Ten winters in Tenerife E-Book

Horst Pape

• Herausgeber: novum publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 425

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

The widely traveled, adventurous, skat- and soccer-loving retiree Paul and his wife Erika are fulfilling a dream: they are buying an apartment in Puerto de la Cruz on Tenerife and spending ten additional springs in winter on the island. In doing so, they are confronted with interesting lifestyles, traditions and landscapes. They learn a lot about the history of the island and make new friends and acquaintances. Paul meets the Guanche Waldemar from Bollullo beach before the first winter. The hermit living in a cave has a secret. Will Paul one day learn Waldemar's story? Let yourself be surprised by an exciting mix of autobiography and fiction.

Leseprobe

dedication

The author would like to thank his daughter-in-law Mara, his neighbor Anita and his colleague Richard for their friendly support in proofreading and various suggestions for wording.

Chapter 1

Los Cristianos

It was on Sunday, January 3, 1982, when Paul was suddenly awakened from his usual afternoon nap. Sleepily, he rubbed his eyes and then saw his sixteen-year-old son Peter in front of him. At first he wanted to complain about this disturbance, but then he thought better of it when he saw sparkling blue eyes.

"What is it, my son?" Paul smiled questioningly. "Excuse me, father, yesterday my friend Detlef told me about his holiday in Tenerife. He is very enthusiastic about the island and even gave me a brochure about it." "Yes, and?" Paul asked. "The island is supposed to be a true natural paradise, and I think that should make it a good choice for you and your mother to find a suitable holiday destination," Peter beamed expectantly. "Suggest it to your mother," Paul grumbled and turned away again. Paul had had a stressful week. As the responsible district manager, he had to check the inventory work in some of the shops he supervised and was therefore still very tense.

Since Paul's wife Erika has always had a say in the planning of family vacations, the suggestion to tell her mother was very justified. Even since her two sons did not always want to travel with him and sometimes went their own way, this arrangement remained.

Bernd, the three years older of the two sons, had begun an apprenticeship as a landscape gardener after graduating from high school, successfully completed it and shortly afterwards moved into his own apartment with his girlfriend Sabine in Duisburg.

Unlike Bernd, his son Peter was a restless spirit. He still attended the Filder Benden high school in Moers, but just sitting in school wasn't enough for him. In his free time, he repaired old mopeds and then sold them. He also supplemented his pocket money by running a bread delivery service before school started. But he didn't want to give up traveling with his parents just yet.

Paul could no longer think about sleeping, not least because the reference to Tenerife was starting to bother him. When Erika invited her men to dinner, the subject of Tenerife faded away a little, but not for Peter. Although there was one of his favorite dishes, green beans with ketchup, he stuck to the subject of Tenerife: "Mother, you can certainly relax well in the wonderful climate of the island, and I'm sure father can too," he smiled mischievously. "And it's good for me to be a little distracted before the upcoming high school exams."

"When would we be able to meet?" Paul asked. "For me, because of the Easter holidays, the end of March would be the best time. But how does it work for you and your mother?" Peter asked angrily. "I could take the date," Paul said after thinking about it for a moment. "Especially as I have to postpone my bachelor trip this year from March to May because one of my two friends is unable to make it in March. But let's hear what your mother thinks," Paul nodded and then looked at Erika with Peter. And what did they see? An amused smile. "Dear Peter, that's a bit too sudden for me, I have to look at my appointment calendar first, but I don't think it's a bad idea."

Perhaps Erika also thought that for two years the family had only been able to take short trips within Germany and abroad for special reasons, so a longer trip had to be considered. After twelve job-related relocations, Erika and Paul had bought a semi-detached house in Moers, which had taken a lot of nerves from Erika and a lot of Paul's limited free time. But now they finally felt at home here on Germendonkskamp in Moers.

Erika and Paul, she born in Hildesheim and he in Dortmund, were able to build up a wider circle of friends here for the first time during their marriage.

For Erika, it was a fun Yahtzee group that met once a month at her place, at Tutti's, Beate's or Margret's, and also for joint trips to the surrounding area. Paul also calmed down again; he met up with his neighbor Clemens and his sports friends Norbert and Artur for a skat evening on the first Thursday of every month. On Wednesday evenings, he almost always played sports, and he met with sports enthusiasts in the gym on Germendonkskamp to play fistball and then football tennis under the guidance of coach Bernhard from MSV-Meerbeck after a warm-up session. So it was inevitable that the circle of friends grew and Paul's cellar bar became a place for communication in cozy circles on some weekends.

These pleasant additions to their private time not only enlivened Erika and Paul's married life, they also gave Paul new and positive impulses in his professional work. He became more relaxed and in some ways more understanding, while Erika became calmer, more balanced and happier after twenty-three years of marriage and the exhausting task of caring for children.

