Tenerife

A hotel/resort holiday is not our usual get away  Our holidays are mostly self driven round France or Germany or cruising with Marella although we have stayed at Sea Star hotel in Icmeler a few times.

Having visited the Canary Islands as day stops on our cruises we decided to have a week in Tenerife to explore the island more .... it didn't quite go as expected but we have some super memories. 

It was lovely to see Mount Teide high above the clouds as we flew into Tenerife South Airport, it's Tenerife's largest volcano and is responsible for much of the pumice and black soil found all over the island.

Our flight also flew over our holiday destination. This part of Tenerife has developed mainly through tourism. There's a 10 mile promenade starting in Costa Adeje - further left of my photo - along Playa de las Americas and on to Los Cristianos - a working port on the far right of my photo.

Our hotel was not in the hub of the hotels, bars and restaurants but slightly inland next to the large golf course. It was a 20/30 minute walk to the sea front taking various routes. Our hotel is where the red dot is, the blue dot is a building that featured in our time in Tenerife but more of that later.

We had no knowledge of where to stay and booked the holiday fairly close to actually going away. We chose Villa Mandi simply on value for money and reviews, we booked our self catering package through Tui.

It was a lovely hotel resort, built to look Moroccan or Turkish in style it's apartments were more like small village houses with many walkways and stairs.

Our apartment was on the ground floor and faced the pool with plenty of palm trees. We could see a little bit of the golf course. 

Inside was superb; a small kitchen with fridge, hob and microwave, a lounge with tv, large bathroom with twin hand basins and separate bedroom with plenty of storage space and a very large bed.

We are not sunbathers so did not sit by the pool, we do like the sun to be on our terrace but sadly our terrace was always in shade from having the apartment above so quite chilly sitting out sometimes. This did actually turn out to be a bonus as it also meant we were sheltered from the rain, unlike the sunbathers who were often seen dashing in from the rain, only to be out again as soon as it stopped.

The pool was always busy with people there quite early in the morning but never overly loud, I think it would be in the high season. When quiet the view from our patio was lovely, especially at night.

The first few days were filled with blue skies and a lovely light breeze. We strolled along towards the promenade looking at bars and restaurant menus as this holiday we booked room only (another first). The second day was St Patrick's Day and everywhere had green themed decorations up with the numerous Irish bars preparing for a very busy day.

The coast was lovely, great views in both directions with huge palm trees and gentle waves. A storm was forecast, this has been the worst winter for the Canary Islands with rain and high winds most weeks which is unusual, people holiday here for some winter sun. By the third day the wind was quite strong and the dark clouds moved in.

The main mile in Playa de las Americas is known for its high end shops, plenty of restaurants and the famous Hard Rock Cafe. It was all a bit blingy for us with everything obviously built for tourists, although impressive we missed seeing old buildings.

The promenade goes through a tunnel as it enters Los Cristianos which has been decorated with some amazing artwork. The detail is incredible and certainly makes a feature of what otherwise would be plain concrete. The turtles were my favourite, so beautiful.

Our island stops whilst on our Canary Island cruises has sparked an interest in succulent and cactus plants. We now have quite a few at home but nothing the size of those in Tenerife, some are many years old, they grow so well on the dry volcanic soil.

Of course our holidays wouldn't be our holidays without discovering and enjoying food & wine. We had some lovely meals out, a full English breakfast one morning, as well as cooking in our apartment. 

The Cava from the local Mercadona supermarket was superb, I'm not a Cava fan but this was lovely, maybe because is was semi secco so not very dry.

We found bottled wine to be surprisingly expensive, maybe because we were in a touristy area and not really Canarian wine so we took a chance on boxed wine... it was ok but nothing special.

We did however try and really really like the Tenerife Barraquito, a layered cocktail of condensed milk, Liqueur 43, black coffee and frothy milk.

And of course on St Patrick's Day we did go to the Irish bars where a pint of Guinness was a must, as was wearing a Guinness hat hee hee

Unfortunately day four of our holiday things changed.... the weather was very wet and very windy. We stayed at the apartment in the day but did go out later for a meal in a Spanish Tapas restaurant we had prebooked. Plans changed as the restaurant was closed with a handwritten note on the door, we're not sure but the rain was causing flooding and it was a cellar restaurant.

We had a lovely meal at a restaurant on the promenade all be it under the tentage with the rain pouring down. Taking a taxi back to the hotel everywhere was wet and unfortunately I tripped up rushing into the hotel. 

