As we transition into September, moving away from the record-breaking bank holiday temperatures and heading into the tail-end of the 2019, and the black whole of uncertainty that is seemingly awaiting us.  That is why I want to spend a little time today to reflect on a calmer, simpler time – that is of course, my holiday to Tenerife!

I’ve decided to do two separate blogs, travelling and activities in one blog and hotel facilities and enjoyment factor in the second blog.

The Mar Y Sol hotel

One of the main reasons Tenerife was specifically chosen as our destination and wasn’t just a lucky spin of a global and point blindly was because of the Mar Y Sol hotel.

Built in 1990 by Hans-Joachim Fischer after his wife sadly passed away from Multiple Sclerosis. The big unique selling point of the hotel is the heated swimming pool – the only hotel that offers one in the whole of Tenerife. I’ve always enjoyed swimming but since leaving college a decade ago, I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t been back to the pool since. I have a range of lame excuses of why I let this happen, such as, it’s too much hassle or they haven’t got a hoist. Issues, that are a hurdle, but can be overcome with a little foresight and planning – something that I sorely lack at times. The main reason why I’d been putting off getting back into swimming, though, was the simple fact that regular swimming pools are just too cold for me.

Over the course of the holiday the use of the pool was very liberating, in the sense that, I was able to be out of my confines of my chair, and move about more freely. All that was needed to stop me from sinking at the bottom of the pool like someone out Titanic was two simple noodles. At the start, it was quite tiring – my legs had to do actual work for once – but, over the course of the holiday I got more confident and started doing butterfly strokes up and down the length of the pool, faster than Michael Phelps. Okay, a slight exaggeration, but you get my point. The ease of changing position from standing up right to lying down which only took a few seconds with help cannot be understated as well. Normally it would take 10-15 minutes to get out of my chair and the same to get back in so it was nice to have that sense of empowerment while in the pool.

The hotel also offered a range of other activities, including: water aerobics, table tennis, yoga and everyone’s favourite, Boccia. Can you guess the sport I did not do on this list? The food was very nice indeed – the hotel used a buffet system with all the different culinary options from Spanish to German to English. If you ever wondered what paella mixed in beef stew would taste like, Mar Y Sol has got you covered.

The rooms were fully designed with disabled people in mind. For example, the bathrooms were huge and the beds were high enough to get the hoist under the bed (I’m looking at you Premier Inn). The best thing however, in terms of facilities, is that Mar Y Sol is affiliated with a mobility shop which is literally next door. You can hire hoists, mobility scooters, electric and manual wheelchairs, and toiletry products. This is a huge convenience and alleviates a lot of potential worries, such as a hoist breaking or you accidentally driving into the swimming pool.

To coin a phrase from Four in a Bed; “Would you stay here again?” Yes, I would. I really enjoyed my time in Tenerife, and it has inspired to at least think about dipping my toe in the freezing swimming pools of England.