After lunch, the family tidied up, and father and son took it upon themselves to do this so that Erika could study her schedule. After this work, the two men went into the living room, where Erika was already there, to watch the sports show. Peter, however, could no longer contain his curiosity, looking at his mother. "Mother, what does checking your schedule say?" Erika smiled: "Everything is clear for me, I could be there," was her short reply. "Thank you," laughed Peter, "that's great." He said it and stormed into his room on the first floor to get the holiday brochure. "Well, look at that," Paul was now also happy as he leafed through it. "A bungalow with two bedrooms in a beautiful complex near the beach in Los Cristianos," he read out. "What do you think?" he then asked Erika. "Not bad, and the price is right too," Erika agreed. “Then, if you agree, I will make everything perfect at the travel agency on Monday,” Paul suggested, laughing.

And at the end of March their wait was finally over. A plane took off from Düsseldorf Airport with the destination of Tenerife South, and Erika, Paul and Peter flew to their new holiday destination full of anticipation.

Los Cristianos is located in the south of the island, not far from its destination airport, and is about 70 kilometers from the island's capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the north of the island. Here in the south, a considerable tourist center developed around the tiny fishing village of Los Cristianos in the 1970s. However, the area was already known in the 16th century, because a harbor had already been built there, from which ferries left for the islands of El Hierro, La Gomera and La Palma. In 1924, a chapel was built in Los Cristianos for the steadily growing population, and from the 1960s, due to the favorable climatic conditions in the south of Tenerife, several nursing homes were established, especially for people with lung diseases and their rehabilitation, which also marked the beginning of the tourist development of Los Cristianos. To accommodate the flourishing tourism, the first sections of beach along the south coast were artificially created using sand from the Sahara, and since then these promenades have left nothing to be desired. Restaurants, cafés and all kinds of different shopping centers, both small and large, offered everything you could expect in a holiday resort.

The hotel, the surrounding park and the wide beach lived up to what the holiday brochure had promised. Erika and Paul were also very impressed by the surroundings of this place. "You can go on holiday here," they said happily.

With hikes and a variety of sightseeing, they didn't miss any of the highlights on offer. And whenever they were in the complex during the day, the three of them frolicked in the large swimming pool and then enjoyed a bath in the sun on the lounger.

A few days before the end of their stay, the three of them attended an entertaining variety show in Las Américas, which was followed by Costa Adeje, Torviscas, Playa de Fañabé and La Caleta, and here Peter was able to crown his holiday adventures. With his ticket number, he won a bottle of champagne in the announced raffle, which he opened after briefly cooling down and enjoyed with his parents after returning home to their holiday hotel.

"Why is this place on the coast of Tenerife called Las Américas when all the other coastal towns sound Spanish?" Peter asked during their cozy get-together. Paul looked up in interest, but Erika knew: "The name is supposed to refer to the famous US actors Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The couple had vacationed in Santa Cruz in the north during the tourist boom that was starting here in the south, and were well advised to buy an entire apartment complex in the planned holiday resort, which years later would prove to be their most profitable investment." "If that's true, it was certainly clever of the two business-minded stars of the American film industry," Peter remarked, yawning wearily. Yes, he had let off steam. He thanked his parents for the successful evening and then retired to his room in an adjoining building.

The three of them spent an unforgettable and lasting holiday on this previously unknown sunny island in the Atlantic Ocean. The relaxation was clearly good for Erika and Paul. They had seen Peter take part in wild water fights in the pool with like-minded people and had fun on long tours through challenging terrain on a rented moped. Their walks, short hikes and organized bus tours in the surrounding area were also an enrichment for them. They felt very comfortable here. "We'll fly here again," Erika was convinced.

For professional reasons, Erika and Paul had to leave Moers after five eventful years. This was necessary because Paul had been appointed purchasing director at his employer's Frankfurt headquarters. However, they did not let the contact with their previous circle of friends break off. They were able to sell their property cheaply and now moved into a rented single-family home in Rödermark, a town near Frankfurt am Main.

Paul and Erika owned an idyllic two-family house in Brombachtal-Hembach, which Paul had had built fifteen years previously and which was intended to be their retirement home, but because of the long journey to Paul's new place of work, they did not want to move there yet. Instead, Paul fulfilled a lifelong dream for his parents, Lotte and Peter. They left their home, Paul's birthplace in Dortmund-Hombruch, when father Peter retired from working life as a miner, and then felt very comfortable in the village of Hembach, in the middle of the Odenwald with a vegetable garden right next to the house. The saying "You don't transplant an old tree" did not apply to them; in the midst of nature, they literally blossomed, challenged by new tasks. But Erika and Paul also spent a lot of free time here with their children in their holiday apartment on the upper floor, which the grandparents and their grandchildren Bernd and Peter were happy about.

Unfortunately, Paul's father died after a short but serious illness in 1988. From then on, mother Lotte was visited more often, and Christmas was only celebrated at her house in the Odenwald.

