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Thursday 30 April 2015

Back with sanguinity!


I haven't written a post for a long time now. Life didn't run smoothly in the first month of this year. Most of the time I felt ill, drained and exhausted. I didn't get rid of the aftermaths of the flue. I got a couple of other inflammations, had to go to the doctors several times and I couldn't find any strength. I felt like a sick rabbit who wants to creep in his burrow to be not seen or heard until ... yes until when? Until better times come maybe.

I hate to complain partly because I know there are so many people who are having a much rougher ride. And I hate to complain because 
I HATE BEING SICK!!! 
It's driving me cuckoo. 

That's why I stopped blogging, I just couldn't  find any words worth writing. There was nothing for me to say. I had a hard time to cope with daily life. But it didn't stop me from crocheting though. To grab a needle and some nice, colourful yarn felt like a relief and while working up my stitches I temporarily forgot about all sorrow. I did some nice little things in candy colours, something springlike that really soothed my mind.
 
And then after Easter our holiday began. And it's been a wonderful, gorgeous, phantasmagorical holiday! We went to the small Canarian island of La Gomera for almost 2 weeks and within a few days I felt so much better. The weather was gorgeous, about 20 to 24 degrees, the sun was almost always shining and the air felt light and warm. We soon forgot what day or time it was, we went swimming and hiking and strolling around small villages.

Here are a full load of pictures, sorry for that but every time I look at them I feel so happy and thankful that I would love to show you all of our more than 500 pictures we have taken!
To get to La Gomera you have to take the plane to Tenerife and from there you take the ferry to San Sebastian de La Gomera. On the above picture you see Tenerife with the highest mountain, Pico de Teide.
 This is the small town of San Sebastian where all the ferries land. But we had to continue our travel by bus to the wonderful steep valley on the other side of the island - Valle Gran Rey.
The Atlantic ocean there is wild and rough, the waves are strong and the play of colours is magical. If you look over the ocean you may see all different shades of blue, I wish that I could be able to dye yarn in this wonderful seawater.

 My children loved to go swimming in these powerful, head-high waves.
 
 One day we took part in a whale watching tour and we saw lots of pilot whales. But it is so difficult to get a good picture! The boat is rocking and the whales are really fast.
 We had lovely food, I especially loved the ripe avocados there. They taste so much better than the ones you can buy here. We even saw avocados hanging on a tree!
And the Canarian bananas are delicious, as well. They are much smaller than our usual ones and the taste is better. 
 
There is a speciality that is merely produced on La Gomera, the Miel de Palma, palm tree honey. It is a liquid brown honey that is sweet and really, really nice on pancakes. One day we accidentally saw a palm tree that produced the honey. The interesting thing about this honey is that you can only harvest it when it is dark. The palm liquid is spoiled when touching light. 
 And we went hiking, as well. La Gomera is a paradise for hikers. There are so many well signposted trails that it is difficult to decide which trail to choose. The children loved the trail following a brook bed through trees, palms and bamboo. It included quite a bit of climbing, as well.
 I especially loved the trails through the Laurissilva forest, a thick green leaf forest. This forest is not green from rain, instead, it catches the moist carried with the trade winds, which blow from the humid north. The funny thing is that it can often be quite cold and humid, even rainy in this forest and on the Northern part of La Gomera and when you get back (and down!) to the Southern coastline the weather is sunny, dry and warm. 
This is the Pico de Teide of Tenerife again. When the skies are clear and blue you have a fantastic view to the other Canarian islands Tenerife, La Palma and El Hierro.
  
 
La Gomera has been a place for us to relax, to enjoy nature, to find silence and to dance with the Atlantic waves on beaches with black volcanic sand. We spent a most blissful and happy time there and we surely will come back one day.

That's it for today, I hope you are not too exhausted by this overload of pictures. I don't know when I will come back here, I have to go to hospital again next week but as soon as possible I will write the next blog entry about my finished rainbow ripple blanket. I' m so happy, happy, happy with it!


I hope you are well and happy and have lots of nice things going on.

Big hugs,
Viola






  

8 comments:

  1. Dear Viola
    So lovely to read your happy post! and I'm so glad you had such a wonderful and recuperative holiday - really hope everything looks up for you health-wise. Your Springtime crochet is delightful! What happy things to make! Those jar tops - absolutely gorgeous! Have had a very heavy day today work-wise so it's a delight to visit you here at the end of it. Take care - I send you a big hug and lots of well-wishes for next week's hospital visit. E xx

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  2. Amazing holidays and wonderful colourful crochet!!!!
    Take care, xxxxx Ale

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  3. I am glad to read that the holidays made you feel better! And what it wonderful time you seem to have had! Woooww - certainly a place I would like to see one day.

    Hope everything will be alright in the hospital next week.

    Take care
    Anne (Crochet Between Worlds)

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  4. Hello Viola
    I'm so pleased you have managed to post, and what a brilliant post. Your photos are stunning,
    I especially like the last one it's breathtaking.

    Take care of yourself, fingers crossed for your hospital appointment.

    luv
    irene
    xxxx

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  5. Hi Viola! I have just come across your blog and enjoyed all the lovely pictures. I have subscribed to get email updates and read back through some of your previous postings. I have used a variation of the Simply Crochet poncho pattern with and without the cowl neck. I do hope you are feeling much better soon. It's no fun just trying to get through each day when our bodies aren't "up to snuff" as my grandmother used to say. I love your Mandala and wonder if you would share the origin of the pattern?

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  6. I'm so sorry to learn that you have been struggling so much. It makes me sad to think of you feeling poorly especially since I have been unwell too - so many seem to be at the moment, perhaps it is this transitional time of year? - so I have barely had energy to turn on my computer, let alone write some words. I can understand how you feel when the words are just not happening.
    Crochet can be quite a comfort and I have been doing what you did - going offline for a while and resting with some soothing crochet. Your creations are so pretty (as always). I love your little mushroom on your jar top! Cute and original.
    Your holiday looks like it was just the tonic for you. I really do appreciate the pictures because we hear about European friends going on holidays to the Canary Islands quite regularly but I know nothing about them except as a spot on a map. They are a long way away from Australia! Thanks to your photos I now have some images in my mind to associate with the Canary Islands. Beautiful.
    So glad you are feeling better enough to be back on board with your blog. I will take a little more time before getting back to mine, easing myself in gently by catching up on reading and commenting here and there. Thank you for your lovely comments on my blog, Viola. Good luck with your forthcoming hospital stay. Welcome back for now and I look forward to reading more upon your return. I hope you have good news. xx

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  7. Dear Viola I am sorry that you have been so ill, and that you still have to go into hospital...I wish you all the best. I think your crochet is absolutely beautiful....such pretty colours and makes. Your holiday looked wonderful, and I am glad it helped you to feel better. What an amazing place to visit, and what fabulous photographs you took.
    Wishing you well, and sending love.
    Helen xox

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  8. That's a fantastic holiday! I went to Gran Canaria many years ago. Your crochet is beautiful - especially the mandala.

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