{"id":25562,"date":"2026-09-06T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/?p=25562"},"modified":"2026-09-06T08:59:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T07:59:31","slug":"sidetracks-detours-1st-september-2026-cruising-the-canary-islands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/2026\/09\/06\/sidetracks-detours-1st-september-2026-cruising-the-canary-islands\/","title":{"rendered":"SIDETRACKS & DETOURS: 6th September 2026 featuring Duo Bravo + Cruising The Canary Islands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SIDETRACKS & DETOURS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DUO BRAVO: \u00b4PURE MUSICAL CONNECTION<\/strong>\u00b4<\/p>\n\n\n\n

an exclusive interview for sidetracks & detours<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Very rarely, but occasionally, a new ensemble emerges out of the network, and makes a huge impact and become the name on everyone\u00b4s lips as they rapidly climb to sold-out concerts and to receiving invites from a wider diaspora that might include any or all of the other seven Canary Islands, and even mainland Spain<\/strong> and out into Europe<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think we have discovered the latest act stepping out of their shell because they are ready to take a magic carpet ride to faraway places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was once told by an American musician I was interviewing at the time that he viewed the songs he wrote as Invisible Angels, and although he didn\u00b4t know where those songs might end up, he was sure that the invisible angel would find people who need the gifts a song can bring them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I am writing again  about Duo Bravo <\/strong>because the set they performed in the Convento  de Santo Domingo, in Teguise<\/strong>,  a cavernous (but atmospheric) hall were sent out as Notes On The Wind <\/strong>or, put it another way, as invisible angels.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The songs<\/strong> Araceli Bravo & Fran Mauri <\/strong>delivered were collated under the set list title of<\/strong> Notes On The Wind. So I write of Duo Barvo <\/strong>because the songs they performed in this cavernous (but atmosphere) hall were sent out as Notes On The Wind <\/strong>or, put it another way, as invisible angels.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The songs were sung with empathy and sympathy and, on some, Araceli<\/strong> created sustained emotion on the last line, as if blowing a kiss to that invisible angel as it drifted away, taking the song to who knows where.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They might have been songs of an operatic flavour but Araceli<\/strong>\u00b4s pitch perfect renditions sounded to me like the best of popular ballads that are the staple diet of radio station such BBC Radio 2 in the UK<\/strong><\/em>, a broadcaster with the power to send musical artists to the top of the charts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Araceli<\/strong> treated every song with respect and affection and I recognise that as a sign of a true professional. She gave a short introduction of every song (in Spanish, so I may have missed something of importance in her word)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and sang them in perfect diction. She also sang them in perfect timing with her musical partner,<\/strong> and even though it might have seemed each partner was lost in their own world, the concert would not have been so great without the duo being always fully aware of what they were seeking to deliver as a duo rather than as individual musicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Convento De Santo Domingo<\/strong> was less than full, but what seemed to be five hundred candles had been lit to excellent effect. They were strewn around to light the stage, they climbed up and down the stairs to the stage, making it feel like a bridge between artists and audience, and there were candles placed up and down the aisle at the side of every row of seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the concert everybody in the audience seemed to have enjoyed every second of it, and gave a long (and loud) ovation to Araceli and Fran<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two musicians, together, promenaded the audience area, seemingly glad-handing and speaking to every single person. Because they had some family members in the audience, they even introduced those relatives to the new fans they had recruited tonight because of the duo\u00b4s sensitive singing and accurate piano-playing that carried the player\u00b4s characters, and songs that sounded to matter to everyone in the convent. players and audience alike. And that, dear reader, is how to grow a fan base !<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Convento De Santo Domingo<\/strong> was less than full, but what seemed to be around five hundred candles had been lit to excellent effect. They were strewn around to light the stage, they climbed up and down the stairs to the stage, making it feel like a bridge between artists and audience, and there were candles placed up and down the aisle at the side of every row of seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We spoke to the duo when the audience finally began to drift away and we offered them an exclusive interview with sidetracks & detours. We sent them an e mail with our questions and their response, re-published below, reveals a couple with strong ambitions, a professional work ethic and a close relationship with their fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I began my tried and trusted \u00b4five bums at the bar\u00b4 interview (try writing five of the letter w in a straight line, and underline them) and you\u00b4ll see why I apply that sobriquet to Mr. Who. Mr, When, Mr. What, Mr. Where and Mr Why\u00b4. I used to advise my students that these open questins receive open answers , as they cannot be answered by  mere yes or no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two musicians had a bit of fun with their answer to my opening question of Who are Due Bravo.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Araceli<\/u><\/strong> <\/em>replied<\/strong>: I am a simple, outgoing, sensitive, and affectionate person. My way of expressing my feelings is through music.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fran<\/strong> replied I am an approachable, sensitive, emotional, and patient person who expresses his true self through the piano<\/em><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We met while working at different hotels on the island; at that time, each of us was performing solo. Two years ago, we were given the opportunity to work together on a new piano and voice project.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. What <\/strong>then asked what kind of group is D\u00fao Bravo<\/strong>, and what are your ambitions? I asked quite a few sub-questions too,  such as do you plan to record, for instance, or look for radio airplay or more gigs?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading their promotional material, I had noticed two facets of D\u00fao Bravo: <\/strong>on one hand, you can deliver wonderful concerts, like the one you recently gave at the Convento<\/strong>; on the other hand, you also perform at special occasions such as weddings and anniversaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