"Where do we want to celebrate New Year's Eve this time?" Erika asked Paul shortly before Christmas in 1990. Paul remembered Tenerife, and so the two decided to spend a short break on the island at the turn of the year. Paul booked a stay from December 27th to January 5th at the Hotel Botanico in Puerto de la Cruz, in the green north of the island. The two had previously spent holidays in La Caleta and on the Costa Adeje in previous years, but they had not yet known the north of Tenerife. The hotel was surrounded by a large enchanting garden and offered all the amenities that made a stay an unforgettable experience. Above all, however, Erika and Paul agreed: "We have seen a lot, travelled a lot, but here in the green north of the island we feel like we can only feel in paradise." And it was this short break that fulfilled all their expectations, after that they only had one preferred holiday destination, Tenerife. Here it was Puerto de la Cruz where they felt at home. From then on they took almost every opportunity to visit this paradise.

Away from the holiday experiences, however, the family’s life continued as usual.

Six years before Paul's retirement, Erika and Paul were thinking about moving again, and it would be their last. After their rented family home in Rödermark had been broken into twice in a relatively short space of time, which Erika suffered most, another change of location became necessary. For understandable reasons, moving to the house in the Odenwald, which had originally been intended as her retirement home, was no longer an option for Erika. The rooms on the upper floor were too small for that. And so both Erika and Paul thought again of Moers, their new and old home. With the friendly help of Paul's sports friend Rüdiger, the experienced savings bank director, they quickly managed to buy a very nice place to stay in the Schwafheim district. They decided on the ground floor apartment in a two-family house with a six hundred square meter garden, which their son Bernd and his employees redesigned according to his ideas and to Erika's delight.

Now a time of weekend marriage began for the two of them. Because of his professional commitments, Paul now lived with his still sprightly seventy-seven-year-old mother in the Odenwald on weekdays, while Erika had to settle back into life in Moers on her own. Paul's mother was naturally delighted with this solution, as she could now spoil her son again when he was in the country. Due to his job, he worked abroad for five months of the year.

In December 1996, Paul retired after more than forty-two years of working for the same company, and from then on, Moers was once again his home.

The leisure activities with old acquaintances and sports friends in Moers quickly became a daily routine again, which Erika supplemented with weekly gymnastics evenings and Paul with monthly bowling evenings. In the long run, this was not enough for Paul. When Bernhard, the trainer of the Wednesday sports group, retired for reasons of age, he accepted the challenge and obtained his trainer's license at the Duisburg-Wedau sports school and then tried his luck as a trainer, to the delight of his sports friends, who enthusiastically joined in.

Chapter 2

The decision!

Whenever Paul wanted to describe his love of travel, he would say: “It’s better to see it for yourself than just hear or read about it.” For him, traveling was the best way to get to know the world better.

This also applied to his annual four to six-day "cultural tours" with his colleagues Peter, Reinhard and Siggi, with whom he had already visited almost all of Europe's capitals. Erika was happy for him to go on these trips, especially since they always inspired Paul to travel with his family. He had already visited the Netherlands with his family, and had travelled to Austria, England and Denmark. And when the children had left the nest, he travelled with Erika to the USA and Canada, and to several countries in Asia and Africa, and he considered their joint trip to Australia to be a special occasion. Within Europe, the two were particularly interested in Italy, Hungary, Poland and France, and finally Spain and Portugal. It was only in their more mature years that they visited the Nordic countries of Sweden, Finland, Lithuania and Norway, and with great interest also Russia. And so the two could say with a certain pride that they had already visited half the world.

But what was it that kept driving them back to Tenerife and especially to the north of the island? In the Canaries they had already visited the islands of Gran Canaria and Lanzarote, but none of these islands had impressed Erika and Paul as much as Tenerife. "It's the eternal spring, with its evergreen, paradisiacal nature," Erika smiled in response to such questions.

And so it was no wonder that in February 2010 the two decided to spend their upcoming holiday in Puerto de la Cruz in the north of Tenerife at the Hotel Bahia Principe San Felipe. From here they expected a wonderful view of the Playa de Martiánez and the Atlantic Ocean. Since they already knew the place and its surroundings, they spent their first few days here mainly in the tropical gardens and at the hotel pool, where they were also able to indulge in the excellent cuisine from morning to night.

Paul felt very comfortable here, because after the coldest and snowiest winter weeks of the last two years at home, he would have liked to continue his relaxing idleness, but Erika would not allow this. She was interested in the history of the country and its people, and Paul should also be involved in this. She therefore suggested getting to know Puerto de la Cruz better.

