Rain and Rainbows. . . saturated with beauty

These past 3 weeks in Tenerife I stared at the green hills and green water and at the end, started to wonder how an island could be so lush and arid at the same time, only seeing a few drops of rain in my entire time there.  Then, as I hung laundry to dry the day before my departure, the storm came.  It poured and poured, proving the resilience in my Costco rain jacket, and giving me one little longing for an American convenience: a clothes dryer.  They just don't have them here.  Nonetheless, I hung my laundry out to mildew and headed to the trails as soon as I saw a break in the clouds.  The breaks were intermittent, but the jacket withheld, and rain generated constant rainbows from afternoon until sunset, making the chill and damp all worth it.  Unbelievably, this island got even more beautiful just as I prepared for departure.  

Travel days tend to have many hurdles, and after what I'd gone through on my two day version of leaving Mallorca, I spent most of the day before in fear of what was in store for me as I prepared to leave for La Gomera.  Early this morning I made it out of the apartment in time for a last sunrise in Las Caletillas, and the hills waved adios to me with endless rainbows, setting me on the colorful path to another great adventure.  12,198 foot Mount Teide was on the other side of those rain clouds, so I decided to spend my morning driving the winding roads, exploring El Parque de National, a sight the guidebooks say not to miss.  Although I'd had some guilt about not treking up to the highest peak in Spain sooner, today proved to be the perfect day for it; Teide had gotten her first winter dusting for 2019.  There were sparkles of fresh snow on the sides of the road, rainbows off in the distance, and just the right amount of clouds to make it all glitter with nature's magic.  I fell in love with Tenerife again on my last day, looking forward to returning as soon as the time is right.  

After an incredible morning in travel denial, down the mountain I drove, practicing what I needed to say to the agents at the ferry and the rental car agency, chanting Spanish phrases over and over to myself in the car.  Although I'm sure it came out as gibberish once I finally spit the words out, it all went off without a hitch.  I needed to get a taxi to the port, and thought of my days in New Orleans sharing cabs, saving a few bucks, and making lots of friends.  I crossed my fingers for the same here in Spain, and while I was trying to negotiate for a better price, my now new friend, Verena, rushed up to the station, frantically crying out in English, "I need a taxi to the ferry!".  I snatched her up and we split the fare.  She's a single, smart, professional woman, staying in the same town I am for the week, along with 3 of her German girlfriends.  Score!  I got a discount on the taxi and a group of girls to hike with on my new island.  Salud!  I gladly treated them to the first toast of their holiday while we got to know each other on the boat ride.  

The day was filled with more rainbows and as much beauty as I've ever experienced, and I landed in my cozy new dwellings.  It's as clean as I would keep my own space, run by a darling man from La Gomera who delights in the details of his apartments, making sure that I have everything I need to be comfortable on his beautiful island.  I arrived just in time to watch the sunset from the terrace that sits just above Valle Gran Rey, where he invites me to use it as my own space, with lounge chairs, sofas, tables, etc.; space to be used for reading, writing, painting, yoga, and gawking at the incredibly beautiful ocean and mountains.  Ciro encouraged me to speak only Spanish with him, allowing me much needed practice, while he speaks perfect English to me, making sure there is no confusion about what I need to know about my apartment.  After sunset I wandered the small oceanfront town that will be my home this week, and look forward to an ocean swim at the beach a hundred meters down the road.  

Nature provides an ever changing landscape when you're staring at an ocean, and I look forward to seeing all the faces of La Gomera in the upcoming week.  I've dropped right in to another slice of heaven.