Lanzarote

Sunday 7th December

I had arranged to meet Vi at 11am in order to explore with her. Outside the ship, she met some friends who advised us to take a taxi instead of the shuttle bus. The bus would cost $4.50 each way but would leave us about ten minutes' walk from the shops. A taxi would cost €8 each way and would take us right to the shops. We checked the price with the taxi driver before getting in, but the journey was a bit of a battle. He kept wanting to take us to see the volcano instead. We kept saying ‘Shops’. Eventually we got there.

Vi loves shopping but forgets what she has and often never wears the things she has bought. They get taken to charity shops without ever having been worn. We explored the shops and found a few items that she liked and a dark green top in Zara that I bought. 

We sat outside with a revolting cup of coffee each (whipped cream and cinnamon on top!) while I accessed the internet. I had purposely bought an iPad mini so that it would fit in my bag on port visits, but hadn't had a chance to use it off the ship before this.

We then walked down to the shore and sat in the sun to eat rolls and banana bread (taken from the ship’s buffet) and just enjoy the warmth. It was all so different from the cold of the UK. I had been warned that there was not much to see in Lanzarote. It's great for water sports but not much else. We were onboard by 2.30.

Judith was finally out of her cabin, and I managed to catch up with her at afternoon tea. Some restrictions still applied: she could not visit the crowded buffet for another two days. Waiter service must be that little bit safer if there is any chance of passing on an infection.

Of course I went dancing that evening. I arrived about 9:30. The sea was rather rough at times and we were dancing uphill and downhill.