Post 11 (11/14/25) FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY (WHAT A DAY)

Getting just a bit behind on blogging because lately when I'm in my room in the afternoon ready to dig in, the internet is super slow, I guess being the time when everyone at the hotel is using it. Then I get wiped out from all the late nights and activities I just put it aside for the next day, when the whole cycle repeats! haha At least I am taking plenty of notes everyday so I can recall all the experiences and then the details are easily conjured.

I slept in on Friday, despite going to bed early. Evidently (or Evan-dently as I like to say) I needed it. I decided to scrub plans to go to the beach and here's why. One has to get there before 10am to snag a lounge rental before they're all grabbed up, but it's not very warm yet at that hour. If I don't get the lounge (and accompanying parasol), then I am exposed to the elements (i.e. sun) without shelter and need to limit my exposure time, and therefore time at the beach. It's also a bit of a schlep to make it happen: walk to taxi stand, take taxi to lighthouse area, walk to beach, long walk along shorebreak to gay section, find just the right spot, battle winds to set up towel, find stones to hold down towel, strip, tuck away clothes, sunglasses, and phone, and then finally settle in for proper sunbathing. Whew! It does kind of make me wish I was staying at a clothing optional resort, as I am avoiding tanlines, and would have to wear trunks at my hotel. So I end up skipping it a lot. And that's not to mention that it's been windy here, and not always much above 70 degrees, so not exactly beach weather.

So I was in touch with Raymond on Whatsapp making plans to connect in the afternoon. The day before we proposed 3pm, and I offered to take him for a slice of that amazing cheesecake, so we could have a little outing together and I could snap a pic of it this time. Well, never to be quite in agreement, he now said 4pm, which of course is getting a bit closer to dinnertime, a consideration for snacking/ruining appetite, etc. 

I left the hotel on foot to try a new coffee place, and found a highly rated one called Therapy. I couldn't resist snapping this pic on the way. Their main bread company here is called Bimbo, which of course in English is a pretty funny word. 

Therapy is a cute little cafe in a shopping center, only a 7 minute walk from my hotel. It is run by a Dutch couple who are so sweet and fun! I decided to go for the "healthy bowl" which is like a yogurt parfait: plain yogurt, fruit, and granola. That and the cappuccino with the cute attempt at a heart suited me just fine. It is served with a tiny piece of almond cake. Yum!

The Dutch couple and I got to talking about many things, including of course that I have been to Holland many times, as many European traveling, pot smoking Americans have. They assured me there was a lot of weed here in Spain and Gran Canaria, so I asked for referrals. Turns out there is a large "weed club" in this very shopping center. Now I haven't had any in over a year and a half, and haven't really been tempted, although I am still a bit fascinated by the culture. So I walked by the place, and was struck by the name: Mary J 'Ohana. Get it?! haha

I also asked them if there was a way to get from their street to the street on the other side of the shopping center, as the other day I got caught in that apartment parking lot and never did find a way through. He said that just by the weed club there is access as well as an overpass to cross over it, as it is a bustling and racy thoroughfare. So I checked it out and made mental note for future crossings.

Back at the hotel, I finished editing the last of the music videos that Ronald and I made in Madrid and posted all of them to a special blog page, which hopefully you've seen by now. I just love how all of them came out. I am not posting things publicly on my social media about the trip while I am here, so those videos will mainly have to wait until I return home to get posted, although I did post some hints on my disappearing stories on Instagram (my main social platform thesedays besides YouTube). I also wrote the blog for Thursday and got that all posted and done. Whew!

Next it was time to go out and meet Raymond. I got to his hotel just before he came out, and right away he tells me that he just had lunch and doesn't like cheesecake (now he tells me). So I offered that he could have something else there, perhaps a nice Italian pastry. He declined that as well, as he claimed to be full from lunch. I must admit that when I am making proposals and offering to take someone out, show them a good time, etc. and they constantly reject these offers I do get discouraged. It also changed my plans and removed this opportunity to get a snack (for which I had been saving my appetite), as well as take the pic I wanted to capture for the blog. So I did make mention of how I wasn't going to be upset with him, but that I was not getting 100% warm feelings being with him at this point, since he was stringing me along with maybes and ultimately only looking to get what he wanted from me on his time and his terms (not exactly the type of compromise that I offer and look for in a friend, partner, or even holiday lover). So we went back to my place and started on the sofa. He wanted to show off his playlists on Spotify, I guess because he is so proud of them (I'm not quite sure). So he played me snippets of a bunch of songs, and I told him that although I was familiar with most of them (and even sang along) because I had to play them when I was a wedding DJ, they were not at all "my type" of music, and they were all songs I would never play for myself. I literally told him that. He completely ignored that and proceeded to play about a hundred of them. He was simply lost in his own world, not taking me in, boring me, and causing me to retreat further and further mentally from him and our little Pride week fling. This was, after all, his third visit with me, and I was about over it/him at that point. After he said, "Just one more" about six times, he finally closed the app and his phone and propositioned me into the bedroom, which I reluctantly agreed with my heart not in it (in fact I literally played a song on my phone that goes: "If your heart ain't in it, get your other part out." Now mind you I was physically resisting him the whole time: no initiating contact, no reciprocating affection, and a quite withdrawn attitude in general. But he ignored all of the signs I was trying to make obvious, as these were very much not subtle hints. It felt like he was just trying to have his way with me in a sense, but I believe that he was just so smitten that his brain wouldn't allow him to notice my disinterest (perhaps a bit of denial of course). At one point I even sat up on the bed cross-legged to indicate not being connected with him, something to which he was oblivious and asked me to lie back down alongside him before long. So after lying around and continually separating myself from him for about as long as he could take it, and me literally getting cold in the air conditioning, he pulled me toward him and pulled my hand onto the small of his back. I knew that my hands were cold, which was a bit humorous to me, and sure enough he felt that one and commented. After having played out in my head many times by now how to reject him verbally once-and-for-all, I used this as my segue. He said that my hands were cold, and I replied that actually I had gone cold on him. At last he got the message! He asked me if I wanted him to get up and leave, to which I replied that he needn't necessarily rush, but affirmed that we should work toward that direction. So I effectively executed the most gentle, kind, and patient "break-up" of my life. I remained moderately affectionate, and let him really take his time, and we gradually worked our way to standing, dressing, and shuffling him out the door. He still refused to believe the severity and permanence of my separation from him, and upon returning to his hotel was already sending me messages on Whatspp and begging me to visit him in Belgium. Yeah, cause that would be so much fun... lol