D\u00fao Bravo is a project that adapts to any setting and type of event. Our goal is to keep growing as a group and to take our project to many places both within and outside the Canary Islands\u2014and hopefully, we will get the chance to reach anywhere in the world. We also<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>have it in mind to record an album with our own original songs.<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong> you play live, I imagine you both must be very aware of what the other is doing, while at the same time concentrating on singing or playing. How would you describe the way you work together on stage?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With just a look, we know exactly what we need from each other. It is pure musical connection.<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When <\/strong>you perform in large venues like the Convento<\/strong>, or in smaller rooms like the Casa de la Cultura in Yaiza<\/strong>, you must notice differences in the way you play and how the audience receives you. Can you explain that? For example, when the recent concert ended, we saw that you both came off the stage and personally greeted almost every member of the audience. Some of those people were surely already friends or followers, but your attitude, and of course your performance, will surely attract new fans as well. Why is that important to you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every venue transmits a different feeling to us when we perform. Obviously, in smaller spaces, the listener is closer and the experience is more intimate, but we believe that every place has its own unique charm.<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u00b4s important, and we always appreciate them taking the time to listen to our concert. That is why I believe interacting with the public is essential<\/em><\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

D\u00fao Bravo is a project that adapts to any setting and type of event. Our goal is to keep growing as a group and to take our project to many places both within and outside the Canary Islands\u2014and hopefully, we will get the chance to reach anywhere in the world. We also<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>have it in mind to record an album with our own original songs.<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong> you play live, I imagine you both must be very aware of what the other is doing, while at the same time concentrating on singing or playing. How would you describe the way you work together on stage?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With just a look, we know exactly what we need from each other. It is pure musical connection<\/em><\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong> you perform in large venues like the Convento<\/strong>, or in smaller rooms like the Casa de la Cultura in Yaiza<\/strong>, you must notice differences in the way you play and how the audience receives you. Can you explain that? For example, when the recent concert ended, we saw that you both came off the stage and personally greeted almost every member of the audience. Some of those people were surely already friends or followers, but your attitude, and of course your performance, will surely attract new fans as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why<\/strong> is that important to you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every venue transmits a different feeling to us when we perform. Obviously, in smaller spaces, the listener is closer and the experience is more intimate, but we believe that every place has its own unique charm.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

F<\/strong>or us, closeness with our audience is very important, and we always appreciate them taking the time to listen to our concert. That is why I believe interacting with the public is essential.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In every concert, we want the audience to be moved, but we always try to stand out by choosing songs that hold emotional value for us. Our main reference artists are both Spanish and English-speaking (Adele, Frank Sinatra, Vanesa Mart\u00edn, Serrat\u2026).<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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So, if there anyLanzarote<\/strong>readers out there why not head down toCasa de la Culture in Yaiza on 18th<\/sup> September 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eleven years ago my wife and I retired here to Lanzarote, having until then lived in Rochdale,<\/strong> a town in the North of England, with a thriving arts scene, in which we were board members of a dance group called Can\u00b4t Dance Can<\/strong>. <\/strong>We worked closely with the local council and funding agencies such as Artists In Schools.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the ten years we have been publishingsidetracks & detours<\/strong>here on the island we have sensed a similar model here, and recently we have heard of new \u00b4projects\u00b4 as  the Cabildo<\/strong> and its local councilsseek to help emerging artists like Duo Bravo<\/strong>,to grow an audience all across and beyond Lanzarote.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in all of ten years and more on the island we have never found it easy to find listings<\/strong> of events. This might be due to our lack of Spanish vocabulary but we receive news items and mail outs etc from more than twenty countries around the world.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is another reason we are so pleased to have seen Duo Bravo.<\/strong> They are professional in every sense of that word, being prepared to undertake interviews, explore new sidetracks & detours<\/strong> and to continue learning more on every step of their journey, that we feel sure will be the long any winding road that Paul McCartney<\/strong> of The Beatles<\/strong> wrote about and I\u00b4m pretty certain Duo Bravo <\/strong>will find themselves \u00b4sitting on top of the world.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, here is a listing for you, D\u00fao Bravo<\/strong> come to Yaiza<\/strong> on 18th<\/sup> September 2026 to present another intimate voice-and-piano performance in Casa De La Cultura;<\/strong> these two outstanding artists never fail to surprise us whenever they take the stage. The expressive power of Araceli Bravo<\/strong> combined with the virtuosity of pianist and arranger Fran Mauri<\/strong> guarantees a fantastic show.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Cruising The Canary Islands<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

with Norman Warwick & Dee Dutton The Button<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The port at Santa Cruz<\/strong> on Tenerife is around a twenty minute walk from the airport but even though we only had two small, wheeled pull-along cases we flagged down a taxi outside the airport. Because of a car accident on the motorway, traffic was brought to an absolute standstill, and so our twenty minute walk became a sixty minute taxi crawl. The driver was great though, and delivered right to the foot of the gangplank of Marella Voyager.<\/strong> We were soon on board, and felt immediately at home. All the staff, from housekeeping to management, to crew and cast, smiled at everyone to welcome us all aboard. Directions to our cabin were in mounted placards fixed to the corridor walls and there was also a fiendishly clever colour code in the carpets to ensure that we two stupid people looking 4127 didn\u00b4t end up at 7214 !<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stepping into our cabin we were delighted by the king size bed, wardrobes spacious enough for a his and hers arrangement, and a large window, (porthole?) <\/strong>looking over the seaport and out to the hills of the town and the elegant buildings clinging to the steep hills on a beautiful sunny day.  We unpacked as quickly as we could as we were eager to explore the vessel,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the drive down to the port from the aerodrome we seemed to be travelling through a beautiful and proud old town, but the closer we got to our cruise liner it became very obvious that Santa Cruz<\/strong> port area is a region larger than life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We chose to dine in the Latitude 53<\/strong> restaurant, a venue so quiet and dignified and yet so vast and busy. Most of the waiters and waitresses were Philipinos, with huge smiles, sparkling eyes and a willingness to converse with all the guests so as to learn to communicate in as many languages as possible.  They worked hard all week but their smiles never grew tired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dee<\/strong> dined on grilled salmon whilst I enjoyed a beautiful leg of lamb. It was all charmingly presented, perfectly cooked, preceded by a choice of soups and followed by a selection of enticing desserts, all accompanied by wine for Dee and cervaza sin alcohol, (Heineken 0) for me.<\/p>\n\n\n

