Baby It's Cold Inside

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Palm trees on La Gomera
 We managed to squeeze in another week away, this time making the excuse of dark winter days to snatch a quick stay on to La Gomera in the Canary Isles. Prior to the pandemic we had frequently taken a long haul trip at some point between November and January most years, after discovering that a quick burst of sunshine really does help us cope with the short days and cold temperatures that haunt the upper reaches of the Northern Hemisphere at this time of year. I guess you could call it a Vitamin D replenishment/Serotonin boosting visit. Just what the doctor might have ordered if we had thought to ask him.

Beach on La Gomera
 As you can imagine with blue skies for most of the week and temperatures in the high 20's, it was somewhat difficult not to feel relieved, smug even, to discover that our travels just happened to coincide with a sub-zero Arctic blitz at home. Moreover we hadn't flown half way round the world to find it and in fact hadn't even strayed out of our customary time zone. With its casual atmosphere, unspoilt countryside and contained tourism it remains a beautiful island mainly untouched by the over-development of its neighbouring big brothers and sisters; a perfect winter's destination one might even say.

It has not been quite so good to return home. Leaving the airport we drove back in minus 3˚ but nicely cocooned within the warmth of the vehicle and with well gritted roads it was of little impact. Entering the house, however, at 11pm was a different story: 7˚ according to the thermometer in the hall. Yikes, it felt chilly even after we'd turned the heating on full blast and retired to bed cuddling hot water bottles.

The severe cold is, of course, continuing and whereas a couple of days ago I was feeling warm in shorts and vest, I'm now layered up sufficiently that I surely resemble an abominable snowman.

Swimming pool at Jardín Tecina on La Gomera
 However, that doctor whom we never consulted was absolutely right. Missing the overly hectic build up to Christmas, a tan on our legs and a smile on our faces really is the tonic needed to confront the worst of wintry conditions, indoors or outside.

Comments

Treaders said…
Pre-pandemic I liked to do a long-haul trip around February or March. It helped break up the seemingly never-ending winter and I felt all was right with the world when I got back. I'm going to Holland in April (so not long haul) but will check out somewhere nice for next autumn. Fingers crossed, it will be good to travel again. And good luck with the cold back home!
16 December 2022 at 15:32
Caree Risover said…
Yes, it’s definitely a retirement thing to be more conscious of the impact of winter whereas when I was working it sometimes made the commute more difficult but that was it and generally I’d rather have been in the office then than in the summer. Indeed in those days any winter trips were normally for active weeks usually in the Alps where it was colder than at home. Nowadays, the winter certainly imposes on our lifestyle to an extent it never seemed to before and even just a few days of warm sunshine helps get us through it. Good luck for your own plans.
16 December 2022 at 20:42
Bob Lowry said…
It's intetesting how different geographic locations affect our choices. To me, in the sothwest deserts of the U.S. the Canary Islands seem fantastically remote and exotic.

To you it is a simple flight without even a time zone difference to mark the change.

You remind me that travel really has the ability to shrink the way someone sees the world.

17 December 2022 at 15:57
Caree Risover said…
That was a thought provoking comment, Bob. More so because until this year we had very much associated winter sunshine with a need to travel further afield when, of course, the Canary Islands are just a 4 hour flight away. La Gomera has the added complication of onward travel by ferry from Tenerife but that’s partly why it is quiet and unspoilt in comparison.
17 December 2022 at 16:34
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