ON MOUNT TEIDE

ON MOUNT TEIDE 

Twenty-five years ago my daughter and her husband moved to Tenerife, so we flew out to visit them. As we circled to land we could see Mount Teide glowing brilliant white in the sunshine.

Our hosts had been working, too busy to explore, so we were tourists together when drove up the winding mountain road.

It was February - beach weather at the coast - but as we climbed, the temperature dropped. When we reached a mile above sea level we stopped and got out, shivering in tee-shirts and shorts.

Our first photographs taken on that sunshine island were of four mad Brits throwing snowballs!

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Eventually we moved out there too, and spent fifteen years living on Tenerife. We made friends of many different nationalities - Canarians, Spaniards, Italians, Venezuelans and, of course, English among them - and I learned enough Spanish to hold a conversation, especially after a glass of vino tinto!

Six years ago we returned to England. I still miss the friends we made there, but my daughter now lives in Ireland, the rest of my family are here, and as one gets older, home is best.

Also the eruption on the neighbouring island of La Palma is a reminder of the risks one takes by living on a volcanic island. My heart goes out to all those Palmarians who have lost their homes and livelihoods.

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Thanks to Ted Strutz for the photograph that revived happy memories, and to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers on her blog.  https://rochellewisoff.com/