It's all up and down

The only complaint I have about the RIU Buenavista is the internet access.  The 'download rigor mortis' commercial certainly applies here as you wait for at least a minute for each connection.  Today we have had enough and bought a week of internet from a local hotspot that we get nicely on the patio of our villa.  So, I am sitting here on the deck, listening to the ocean and looking at the lights of the boats on the sea  -- not a hard life.

We had requested adjoining rooms, but they don't have any.  Instead they offered us a villa -- 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms a big living area and a little kitchen with a lovely deck/patio all around facing the ocean.  In fact, that's where I am now.

Tenerife is the all up and down mentioned in the title.  There is a central volcano peak -- high enough to have snow even now and then numerous smaller peaks all around.  There are a few beaches, but for the most part the shoreline is volcanic rocks jutting into the sea.

I have a cruiser bicycle and it serves me fine.  Mostly I am in the lowest gear grinding up the hills.  The main road is quite narrow without a shoulder and with quite a dropoff so I don't ride there though some cyclists do.  The cars are very considerate but I am just not comfortable enough to have them going by.

If you have mobility issues, this is not the resort for you.  The hotel is on many different levels with ramps and stairs everywhere.  The pools are on different levels and the walkways around are kept open and clean.  I have never seen a zamboni for pool decks before!

The resort is at least 50% Scandanavians -- Norwegians, Swedes, Finns and Danes.  Then there are some Brits and some Germans.  Me, the Canadian, is a novelty.  The grounds are groomed, the palm trees kept beautifully trimmed, the hedges clipped, but the most striking features are the volcanic stone walls -- everywhere, many over 2 m tall.  They are done with minimal mortar to give the impression of dry stone structures.  The same patterning is reflected in the textured concrete walkways which makes for a great deal of gray!

sorry, no pictures yet.