Puerto was founded in 1604, although people had lived and worked here a century earlier. Even then, a simple port was built, although the conditions on the north coast facing the Atlantic were not particularly inviting. Further economic development required an expansion of the port, and so the "Puerto of Araotava" was created. From around the middle of the 16th century, the wine trade flourished here in the Orotava Valley and gradually became more and more important. Vines were planted on a large scale, and this created many new fields of activity for the people in and around Puerto. Coopers and transport workers, shipmen for loading and many others and their families found new sources of income, which meant that the population continued to grow. In 1604 there were perhaps 50 houses and 220 inhabitants, but by 1707 there were already 630 houses with 2,830 inhabitants. At the end of the 19th century, tourism began to grow, still a small plant, and then exploded after the Second World War. As a result, Puerto de la Cruz was declared a "place of tourist importance" by the Spanish government in 1955. In 1963, the structural redevelopment of the town began, culminating in the construction of the 24-storey Hotel Belair. The reconstruction of Lago Martiánez in 1971, based on designs by the architect César Manrique, marked the beginning of a return to tradition and a naturally designed landscape, as can still be seen today at Playa Jardín, designed by the same artist, at the western end of the town. On May 23, 2006, the Government of the Canary Islands declared the town centre of Puerto and some outlying buildings as a whole a Site of Cultural Interest.

Erika was not used to lying around for long, and she did not like it either. She therefore suggested that they should get to know the district of La Paz, which in English means "peace", which they had once visited as guests of the Botanico Hotel, particularly since a neighbour on the sunbed had told them that this district is often referred to by tourists as the "German district". After a little murmuring, Paul agreed to accompany Erika. Directly in front of the exit of their hotel was the Playa de Martiánez, a beach of black volcanic sand that was over three hundred metres long and twenty-five metres wide, but which did not tempt the two of them to linger or even swim. To the right, not far from the exit, they looked at the imposing fifty-metre-high rock face covered in bushes, on whose plateau La Paz had developed over centuries.

From the hotel, the tall, now seventy-four-year-old Paul and his rather petite Erika strolled through a beautiful palm tree avenue, noticing a few small architectural flaws in the hotel complex, and after only a short time they reached the large shopping center "Las Piramides de Martiánez." But the two of them were not interested in that on that day; they wanted to visit it another time.

"We have to go up here?" asked Erika, startled, as they crossed the bridge of the Martiánes Barrancos and then stood in front of a staircase. "These stairs never end, do they?" groaned Erika. They climbed over two hundred steps, laboriously and stopping every now and then to catch their breath. But the effort was worth it, because afterwards they reached the Café Yucca. And this house was a little surprise for the couple, because the café was run by a married couple from near Grömitz. "Well, then we have arrived in the 'German district' of La Paz," remembered Paul and ordered two Zaperocos on the terrace of the café at Erika's request, although a German filter coffee made with mineral water was also offered here. But Erika loved this Zaperoco, a delicious Spanish specialty that is made in several layers. The bottom layer consists of sweet condensed milk, topped with an espresso and a shot of Liqueur 43, all topped with milk foam and served with a pinch of cinnamon and a slice of lime. "Oh, it tastes heavenly," praised Erika.

After this short break, the two strolled on and after another, but less steep climb, they reached a small, quite pretty chapel, the Ermita de San Amaro, which is certainly the oldest religious building in Puerto de la Cruz, which was built in 1591 as a result of the increased Christianization of the people of this region. The wide open door invited them to come in, and Erika and Paul gladly accepted this invitation.

As they left the building, Paul stopped on the landing and pointed straight ahead: "Erika, look over there, do you see the casino in Taoro Park over there?" "Yes, of course, but what's that about?" asked Erika in surprise, but then had to laugh: "You would really enjoy a visit there, but I like the park there more than the casino," explained Erika. And she was right. Erika meant a large park that appeals to every visitor with its winding paths, waterfalls and fountains and many shady spots under exotic trees and palms.

But Erika saw more: "Look further to the left and you'll even see Mount Teide with its white snow cap!" Erika cheered when she saw Spain's highest mountain, at 3,715 metres, for the first time with a snow-covered peak that stood out clearly against the azure blue sky. Just a few steps from the chapel, Paul happened to notice a real estate agent's logo written in Rockwell script. Paul stopped and glanced at the advertised offers. "Look, Erika, isn't that...?" He didn't get any further because Erika interrupted him: "You're not thinking of renting an apartment here, are you?" Paul didn't answer Erika, however, because at that very moment his cell phone rang. It was his son Peter who was calling him. He asked how they were and let Paul know that his grandchildren, Paul and Finn, would miss him and Grandma very much. This made Paul happy because he liked to think about the ten-year-old twins and often did. Since their birth, he spent a lot of time with them whenever possible, far more than he could with his own children. At that time, his job took priority.

"And what are you doing?" asked the son. "We are just walking to La Paz and are standing in front of a real estate agent's shop window. Your mother really wants to rent an apartment here," laughed Paul at his joke. Peter laughed too, but then said: "You'd better not do that, if you're thinking about something like that, then think about buying an apartment in Tenerife!" "Now you're joking," replied Paul, somewhat irritated. "I'm serious, take a look around and see what the market has to offer, you still have two weeks. What are the costs for a few stays in Tenerife? Can you buy an apartment with this total value if you extrapolate it over a few years?" These were Peter's last words; he wanted to talk to his mother. Paul shook his head. "What makes my son think of such wild ideas? Buy an apartment in Tenerife?" A few minutes later he and Erika agreed: "The boy is crazy!"

