We had set off walking from home in search of somewhere to eat and because of the power cut following the storms most places were in darkness and serving limited menus.  We took a route past the Church Square, down towards the harbour area, but then turned left to walk along the front in the direction of the Arona Gran.

Just past the Hotel, at the end of the line of bars underneath the Paloma Beach complex we stumbled across Rumours Restaurant – they had electricity, they were still serving (it was getting late by this time) and they had a table for 6 available – we sat down and checked out the menu!

Now, I know that some people think we should avoid eating ‘British’ food when in Tenerife and I agree that we should all try some of the fantastic Canarian restaurants however it is good to enjoy traditional British cooking now and again and with the choice on the menu at Rumours you won’t be disappointed!

In addition to the Roast Dinners you can choose from Lamb Chops, Steak Pie, Sausages and Steaks and a whole range of Fish dishes and everything is home made and cooked to order.  The sweet menu is outstanding as well with some great choices, I had the Banana Split and it was huge (and very enjoyable too)!

On the business card that I picked up it says ‘Fine Foods Prepared with love and flair‘ – they are not wrong, we had a very enjoyable experience there.

With a friendly atmosphere and the great food this restaurant is often full (we have been back since that first visit) and so it might be wise to call first and make a reservation.  Its easy to find, head for the landmark of the Costamar tower, just along from the Arona Gran at the far end of Los Cristianos and Rumours is directly across the road from there.

The kind of Tenerife Rumours that are worth listening to!

My last post was about retiring to Tenerife (or anywhere for that matter) and was prepared just before some very good friends of ours arrived for a week long holiday, you see they are planning to move here from the UK in a few years time and we had been discussing a number of things that they will need to consider as part of that move.

We had a brilliant time with Alan and Lesley, even ending up taking part in the Puerto de La Cruz Carnaval on the Saturday – that was a great experience for us, watch out for some of the photos that we took that day, (although you may have already seen some on Facebook and Twitter).

We met up with Bitter and Twisted at The Majestic one night and let me tell you it is well worth a visit – a fantastic venue and the shows are superb.  Our faces were aching when we left that evening.

We also spent some time at Roxy Risque’s Blaydon Races, a little nearer to home on The Patch in Las Americas.  Roxy is another great entertainer and the bar is very friendly – have you been since Roxy took over?

Unfortunately I missed out on the last few days of our friend’s holiday as I was ’struck down’ with this nasty virus that a lot of people have had and literally was confined to bed for nearly a week.  Recovered now although as anyone who has had it will know it does leave you extremely tired.

I have a few things to write about soon which I hope will  interest a few of you, a possibility of recovering some money from the Tax Man.  Also an opportunity to invest in a property in Fuerteventura (no, its not Timeshare!) and of course there will be some photos from the Los Cristianos Carnaval parade which takes place next Sunday.

So, until next time take care and don’t forget to let me know of any events that you think people should be made aware of.

Especially at this time of the year when the temperatures are lower and the amount of sunshine available in Britain is at minimum levels it’s very common for the British to start scouring the internet and picking up brochures to look at beautiful holiday destinations as a means of escape.

A recent report showed that of those surveyed 67% were planning on moving abroad at least by the time they retire, and of that 67% a whopping 83% said it was quality of life driving them to consider living abroad because the quality of life achievable in the UK has declined significantly in the past ten years.

This opens up the huge debate that rears its head regularly over here in Tenerife, where it is a common sport to either slag the UK off or stick up ‘at all costs’ – that is not what this is all about today though (we might keep that for a later date!).

No, this is about having made the decision to relocate, things like do you sell up in the UK, should you buy straight away (or even at all) in the country you are moving to?  Is it ‘worth’ buying property again at this time of your life or should you just find your ideal spot and rent thereby leaving the property ownership problems to someone else?  How should you (or even can you) plan this life changing move to give you the least hassle?  I am assuming here that you will not need to work and earn a living when you move, if you do then that is a whole different scenario!

Obviously there are no right and wrong answers to many of these typical questions that you will be faced with, you have to consider your own individual and family circumstances carefully … but also remember that things change too!

You have likely visited the place several times on holiday for maybe one or two weeks at a time and you will love the different things that you come into contact with during those stays … but when you are living in that place will they still have the same appeal to you?  Will you get bored with it all indeed will you be able to keep up with it all?

Deciding where to live can be a major factor in how happy you might be and how quickly.  Living in the UK you have probably lived in a house for most of your life, going upstairs to bed on an evening.  In Tenerife however many people live in apartments (what the Brits usually call ‘flats’), in a complex often surrounded by many other people often of different Nationalities.  Will you miss going ‘up to bed’?

Having said that there are of course houses here too – although they can be called Villas or some other Estate Agent phrase to make them sound exotic and as you would expect they come in all different shapes, sizes and locations.

