[Photos taken 27 – 28 November 2021, posted online 19 March 2022. There’s been So. Much. Snow. and So. Many. Storms. since February… and it’s still going. Also, covid has now claimed us all, and Bjarki probably spent a week battling the flu.]
In late 2019, my friend Adda asked if I wanted to join her on a ladies-only trip to Tenerife in March 2020. I was all sanctimonious, couldn’t imagine going without the rest of the family, yadda-yadda, and said no.
She then found a more willing travel partner, but as Iceland’s first Covid-19 case was discovered in late February 2020, that travel partner had to cancel, so Adda and her hubby ended up going instead.
Fast-forward to mid-November 2021, and Adda telling me that ooops, she won’t be going to that concert with me in early December as planned, because the original travel partner and her had made a last-minute decision to finally go to Tenerife. Being absolutely fed up with being stuck in Iceland for so long, I immediately asked if I could join them, and thankfully they said yes!
Thus it happened that in late November, three ladies boarded a direct 4.5 hour flight to Tenerife, where we spent an absolutely marvelous week! (60-ish images)
Saturday 27 November 2021
The view from my hotel room balcony in Tenerife.
Earlier that day: Our bags outside Keflavik airport. Notice the snow on the ground? Ugh!
Due to a quirk in airline pricing, the Saga Class seats at the front of the plane were an extra $120 instead of the usual many many hundreds, so we splurged. One huge benefit is admittance to the Saga Lounge in Keflavik, which is quite nice (… and I only found out about it when I traveled with a seasoned co-worker a few years ago who flew so much they had a standing invitation!)
Complimentary breakfast! Good stuff!
The flight schedule had filled up considerably since the height of covid-19.
Masks required at all times. We flew on Hengill.
Taxi-ing.
Airborne!!
Food is included in the front of the plane, and it’s different from what you can buy in the back.
A little over four hours later we could see land!
Tenerife is a pretty typical volcanic island in the middle of a large ocean, with lots of micro climates. The south-western end is essentially a desert, as the mountain in the middle squeezes out the moisture in the atmosphere blowing south.
It’s weird how hard it is to take level photos from an airplane. This is on our descent towards the airport.
Spots of resort-green among the desert colors.
A way for runoff water?
We showed our covid-19 vaccination papers, and were allowed in. No nasal swab required. It had been so long since I’d seen a luggage carousel that I had to take a photo!
By 2:30 pm we’d arrived at our hotel for the week. We were the only Icelanders there!
My room faced the hotel swimming pool area.
My favorite feature of the room was the walk-in closet by the bed.
Modern bathroom, no complaints!
The other ladies shared a room across the hallway, which had no roof!
A sign of few rain-days.
Next up, a walk down to the beach to look for sustenance.
Pretty flowers!
So lovely!
Food, check!
The snow sludge from the morning fading fast from memory.
Obligatory ocean toe-dip.
Good to know where we were.
Adda looking over the beach below our hotel.
Not bad.
We found a blow-hole!
A little cove on the other side of the ridge.
Been a long while since I’ve seen a cactus growing outdoors.
Madame Adda in a walkway.
Acclimatizing quickly.
Fancy pool spotted.
Included in our stay was a glass bubbly on our first day.
We decided to check out the top sun-deck and found this pool, and a wonderful view.
The hotel pool. This was an ‘adults-only´hotel, which meant the median age was in the 55-65 year age. The older population seemed to hang out by the big pool, while the younger ones (us included) seemed to prefer the top sundeck.
Yes, this will do nicely!
Sun-bathing!!!
Lunch! The food at the hotel was very nice.
Adda had gotten a recommendation for a massage and beauty parlor, so we left her there and hiked to a nearby shopping mall.
I had delusions of jogging, so I got myself a hat, t-shirt, and a water-backpack.
Nice roads.
Back down by the beach, waiting for Adda to finish being beautified.
By 6 pm I was decked out for jogging. Hildur is quite the energizer bunny, and I got swept up by her energy.
Quick stop to stretch by a nearby beach.
The area to our immediate north was very nice looking!
Massive storm gully.
Still alive!
Can you spot the love-birds? There were a lot of couples in the area.
We found a black beach, and a hotel that looked like a spacecraft hovering over it.
Pretty sky.
Looking south. The (plastic?) plank along that beach was weirdly slippery.
Dinner in a trip-advisor recommended restaurant. It was quite packed and we were lucky to score a table.
The first of many mussel meals.
We totally overestimated how much we like to drink alcohol, and ended up leaving a half full bottle…! Ooops!