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After our long and lazy meal we decided we would go up in one of the three lifts (on every floor) up to deck 7<\/strong> for the Broadway Show Lounge<\/strong>, an 800 seater theatre, to see The Mariella Show Cast<\/strong> presentation (right) of Movies of The Musicals.<\/strong> This was the first of several free performances of various self-collated musicals by the cast, each delivered with high performance as well as high acoustic and light performance values on a wide, roomy stage. The predominantly young cast of singers and dancers was enhanced by a couple of award-winning theatre dancers and, although the segments from Cabaret<\/strong> were a clear highlight, the whole show was performed with an energy and accomplishment that are usually only seen in West End<\/strong> or Broadway Productions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We, the 600 or so strong audience<\/strong>, had all been offered a free drink of wine, beer or cocktail as we made our way down the stairs to our seats with a small drink-stand placed between each seat. It was all very civilised even if the applause was deafening at times. Then, when the fifty minute performance<\/strong> was over  and the three minute standing ovation had subsided we were surprised to see the entire cast line up at either side of the stairwell to give us, the audience, a guard of honour and variations on a theme of \u00b4thank you for coming\u00b4\u00b4 and \u00b4we hope we see you again\u00b4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Deck 6<\/strong> an Indie Folksy<\/em><\/strong> duo, North And South<\/strong>, were playing \u00b4top tunes\u00b4 in a Simon and Garfunkel<\/strong> style at The Art House<\/strong>. This unique venue had an audience seated around a small stage and, in various shapes and sizes, unique artsy community sections in which people could draw, paint or write<\/strong> whilst listening to the ambient sounds<\/strong>. It was a lovely way to close the evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Marella Voyager<\/strong> was just pulling out to head on to our next destination of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, to smooth our way into a deep sleep we watched the port of Sana Cruz<\/strong> sail away from us. Well, it was the other way round, but you know what I mean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Come morning we would be able to enjoy the customer freedom of choice and breadth of opportunity that is at the heart of The Marcella Voyager\u00b4s Canarian Flavours<\/strong> cruise promise of multiple ways to personalise a holiday. To that end we returned to Latitude 53<\/strong> for a 7.00 pm breakfast of birchermuesli, (I had never heard of Bircher<\/strong>, but it was delicious), followed by an English Express Breakfast that in any other outlet would have been christened a FULL <\/strong>English Breakfast. With an endless supply of fresh orange or cranberry juice<\/strong> poured discretely by the waiters and coffee or tea<\/strong> also on constant refill, the breakfast consisted of fried egg, bacon, sausage, fried bread, tomato and fried potatos.<\/strong> and as many slices of toast with all the spreadable butter<\/strong> that we could \u00b4muster\u00b4 to use an apparent seafaring word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even after a completely unhurried breakfast we had time to return to our cabin and still had time to freshen up and head out on to the gangplank, at the foot of which our bus driver and guide were waiting to give a lift to us and another thirty five or passengers. The collection time had been 9.15 a.m. and were all on our way by 9.20. Our guide was already standing up at the front seat and telling us through her microphone that the journey to our destination would take roughly thirty or forty minutes which would leave us around four hours to explore the local historical sites, shops and tourist spots. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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En route we saw golden sand dunes<\/strong> drenched in year round sunshine, surrounded by rugged mountains<\/strong> hiding pretty white-washed  villages<\/strong>.  It was obvious, on this warm, blue-sky morning that the landscape and local climate is kind to Gran Canaria<\/strong> and enables the island to lure back sun-worshippers year after year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By now the coach had taken us through a town centre and was travelling on an uphill route on to the other side of town. We passed The local Town Hall (left)<\/strong>, a railway station and a bus station and drove through a shopping area before pulling into a layby that our guide described as an area of museums and historic buildings,<\/em> most of which, she warned us, would be very high and therefore offer wonderful views of the whole region that would reward our climb. She counted the passengers off the coach and said she would count us all on again at 2.00pm.  It seemed the passengers all moved away from the coach in divergant directions, but four hours later we all seemed to converge into a typically British queue and were back on the coach ten minutes later already telling each other of the fabulous sights we had seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dee<\/strong> and I had found a tiny market place of about twenty artsy and artisanal stalls, and looked around it for an hour or so before we walked down what we might have called a ginnel<\/em><\/strong> in England that led us to a local art gallery that housed artworks created in the area of the past five hundred years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We rested over a cup of tea for Dee<\/strong>, and the requisite Big Cappucinno<\/strong> for me, sitting outside a quaint lullabye-hush caf\u00e9. It was a serene place, even though any occasional passers-by always smiled and waved Ola, or Buenos Dios.<\/p>\n\n\n

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When we moved on we soon found ourselves in the square in front of The Cathedral Of Santa Ana<\/strong>,(right)<\/strong> often described as the most important artistic monument in the Canary Islands. After the conquest of the island in 1478, Catholic Monarchs<\/strong> expressed their desire to have a Cathedral on the island. The building was begun in 1500 and continued into the 19th<\/sup> Century.<\/strong> That explains how the cathedral boasts three different architectural styles and how so many artists have contributed to its decoration,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The original plans for the work remain relatively unknown but it is agreed that the first work on the interior was concentrated around three central naves, all of the same height and constructed in the Gothic<\/strong> style, following  the design by Juan de Palaciao<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martin de Bareo<\/strong> and Pedro de Nareo<\/strong> are credited with the creation of Gothic<\/strong> stoneworks in the vaults. The Puerto de Aire (The Door Of Air)<\/strong> is dated back to 1585<\/strong>, being in Renaissance<\/strong> style, similar to many other works leading into the chapels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work was recommenced in 1781<\/strong> under the direction of Diego Nicolas Eduardo<\/strong> and Jose Lujan Perez<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That the work was completed as late as the nineteenth century is revealed by its Neo-classic<\/strong> fa\u00e7ade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After learning all this I realised that I should have brought my copy of a book by one of my favourite writers, who is also a good friend. Larry Yaskiel<\/strong> published, in Spanish<\/strong>, a book about the connections between The Canary Islands and The British Isles, <\/strong>declaring such facts as that Shakespeare<\/strong> was the first British writer to comment on Canarian (and Lanzarotan) wines !<\/strong> I made a note to self as Dee <\/strong>and I looked out from the balcony over the entrance to The Cathedral Of Santa Ana<\/strong> to give the book another reading on my return home, so as to supplement my newly acquired sense of The Canary Islands.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On leaving this magnificent Cathedral we walked across to the shopping centre on the other side of the road, where we found a caf\u00e9 and snacked at an outside table and watched what seemed to be the whole world going by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We couldn\u00b4t have too much time here, though, because we had to return to the where the bus was to pick us up at 2.00.  We and all the other passengers, from all different directions, were very soon aboard  and being taken back to the harbour where our fabulous seafaring Marella Voyager<\/strong> awaited us, as high and proud as any boat on the five oceans.<\/p>\n\n\n

