Happy 10th Anniversary in Gran Canaria

Monday December 15 - Monday December 22, 2008

For our 10th wedding anniversary we decided to take a trip to the Canary Islands, to Maspalomas in Gran Canaria to be exact. We were hoping for some warmer weather and a bit of sunshine. We did get some sun but only the first day or so were nice enough to really enjoy in your bathing suits. Most of the time the wind was cold (and it was windy) and the sun was covered by sporadic clouds. However, as always, we made the best of it and had a wonderful week.

A view of the mountains on the interior of the island:


We arrived on Monday, December 15, 2008 and stayed until the following Monday. Our anniversary was on Friday, December 19th, so halfway through the trip. Once we arrived on Monday morning we took a short 20 minute bus ride to our resort, Maspalomas Princess. The hotel was very nice, but the people did not really care about the guests at all. It was kind of annoying that none of the staff were helpful or anything, and they acted like the were doing you a favor by answering a question or even getting you a drink when in the restaurant. Not good for a 4 * hotel. When we got there and checked in we didn't really do too much. We walked around the resort to get our bearings and even stopped in at one of the pool side bars for a drink before heading to the beach to walk around and see the lighthouse as well.

The beach and dunes at Maspalomas:


a sand dragon on the beach:


the lighthouse:


Dinner, the same pretty well every night. After a day out and about we would come back to the room, take a shower and get ready, then head down to the buffet dinner that awaited us. After dinner we usually would end up hanging out in the piano bar or going back to the room for some cards on the balcony and having a glass of wine. Either way our evenings were very laid back.

Most mornings were the same as well, we would get up, get ready for the day then head to the breakfast buffet before continuing on. Tuesday was more of a welcoming day, so we just hung out by the pool, had very bad massages, lunch at the Bamboo Garden chinese restaurant behind the resort that was wonderful, some ping pong, and our typical evening.

Wednesday was the BEST day while we were there. After breakfast we were picked up by a bus (coach) for a camel day. We started out at Rancho Verde, a camel rescue center, to see many young camels, female camels, and a couple males, mainly Andre the Giant. He alone has apparently fathered over 500 camels in his short 25 years. It was so much fun watching the young camels playing, they would bite each others legs and wrap their legs around one another. Then we got back on the bus and headed to the Camel Oasis where we got ride a camel. Not how I had expected, but they have a wooden contraption over the camel and each person sits on either side. It was a lot of fun and the camels are amazing animals. They walked us through the desert for about 45 minutes before heading back to the main camp area. There we had Arabian Tea (which tasted kind of like strong mint tea) while waiting for our pictures to develop. Then it was off to Meloneras for a tea or coffee and some cake. We decided not to take the bus back to the hotel and instead walk around Meloneras for a bit.

Aren't they so cute:


The camels playing:


Tami and Greg riding around the desert:


Greg with a camel:



Meloneras was a great place, kind of wish we were staying there instead but no big deal. The little area is complete with restaurants, shops, hangouts, a casino, and the beach and lighthouse. We walked around and ended up eating lunch at El Senador for some spanish tapas, including Papas Arrugadas (boiled potatoes coverd in a red mojo sauce)....yummy. Then it was back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.

Thursday we did a catamaran cruise. It was a lot of fun but the guides weren't quite as friendly as we would have liked. The cruise took us around the coast of Gran Canaria, to the most western tip, we could even see Tenerife through the clouds at one point. We did spot a couple of Reese dolphins that came super close to the boat. We were served drinks and lunch on board and then given the chance to go for a swim. Even though it was FREEZING we decided to do it, since it is our only trip to the Canary Islands. We did and it was cold. The last 45 minutes of the boat trip had the bartender also acting as our entertainment, singing songs from Elton John, Randy Travis, Barry White, and Eric Clapton. We were on the boat for over 5 hours and had a relaxing time. The rest of the night involved mini golf before the evening ritual. I will point out that this was the ONLY night that the dinner differentiated, they had a Mexican themed night, fun but still not quite up to Jamaica standard. After dinner we did sit in the piano bar and talk with some people we had met on the cruise, Dave & Anne, and then played cards with another couple, Angela & Martin.

On the Catamaran:


The coast line of Gran Canaria:




Tenerife:


Us in the freezing water, look closely for the goose bumps:


Friday was our anniversary.....Happy 10th. We took a dolphin cruise today. It was okay but wish we had done something else. The cruise was a bit disappointing, didn't see too many dolphins and had to ask the guide twice what kind we were seeing. On the way back the seas had gotten so rough that everyone was freezing and a few people even got sick. We made it back to shore....finally, and then got left at the pier by our guide (uggghhhh!!!). We had to run for almost 5 minutes to catch up to the bus, and we were only able to because they had to wait for someone to wait for them to open the gates. Oh well, we made it. We were just very happy to get back to the hotel and get done with that trip. We decided to cheer ourselves up with some yummy chinese food. Later on we got ready for dinner out. We took a cab to Meloneras and walked along the ocean front to watch the sunset before dinner. We even watched a surfer for a while, it was so nice and romantic. We had dinner at Ciao Ciao, which was a recommendation, and the food was great. The seats outside under the heaters had the most amazing view of the ocean with some palm trees, so all in all it was a great evening.

