Tenerife – Our Final Port of Call

17th to 24th March, 2023

We headed north towards home. St Patrick’s Day was celebrated on 17th March with another Formal Night and lots of green and Guinness. We had the usual round of activities to keep us amused and I have even managed to win the darts twice in succession. Both of us have really enjoyed having the time to read – I have just finished Colditz by Ben MacIntyre (having already read SAS Rogue Heroes. He seems to have a wonderful knack of writing fact as though it were a thriller novel that you can’t put down. I am now reading Ian McEwen’s ‘Enduring Love’. A very different style, obviously, but absolutely jam-packed with thoughts and emotions as well as, so far, an overriding sense of forthcoming doom. Fingers crossed for a happy ending!

We arrived at Santa Cruz, the capital city of Tenerife nice and early on Sunday, 19th March. Val and I had been here before 10 years ago on one of our first cruises and had toured the island, so we didn’t feel the need to do more than explore the city.

We wandered about through the relatively quiet streets (it was Sunday – again! It has been remarked on board how often we seem to touch port on a Sunday, when rather a lot is shut). They are largely pedestrianised with a good number of trees and shade and obviously geared up for tourists, but very pleasant nonetheless. the temperature was a very, very pleasant 20 degrees.

We were making our way to the central market (of course), when Val stepped into a shop for something – or didn’t. There was a small step as you go in which she missed, tripped and fell on her nose (again!). Luckily no major damage done and lots of solicitous help and a small nosebleed. A bit shaken but all well and we went on our way to the market.

Even though it was Sunday the market was in full swing with a lot of locals stocking up with fresh produce and tapas. We decided a cafe or restaurant was now in order partly for some refreshments and partly for some Wi-Fi, so after a few fruitless attempts we found somewhere. A lot of the restaurants were already booked up as Sunday would seem to be the day when the locals go out for a nice al fresco lunch. We eventually found somewhere, which had excellent Wi-Fi, fried fish and a wonderfully refreshing beer (two to be exact). We then wandered around a bit more.

It was then back to the ship and we sailed away heading ever north towards Southampton and home. A mix of emotions – sadness at the ending of a truly memorable voyage with so many amazing sights and experiences, of friendships made and shared activities and laughs, but also an anticipation of getting home again (of which, of course, there is no place like).

I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog (or at least looking at the photos!). It has been fun to do and we have really enjoyed the trip. Val has coped well with being on board and all the tours (I was going to type ‘trips’ there, but thought better of it!). We could have done without the coughs and Covid, but they have been much outdone by the sights and splendours of our travel.