After a few hours in the hospital (the blue dot on the photo) we returned to the hotel early hours of Friday, me with a broken right wrist (plastered), a right black eye, a bruised left hand, two bruised knees and broken glasses. 

A return visit to the hospital for a fit to fly document followed the next day. The weather was not great for the rest of the week with lots of rain and high winds.

It was not how we thought our holiday would be but with Hubby's help and dodging the showers when venturing out we still enjoyed our last few days .... cake and wine sort out most of life's hiccups. 

I am now under the care of our local hospital and hopefully the cast will come off soon and all will be well for our upcoming cruise.

Tenerife was not what we expected, the area we stayed in was very touristy, maybe we should have stayed in the north of the island. It has made us realise that we enjoy our cruises where we can explore a new place every days out and our European road trips where we are free to roam and explore more than hotel resorts but it's always good to see the world and we did discover Barraquitos!

Valentine's Day Wine Tasting

Last month Hubby and I hosted another wine tasting evening for our friends, there was no definite theme although we did include a few nods to it being Valentine's Day.

The room always looks good when everything is set up; glasses, quiz sheet and importantly the wine list with tasting notes.

It had been requested that we try new wines which is a little tricky as we have been hosting these evenings for over 12 years, probably 3 times a year ... that's a lot of wines already tasted. 

However with new wines in our supermarkets appearing and our recent trip to The Wine Society we did serve 12 new wines.

Our evening started with Asda's Wine Atlas Garda made from Garganega grapes using the charmant method when the second fermentation is in large stainless steel tanks. This was a lovely sparkling wine enjoyed by everyone with flavours of red apple and lemon sherbet.

Our rose and white wines all had something interesting on their labels and were from France, Austria, Sicily and Portugal 

As we were trying new wines our French wines were my favourites with a difference. I have enjoyed Duo de Deux Mers from the Wine Society many times but it was a first to try Duo des Plages, a rose made from Cinsault and Grenache. From Rousillon in Southern France this rose had plenty of fresh fruit with a smooth finishing giving a subtle grapefruit flavour.

I really enjoy Sauvignon Blanc from the Tourraine region in the Loire Valley and this white caught my eye with its unusual spelling, Le Cheteau. It was very much enjoyed by those who like Sauvignon Blanc.

Carricante from Sicily is a new tasting for our group. Wine making is an important part of Siclian heritage with this grape variety being grown in Eastern Sicily for at least 1000 years. Carricante wa a light wine with floral notes and peaches flavours with a subtle mineral edge to its finish.

Our other two wines were from The Wine Society, one was in their Enomatic Wine tasting machines, the other had an unusual label depicting a bell. 

Gemischter Satz from Familie Mantler was a delicious Austrian wine made from two grapes we had tried before and a new variety. This unoaked white was 80% Gruner Veltiner, 15% Muller-thurgau and 5% Muskateller. It was a really good wine that we would not have discovered if it hadn't been an offered tasting at The Wine Society.

The bell on the label of Casa Ermeinda Freitas Sino Grande pays homage to the daily rhythm of the Vineyard that was established in 1920. From one of Portugal's largest producers this wine made using Fernao Pires, Antao Vaz and Verdelgho was full of apple flavours with citrus high notes.

All our red wines had striking black and red labels,  nod to Valentine's Day.

Our first wine was Asda's Extra Special Sicilian Reserve. A Nero d'Avola wine full of dark fruits with a superb note of chocolate on its finish. Produced in a warm Mediterranean climae with cooling coastal breezes it is aged in French oak barrels before a further 12 months maturation in the bottle.

Staying with an Italian wine our next tasting was Masso Antico Primivito from Puglia. It's name is taken from Masseria, an old farmhouse on their first vineyard that was covered in old gnarled vines, hence the detail on the label.

Four Portuguese varieties were used to make this delicious deep red wine; Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Cao. Beefsteak The Beast is matured in port barrels and as its name suggests pairs well with steak.

From The Wine Society and full of dark fruits flavour Baccolo Appasimento Rosso Veneo was enjoyed by everyone. A tribute to the ancient wine divinity Baccus, Barcelona had intense flavours from the Merlot and Corvina being partly dried before pressing.