The two of us during sunset:


Saturday we took it upon ourselves to do something. We took a bus up to Las Palmas, which is at the opposite end of the island from where we were staying. Las Palmas is the capital of Gran Canaria and has a connection to the US because it is where Christopher Columbus last stayed before finding the Americas. We went to the Casa de Colon (Columbus house & Museum) and to the Catedral de Santa Ana before hitting the streets for a bit of retail therapy. Afterwards, we found a pizzeria on the beach and enjoyed a nice lunch outdoors. It was a beautiful day. We then hit a mall before catching the bus back to Maspalomas. When we got back we went to Meloneras where we stopped at Boulevard Oasis for the most delicious banana split and Greg had a coffee. We walked around a bit and then headed back to our hotel for dinner, drinks, and conversation with Dave & Anne, and Sharon & Trevor.

Catedral de Santa Ana




One of the many altars inside:


Sunday was our last day in Gran Canaria and we had absolutely no plans. We decided to go hit the sand dunes and play around for a bit. It is amazing there, just like being in the desert. We then walked around the beach, watched the wind surfers, had a drink, and then lunch again at El Senador again. We tried to then hang out at the pool but it was just a bit too cold so we hung out on our balcony instead where we could get some sun without the cold wind. We took it easy reading, playing cards, and then grabbing some ice cream from a nearby pizzeria. Then it was off to get ready for supper again. We hung out again after dinner with the two couples that we had met and then Monday morning we were off back to London.

Here are a few pictures of the sand dunes and both of us playing in them:








Greg in the ocean


Happy Birthday Daisy Adair!

Happy Christmas

We want to wish everyone a Happy Christmas from London!

Eat turkey, open gifts, and enjoy spending time with everyone. We are there in spirit.

The girls would like to say Merry Christmas too.

We are in Gran Canaria!

Just wanted to send a quick note to let everyone know we are in the Canary Islands, enjoying the beautiful weather.

We will say, so far, Jamaica is better though.

We are off to ride camels shortly but will put more details of our trip when we get back to London next week.

Tami & Greg

Walking in a Wetter Wonderland

Saturday, December 13 2008

We had plans today to go around and sample the Christmas activities around London, meeting up with some friends along the way. However, when we woke up, we quickly found that the theme for the day was going to be water. Rain.... and lots of it. However, we did not let this dampen our Christmas spirit and decided to proceed with our plans.

We got up and went to Borough Market. On the way, we ran into the other theme for the day, that London transport can suck. We took the tube down and had to change trains at Baker Street. We waited and waited, and when the train came in, they decided to take it out of service. Which meant that we had to wait for the next train, and when we did, it was packed since all of the people on the canceled train were on there with us. However, we eventually made it and went to buy a hot apple cider with cinnamon for Tami. We then ran into another problem, I didn't have my money clip with all of our money. My first thought was that I had been pick-pocketed, which I found strange since I'm normally very paranoid and careful. However, I soon figured I must have just forgotten to grab it in the rush to leave in the morning. Fortunately, our bank accounts weren't quite empty so we could get enough cash to still have a good day.

After that, we picked up a coffee from Monmouth for me (which has the best coffee in the world) and then a couple of sausage rolls from the Boston Sausage Company. We munched on them as we walked around a bit and picked up some mistletoe to decorate the house with. Then, we made our way down to the Frost Fair that was going on at Bankside (close to the Thames).

Greg at Borough Market with the Christmas Trees....all short and stout:


The rain was pouring down and the wind could be vicious, as we found out when it snapped the handle off of my (admittedly cheap) umbrella (brolly for you English blokes). However, I put it back together as best I could and we soldiered on. We stopped at one of the vendors that they had setup and Tami bought a little Russian nesting doll and another doll decoration for the tree. We then went into the Tate Modern museum to see if they had a replacement umbrella for me. There were a few interesting statues on the turbine level, so we went and saw them as well (it gave us a chance to dry out a bit). It was about this time that our friends texted us and cancelled getting together. I think we're the only ones that can stand to go out in bad weather! There were no umbrellas to be found, so we went back in to the wet and cold.

Inside the Tate Modern Museum:


The Pimm's Booth:


Some of the vendors at the Markets along the Thames:


We wanted to have our pictures taken with the Huskies, but they weren't going to be open for another 20 minutes, so we decided to just continue our trek up the Thames, going up to the festival at Southbank which was inspired by the markets in Cologne. It was a cold, wet trip that involved dodging a lot of puddles, but we enventually made it. However, we were a bit disappointed because it was just a few vendors and most were the same as you see at other markets such as Camden and Covent Garden. We did find one that had some nice German stuff, so Tami got a small nutcracker and a cute ornament that looked like a German windmill. We also bought a cute gingerbread cookie similar to the one we bought in Munch. We bought those and decided it was time for lunch. Only one thing would do when we had been in the cold for so long...... Chili Chicken Ramen from Wagamama's!