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We ate and drank at The Snack Shack<\/strong> on the swimming pool deck, waiting for a singer guitarist named Joey Collins (left) . He was a consummate guitarist and had a slightly smokey, slightly gravelly voice, <\/strong> a polite personality<\/strong> and,\u2026..a treasure trove of not only most of the well known songs<\/strong> over the last fifty years but also most of the greatest virtually unknown songs<\/strong> of the last fifty years. For a while there I was hopeful of hearing a John Stewart<\/strong> composition, like Daydream Believer, July You\u00b4re A Woman<\/strong> or California Bloodlines. <\/strong>However, when I spoke to Joey <\/strong>after what had been a fantastic set he had to admit that not only had he never heard of John Stewart<\/strong>  but had also never heard of any of those three titles I offered him. I\u00b4m hoping that if we are able to make another Marelle Voyager Cruise <\/strong>over the next few years that Joey <\/strong>will still be aboard and by then have inserted a few songs by the American singer-writer into his own playlists to share with audiences. That said, it wouldn\u00b4t surprise me if Joey Collins<\/strong> himselfmight be swept along on a high-profile mainstream career that he deserves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dee<\/strong> and I retired to our cabin looking to wake up early the following morning and finding a place to sit on deck to watch the port of Arrecife <\/strong>surround us as we were scheduled to arrive in the capital of Lanzarote at 9.00a.m. It is certainly true that we are more than well acquainted with this wonderful and historic capital, and that we are great fans of xxxxx<\/strong>, within  short walking distance of where Marella Voyager<\/strong> would be berthed for the day. Surrounded by thirty or more restaurants there are scores, maybe hundreds, of small wooden rowing boats moored on this beautiful natural lagoon. We regularly visit half a dozen of our favourite restaurants in this area. It is all beautifully lit at night with the church tower behind the dining establishments being a focal point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a multi story cinema built on the sea-wall alongside the beautiful harbour where we have seen bio-pics of Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan<\/strong> and Bruce Springsteeen, <\/strong>and we always step out of the cinema into the darkness around eleven pm, and gaze in wonder at the remarkable light-show of reflections dancing on the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3<\/strong> We had therefore wondered what we might do when this cruise visited Lanzarote<\/strong>, the island that has been our home since we left the UK eleven years ago. We know the island inside out and we drive round Lanzarote<\/strong> at least once a month so we were unsure there would be anything new worth seeing on an excursion. However, we had forgotten that Arreciife<\/strong> is home to the Rancho Texas Zoo Park<\/strong>. We have occasionally visited the Cowboy nights<\/strong> at the venue, with its line-dancing and a Calamity Jane compere, a blue grass band<\/strong> who take you on The Deadwood Stage<\/strong>,\u2026.all whip crackaway, whip crackaway, whip crackaway<\/strong> and some tasty chowder from the chuck wagon<\/strong>, but we had forgotten that during the day the venue is open as a zoo<\/strong>, which for some reason we had never visited !<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So here we were on a coach from The Marella Voyager<\/strong> speeding down the motorway from Arrecife<\/strong> towards our house in Playa Blanca<\/strong> where have six not-quite-so-big cats of our own, who would be being fed by now by a kindly neighbour, Fortunately, the bus driver turned off at the right roundabout and parked instead at Rancho Texas<\/strong> rather than on our patio,\u2026.and what an amazing day we had. Around forty cruisers off \u00b4our boat\u00b4 all filed in through the turnstyle and melted into the distance down countless sidetracks and detours that criss-cross a huge natural habitat, devoid of any harsh, small cages, and all beasts and birds and sea creatures, patently loved by their keepers, are somehow free to roam over vast areas.<\/p>\n\n\n