The two of them continued strolling. Paul wouldn't have been Paul if this topic hadn't continued to preoccupy him. Even in his professional work, he loved hearing seemingly crazy ideas from his employees, because crazy ideas often help to find completely new ways and leave old beaten paths. This crazy suggestion from his son preoccupied Paul so much that he soon stopped seeing it as so crazy. A few "ifs and buts" continued to swirl in his head as he walked hand in hand with Erika along the very busy Carreta Botanico past the Canaris Center. It wasn't until they reached the La Cupula shopping center that he was distracted again. Erika had to stop by. Then, after a tour of the trading house and the neighboring shops, Paul needed some refreshment. Erika was happy with this, so on the way back the two of them headed to the Zebra Maria restaurant, a well-kept corner restaurant with an invitingly large terrace area. From the smaller but rustic interior, it would have been possible to have a clear view of the kitchen, but Erika preferred a small side table outside. The pizza tasted excellent, but Paul would have preferred a more bitter wine. But Erika did not believe that this would have made him taciturn. She suspected that his reticence could only have something to do with Peter's call and the purchase of an apartment. And that was the case. Paul took up the topic very quickly and Erika listened carefully to his ideas, but she remained reserved. When Paul then even started to give calculation examples for "renting or buying", Erika waved him off in a conciliatory manner: "Let's sleep on it first," she advised him. Erika knew her Paul, he liked to jump on new ideas and was always a fan of quick decisions anyway. Such decisions had usually brought him more advantages than disadvantages in his professional work.

When the sky suddenly began to darken, the two of them left again in a hurry. Such rapid weather changes occur more frequently in the north of Tenerife than in the south. But just as quickly as rain clouds come, they usually disappear again, providing natural irrigation for the wonderfully green and flowering landscapes.

The next morning, Erika and Paul agreed, even without saying much. They had thought about it and both had come to the conclusion that a purchase would actually be worthwhile, especially since they had long since decided on Tenerife as their winter holiday destination for the coming years. They had already seen a lot and their enthusiasm for discovery was gradually reaching its limits. "I'll check out the area for a suitable real estate agent, then we'll see what's available," suggested Paul, and Erika agreed.

Paul didn't know what "someday" meant, he liked "immediately", and he didn't have to look for long either, he had already noticed the Meier real estate agency on Calle de Hoya near their hotel. He wanted to try to find out about the possibilities of buying an apartment without any obligation. A few hours later, Paul found himself face to face with the owner of the real estate agency. The owner asked Paul to describe the size of the apartment he wanted and had several suggestions ready. One of them was in the city of Puerto, which could be viewed the very next day. Paul was interested and promised the man that he would keep the appointment with his wife.

Now Paul was in his element. Only having contact with an estate agent? No. He remembered Carmen, a local TUI tour guide who was available at the hotel at certain times for contact meetings. She knew the island very well and he could perhaps get a more neutral opinion from her about the local housing market. And sure enough, when he entered the lobby he saw the pretty, black-haired Carmen sitting alone at a table in the so-called tourist corner. After a warm greeting, Paul expressed his interest in the local housing market and let it be known that if the opportunity arose he would like to buy an apartment with a living room, bedroom, kitchen and a bathroom that wasn't too small. Carmen listened attentively and then grinned. "Something like that is easy to find, but what about child-friendliness, what kind of environment do you want?" She asked Paul about his attitudes towards proximity to beaches, shopping opportunities and of course what price he had in mind. Paul assured them that he did not want to be near the beach, but would be happy with a clear view of the sea. A kindergarten next door was not necessary, he had no objections to a nearby, well-visited green space, and he was thinking of a price in the region of 150,000 to 200,000 euros. Paul liked Carmen's open manner very much, and he took advantage of the fact that he was her only visitor to tell her half of his CV. Carmen smiled: "I can do something with that," she said, and recommended a real estate agent to Paul on Calle Acevino in La Paz. "He knows some very nice residential complexes," she explained as another guest approached their table. Paul thanked her and said goodbye.

He quickly hurried over to his Erika on the lawn, who was once again studying the Marco Polo brochure "Tenerife" and was a little startled when Paul came up behind her and took the book from her hand. "So, what did you find out?" she asked. "More about that later, first I have to swim a few laps," laughed Paul. But then, on the way to the shower, Erika was just pure curiosity. "Now tell me," she demanded, slightly annoyed. "Yes, references to residential complexes excited me," Paul smiled at her. "So a useful perspective for our search?" Erika answered questioningly, pushing Paul into the pool and following him with a brave leap.

