A weekly review of life as an Expat in Las Palmas Gran Canaria.
Covid in the Canaries.
What will come first? The end of the pandemic or the end of patience.
My experience of Covid in the Canary Islands has been the vast majority of the population has been very compliant with all that has been asked of them.
Mask wearing rules and curfews have, for the most part, been obeyed.
My own experience here in Gran Canaria now is people have become less obedient to Covid rules. On Christmas, day hospitality was required to check people have a covid cert for access. I have been asked for this just once since then.
It looks like business and their customers have lost patience with Covid. Businesses want to survive, and people want to live.
This could be one of those times where people are ahead of the government and have started living with covid.
The courts have agreed to extend the need to show Covid certs to enter hospitality until the 09th of February. For what that is worth.
Tenerife went up to the dreaded Level 4 restrictions this week. For tourists, Level 4 is not much different to Level 3. Bars/Restaurants need to close one hour earlier at midnight. This time last year, Level 4 would have meant closing at 6 pm.
Lanzarote and La Palma moved from Level 2 to Level 3.
Talks about Talks.
The Guinness shortage on the Canary Islands continues. My letter to the Irish Government asking for assistance has been discussed at the highest levels. Still, as the Canary Islands is another jurisdiction, contact between myself and government officials are via backchannels. I expect good news soon. Hang in there.
I love Guinness, but there can be a big difference between the Guinness in Ireland and everywhere else. I have been served some dreadful Guinness abroad.
The worst Guinness I was served was in a bar in Sofia, Bulgaria. It looked like a pint of one-week-old coca-cola.
I looked at it and told the barman I was not drinking that. A guy sitting next to me let me know the bar was Mafia-run, and they were in the bar at the time. I revised my statement. I am not drinking that, but of course, I will pay for it.
As luck would have it, I was walking near the old town on Saturday. I remembered having a Guinness years ago in a bar where you do not expect it.
I asked if they had draft Guinness, and they said yes. I rang a friend, and we enjoyed our first Guinness for a while. I might just keep this place a secret for a while.
New Year sales begin.
Once the three kings day is over, the new year sales start in Spain. Here in Las Palmas, the stores seemed busy.
I always find buying cloaths difficult here in Las Palmas this time of year. Despite having a warm climate all year, the shops are full of winter clothing. It can be challenging to buy summer gear.
Last week I went into a shop looking for some shorts. I was told there were lots of them in the stockroom, but they could not be put on the shop floor.
When I asked why I was told it was because it was winter. I said that would make more sense it was not 30c outside, and if he was not wearing shorts and a T-shirt.
Abandon couch Abandon couch.
My search to buy an apartment here in Las Palmas has gotten off to a slow start.
Arriving during the holidays, I am sure, was not the best time. Hopefully, things will speed up this week. As I will probably be here for the rest of my life, I don’t want to rush, and I want to be sure of my decision.
My temporary accommodation has taken a surprising turn.
I had been staying on a friends couch. I never thought it would be possible to dislike a piece of furniture so much. My back is wrecked. The final straw was when my newly purchased airbed that lay on the couch took a puncture and bought me back down flat onto the couch of pain.
As luck would have it, another friend has a ship in port and offered my accommodation onboard.
I packed my bags. I threw the airbag in the bin. kicked the couch, and made my way to Las Palmas port.
I am not sure how long I will be on board as the ship may be heading for South Africa soon. I have never been to South Africa.
Until next week Hasta Lueago.
Great read Pat.