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We saw sea lions<\/strong> (right)<\/strong> wobble on to shore lines to pose for photographs grand-parents, parent and grand-children, and to earn their handfuls of fish as reward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dolphins <\/strong>line-danced along the surface of a lake (left)<\/strong>, as big as a small sea, and sea-lions put on a show as happily as Bruce Forsyth ever did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Huge, gloriously feathered parrots<\/strong> were teased by their handlers to show off and make a noise but it was the huge and somewhat more hungry looking birds of prey from around the world<\/strong> that took the place by storm, making incredible manoeuvres like \u00b4those daring young men in their flying machines<\/strong>. The Bald Eagle Of America<\/strong> (right) <\/strong>and a huge Condor<\/strong>, with a Boeing 707 size wingspan were the stars of the show. The silence of their flights was eerie and almost deafening as they swept down to take food from their handler\u00b4s gloved palms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Big Cats<\/strong> boasted tigers<\/strong> stalking the plains and lynx<\/strong> hiding in the long grass, waiting for lunch to stroll by and there were bison<\/strong> and buffalo<\/strong> and deer<\/strong> and wild horses.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were able to grab a quick meal in the Rancho Texas Saloon,<\/strong> courtesy of an arrangement made by Marella Voyager<\/strong> and although our gang had poured off the coach like running water we were all safely back on the bus on time and heading back to Marella Voyager<\/strong>on schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once back on board we had time to catch a quick nap and then freshen up in our room before wandering up to The Arts House on deck 6<\/strong>, to wander through a very busy crafts session called Watercolour Waves<\/strong> where aspiring artists had been called together to reveal their inner Van Gogh, Monet or Mannet<\/strong>. Many of the results were quite beautiful and future Turner Arts Award<\/strong> winners, perhaps, may have been taking part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We took the lift up another two decks to where we took part in The Toughest Quiz Of The Cruise<\/strong> in the Spud And Anchor<\/strong>. We only managed two out of twenty, but it seemed about par for the course as the scores were read out, until one couple submitted a twenty out of twenty. We\u00b4ll be looking out for them on a future episode of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We took an early evening meal at six pm so that we could visit again The Broadway Show Lounge, <\/strong>where tonight The Marella Voyager Cast <\/strong>were to perform Havana Nights, <\/strong>This told the story of a musical revolution that took place in Cuba<\/strong> around the time of the Franco Revolution. <\/strong>Featuring the whole cast ensemble and a sensational specialist dance couple in a Cuban explosion of colour and dance. <\/strong>Any reader who remembers The Buena Vista Social Club films and recordings made by Ry Cooder and friends <\/strong>would have found this fascinating. Tonight\u00b4s performance was as much a social history<\/strong> as a concert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So sure were TUI<\/strong> that visitors to The Broadway Show Longe t<\/strong>o see Havana Nights<\/strong> would be inspired to throw some moves that the company had scheduled  Revolucion de Cuba party<\/strong> in  later in the evening when cruisers could join the cast on the dance floor !<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We sneaked back to our cabin for a good night\u00b4s sleep before an early start for our excursion the following morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At about 6.30 am we looked out of our cabin to confirm the boat was now, after its night journey, all tied up at the harbour in Peurto Del Rosario<\/strong> in Feurteventura,<\/strong> the closest island to our home in Playa Blanza<\/strong>. We can see Feurteventura<\/strong> from our roof terrace and have visited the island many times over the last decade or so, using the Fred Olsen Lanzarote Fuerteventura Ferry Service<\/strong> to take the car across and enjoy a sight-seeing drive around Fuerteventura<\/strong>, with its coastline that includes a ten kilometres\u2013long sweep of blonde sand  in The Parque de las Dunas<\/strong>  to the wind-whipped sands in Playa de Sotavento, which annually host the Windsurfing World Championships<\/strong>. Inland from the coast, the island\u00b4s interior is blanketed with lava fields ,euphorbia valleys and time-stand-still villages<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b4Good morning. I am Roger Biggs<\/strong>\u00b4,<\/em> our tour guide said into the microphone as another party of about forty of us took our seats on a coach that had been already waiting as we disembarked for shore excursions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He welcomed us aboard, and after counting our numbers he instructed the driver, Halijandre<\/strong>, we were ok to sail,..sorry, I mean drive, away. As we were all looking out of the windows, taking in the subtly different architecture<\/strong> that offered the island its unique character, Roger<\/strong> told us that anything Feurtoventuran<\/strong> is referred to as Majoreros<\/strong>, whether they are persons, goats, sheep or fish,\u2026 if it comes from Feurteventura<\/strong> it is called a Majoreros<\/strong> ! Having said that, only 30% of the current population of the island are from or of Feurteventura,<\/strong> and so only 30% of the island are Majoreros<\/strong>\u00b4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of the people on this island, we are told, came here to live to work in the tourists industry and many come here to cemi retire from mainland Spain.<\/strong> Significant numbers of the population also come from European countries such as Germany<\/strong> and The United Kingdom. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geographically, Feuteventura<\/strong> is the second largest of The Canary Islands<\/strong>, behind Tennerife<\/strong> as the largest at about six hundred square miles.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we were coming to Lanzarote<\/strong> for holidays in the first fifteen years of this twenty first century we would often discuss how brown and arid the landscape seemed, but Roger,<\/strong> who has lived on Fuertaventura<\/strong> for decades, now confirmed that at the moment, residents here can hardly believe how green it is,\u2026 as a result of a few hellish down pours, it has to be said. All good news for the the farmers and the economy Roger <\/strong>said, gratefully. Certainly, Fuerteventura<\/strong> today looked as green as The Lake District<\/strong> usually does in the UK. And we can personally confirm that December and January<\/strong> have recently delivered more persistent rainfall than we can ever remember on Lanzarote.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roger<\/strong> gave us an edited history of the attempts to invade the island, taking us back to Roman<\/strong> times. The Roman Empire<\/strong> was aware of the island\u00b4s existence but although they envied its clothing styles, they made no attempt to invade. He brought us right through to Norman<\/strong> times, and pointed out some relevant architecture on churches and country houses.  It seems that Europe<\/strong> considered these islands to be almost mythical islands because there were no established routes to them nor even reports of sightings of them and it would be centuries before the islands became more accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was perhaps a relief to many on the coach that Roger<\/strong> was such a well-informed guide, telling reels of engrossing historic stories. It seemed he drew our attention away from the single lane motorway we were following along a jagged narrow ridge. It was only as our driver pulled to a stop in a very tiny parking space that a passengers looked out of the window with a communal gasp of \u00f6h Gawd ! It all looked a long way down<\/p>\n\n\n

