The stove was off

Today, we actually had a pretty straightforward plan. Drive to La Calera or La Puntilla, enjoy a leisurely brunch, and then spend the day at Playa del Inglés. A solid vacation concept, really.

So we set off for the Maitia Cafe, which we had specifically chosen. However, about halfway there, I suddenly had that one thought that probably hits everyone at some point: Did I turn off the stove?

And even though I was pretty sure I had, we of course had to turn around. So back we went, checked the Airbnb, and found that the stove was indeed off.

On the second attempt, we arrived at the café quite hungry, only to find it closed because they were on vacation.

After a quick search, we headed to the next brunch spot, only to be faced once again with a locked door.

At this point, I was slowly starting to feel like half of La Gomera had collectively decided to take a holiday. It seemed like every other café or restaurant was closed. And just like that, our planned brunch suddenly turned into a very realistic budget brunch.

We grabbed some fresh rolls, Jamón Ibérico, and cheese from the supermarket, made ourselves sandwiches, and ate them quite romantically in the shade along the promenade. Somewhat with a slightly frustrated mood.

After that, we somewhat annoyed continued to Playa del Inglés. Unlike the well-known beach on Gran Canaria, this one here is completely natural. No showers, no big beach infrastructure, just black sand, rocks, and the sea.

Somehow, this day had a slightly strange energy throughout. Not catastrophic, but definitely one of those vacation days where everything seems to go just a little bit differently than planned.