Britain's airports are in chaos. We know this because every news outlet has gleefully reported on mega-queues, nightmare delays, last minute cancellations and overcrowding misery.
Before our holiday, because of these media reports, I was suffering from Airport Anxiety. I even bought air tags in case our bags got lost.
Sure enough terminal 5 was busy......with happy people. There were throngs of excited children, loved up couples, joyful extended families and grinning groups of pals. All were jetting off to make the most of their first summer of post-Covid freedom - and doing it with little fuss and no long delays. Our flight left on time and our bags arrived safely. It was actually fun checking the air tags from time to time.
We were on our way to Tenerife, then by ferry to Playa Santiago in La Gomera, our home for the next two weeks. It's only one hour by ferry from Los Cristianos, Tenerife to San Sebastian. The colourful capital of La Gomera with homes stacked like Lego bricks around the harbour.
La Gomera, the second smallest of the Canary Islands, defies the helter-skelter pace of modern holidays. Such are the winding roads that driving times bear no relation to distances. La Gomera forces you to slow down. As with all road trips in La Gomera you require a steady head for heights. But uncover your eyes for a second and you'll be greeted with views straight from an aeroplane window as you soar 3,000 ft above the surrounding ocean.
Before we know it, we are winding down into the former fishing village of Playa Santiago and our villa at HPBs El Balcon de Santa Ana. The island's lofty interior shelters this area from cool, humid Atlantic weather fronts, gifting it more than 350 days of sunshine a year in the process.
Dwarfed by towering cliffs on either side, Santiago enjoys a pace of life as consistently pleasant as its climate. Locals skirt the small town square from dawn to dusk; beer-bellied pensioners and housewives by day, schoolchildren and families by dusk.
The village boasts a larger array of restaurants than merited by its modest population, thanks to the Tecina hotel and HPBs Santa Ana resorts perched high on the cliffs above.
The excellent Tasca Enyesque on a side street is our favourite. Takes tapas to a new level. Fabulous food and service Smart city restaurant meets seaside village bistro! Undoubtedly the most "cheffy" food on our holiday - very competent and enjoyable. The grandchildren enjoyed Grandma's cake to finish off. Exceptional value. Exelente. Must book.
Another favourite is Don Tomate situated near the port. It is very popular and there are numerous outside tables. It probably has the best view and the grandchildren loved the thin pizzas but be warned they are BIG! Excellent value. The grandchildren also enjoy playing on the beach opposite.
And for a romantic evening Mike and Caroline had an unforgettable evening in the Cave for 2 at Club Laurel. A cave in complete privacy where you can taste the delights of Gomeran gastronomy from a window to the ocean.
The butcher in Playa de Santiago is very good and we enjoyed steak on the barbeque with good wine and veg and fruit from the Spar Supermarket.
And must not forget the nightly ice cream from the town.
Santiago offers a partially sandy dark beach and there is a small harbour where we embarked on our Whales and waves adventure. If you are passionate about dolphin and whale watching this is the home of the Teno-Rasca Marine Strip which stretches between the south coast of Tenerife and La Gomera. It was quite rough so I was glad I had taken a seasick tablet. Anything else to keep in mind? Yes, it's four hours in the sun, so do not forget to use sunscreen and wear a hat. And the camera because you are certain to get some great photos that will give you some great memories long after the trip. We went whale watching with Tina tours. It was quite a large boat which was full - plenty of seating upstairs and downstairs. The four hour tour included the whale watching, lovely snacks with free drinks, and time for a swim whilst anchored in a small bay.
We saw a large pod of pilot whales and enormous numbers of dolphins playing around the boat.
Great views on the journey home of the unusual rock formations of the cliffs around the island.
Beware, can be quite a swell (lots of passengers seasick) so take precautions if necessary, still a must.
Back on dry land we headed to La Chalana. A buzzy blue-washed shack, tucked away at the eastern end of town on the beach. The calamari was excellent, as was the house salad. Add a beer in a frozen glass or a carafe of wine what more could you ask for, oh just add the sun sparkling on the water and the sound of waves crashing on the rocks. Just perfect.
As for weight watching well Mike would jog down the hill in the morning to the island's best bakery; Pasterleria Lelo. Those who have sampled Portuguese pastries will be delighted to know that it's owned by a family from Lisbon, so expect to be greeted by a cake selection to rival any cafe along the Tagus River.
What a wonderful place for a family holiday. Three generations we had such fun. It all went smoothly in the villa pool, a dream come true for the grandchildren. We played tennis, crazy golf and chess. They took grandad on the big inflatable in the large pool. We ate ice cream, danced the Macarena. Mike and Caroline won the weekly music quiz. Memories we will always treasure forever. My idea of fun is also basking in the sun by the pool with a good book when allowed. Oh and we all enjoyed doing a jigsaw and playing Scrabble.
And finally fun with the last supermoon of the year on the last day of our holiday.