Erika and Paul arrived punctually the next day for their appointment at the estate agent Meier's office. After a friendly greeting, the man pointed out that he could offer not only one but also a second apartment in the Las Arenas district. "Then we'll be happy to be surprised," Paul replied. The small group then went to the first property, which was just two hundred meters away on the same street, a pedestrian zone not far from the famous seawater outdoor pool designed and built by César Manrique. When they reached about the middle of the row of shops, Meier stopped in front of a commercial building, pointed to the outside front and explained: "The vacant apartment is here on the first floor!" Paul wrinkled his nose and looked at Erika. He saw her shake her head slightly and said: "We can save ourselves the viewing, the location is unacceptable for us." Mr. Meier understood immediately; he probably hadn't expected any other decision. "Then let's go back to my office and I'll drive with you to the Las Arenas district, where there's a penthouse apartment available to view," he smiled. And so it happened. The size of the rooms in this truly noble home convinced both Erika and Paul, because a built-in grill on the veranda and the good view of the Teide were tempting. The purchase price was also acceptable, but something prevented both of them from making a decision.

The following day, Erika wanted to forget all thoughts about looking for an apartment and asked to go for a walk to Punta Brava. This part of Puerto de la Cruz is at the end of Playa Jardín, the longest and most beautiful beach in Puerto. Paul would have preferred to visit another estate agent in La Paz, but then agreed. "Perhaps we'll discover new apartment offers on this occasion," he consoled himself, and followed Erika.

Under an azure sky, the two strolled along Avenida Colón in what felt like 23 degrees, passed the seawater outdoor pool there and the Eremita San Telmo, a small fishermen's chapel, and finally reached the sheltered marina in the old town of Puerto. Of course, Erika noticed that Paul had stopped in front of a real estate agency again. "What's wrong with him now?" she thought. Paul had spotted an apartment offer from the Maritim Hotel in the shop window. He had already noticed this hotel from the terrace of a café in Taoro Park; with its almost twenty floors and two residential towers on the Atlantic coast, it was impossible to miss. Erika waited impatiently, and without answering her question about why he was staying behind, he suggested that they extend the walk beyond Punta Brava to the Maritim Hotel. "Why?" asked Erika, shaking her head. "I'll tell you as soon as we get there," grinned Paul. In his mind he was now thinking of an apartment in a hotel area, like the one he had seen with Erika in Marbella on the Costa del Sol in Andalusia a few years ago. Paul was also thinking about possible use of the pool and garden, about tradesmen and emergency services and also about possible social contacts. Erika bore his silence, but then brought him back down to earth with a question: "Where can we finally take a little break? We deserve one after all that strenuous walking on the cobblestones?" "We can go on to Punta Brava, or we can find a place on the beach promenade at Playa Jardín," answered Paul, who of course would have preferred to go straight to the hotel.

After about fifteen minutes' walk, the two left the old town, passed the El Penón cross in the little temple and reached the Castillo San Felipe. A truly magnificent fortress that was built at the beginning of the 17th century to protect the landing bay at the mouth of the Barranco Felipe from pirates. The complex was equipped with four cannons and at the time offered safe accommodation for 35 men. The Castillo was badly damaged by a great flood in 1826 and was restored at the end of the 20th century. Today it serves cultural purposes.

After this imposing fortress, Playa Jardín is probably the most famous stretch of beach in this region. This was also created in the 1990s by the renowned Canarian artist César Manrique with the aim of giving visitors a sense of well-being and relaxation. The access to the beach through gardens with endemic plant species, along small paths between volcanic stone walls and past waterfalls ensures everyone's well-being.

"We'll find a suitable place for a café con leche here," Paul said happily. And just a little later, when they had passed the changing rooms to the left of the beach path and the showers on the right, an opportunity to stop for a break presented itself. Unfortunately, Erika didn't want to go there. So they continued over the slightly higher headland of El Charcón. Here they had a wonderful view, not only of the most beautiful stretch of beach of Playa Jardín, but also of the sleepy little town of Punta Brava. And with the Los Faroles restaurant, they also found an appealing place for Erika, where she had the longed-for café con leche served to her. Paul, who had ordered a cerveza, suspected very well that Erika would have to struggle to contain her curiosity. And this was true: "Come on, tell me, what have you come up with again?" she asked stubbornly. Paul now described to Erika in great detail what he had seen and what he had already thought of in his mind, and his thoughts worried Erika, even if she did not contradict him. "Stay in a hotel?" Of course there were some arguments in favor of it, but Erika still had to think about it.

Having recovered a little, the two continued walking along the beach path, passed the Loro Zoo and then reached Punta Brava, one of the prettiest parts of Puerto de la Cruz. The houses, streets and squares there, right by the sea, have their own charm. Apparently only a few tourists found their way to this former fishing village that day.

Erika and Paul did not want to stay here for long, as Paul's destination was the Maritim. They had to walk for almost half an hour to reach the Maritim Hotel area. They crossed a very beautiful park with a large pool area and then reached the spacious reception. However, the estate agent's office they were looking for was in the building next door. But here too they were unlucky, as the office was not open that day. An elderly gentleman who happened to be passing by noticed their immediate disaster and introduced himself as Wallraf. He told them that he had owned his own apartment here for many years and asked if he could help in any way. Paul explained to him that he and his wife were thinking of possibly buying a property here, but were still undecided. The friendly man then explained that there were several apartments available and also had some friendly advice: "And if you decide to buy one, I advise against an apartment with a direct view of the Atlantic, as it can get uncomfortably cold on this north-facing side," and shook himself, apparently shivering.

