Wednesday 1st February - 41°C ?

We arise to cloudless skies and still air. It is much warmer than yesterday but hasn't quite reached the levels shown on the temperature display outside our regular supermarket. Our best guess is mid twenties C. 
We are passing the supermarket on the way to one of R's must do go tos. No Botanic Garden anywhere avoids being visited if R is in town. The one here is quite compact but has the unforeseen plus of free entry. R's expert opinion is that, plantwise, Gran Canaria lags behind Madeira but for birds the opposite applies.
There are a couple of specimens of a bottle brush type shrub that it is labelled 'New Zealand Christmas Tree'. It appears to be a big attraction for some tiny, but distinctive birds called Common Waxbills. We got glimpses of these yesterday but today they are much more visible. They are not resident in the Canary Islands but visitors from Africa, about 150 km away.
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There are also spectacular orange butterflies that apparently are not members of the Butterfly Union that prohibits posing for long enough to allow D to take a photo.
Earlier this week we had bemoaned the fact that we could not make patacones for lack of plantains. Today the Unide supermarket provided and we took some home, as well as pork chops for supper and a couple of bottles of €1.79 vino. It is noted that the Canary Islands are not part of the EU so why can't it be like this in West Lothian?

After lunch we idle about duolingoing and discussing options for pre dinner snacks. Then it is time to go swimming. The pool here must be 200 metres long and the unexpected bonus is that it is heated.
Tonight is patacones night. A treat that we enjoyed in Costa Rica where a barmaid was kind enough to tell us how to make them. Cut plantains into chunks and fry till golden, then squish flat between two plates and fry again.
Teamwork is essential. No one individual could possibly posess all of the skills required. 
Fabulous, especially with salt and white wine vinegar. Hasta luego!

Comments

  1. knownunknown1 February 2023 at 18:21

    105F is unbearable. It's SPF 50 kind of sunshine!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dave W2 February 2023 at 13:34

    It was nothing like that hot, maybe mid 20s C. There must have been a fault with the sensor.

    ReplyDelete

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