SPAIN IN THEORY ONLY

KARAOKE, IRISH BARS AND INCREDIBLE BEAUTY

MT TEIDE TENERIFE

After a day-long bus tour of the Mt. Teide National Park, the third tallest volcanic structure in the world, we’re back at the Santa Barbara Golf and Ocean Resort listening to a guitarist working with a karaoke track singing Eagles songs and other shlocky songs like “Who’ll Stop the Rain?”

The gathered crowd in the bar below us hoots along and applauds vociferously with every song.

Before we settled in at our aerie overlooking the entire resort, we had to get some milk and cereal for tomorrow’s breakfast at the supermarket down the road, passing an Irish Bar, The Wild Geese, in the process. It brimmed with English patrons wiling away the afternoon with large cheap beers clutched in meaty fists.

Spain? I think not.

While on the tour I asked the tour guide, a pleasant woman who had pointed out the sights along the way in three languages, Dutch, English and German, if there was a chance to catch Flamenco Dancers anywhere on Tenerife. I had seen them at La Linea just outside of Gibraltar decades ago and wanted Janet to see this beautiful display of Spanish heritage.

The pleasant woman who spoke with an English accent asked where was La Linea.

Spain? In theory only, she said, gathering her senses.

I have to agree. Tenerife is Spain, and then it isn’t.

Lured by warm weather and cheap accommodations and drinks, millions descend on the Canaries and especially Tenerife yearly. The pandemic put the kibosh on a lot of travel, as England went into a severe lockdown. Now that the pandemic is, fingers-crossed, under control, visitors are returning.

Masks are still required in public places though. I was admonished for entering a restaurant while on the tour for not wearing a mask.

It must get crazy here when the revelry is in full throttle. One needs to reserve a chaise lounge at the pool and a place in the gym, after first signing a waver stating I “would behave,” and, “not drink and use the equipment.”

Given the waitress’ curtness with me so early in the season, it must get to a high-pitched frenzy by mid-season.

I’ve been to Spain several times for work and pleasure and the people of this beautiful country are kind and tolerant, so that snap was surprising to me, making an honest mistake.

This is Spain. I keep telling myself that.

We found much beauty on our trip today, and I’ll get into that later.

Thanks for reading and being tolerant with me.

Love Janet and greg

© 2022 by Gregory Dunaj