackburn Rovers while I was on the jogging machine.

Bolton is Ruth’s team and they are broke and bottom of the Championship but, today, I thought they were excellent.

We returned and made a meal of tomato & cucumber salad with smoked salmon, prawns and crayfish tails. Absolutely delicious. We spent the rest of the afternoon drawing scaled plans of the rooms in our new house, cut-outs of scaled furniture and positioning them in various ways. We’ve decided from this, for example, that we will have 2 x 3 seater sofas + 1 x 2 seater sofa in the lounge. We are making a second trip to Sofaworks tomorrow to do a confirmation of our choice.

29th December, 2015

Set off for Slough – about 16 miles away – in strong sunshine and 13C/55F  to visit  Sofaworks again. As we drove through Windsor and past the Great Park which has been carpeted with daffodils for weeks, we were shocked to notice that they were going over.

Spring in Windsor is almost finished. Apparently, we have had the warmest December for 70 years. The warmest in our lifetime.

The whole trip took half an hour. We checked the sofas, confirmed what we wanted, found out that the lead-in time is 11 weeks and agreed to phone our order when we’ve made our next visit to the house next week. At least the rains and subsequent flooding have not visited us down here. Our old stomping grounds of Lancashire and Yorkshire have been and are continuing to be hit by wet problems. This is Delph in Lancashire (formerly Yorkshire):

and this is Brighouse, West Yorkshire:

Water is so essential but so destructive if not controlled.

30th December, 2015

A mild but breezy day to celebrate our 37th Wedding Anniversary. Where has the time gone? Unfortunately, we are celebrating it by doing our latest round of bowel cancer screening (aka pootest).

I know it’s not the most romantic but needs must if we want another 37 years. In searching for a graphic to illustrate this (I’m not in my own home and couldn’t scan it in.), I found it on a site entitled Older People’s Voice. We really don’t think of ourselves as ‘older people’ but I suppose many would.

The other activities on this auspicious day include:

• Spring Cleaning the house. (P&C are away for a few days so we will do our duty.)
• Having my haircut by Pauline.
• Going to the gym.
• Shopping for our meal.

I’m really missing my Sky Sports particularly when England appear to be winning the first Test in South Africa. ………….. No sooner have I written that than THEY’VE WON! Finn took 4 wickets.

How did you spend your wedding anniversary? Oh, I was hoovering the house, stain-cleaning the carpets and steam cleaning the oven. Well, everyone’s got to do something.

31st December, 2015

The death knell of 2015 is sounding on a bright, sunny day of sharp blue skies. Anticipating the new year, we are in optimistic mood. We will take possession of our new house in about eight weeks. Four of those we will spend in the warmth of Tenerife.

Meanwhile, a chill wind blows through Greece and its islands – literally and metaphorically. Freezing temperatures in Athens and reaching down to the Cyclades has made life difficult for the thousands of displaced migrants still arriving on the islands and roaming the capital’s streets. At the same time, the Greek people themselves continue to suffer relative privations as a result of their post-crash crisis. As Kathimerini reports:

Greece has the unenviable distinction of having the second to worst performing residential property market in the world this year, according to data up to the end of September.

A Global Property Guide survey shows that the annual price decline in Greece came to 6.03 percent. Among European Union member-states, Cyprus was a distant second behind Greece, with a 2.2 percent annual decline in home prices, while Spain was in third after seeing a small drop of 0.45 percent. …The central bank forecasts that the slide is unlikely to reverse in the coming quarters, as the factors that have led to it have not been eliminated.

There was an equally depressing article by Richard Pine in The Irish Times a couple of days ago. While it would repay reading in full, it essentially argues that Clientelism and Plutocracy are so embedded in the Greek political system that to change it would require heart and brain transplants in the corridors of power. It concludes that yet another general election is almost inevitable within the next three months. Life will continue its intolerable, downward spiral for ordinary Greeks while we celebrate the new year in relatively high spirits.

1st January, 2016

Καλή πρωτοχρονιά! / Bonne année / Feliz año Nuevo / Ein glückliches neues Jahr / Happy New Year. Welcome 2016!

The Blog wishes all its readers an interesting and enjoyable New Year. Our approach through the Blog to 2016 will be based on Kierkegaard’s view that:

Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards.

In 2016, the Blog will support that life-defining principle. In that spirit, we completed our bowel cancer tests on the last day of 2015 and posted them off today. We will see the results returned this month while we are abroad. Bet you didn’t want to know that!

Went to bed at 1.00 am this morning after watching, what we thought, was a poor and chaotic firework display on the Thames embankment. The television commentator kept telling us how spectacular it was but we’ll be the judge of that and it wasn’t. Listening to Radio 4’s Today programme at 6.00 am; up at 7.00 am and doing the housework by 9.00 am. Out at 9.30 am to Tesco for essential supplies. The carpark was quite quiet – I’m not sure why. Now we are off to the Health Club for our first workout of 2016. Got to keep moving forward.

2nd January, 2016

The end of Year 8/Week 1 already. The Christmas period is always a strange and disconcerting one – never really sure what day or time it is. Most of the working world will go back to the coal face on Monday while we prepare for our second month in Tenerife and the last few weeks before we move in to our new house (hopefully). It’s been a grey, damp and cool day and thoughts of a Canarian climate are pleasing.

Newspapers, radio and television are predictably greeting the new year with new ‘diets’ which are guaranteed to lose 7 pounds in a week/a stone in a month/4 stones in six months, etc.. I’m glad I don’t even consider things like that anymore although we are renewing our self control and I am going to try to do another 6 months without alcohol. I did it a couple of years ago and, after the first week, didn’t have a problem. I’m pretty sure I can get through to July without it. We don’t do a great deal wrong with our food choices although it wasn’t so easy to maintain over Christmas and we certainly need to re-address our portion sizes. We do more than our fair share of ‘set exercise’ in the gym and the pool but retirement is not conducive to activity throughout the day and we have got to find a substitute for ‘sitting around’ during large sections of time.