Our final red was from one of my favourite French wine producers, Cellier des Dauphins. The Reserve Intense is a blend of Cotes du Rhone grapes Grenache and Syrah with the addition of Mourvèdre giving a complex flavour of blackberries, blueberries, plums, spice and vanilla.

All the reds were very well received, each having subtle differences that highlighted the right pairing and occasion for each to be enjoyed.

Our final tipple of the evening was Asda's Espresso Martini Cream Liqueur. I did think of pouring everyone a Baby Guinness but as this had very similar flavours I thought it worth a try as an easier pour. It was delicious, a great easy drink but not quite a Baby Guinness shot or Espresso Martini. 

Another super tasting with a few extras for Valentine's, I wonder what wines will be next!

Coventry Charterhouse - National Trust

National Trust have been working on saving Coventry's Charterhouse which has had a varied history over hundreds of years. Although I lived in Coventry for a short while I didn't know about it although Hubby who was born in city did know it was there.

It is not a furnished property, National Trust have focused on the building and how it has changed with various occupants. Built in the late 1300s it was originally a monastery with cloisters and a church, both destroyed in Henry VIIIs reformation. During the reign of Elizabeth I it was home to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and later John Whittingham who built the walled garden and cultivated a nursery. The house and grounds did fall into decline after beings a children's home, an old aged pensiors house and a training centre.

Inside the house there are many examples of the various occupants and styles of the times. One of the main changes is the addition of a second floor splitting the monastery's original huge dining hall in two and making more rooms on a first and second floor.

On the first floor there remains some amazing wall paintings. They are thought to have survived thanks to subsequent owners covering them with panelling. The black and white painting is from the 1500s and depicts wealth with fruits and plants, it has had additions as it is not all by the same artist, the main figure may be depicting Robert Dudley. 

The coloured painting has been split by the addition of the second floor, this is apparent with it showing only the lower part of people, in particular Jesus's crucification being just his feet on the cross.

Outside there is evidence of the church with one wall remaining and it is hoped some archaeology be done on the site to discover more. There has already been some features of the cloisters found, these have been placed in one of the garden walls. In the far corner a apple store still survived, thought to be an 18th century folly. 

It was a great day exploring a local National Trust property with of course a coffee and scone in the cafe. With extensive parkland it's a great place to visit, a lovely green space in the middle of Coventry, I hope we visit again when the plants and flowers are in bloom. 

The Wine Society

We've been members of The Wine Society for over 10 years and have attended their wine tasting events in Birmingham and Leicester. 

It's £40 to become a lifetime member which opens up a huge variety of wines with free delivery on every bottle. There is no requirement to buy a certain quantity to receive lower prices, the wines are the price displayed and even a single bottle is delivered free of charge.

We haven't visited The Wine Society Cellar in Stevenage before although we did visit their beautiful Cellar in Montreuil-sur-mer in France, sadly now closed. They host many tasting and members events at Stevenage so we booked for a drop in tasting, the Premier Inn is just up the road making a perfect weekend away .....until, due to technical maintenance, the tasting was cancelled but as the Cellar shop was still open until lunchtime and our hotel booked we travelled to Stevenage as planned.

The Wine Society is huge, they do offer a warehouse tour which we hope to do one day. I loved the layout and feel of the Cellar with some bottles laid in racks and comfy leather chairs. There was a huge range of French wines, I did spot a white Chateauneuf-du-Pape which of course was added to our order.

There was a huge variety of Champagne and Sparkling Wine which we didn't really look at, I was too absorbed with the lovely Old World selection. Another good reason to visit again and who knows next time we may be allowed 'in the cellar' ... yes I want one! 

The Cellar at The Wine Society has two Enomatic Wine counters which serve a tasting of wine at the push if a button. There was a great selection from all wine countries and a variety if producers. I really liked the Ardèche Viognier and in the red selection The Society's Corbière's and the Lascar Carmenère.

We ordered a selection of wine to be delivered on Wednesday, and they arrived as promised today at the time given by the courier. I ordered my favourite Duo de Deux Mers Sauvignon along with the Chateauneuf-du-Pape. In our red selection we ordered The Society's Cote du Rhone which is produced by Domaine Jaume who we have visited in Vinsobres. 

The Wine Society staff also gave us a bottle of Verdicchio because of the tasting cancellation which was very generous of them. 

Although not our day as expected we really enjoyed our visit to The Wine Society and are now looking forward to trying our wine purchases at home and hopefully visiting Stevenage again.