Erika and Paul thanked them for the friendly information and, feeling that they had taken a step forward in their search, returned to their hotel.

"What is that?" Erika asked in horror when they entered their room and saw a large piece of paper lying on the double bed. It was a warning from the hotel, asking them to keep the windows and doors to the balcony closed for their own safety because a sandstorm was to be feared. Erika shook her head in disbelief: "Where would fine sand come from here, perhaps the coarse, black sand from the beaches?" Paul smiled and explained to Erika: "Such sand is blown over three hundred kilometers from the Sahara across the Atlantic to here in a so-called Calima weather situation, just as it sometimes happens at home, which we can always see when parked cars and our veranda are covered in wafer-thin layers of sand." Paul could not be shaken by very few things, and red sand from the Sahara is not one of them; he slept soundly all night. The next morning, he shrugged his shoulders helplessly when Erika complained that she had been woken up twice by the force of the storm. She also complained that a layer of red sand had blown more than a meter into the room from under the balcony door. When they both looked down from the balcony, the effects of a storm were clearly visible. Broken branches and palm fronds were floating in the pool and busy hotel staff were already busy clearing up the paths. "Do we often have storms like this here?" Erika asked quietly. "Then we should reconsider buying an apartment!" Paul calmed his Erika down again: "We experience storms like this at home in Moers too!"

When they later tried to reach the breakfast room on foot because the elevator was closed, they had to climb over a two-meter-high, fallen palm tree on their way, and in the stairwell they had to balance over huge amounts of broken glass and other rubbish. Two corner windows had been shattered in the storm and in the lobby, access to the garden with armchairs was temporarily blocked because the glass double doors had shattered.

Of course, the storm in the breakfast room was now the dominant topic. Whether at the tables or at the buffet, everyone had experienced a different horror during this hellish noise in the night. Paul remained calm now too, he thanked Erika for not waking him in the night despite all the noise.

"And what are we doing today?" asked Erika when she had calmed down after breakfast. "Let's visit the district of La Paz, where the pretty TUI tour guide Carmen had told me that there were some really nice apartments for sale." Erika liked visiting La Paz, even though the journey there could be difficult after the storm. And yes, the sandstorm had left its mark here too. After the arduous climb of over two hundred steps and a part of the way along the Carreta Botanico, they turned left into Calle Acevino, which Carmen had recommended, and reached a rather modest-looking shopping street. Of course, Paul's eyes scanned all the building signs again; there could have been estate agents' signs among them. He didn't have to look for long. Just a few meters behind a small shopping center, he found what he was looking for in the basement of the Masaru Hotel. It was a small office in which only two employees were doing their work.

And above all, he was a smart, very personable Dutchman who listened to his visitors' wishes. He asked when they would need an apartment and whether they wanted to rent or buy one. "We're thinking of buying," said Paul. He then showed his visitors pictures of suitable, vacant properties and was patience personified. Erika and Paul liked two of the properties shown. Edwin, as the man had introduced himself, nodded in understanding and asked his colleague to give him the keys to these apartments and invited his customers into his car. After a very short drive, he stopped at a very neat complex that was located in the immediate vicinity of the garden of the Hotel Botanico and the La Cupula shopping center. "Very appealing," praised Erika after viewing the premises and Paul nodded in agreement. They expressed similar views after viewing a residential complex built in the Moorish style called Lotos Park. Yes, both Erika and Paul liked this apartment too. "But we still need time to think about it and..." Erika didn't get any further. And the clever Edwin noticed very well that his customers were still undecided, and since he seemed to have thought of something else, he said: "I have another highlight here in La Paz and I would like to show you that too, but I would have to speak to a colleague who works for another real estate agency." "But yes, we have time," assured Paul. Edwin then called the colleague and invited his customers to continue their journey. After just a few minutes, they reached portal E of Strelitzia Park 2 via Calle Sabina, where the lady Edwin had called was waiting. Paul was a little surprised that Edwin wanted to work with an employee of a competing company. "Why not? They'll definitely share the commission," he grinned into his beard. The friendly young lady first opened the gate to the complex for them and then the door to an apartment on the first floor. After just a few moments, Paul thought: "That could be it," and looked at Erika, who only gave him a reserved smile. During the subsequent tour through the park-like garden, past a waterfall to the pool, Paul saw Erika's happily shining eyes; only the location of the apartment was still a sticking point. Edwin noticed this and knew what he had to work on. He asked Paul for his cell phone number and asked how long they would be there. Then he drove them both back to their hotel. After all these viewings, Erika and Paul had only one secret wish: it should be an apartment in Strelitzia Park.