You will need to decide if you think you would like to live in a town centre, within walking distance of everything, or whether perhaps you would prefer a more rural existence, maybe still within easy reach of the ‘atmosphere’ that you enjoyed whilst on vacation.

Remember that you are moving here to enjoy life, but also bear in mind that if the health of you or your partner deteriorates and you are living in a very rural situation then it may make day to day living a little more difficult.  Can you both drive?  Maybe I should ask that again, can you both drive in Tenerife – some people find they don’t want to ‘learn again’ how to drive on the wrong (right) side of the road.

So, will you need transport living here?  The public transport system is pretty efficient here, but there are places not supported yet and of course there is the convenience factor of being able to go where you want when you want!  Do you bring your own car over here; do you buy new or do you pick up a second hand run around to use as and when.  You could even just strike up a relationship with one of the many Car Hire companies to just hire one when you ‘need’ one.  What about a matching pair of push bikes?

What about your health, how do plan to take care of that, you need to investigate what, if anything, will be available to you from the state system and whether you actually need to purchase and maintain private health cover.  There are many options available and it is important that you find the right one for you taking into account any existing health issues that you may have had.  Don’t bury your head in the sand with this it is important that you have peace of mind.

There are lots of people and companies here that can genuinely offer you support and advice during the process of moving (buy yourself a copy of Tenerife Lifeline for example) but there are probably more people that tell you they can but could cause you a lot of problems.  Remember how you make decisions in the UK – it should be the same way when you are here too.  Listen to the advice that you will undoubtedly get from the ‘man (or lady) in the bar’ but then check it out with someone who you can be sure really knows about these things.

Well, this was going to be a quick and short item, but I think there is so much more to consider that I will finish this now and call it ‘Part 1 – to be continued’’.

Let me know what challenges you came across when planning your move to sunny Tenerife (or wherever you moved to), or if you haven’t made the move yet, what things are worrying you so far, I am sure we will be able to help and point you in the right direction.

After a delay (inevitable these days apparently) we set off and after a good flight I am setting foot on the tarmac at Manchester Airport (wonder if it is the same spot that I left from 6 and a half years ago?) – its not that cold after all, a thaw seems to have started.

Taxi to the hotel and I am very pleased to see how close it is to the Exhibition Centre – this is the view from my 6th floor room, easy walking distance.

After a good nights sleep its off to find Argos where I had reserved the TV that we needed to use to show our Company DVD during the show.  First hurdle to jump here when after queuing the lady behind the till asked ‘who’s name is the licence in?‘ – I had forgotten (no, not realised) that you can not now buy a TV in the UK without proving a licence is in place!  After some hasty discussions we were allowed to go ahead with the purchase and were walkiing through Manchester City centre carrying the 32″ TV.

Off to the exhibition centre (the old GMex) to set up the stand and very pleased with the way things were organised.  The only problem we have, as do all the exhibitors, is that the temperature inside is lower than outside!

We opened to the public on Friday and although much smaller than we were lead to believe have been very pleased with the event so far, today is the last day so hopefully we will have a bigger attendance (there is after all no Football to distract people today).

Clear up time tomorrow and store the bits and pieces until we do it all again in Glasgow next month.  Already looking forward to getting back to the warmth on Tuesday.  I am now even more convinced we are better off in living in Tenerife, yes it is tough sometimes, but looking around the folks of Manchester, wrapped up in the huge coats, scarves, hats and gloves, with few smiles between them, I know where I want to be.

Have any of you recently moved back to the UK, or is anyone contemplating the move?  Let me know how you have found the transition or what you are expecting when you get back.

How long have you lived in Tenerife?

My wife and I have lived in Tenerife now for 3 years starting out in the north of the island Puerto de la Cruz but work was so quiet up there that we decided a move to the south was in order and we haven’t looked back since.

Where do you call home, here or where you were born and why?

We call Tenerife home because this is where we intend to stay for as long as possible, I was born In Dewsbury West Yorkshire and they don’t get enough sun over there.

Now that you live on a Holiday Island, what is your favourite Holiday destination?

At the moment I don’t have a favourite destination but we are looking at one or two possibilities as we haven’t had a holiday for 10 years.

Describe your best memory since living in Tenerife

This is probably going out on a friend’s boat and seeing the Whales and Dolphins in their natural habitat, also visiting Loro Parque for the first time a few weeks ago.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time (keep it clean!).

I spend a lot of my spare time on the computer, but I also enjoy the odd game of mini golf and watching Liverpool play their matches.

Which is your favourite Tourist Attraction?

Loro Parque as it’s the only attraction that we have been to.

Where would you say was the best place to eat and/or drink in Tenerife?

