December 11th.

Dear Heidi,

We had such a good time with you in Tenerife! We love how calm and confident you are, and how well you are doing on the Ship. You are working hard and this shows in the praise all your teachers have for you, and of course in your grades. Well done!

Whilst you were here we did so much, and saw So many of the aspects of life here in the Canary Islands. From the churches and nativities, the historic town centres and the ghastly touristy south side, the mountains, desert landscapes and forests to the volcanic summits and the sandy beaches.
I hope that your shoulder has responded well to the treatment from the physio, and the strapping is helping. Don’t forget to do your exercises!

We waved you off (eventually) and then Pappa and I drove along the front. You remember the white concert hall like a cobras head? Beside that there is a rocky hill that is covered with palm trees and other tropical plants. It is a botanical garden, and we raced along its pathways to the view point looking out over the sea. We got a lovely last view of you all, disappearing into the misty horizon.
Later on, back at the villa, your shipmate C’s father from Quebec came to dinner at our lovely restaurant, and we had such a friendly evening with him. We all three got on so very well. We are looking forwards to seeing him again in Miami.

The next day, Pappa was ill. He had sunstroke, I think, from standing watching the ship depart, and had a fever and chills and now has a cough. So we didn’t do much for that day, certainly not going to the English church as I had hoped. But never mind. We just rested quietly, and had a light lunch in the terrace cafe. Today we have bought more painkillers and a ventolin inhaler for him, and then had a quick trip into the city, where I bought the last pair of slippers the same as yours, but a paler grey, I think. We had some pasta for lunch and then headed back to the villa. On the way, however, Pappa diverted to visit a little vineyard he had heard about. ( The one here, Casa del vino, is shut on Mondays). It was well worth searching out, as we were personally shown around by the owner, who is producing the same wines as the original vineyard owner ( the first governor of the island, a Conquistador in the 1500s) so we really did find the “ Canary wine” that I was hoping to taste, that is written about in Shakespeare, and other classic literature.

So now we are all packed up. The fircones weighed nearly 4 kg and took up a whole side of a suitcase! Oops! Apparently the UK is totally snowed in, with minus 6 to minus 13 depending on the area, and icy as well. So we can only hope that our plane will arrive here tomorrow and that the roads will be cleared by the time we land. In the mean time, the grey clouds and morning drizzle here have turned into pouring rain, and we are ready to say adios to Tenerife.

With so much love my darling daughter,
Mamma.