SV650.org - SV650 & Gladius 650 Forum

Sorry that I have not been online for a while, but I have moved from Tenerife to El Hierro, the smallest of the Canary Islands and it is just the thing for me here. I now live in and help to run a small pension with only three guest rooms and a small bakery. There is one not one single kilometre of motorway here and the tourist industry has not taken hold here either. So it is a bit on the quiet side of Europe. Just up my street. There are some of the best divesites that I have seen in my time and that has gotten me back in the water after a rather long break. Even though I only dive for myself now and don´t do any courses etc. When I am not out on some rocky beach or under water, I buzz around on my Motorbike as there are some great roads for that here to and some of the views are absolutely breathtaking, I never new, how much I missed the green woods and hikes around the country side. The people here are also very special in a way that one will not get in many places in Europe anymore. Just one example: When I go into town or to some beach, I can leave all the stuff that I don´ t need to take with me in the car or on the bike, with the windows of the car open and the key in the ignition and know, when I get back, there will be nothing missing, or when I have to park in a way that may block someone else, they just move our car into there spot when they leave whether they know you or not and there is not a bad word spoken. Not a lot of places where one can do that anymore these days either. I think, it has something to do with the fact, that there are no direct flights from the Continent to this Island and with that we don´ t get the riff raff and chavs out here as it is not that easy to get to, even though there are flights and ferries that get here on a daily basis, but they are not as widely advertised in travel agents as trips to the larger Canary Islands like Gran Canaria and Tenerife etc. A little while back we went to the finishing do of the Photo sub competition and had a drink or two with the people there and got stopped by the local police on the way home, because one of the lights of the car was not working. They asked me, if I had had a drink and I said yes. They gave us a spare bulb from there car and held a torch while I put it in and then let us go on our way, with the words that I could not have had that much over the top, if I could still change a bulb that quick. There was stupid me expecting a fine. That’s El Hierro for you, always good for a pleasant surprise. When I find the time and my camera, I´ ll go and take some Photos from around this place and post them on here. If any of you want to take a vacation, just to relax, away from the main tourist spots, then drop me a line and I´ ll help where I can.

ATB

Michael