Erika and Paul didn't have to wait long for Edwin's call. The next morning, when the two of them were relaxing on the sun lounger near the pool, the cell phone rang.

"You could view an apartment with me in the Strelitzia Park complex this afternoon," Paul heard. Edwin explained to him that the owner was moving to the mainland and wanted to sell his apartment. "Can I pick you up at 3 p.m.?" he asked. There was no hesitation: "Of course, we're ready!" Paul promised. "Good old Edwin must have pulled out all the stops to collect the commission himself," Paul laughed cheerfully as he informed Erika of the agreed time for the viewing. Edwin arrived on time and the journey from their hotel to La Paz, past the impressive, towering green rock face, seemed much shorter to the two of them than it actually was.

Then everything went quite quickly. A tanned Spaniard received Edwin and his companion with his partner, a lady from Venezuela. He introduced himself as Gonzales, spoke German fairly well and from the conversation Paul gathered that he worked as a hotel manager. Now it was Erika in particular who wanted to know a lot. She was interested in many details of the apartment, the peculiarities of the living room, the kitchen, and also the bedroom and guest room. And she asked even more about the spacious bathroom and guest toilet. The 75 square meter apartment had an ideal layout that made it seem larger than it really was. Paul was particularly pleased with the large, about four meters wide and ten meters long tiled terrace with a two meter wide green strip in front of it, on which four small palm trees and a lantana bush stood. He also liked the fact that a Schefflera hedge and a small door closed off the apartment from the park. "You can spend a pleasant vacation here," thought Paul. Then, after a tour of the rooms, Gonzales offered his visitors to take over some of the furniture from the living room, the bedroom, the refrigerator and stove, as well as the patio furniture and the lamps in all the rooms, and also pointed out that the apartment had a locked garage. These offers came in very handy for Erika and Paul, because all the furnishings, including the technical equipment, were in good condition. Finally, Gonzales invited his guests for coffee, and they talked about the price of the property, which also included the furnishings they were taking over. When Gonzales then pointed out that the apartment would be free by April at the latest, Paul was delighted.

And so, without much ado, Erika and Paul agreed that they had received a fair offer compared to the apartments they had seen so far.

Then Gonzales and Paul agreed that Edwin should make all the preparations for the conclusion of the contract at the notary's and inform Paul in Germany of the exact date for the signing. Paul thought it was only natural to inform his son Peter from here as well. He told him in brief that the way was clear for a preliminary contract and that it was sealed with a handshake.

After the conversation, Edwin Paul pointed out that he and his son would definitely have to obtain a so-called NIE number (Número de Identidad de Extranjeros) from the Spanish consulate in Düsseldorf, because without this tax number it would not be possible to buy an apartment in Tenerife.

Then everything was settled, they parted ways, and Edwin drove his customers back to the hotel.

“Erika, we have just spent our last holiday in a hotel in Tenerife,” laughed Paul as Erika began packing her suitcases for the trip home a few days later.

Chapter 3

Am Baumhaus

After the excitement of finding a suitable apartment in Tenerife, Erika and Paul were looking forward to returning to their home in Moers.

After landing at the small Weeze airport on the Dutch border, they were initially happy that the talkative Horst, an insurance salesman, skat player and sports friend from Paul's gymnastics group, picked them up again. During the forty-minute drive to Moers, Horst chatted about a number of things that had happened locally and in the sports group, but Erika and Paul were quite unfocused. The recent events in Tenerife were still having too much of an impact on them.

It was only when they arrived at their house on Siedweg that they came to life again. Erika and Paul thanked Horst for picking them up, but all he could do was give them a cheerful smile and after a "See you soon" he stepped on the gas and drove back to the office.

"Oh, how beautiful," Erika sighed happily when she saw snowdrops blooming in her front garden. And it was typical of Erika that after putting her luggage down in the hallway, she immediately rushed into her garden.

"Let them do it," thought Paul, who didn't think the garden was that important. He preferred to look through the mail that had arrived, which his neighbor Anita had put on the table in the kitchen. There might be something important in there. Suddenly there was a knock on the window and Paul saw Erika waving energetically at him to come into the garden. "Has something bad happened?" he asked, afraid that Erika would make a mountain out of a molehill. "It's bad enough, just look, the fish in the pond aren't getting enough air, and look at the thick layer of ice over the water ," Erika said, worried. Paul smiled and reassured Erika: "Don't worry, my dear, the reeds in the water and on the edge of the bank are channeling plenty of oxygen under the layer of ice and none of our goldfish can suffocate." Erika understood that. She continued to look around the garden, where life already seemed to be blossoming: "Take a look at the witch hazel, look at its wonderful yellow flowering bush. Isn't it wonderful?" Paul waved her hand, said "yes - yes", and went back to his post. A short time later, Erika finished her garden inspection, she was happy with everything and happily accepted Paul's invitation for a glass of champagne. "Is there anything new in the post?" Erika asked casually, and Paul said no.