A weekend in Tenerife

On my return from Greece in the summer I wasn’t quite ready to give up the idea of spending my days at the beach and sitting by the pool sipping cocktails so when my friends suggested a winter weekend getaway to sunnier climes I jumped at the chance.

To be honest, the idea of just having a weekend away wasn’t too appealing but because of work commitments it was our only option and I was surprised at just how much we could fit in those two short days… although I may have sacrificed a bit of sleep in the process!

Tenerife is the largest of the canary islands and is situated close to Morocco. We visited the Playa de las Americas which is a purpose built holiday resort. In one way this is great because it is full of everything you need on a package holiday with bars, clubs, restaurants and attractions all within a stones throw away but it was quite disappointing for the photographer within me that loves to find historical buildings and local culture of which there is none, at least not where I was staying. One thing that struck me about Tenerife was just how clean it was, the floors were mostly spotless and they obviously take pride in the area which is probably one of the factors of why it is so popular.

We stayed at the palm beach hotel which had everything we needed although the Wifi was a bit dodgy and kept disappearing and the third bed was a pull out sofa which you don’t really want to deal with if you roll in drunk from the many bars along the strip at 4am (not that I did that of course)

Considering we visited in November the whole area was quite busy and I’m not sure I would like to visit during peak season because I’m sure it will be packed and I much prefer having the opportunity to chill out in the Jacuzzi without a queue of people waiting to use it.

The beach was really nice and considerably empty which I think is because although it was 24 degrees it was really windy, particularly along the sea front. The weather was perfect if you have your surf board with you but a bit messy if you are covered in sun cream and the sand blows all over you making you look like you haven’t shaved in a couple of years.

One thing you will not struggle to find in Tenerife is places to shop or places to eat because they are never ending! We ate at quite a few places which I will blog about separately (watch this space) including a steak house inside the Safari shopping mall. Prices were really reasonable with one restaurant we visited offering a 3 course meal for 7.50 euros. If you like a tipple it is also worth buying alcohol in the shops before venturing out as we found beer for 49 cents and bottles of wine for 1.10 euros.

It was really lovely spending some quality time with my friends who I don’t get to see very often and we are already planning our next trip away. The canary islands have been on my list of places to visit for a long time and I am glad I went to Tenerife, I would love to see what is on offer on the other islands in the future!

Have you ever been to any of the canary islands?

Yum Yum – Stoke Newington

We were invited to a family celebration at Yum Yum Thai restaurant in Stoke Newington and was pleasantly surprised when we arrived at what looked like a plush hotel that was a bit out of place with the surrounding area.

The restaurant is housed in a grand listed Georgian building covered in lights and surrounded by Asian inspired decorative features. The inside is just as impressive with a bar and a relaxed seating area to one side and a formal eating area on the other. It also has a traditional seating area with very low tables where the customers can sit crossed legged on the floor and eat.

We went to Yum Yum on a weekday evening and so it was relatively empty which is just a well because we were in a large group of over 25 and that included some very lively little people that I can imagine would have irritated other diners had there been any close to us.

An Autumn stroll – Avondale park

I’m not really a big fan of autumn, if I’m honest it is probably my least favourite season (only behind winter because that has Christmas!) but I do like to take a stroll and appreciate all the autumnal colours.

I am a Londoner and have lived all over the city but there are so many parts that I am yet to explore. On a recent visit to Notting Hill I came across Avondale park. It is one that I have never heard of before, probably because it is quite small and more of a community park than one that has an influx of visitors.

The park wasn’t very busy although I can imagine that when school finishes it is probably full of kids as it has a great range of climbing equipment suitable for all ages and a picnic area where parents can enjoy a hot drink while the kids play.

I really like the modern structure that houses the toilets and a small tuck shop, the wooden design compliments the rest of the park without looking too out of place.

The infinite mix – A video exhibition

If you have a particular interest in video or just like to see new and innovative work being exhibited then the infinite mix is the place for you!
Situated at The Store in the Strand is a collection of work by 10 different film makers in collaboration with the Hayward gallery and The Vinyl factory.

Each video is completely different and they all last for varying amounts of time (between a few minutes and six hours…yes six hours! But this is mostly just music being played so you dont have to stay that long). Weaving your way through corridors of darkness does seem a bit like your in one of those haunted houses at the fair but then your greeted by large screens, not knowing what your about to watch. A couple of my favourites were

Martin Creed – work no 1701

Martin Creed often focuses on movement and gesture and this is a video featuring a range of individuals crossing a street in New York, he is looking at how people move through the world in different ways and paces, it is accompanied by a jubilant pop song that gives it a celebratory feel which is what I liked about it.

Ugo Randinone – Thanx 4 nothing

This is a video of legendary beat poet John Giorno shown on four large screens placed around the room with various television sets surrounding the space. They all project Giorno in a mixture of long shots and intimate close-ups standing barefoot on stage. He is giving a speech on his 70th birthday, reflecting back on his life and the people and events that shaped it. I found Giorno quite captivating (maybe because I was surrounded by his face) and loved the humour in his speech.

I wouldn’t say all the videos were to my liking, some were just weird but I’d say that there would be at least a couple that would appeal to anyone so it’s worth checking them out.

It is a bit like going to the cinema and not knowing what you’re going to watch and the weird thing is that because of the varying time frames you will go in midway into the film so its worth taking a minute to see what its about before entering.

If you think this exhibition may be something you would like then get down to 180 The Strand (close to Victoria station) and give it a visit. Entry is free and it is open until December 4th.

*images taken from the infinate mix website