Our German Christmas Cookie (says "Nice Christmas")


The London Eye, decorated for Christmas (or at least it's base):


We ended up heading to the Wagamama's in Leicester Square, but while we were on the bus, we noticed that the horse guard was out at the Horse Guard parade. We quickly hopped off the bus to get pictures, and then made our way on foot via Trafalger Square which had a huge Christmas tree. It could have stood a few more decorations though. After that, we finally made it to Wagamama's for lunch. I had the Chili Chicken Ramen, which is a spicy soup filled with lots of good stuff. Tami opted for the Cha Han instead, which is basically fried rice (mine was better...no it's not). Afterwards, I had a craving for a Beamish stout, and I knew a pub close by that had it. So we headed up only to find out that they had quit serving it (even though they still had signs all over the place.) So we abandoned that plan and headed for the Tube to go down to Harrods. While enroute to Harrods, something was going on because the train did not stop at Knightsbridge, which is where Harrods is located. We had to get off at the next exit, and take a train back up. We actually missed the first train that came in because it was so packed!

Tami with a Horse Guard:


One of the Queen's Guards


We finally made it to Harrods to pick up some ornaments by request for people back home. That took awhile because Harrods was having a big sale and the place was shoulder to shoulder. We finally got what we were coming for and headed out to Hyde Park, for the Winter Wonderland. We had gone last year and enjoyed it so thought we would go again. This year it was over twice as big and had much more to offer. We stopped first thing at a German pub and got some hot mulled wine to take the chill off. I wished that I had more room because the beer looked really good, but we had plans to do afternoon tea later that afternoon, so didn't want to fill up. Afterwards, we walked around the market which was really nice. There were tons of rides which we didn't try, but they looked fun. We did pick up some hot roasted chestnuts from a vendor since neither of us had ever tried them before. When we took our first bite, it reminded us of roast pork for some reason. Not bad, but a squirrel almost attacked me to steal one from me.

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland from across the pond


Our mulled wine.....it was good:


One of the vendors at Winter Wonderland....one of Tami's favorite German X-mas things:


Santa on his sleigh, in front of the Paulaner sign. I expected him to have a stein in his hand......


the killer squirel:


The chestnuts that he was after:


After the Squirrel encounter, we caught a bus over to Selfridges on Oxford Street to see about getting some afternoon tea. We did get tea, but the tea and food just couldn't compare to the Orangery which is still our favorite. I couldn't recommend the place we went to, but it wasn't horrible. Afterwards, we looked around the Christmas department in Selfridges which was much more impressive, then headed out to Oxford street to see the window displays for the big department stores. Selfridges and Debenhams were the best by far. They both actually put some thought into it and made it fun, rather than just putting out bland manequins. We walked up Oxford street looking at all of the lights, but about this time we were starting to get tired (finally). We ended up going over to Marks and Spencers to grab some food for supper to take back with us, and headed home to watch the X Factor finals. We did all of this and made it home by 8:00 PM.... we're that good.

Santa delivering presents by Tube.... one of the window display in front of Selfridges:


One of the window displays for Debenhams:


The Christmas lights on Oxford Steet

Quick Hello and Update

It has been a while since we have put a post up but thought I would just say a quick hello and give an update.

We haven't been doing too much. As most of you know we came back to the states for a very short, busy Thanksgiving trip. We had a great time, but didn't feel like we got to sleep much at all while we were home. We were constantly staying up late, getting up super early, and running from place to place. But, it was all worth it. It was so great seeing everyone, shopping, and filling up on turkey and other Thanksgiving traditions. Thanks to everyone for being so accommodating to us.

Other than going to the states we haven't been doing to much, just staying around London and doing things. We have recently helped Lilli celebrate her 18th birthday. Lilli is one of the two people who watch the dogs for us, they are so good with them and the dogs adore them. We had such a great time at Lilli's party and again on her actual birthday at dinner and a bar. Since she is now legal she bought the first round.

We went last Sunday to see the Ballet version of Edward Scissorhands, it was quite interesting but a lot of fun. We are still going to see the Nutcracker (going on 16 years of seeing it now), but couldn't get tickets until after Christmas, so this was our before Christmas ballet.

This weekend we will be getting together with some friends and going to enjoy all of the German inspired Christmas markets near the Thames River, and seeing all of the lights and window displays that Oxford & Regent street have to offer. Should be a very Christmasy weekend.

For those of you who don't know, Greg and I will be celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary on December 19th. We are going to enjoy it in the Canary Islands. We leave on Monday for a full week, and we are so excited about going. It will be nice to go somewhere sunny, beachy, and warm, since we didn't have much of a summer at all in London this year.

That's about it for now, just wanted to give a quick update.


In case I forget to later.....Have a Merry Christmas!!!!

Love, Tami