Just after he left, and being hungry from the absence of that planned afternoon snack, I set out to grab a pizza at 450 Gradi, a place that my Italian stud Dino had raved about. I called Anthony on the way, and we had a nice chat about all I had been experiencing. When I got to the restaurant it had just opened and was empty of diners. So I mulled around outside and continued my conversation with Antho. Ultimately we wrapped and I set in there, now with just a couple tables occupied. That was a whole experience in itself, so I will make a separate blog post just for that dinner. One word for now to suffice: WOW!

I rested and regrouped at my hotel for a few after dinner, and set out to the Na Und, arriving at 9:30. It was just filling up and the servers helped me get settled at a table. A short while later they sat a charming young French guy named Ricardo at my table. We had a delightful chat, which was really a pleasure as we both gazed around for which of the elderly men piqued our interest. I met a German guy named Rob, who was really sweet and somewhat attractive to me, although not especially so. I did kiss him a few times, flirted, and had a few conversations. In a while, Dominico came in and we recognized each other from my first night in there. I did like him a bit, although not necessarily one of my very faves. We kissed and chatted a bit, and he invited me to accompany him to his apartment nearby, which I accepted (all of which was communicated using the proxy of the Google Translate app!). I snapped this pic when we got to his place:

We had a fairly nice visit, although all-in-all it wasn't really for me. So we headed back to the bar, and I got a text from Dino on the way that he had arrived at the bar and was looking for me. I told him I was five minutes away and would find him. I saw him soon upon returning, and chatted briefly, but he was under close watch by his group. He said he may visit me the next day, which was to be his last full day on the island. Of course that excited me, although I knew not to get my hopes too high (not to foreshadow too much though). I met the owner of the bar Lucas, who is a fun older Spanish guy, and felt it was good to become acquainted with the owner to maintain good standing at the establishment and ensure good service etc. I peaked in the back area where there are restrooms and the "dark room" and there was an older guy waving his hand angrily. It appeared as though someone had smashed it in the door or something. There was a very tall younger guy who caught my eye, and we commented about the poor guy having such an obvious problem. A few minutes later I ran in to the young guy outside and walked up to talk with him. He introduced himself as Alexander from Berlin. We became fast friends! We have similar tastes in men, although his tend to be a few years younger and a few pounds heavier. We connected on Whatsapp, and I felt good to have a new friend here. Dino texted me while I was out talking with Alex and said he was looking for me and that he wanted me to dance with him. I was extra touched and excited as I had seen him dancing with another guy a bit earlier and felt like I would love to do that. So I went back in, found him at the entrance to the dance area, and off we went. This was honestly the first time I had danced like that with a man, and it was so much fun! We slow danced, fast danced, danced together swing style, and danced apart pop style. They played Sweet Caroline and the dance floor erupted into earsplitting singalong which was exciting and uplifting. After our dance session, he asked me how early I get up in the morning. I took this to mean that he wanted to come over in the morning. Being so smitten with him, I offered to awaken as early as he liked and that I would love to see him. The last thing that happened to me was that I had been sitting with Rob, and gotten up to walk around, and then realized I did not have my phone. Although I didn't actually panic, I realized that whether it were lost or stolen, not having my phone in this foreign country in the middle of the night would be a true hassle to remedy. I retraced my footsteps, glanced over the dance floor, my path, etc. I realized that I had sat with Rob recently and returned to that spot. Sure enough my phone was sitting on the chair in which I had sat. I was wearing shorts and it had made its way out of the pocket. Whew! Now that's a relief! I finally left at 1:30am, as that is a super late hour for me and tends to ruin my next day for awakening, getting motivated, and what activity I manage to muster the energy to achieve. 

Here is a little vid I captured on the way out:

So this is the half way point of this trip. I have been packing a LOT in! All the people I have met, the meals I have enjoyed, the exercise I have gotten to do, the music I have enjoyed on my Airpods and in the bars, the blogging I have done, the new experiences I have had, and all the languages I have been speaking, learning, and developing. Whew! I am also learning a lot about myself and life in general. It is a grief trip for me, as well as one to reignite my travel adventures and get back out in the world. I am definitely making the most of it, and cherishing the opportunities to do so at every turn.