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Nevertheless, we all shuffled off the coach, and gathered round Roger<\/strong>, our guide, to hear more information. We had stopped, he told us, to see a statue-monument (right) <\/strong>that dominates the landscape from the mountain-range\u00b4s highest point. These two giant warriors, chiselled and smoothed out of a midnight black, hard rock, are known as the Morro Velosa statues,<\/strong> and represent \u00b4The Legend Of  Guise and Ayose<\/strong>. We were told we were now standing in The Rural Park Betencuria.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This statue is standing at the 600 metre<\/strong> peak of this area and from this viewpoint, (there is an actual Mirador<\/strong> ((viewpoint) facility there),from where you can, on clear days, enjoy far distant views of The Dunes Of Corralejo<\/strong> in the North of the island as well as Tiscaminata <\/strong>and even El Cotila<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Legend (or historical fact?) of Guise and Ayose<\/strong>  teaches us that in 1402 Norman conquerors<\/strong> came to the island and found it divided into two kingdoms. The border separating these kingdoms was identified as being where Las Pared<\/strong> stands today, though this fact is clouded in literary fiction. Some historians today suggest the border was further North and therefore even closer to where the statues and The Mirador, (official viewpoint), stand today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guise and Ayose<\/strong> (left)<\/strong> each ruled one of the two kingdoms but for a while they agreed that their battalions would fight together to thwart these new invaders from Normandy<\/strong>. The Normans<\/strong> one army was stronger and more ready for fighting so they won the battles until they became the rulers of Fuetreventura.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apparantly, Guise<\/strong> and Asoye<\/strong> were re-christened as Luis<\/strong> and Alfonso<\/strong>, though I have as yet been unable discover why this re-naming was necessary. After the re-naming, though, the town of Betancuria<\/strong> was formed, and more formally named as Santa Maria de Betancuria.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The line that then ran between Puerto de la Pena<\/strong> and Barranco de la Torres<\/strong> would have been the boundary of the areas formerly ruled by Guise<\/strong> and Ayosez.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following an existing tradition that would continue into the the 17th<\/sup> century<\/strong>, two annual leaders were chosen by Guise and Ayose<\/strong> and each one represented, in the council, the interests of its people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It all sounded a little bit like Pancho And Lefty<\/strong>, a ballad by Townes Van Zandt<\/strong> which has always left me wondering if the two men of its title were actually one and the same !<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Roger<\/strong> was relating the tale of Guise and Ayose<\/strong> to us, we found ourselves being corralled by hundreds of what most of us thought were chipmunks<\/strong>, cheeky, beautiful, clever animals \/ rodents \/  or whatever, that sang and tap danced for their dinner. Most of us, I think were beguiled by them until Roger<\/strong> told us they were not Chipmunks<\/strong> at all, but were in fact they were squirrels from Africa<\/strong> that took great delight in tearing down anything edible hanging on trees or bushes in his garden.<\/p>\n\n\n