My favourite place to eat is the Peking Garden on the Parque de La Paz (I like a good Chinese Chicken Curry and chips), drinking wise most bars that have a good atmosphere, we tend to drink in AJ’s Bar in Torviscas quite a lot.

What has been your biggest challenge since you arrived on the Island?

Probably the biggest challenge since arriving in Tenerife was getting established on the circuit as it can be difficult some Artists see you as a threat and will offer no help at all although their are a few that will do whatever they can to help.

Is there something that you would really like to achieve within the next 5 years?

I would like to keep as many bookings as I have at the moment and stay financially stable, my biggest ambition would be to sing at the Grand Ole Opry in America, we will be visiting the states next year so you never know.

Tell us something that that few people will know about you?

I am a published Poet, a qualified painter and decorator and Joiner, appeared on both British and American radio and TV, I sang at the birthday party of Sunny West (Elvis Presley’s bodyguard) and also I have never left Tenerife, died or been bottled in the face, (sorry had to put that as this is some of the rumours that have gone around over the last 3 years).

Thanks, Jesse!  Well it seems like the Tenerife Rumour Mill has been at it again but I can confirm Jesse Garon the Multi Tribute Artist singing Country, Rock and Roll and Elvis (amongst others) is very much alive and well and performing nightly at venues throughout the South of Tenerife.

They are part of the way there, due to several generous benefactors, but construction costs will not be small, so there needs to be a fund raising initiative too.

How affordable is this then?  Could you, buy a square metre of land for Live Arico?  Well yes you can, at just €5 per square metre!

For this you will receive a certificate from Live Arico confirming your purchase and once the centre is completed your name and the number of square metres that you bought will be included on a “Roll of Honour” in the welcome centre at the new refuge.

This sounds like a fantastic initiative and should be affordable for most of us animal lovers.  For more information and to find out how you can make your purchase please call Debbie Gibson (on +34 637 918 158) or Suzy Q (on +34 629 388 102) as soon as you can or if you are in the UK and would prefer not to phone an overseas number, let me know and I will make sure the message is passed straight to them.

On the eve 5^th January, children dress in their finest clothes and line the streets with their families to welcome the 3 Kings who ride through the streets on their camels following a procession of dancers and entertainers.  You might have to duck a few times to avoid the handfuls of sweets that are thrown into the crowds!

At the end of the parade, the children wait to pass their letters to the 3 kings, just as a child would pass a letter to Father Christmas in the UK.  Their little faces lighting up hoping that the 3 kings will leave their presents that night.

When the children get home, they leave shoes outside of their house filled with carrots and hay for the camels.  The next morning they are all excited to see the gifts that the 3 Kings have left for them!

Did the 3 Kings visit your house last night?

Another part of the evening is the purchase of a 3 Kings Cake – Rosca de Reyes this is a ring-shaped pastry (tasting similar to hot-cross-bun mixture), covered in sugar and fruit flavoured jellies.

Beware when you bite into it though as often hidden inside is 1 bean and 1 small figure of baby Jesus.  The person that gets the bean has to pay for the following year’s cake.  The person who gets baby Jesus has good luck for the coming year!

I believe there are a few variations of what you can find in one of these delicious cakes.  What did you find in yours?

A lot has happened since then, some good and some bad, but we are still together and looking forward to the next 25 years now.

We have been thinking about our witnesses and wondering what became of them, whilst we are in touch with one of them, unfortunately we lost touch with the others and haven’t seen them for many years!

At the time we used to listen to Alan Robson and his Night Owls programme on Metro Radio and I remember the ’shout out he gave us on his show the night before.  He announced to all listeners that we were ‘off up to Gretna for a quick bang on the anvil‘ – we have smiled at that phrase many times since then.

… and to think certain people said we wouldn’t last 6 months!

Where has this year gone to?  It’s the 2nd January already!

Hope you all had a great celebration on Thursday night/Friday morning, I know we did, the atmosphere was brilliant down near the beach for the Fireworks at midnight although we nearly missed it – we didn’t leave Cheers Bar in time and Cathy had us all running down the streets shouting at us!

Anyway we did manage to see all of the displays around whilst eating our grapes and drinking our cava (as you do!).  They were really good!

When they were over we made a bee line for Dreamers Bar for a quick drink and to say hello to Rob and the Team in there – the new Irish entertainment seemed to be going down well, banging out many of those favourite tunes that we know and love!

After that we wandered along the beach front and up past the Church square to the stage outside the Cultural Centre to enjoy the live band.  I think it was heading up to 2am by this time and we stayed for a few hours before heading home to Cathy’s traditional New Year’s Day breakfast – Curry!

I managed to avoid the Curry but our  gnome, Barney, kidnapped from Leeds before we left was there and he joined in!

Another great party night in Tenerife shared with some brilliant friends.  What did you end up doing?  Don’t forget to send us some photos of your celebrations.