Tenerife, 02/04/2016

The food. So far so good. There have been some unexpected disappointments and usually when there should be none as more often than not the dish in question is the simplest of the simplest.Take lunch today.A fish pie-the best ingredients of salmon, cod, muscles,mashed potatoes. What could be easier to cook? Looked beautiful and would have tasted delicious, had it not been too salty.Little bit more salt and the pie would have been unpalatable to me.Desert-roly-poly with custard. Wow, couldn't even remember when I had it last.What was I served? A bit of dough plonked on a plate with a blob of jam on top. Tasted of nothing, even the custard couldn't salvage it.Nouvelle cousine?! You can keep it.I want me roly-poly as I know it and love-rolled dough filled with jam to the brim! Oh,Oceana, these are the moments when I miss you so.Dinner was an alltogether excellent affair,mousseline of salmon,divine,Gressingham duck breasts, so pinky and succulent melt in the mouth tenderness.Followed by a baked apple executed to perfection,with various predicaments around it and on the top of it! FA-BU-LOUS! And Oceana had served this kind of food lunch in ,dinner out. And finally today the weather has been glorious and I have even got a bit of tan. TENERIFE. Walked to town at 10, free shuttle service had been provided, but I have been to Tenerife several times and always prefer to walk. Going back,however, was overjoyed to let the bus take the strain as I was sooo tired after almost four hours on my feet. And I had bought nothing, except The Mail and a pair of hand-made earrings for 29 euro.The asking price was 35, and I wanted them so,but had not enough cash on me and did not want to pay with a credit card,so I had emptied the purse on the counter and with pleading eyes let the shop-assistant count off the money.She was lovely and the ear-rings were mine. I was left with a euro and a little, for some coffee. Americano was 1 euro, but they also had luscious looking croissants, and as I could not have both, walked out with the pastry,lovely, even though a bit sticky,some bakers glaze the croissants,I prefer them the Marks & Spencer way - big,plump,crispy, without any fancy footwork. There were some sandals and a bag I loved, and Desequal had tennis shoes I adored,but my wardrobes are overflowing and I know when enough is enough.I am not a shopaholic.I just love nice clothes and I like to look good. And I adore shoes and bags,but have enough to last me a lifetime. Well, at least until the next cruise to Canaries! I did go to Carmel, my favourite shop on my favourite Canary island, La Palma,and was overjoyed to find a glorious evening see-through striped coat,a knitted top with 2 massive roses printed at the front, and a dress I could not resist the moment I lay my eyes on,too short, but adorable, and will either give it to someone as a present, or may wear it with leggings.I found there ear-rings with feathers to match the evening coat, and a necklace-long,gold-plated with 3 leather red poppies on one side,very simple,yet quite spectacular.And I must not forget a black largish tote bag with a brown trim.A lady who noticed it as I was going through security made me take it out of the paper bag and was enthralled ,then she wanted to see the clothes I had bought and having looked at everything,said I had impeccable taste and she wished she had my eye for clothes. I thanked her for her kind words. That was the day that was.Thank you Ventura. Thank you Tenerife. Thank you lovely gracious people, who help make some moments memorable and thus life so much more pleasant and joyful.