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It was downhill now to reach the village of La Oliva<\/strong>, but this was indeed a long and winding road that our driver had to negotiate slowly and carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So it was maybe twenty minutes or so until we descended into La Oliva. <\/strong>This small town, in the north of Fueteventura, <\/strong>has around 20,000 inhabitants. The town is home to the Isla de Lobos Nature Park <\/strong>and Tindaya Mountain. <\/strong>Fort those of us who love to tour sidetracks and detours, La Oliva<\/strong> offered several interesting spots. We chose to find Casa de la Corineles, <\/strong>a 17th century stately home and Nuestra Senora la Canadalaria Church, <\/strong>one of the grandest and largest on the island, with an intriguing square stone bell tower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La Oliva<\/strong> has the most cafes, restuarants and sweet shops on the island, and we visited all of them to check out the claim. We lost count, but there was certainly plenty of them, and all them sold fantastic snacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The busiest, though, was right outside the large church, and so we were able to place two ticks in one box and to drink two bottles of cervaza sin alcohol<\/strong> before climbing back on the bus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were back on board Marella Voyager<\/strong> in plenty of time to take lunch at the bars in The Kitchens<\/strong>, choosing servings from The Gravy Boat<\/strong>, enjoying British Food served in continental style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This had worked out really well, because we had agreed earlier that we didn\u00b4t want to miss the special performance in the Broadway Playhouse<\/strong> tonight. A duo with a name that might not have caught my attention, Commitment To Blues<\/strong>, were to be delivering a tribute to the eighties  film at 8.00 pm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only was this a great show of music and dance but it was also great show of comedy. These two guys delivered an all action performance, drawing a full house audience into perfect-harmony sing-alongs urging Sally<\/em> to \u00b4Ride Sally Ride\u00a8.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the film is still our son\u00b4s favourite musical movie and as he plays a few of these tunes on his guitar, we texted him at his home in South Korea just to tell him what cool dudes we were becoming thanks to this cruise. We were given to understand from his reply that he, perhaps, doesn\u00b4t concur !!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We awoke the following morning looking forward to a trip to La Gomera<\/strong> and witnessing all on offer from an island we have never visited. And Still Haven\u00b4t !!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We didn\u00b4t call this review \u00b4Sidetracks & Detours Cruising The Canary Islands\u00b4<\/strong> just so we could squeeze the name of our weekly blog into the title. In fact, overnight, that title had taken on extra relevance as the Cruise  News letter  made an announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Captain had to inform us all, in various formats, so nobody was misinformed,  and instead, were given precise descriptions of why the weather report had urged all sea going vessels  to ensure safety. There were  storms predicted to wreak havoc on the island\u00b4s short coastline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, this would be our first day at sea. We intended relaxing, eating and drinking whilst being entertained.  We might even, or even might not, as my wife and the sea have never got on well together prior to this cruise, just sit on the dock of the deck of the boat and watch the tide roll away. Instead, she seemed happy to watch even the not so gentle waves roll by and the stresses of daily life float away. As the Cruise News<\/strong> letter said, more humorously,\u2026 nothing is quite as good as a dose of vitamin sea ! B\u00b4bum<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We became quite engrossed, (I\u00b4m always engrossed when I\u00b4m winning), in a one on one game of Trivial Pursuits<\/strong> played on a deluxe new edition, just one of an assortment of over forty complete and fully operational games, with instructions available in The Coffee Port. We whiled a couple of hours playing, and then another hour sipping coffees and counting every seventh wave through the The Coffee Port<\/strong> windows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were in Latitude 53<\/strong> again by 6.30<\/strong> pm for the evening meal. I chose haggis<\/em><\/strong> as my main course, a very brave decision on my part that was well rewarded by a superb and satisfying taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all had been invited to  \u00b4dress to impress\u00b4.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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We had packed some new clothes, just in case, and having decided to wear them we also decided to book a session with the ship\u00b4s photography franchise<\/strong>. (see result left)<\/strong>. It was very professional and was also very affordable. It wasn\u00b4t too cheesy, and it gave us a souvenir of what was already a memorable holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We found seats in The Arts Room<\/strong> at 8.45 pm to listen to more of the laid back but magnetic performances of songs we love by Joey Collins<\/strong>, by now firmly entrenched as our favourite artist on the cruise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joey<\/strong>\u00b4s forty minute spot gave us just time to get down to The Broadway Playhouse<\/strong> where we collected our complimentary drinks and took our seats just a minute or two before the cast drove on to the stage in a nineteen sixties two-tone vauxhaul van.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actually, it was a theatrical trick of the house-lights, a rotating stage and clever backdrop cinematics that gave the illusion of motion, but suddenly the vehicle seemed to come to a stop and half a dozen of the young cast, in their best road-dusted, hippie clothes jumped out of the vehicle to pitch tents in amongst a deep glade that had appeared on the backdrops. The next forty minutes told the story of a summer of love,\u2026.or at least of boys and girls thinking they were in love but losing it,\u2026..learning some harsh life lessons along the way,\u2026..all to be reconciled in lifelong friendships as autumn arrived. The soundtrack was all of Woodstock <\/strong>and The Isle Of Wight<\/strong>. The singing and dancing was at its usual enthusiastic energy levels but the poignancy of the central story added an edge that made this, for me, the best of the several wonderful musicals we had seen in this theatre over the week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were particularly captivated by an actor we had learned was called George<\/strong>. He had a great voice, but they all had a great voice. He could really dance, but they could all really dance. But for some reason you couldn\u00b4t take your eyes off him, so patent was his love of being on stage. Talent and tenacity will take him a long way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wind and sudden squalls of rain had been a nuisance all day, but as we left the theatre and headed up on to open deck at 10.15 pm we were disappointed to find the bars closed and nobody outside at all. We had come up to see a film that we knew would please our editor as he had recommended it to us several weeks ago after he had watched a complimentary copy of the film<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had been too busy to catch it back then but had never thought we might see it in an open cinema on top of a massive cruise liner in the middle of the night in the middle of the ocean. Nobody else braved the weather to join us, so we sat wrapped in blankets and towels on a comfy deck settee to watch Song Sung Blue<\/strong>, a cleverly contrived biopic of Neil Diamond<\/strong>. Ostensibly the story of a Neil Diamond<\/strong> impersonator the film bridges the great chasm that opened in Diamond<\/strong>\u00b4s career. Long before his commercial success with I\u00b4m A Believer<\/strong> (written for The Monkees<\/strong>), Sweet Caroline<\/strong> and Cracklin\u00b4Rosie<\/strong>, Diamond<\/em><\/strong> had enjoyed critical acclaim but few sales with a couple of great albums of folk-loric Americana<\/strong> (before that genre had ever been identified): He was a trailblazer that we, and maybe he, felt had never been given the credit he deserved before suddenly being blown away by a global acclaim for lesser songs. All this was captured in the film thanks to a clever script and some literary techniques. What really surprised me though was that Dee <\/strong>sang along with the hit songs and I sang along to some of the best singer-writer songs I know, that all came from earlier in his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the credits rolled we waltzed our way down the aisles to the movement of the boat and to the lyrics of Song Sung Blue<\/strong>, fell into our cabin, made two cups of hot coffee, checked out our itinerary for the following day and in doing so learned that TUI <\/strong>had already reimbursed the cost of our cancelled shore excursion to La Gomera<\/strong>, and the money was back in our bank. This was so typical of the courtesy and reassurance constantly shown by TUI and Marella Voyager<\/strong> and so we collapsed on to our bed and slept the sleep of angels,\u2026..which was very handy because tomorrow was to be the final, but best, of half a dozen shore excursion days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With dining rooms on board being so precisely managed there was never of any fear that we might be delayed in arriving at our coach waiting at the foot of the gangplank. We boarded our coach at 9.10 am and were on the road by 9.15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were on our way to Funchai, Madeira<\/strong>. That sentence always reminds me that Madeira<\/em><\/strong> is an island, off the coast of Portugal<\/strong> and that Funchai<\/strong> is its capital. The city hosts a collection of museums<\/strong> amongst its networks of cobble streets. <\/strong>The island is filled with beautiful greenery <\/strong>and exotic blooms.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The island is also home to Cabo Girao<\/strong>, one of the world\u00b4s largest coastal cliffs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funchai, <\/strong>itself, is full of wonders<\/strong> and has something for everyone.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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The coach pulled away from the port and by 9. 15 am we were we were saluting Christiano Ronaldo<\/strong> as we passed his incredible CR7<\/strong> gallery (right) <\/strong>built in his home town as he began collecting so many honours and trophies. I had a season ticket at Old Trafford<\/strong> when Manchester United <\/strong>signed him and for the first couple of seasons he was with us I thought he was a one-trick, show boat pony<\/strong> kind of player. All that crossing one leg over the other until he or the full back, or both, fell over was so frustrating. Of course when he had become a a player who could head a ball further than most players could kick a ball, and when he could suddenly run really quickly with a ball without falling over and when he could make a free kick turn at right angles I placed him very close in ability to any of Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and George Best.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coach driver was navigating some pretty steep drives round blind bends on a very narrow road made more hazardous by misty morning rain. The views, though, were incredible. Despite the mist we could see for miles through the gaps created by what our guide described as \u00b4leafless chestnut trees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This forested mountainside of a jumble of major species of trees had,  we were promised, a great caf\u00e9 and a massive shopping store at the top, but as we tried to peer upwards it seemed all this was going to be shrouded in mist when we got there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a strange mist this was, though. As we arrived in the car park and jumped off the bus we realised that in the same way as we had found gaps in the forestry when looking up so, too, we were able to find gaps in the rain as we looked down thousands of feet to the port from which he had departed forty five minutes earlier. Just about all of us hit the caf\u00e9 first!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two waiters were rushed off their feet and counter staff had to go through lengthy bi-lingual conversatins to describe what the lovely looking food in front of us actually was. That might be how I somehow ordered a chestnut cake and Dee ordered a bag of roasted chestnuts ! Evidence, if needed, that my wife is something of an influencer, for reassons you will read in few lines time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even in this unseasonal weather my cervaza sin alcohol was beautifully cold and Dee\u00b4s big cup of tea was, she said, \u00b4a lovely cuppa\u00b4!<\/p>\n\n\n