20th December, 2015

The start of the ultimate week of Year 7 of The Blog. I’ve been reliably informed that Sarah & Stavros have ordered lines of flags to celebrate next Sunday – the start of Year 8. I wonder what they’ll do when we reach The Decade!

Mark December, 2018 in your diaries. Ah! the anticipation. Actually, we began on December 25th, 2008.

Out to the Peacocks Shopping Centre in Woking to collect a watch I’d ordered on-line from the Watch Shop. As soon as I looked at it in reality, I knew it was going back – and so it is. I will try again. I think I will now buy a smart watch to link with my smart phone. I’m considering the Garmin blue tooth enabled.

It’s about £180.00 and will interface with my Sony smartphone for calls and email, on-line calendar and text alerts.

21st December, 2015

A little cooler today never rising above 14C/57F and with weak sunshine. We went to Tesco and Waitrose early and the crowds were fairly light. The Health Club, on the other hand, was surprisingly busy. Received a card from a member of staff I haven’t seen for at least 30 years and a newsletter from another I haven’t seen for at least 20 years. I can see them in school, hear their voices and yet our paths crossed only briefly in the grand scheme of things. We may never meet again. Life is strange!

22nd December, 2015

Today is the shortest day of the year – the Winter Solstice. The Sun is directly overhead of the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere during the December solstice and is closer to the horizon than at any other time in the year, meaning shorter days and longer nights.

The day after the winter solstice marks the beginning of lengthening days, leading up to the summer solstice in June.

Thousands of Pagans across the UK are celebrating the Winter Solstice, many gathering at the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge to watch the sunrise. Pagans are as deluded as Christians but all are fortunate, this year, to have a temperature close to that of the Summer Solstice. It was 14C/57F over night here and has reached 16C/61F this afternoon.

23rd December, 2015

Wonderful, wonderful day with wall to wall blue sky and sunshine. The temperature reached 15C/59F. I took Pauline to the hairdressers while I read my iPad paper in Costa Coffee (£2.40 for an Americano!) with a ridiculously expensive cup of coffee. Went on to the Health Club for a couple of hours and then back to cook our meal. I griddled fish outside in my shirtsleeves two days before Christmas. That’s the sort of Global Warming most of us want. Keep burning the coal!

I have no idea why but my Norton Internet Security always comes up for renewal at Christmas time. It has changed its name from Norton 360 to Norton Security. I don’t care. I can’t do without it but there are so many rivals now that the price has been reduced drastically. I used to have to pay £50.00 per computer. Norton themselves still ask that if you do ‘automatic renewal’. I’ve bought the update from Amazon for £22.00 for five machines. Anyone using the internet would be bonkers to not cover themselves.

The Christmas present for our Greek friends is the news that HSBC whistleblower, Herve Falciani, has handed over details on thousands of allegedly suspicious international transactions to the Greek government. Ironically, the information has been handed to the government’s general secretary, Michalis Kalogirou. Now I know a thing or two about people called Kalogirou and how they deal with money. I am writing to Michalis.

24th December, 2015

A very pleasant Christmas Eve morning – mild and fairly sunny at 7.00 am. We were in M&S by 7.30 am to collect the turkey. Already there were queues being ‘organised’ by staff.

 

The turkey, a Pembrokeshire Bronze, weighs 6.2Kg which means it will roast for about 3 hours and then rest for an hour. It can go in at 10.00 am to be ready for 2.00 pm. It’s the same ritual every year. Pauline is now busily preparing it for tomorrow’s cooking with butter under the skin, chestnut, pork and apricot stuffing in the neck and bacon over the breast as pictured above. At times like this, it’s wonderful having a professional chef in the house.

We are going to the Health Club for a couple of hours this morning. Can you believe they are closed for Friday & Saturday. We are all going out for a late lunch this afternoon at the Jovial Sailor in Ripley so we will need to earn the right to eat. I always find these occasions awkward because of my diet. At least I’m driving so I won’t be drinking.

25th December, 2015

It was on this day in 2008 that the Blog began. Having never managed to maintain a diary for even seven days before, this on-line effort has now endured for seven years. I look forward to the next seven … and the next…. and the next.

Since the end of childhood some 50 years ago, Christmas Day has always been an uncomfortable, bitter-sweet occasion but, at least, one to indulge unashamedly in. Now that indulgence is off-limits, only the bitter-sweet discomfort remains. I often wonder how many people wake on Christmas morning with a sense of foreboding, already looking forward to the normality of ‘ordinary’ times. Alright, I know, I’m weird. We all have to be something. I hope all those reading this have a lovely day not afflicted  by such reservations.

26th December, 2015

It was on this day in 2008 that I wrote in my second Blog entry:

Boxing Day – Who needs it? Spent today driving around the Moors in weak winter sunshine. They remind me so much of Greek Island scenery – desolate and brown, undulating and punctured by volcanic rock erupting through the heather.

and I took this lovely photograph up on the Yorkshire moors edging Huddersfield.

Happy times! It was unseasonably mild there then and it is even more unseasonably mild here now. 15C/59F this morning in Surrey. I’m afraid it is rather cooler and wetter in Lancashire/Yorkshire. That contrast was pointed up by an illustration in a newspaper of an ice cream van out on Christmas Day in the south of England selling Christmas Pudding Ice cream.

If you’re in the North, you may well be buying sandbags or mops & buckets.