It tastes like something you should be rubbing into your skin!

As we were about to leave the apartment to go down the steps into the pool, I announced that I was going to take my laptop. “What will you write? A blog of sorts?” Melanie asked. “Not sure,” I said, before saying my well-used expression, “I’ll start with a blank sheet and see where it takes me.” I love that aspect of the freedom of writing – the one where you have no idea what you’re going to write about, yet an hour or two later you have created something never written before.

“Have you tried that mix of banana liqueur and coconut rum yet?” she asked. Four days into our Lanzarote winter break, and I still hadn’t conjured up the cocktail that I’d promised to make on arrival – probably mixed with Coca Cola or some other fizz. She dutifully poured some, without the fizz. “Oo, it’s nice,” she said, but it tastes like something you should be rubbing into your skin.”

What a great title for a blog, I thought. “It tastes like something you should be rubbing into your skin.” I still don’t know exactly what I’m going to write, but irrespective of its contents, I have decided that that shall be the title of the blog. Why? Because I can and, for me, writing is all about freedom.

We’ve not spent much time at the pool. Even if we’d wanted to, the first two days were far too windy. This is only our second poolside session. We were here for a couple hours yesterday. Mel read a book and I went for a short run before returning to hear the man next to us proudly doing Michael Caine impersonations loud enough to impress everyone within 20 metres. I could tell immediately who he was impersonating each time, as the words always began with, “Hello, I’m Michael Caine…” I can be pretty sharp, see.

The wind has died down now. We stayed here at the San Marcial Apartments at Matagorda, at the eastern end of Puerto del Carmen at exactly the same time last year. It is very close to the airport – probably no more than 500 metres. We have hired a car from the airport for the duration of the holiday. It takes away some of the hassle on arrival and departure, the cost is partially offset by not having to pay airport transfer fees, and it gives us total freedom from the moment we arrive. We knew exactly how to get to our destination, so it was a win-win situation. Just a very short walk away from here is a viewing area to watch the aeroplanes land. They fly just over your head as they come in to land. Two days ago, it was so windy that I saw one even have to abort its landing as it wobbled close to the runway, unable to secure a good contact with the ground.

Today may be a lazy day, but we have crammed quite a lot into our holiday so far. We have explored towns, beaches, walked around the foot of a volcano, and indulged in our favourite pastime of photography. It really is a photographer’s dream here. One of the most memorable moments was the road journey between the lovely towns of Teguise and Haria, which involved a seemingly death-defying series of steep downward hairpin bends, with barely enough room for two vehicles to pass and stomach-churning cliff-edge drops to the side. We had no idea that this would present itself to us until we were committed to going through. It just happened to be Mel’s first ever day of driving a left-hand drive car. It was some initiation! She did a grand job, and the most scary moment was nothing to do with Mel’s driving skills, but those of an oncoming tourist who struggled to keep his Fiat 500 (of all things!) onto his side of the road.

We’re just over half way through our holiday and we still have plenty of fun left to indulge ourselves in. I can’t spend all my time at my laptop. I need to go and get another drink – oh, and maybe something to rub into my skin.