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There was plenty of scenic photographic opportunities to take advantage of whilst we were off the coach, and long rage shots of the almost dot-like port, way down below, seemed the most preferred selection. Known as The Valley Of The Nuns<\/strong>, this area isalso called The Valley of the Nuns (Curral das Freiras or “Corral of the Nuns”) <\/strong>in part because i<\/strong>n 1566, nuns from the Santa Clara Convent in Funchal fled into the island’s mountainous interior to escape French pirates who were attacking and pillaging Funchal.: The valley is surrounded by steep mountains and is not visible from the sea, making it the perfect, hidden refuge for the nuns and local inhabitants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even before the pirate raid, the land had been given to the daughters of Captain Jo\u00e3o Gon\u00e7alves C\u00e2mara\u2014Elvira and Joana<\/strong>\u2014who were nuns at the Santa Clara Convent.<\/strong>The area was originally a Curral (a cattle or sheep pen\/corral) in the mountains. Once the nuns settled there, it became known as the Curral das Freiras. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The area is also famous for its chestnut trees and is a popular attraction on Madeira. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dee<\/strong> wanted to take another couple of hundred steps further up to a church behind the store, but even though I had only been on non-alcoholic I didn\u00b4t think my old legs would make it. I still had embarrassing memories of how I had fallen on my backside at the Rancho Texas Zoo<\/strong> earlier in the week and almost created a domino effect as I fell backwards into Dee, who fell backwards into the lady behind her who,\u2026\u2026.well you get the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I sat on my own with a large coffee, enjoyed the view and watched the world go by. We just had time then to buy thank-you gifts for our  Hillary and Goya<\/strong>,our two protectors of our six cats, Clinger, Pretty But Thick, Little Black Cat, StrayWay, Rollover<\/strong> and Casper<\/strong> and their friends and neighbours, Gris<\/strong>, from house 60b and Boo<\/strong> from property 61.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Once back on the coach we were delighted that we still had one more call to make, in Camara de Obos<\/strong>,  a tiny harbour village visited by Winston Churchill<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This attractive little harbour nestled into the shore line and the village itself now has a village square, surrounded by half a dozen bars, three or four  restaurants,  and even a coupleof large hotels built very near to the harbour wall. We should not be too cycnical and assume that this was a commercial venture to trade on Churchill\u00b4s name. There is even a statue of the great man himself, concentrating ferociously on one of hisworks in progress. We should remember instead that so many people in Portugal not only admired the man very much, as much did we Brits, for his war heroics in preserving the free life of most of Europe, but they also loved the man, because he helped make their shy, little harbour town of Camara de Lobos<\/strong>  much more widely known because of the paintings he created of the views to be found here, and because he shared his obvious love of the place with anyone with whom he came into contact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then it was back on the coach for the final time so it could take us back to Marella Voyager<\/strong> in time for our last lunch-time meal in Latitude 53.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We listened again, (the fourth time in the week) to Joey Collins <\/strong>a singer-guitarist extraordinaire. We heard him give four fifty minute performances and I\u00b4m pretty sure he didn\u00b4t repeat a song. Great stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disembarking the Marella Voyager<\/strong> on our final day turned out to be as smooth and painless as had been stepping on board a week earlier. Our cases had been collected from outside our cabin door, and had been taken down to the departure point, so all we needed to do was to walk down that gangplank for the final time, pick up our luggage and find a taxi to take us to the airport in Tenerife, where the cruise ship had tied in at the crack of dawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obviously, most of the passengers were British<\/strong> and would be taking transfer busses to their local UK airport <\/strong>as part of their package. We required a taxi, though, as were going to the airport for our return flight to our home airport on Lanzarote<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this final flight we completed the TUI<\/strong>  feedback survey and repeated over and over how satisfied we were, on a five star basis, with<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the room cleanliness                       *****<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the dining options                          *****<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the entertainment                            *****<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the excursions                                *****<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the all inclusive  selections             *****<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the final categoryh asked for our rating of the cruise and its value for money, and we needed more stars to suggest how highly delighted we had been<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

the price                                          **********          <\/p>\n\n\n\n

we were asked would you consider cruising with TUI & Marella Voyager again ?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes,\u2026.TOMORROW, PLEASE !<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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SIDETRACKS & DETOURS SUNDAY 13th<\/sup> SEPTEMBER 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

secretly recorded live gigs legitimised on line?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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SIDETRACKS & DETOURS SUNDAY 20th<\/sup> SEPTEMBER 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Waiting For Godot and Music At Lunchtomes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SIDETRACKS & DETOURS SUNDAY 27th<\/sup> SEPTEMBER 2026r<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

.i.p. David Alan Coe, songwriter and unreliable narrator<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SIDETRACKS & DETOURS DUO BRAVO: \u00b4PURE MUSICAL CONNECTION\u00b4 an exclusive interview for sidetracks & detours Very rarely, but occasionally, a new ensemble emerges out of the network, and makes a huge impact and become the name on everyone\u00b4s lips as they rapidly climb to sold-out concerts and to receiving invites from a wider diaspora that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25564,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25562","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25562"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25562\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27280,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25562\/revisions\/27280"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}