—- A very special place —-
Some places hold special memories. The farm (or finca in Spanish) is one of them….
For years, Abi’s parents, Johannes and Chris, lived on an organic farm in Oratava, North Tenerife. Inevitably we spent a lot of time visiting them here, often at the expense of going anywhere else.
However, that was not a problem as the farm was beyond idyllic. It was a gorgeous paradise, surrounded by banana plantations, overlooking the deep Atlantic Ocean on the lush, sub-tropical north side of the island.
The local beaches in this region are wild and untamed, often deserted, and the polar opposite of the busy and commercial south.
However, it was very much Johanne’s dream, and a bit of a money pit which ended up vacuuming up everyone’s savings and many personal loans over the years, including mine. There were a few financially disastrous decisions made along the way too, the biggest of which, was changing the crop type without considering the longer term return on investment. So after his death the Finca was (out of necessity) promptly prepared for sale; it was the end of a huge chapter for all of us – but the wonderful memories of the finca and the time spent there will last forever.
I loved Johannes’ willingness to follow his dream, which for me and the children at least, gave an opportunity for us to share in that dream.
I had always been close to Abi’s mum, Christine, considering her to be a close friend and confidante, as well as the mother-in-law she later became.
With her larger than life personality and colourful history Christine became a wonderful “step-grandmother” to my daughters, or “nearly-nan” as they affectionally called her.
Christine was in their lives from an early age and throughout their formative years.
So it was only natural that I would spend many months out on the farm helping out Christine towards the end of Johannes’s life in 2017.
I remained with Christine on the farm long after Johannes’ death, a total of four months or so, helping to manage the farm and get it ready for sale. It was tough being away from Abi and Natty for such long periods, especially so close after our marriage, but it was something that needed to be done. Luckily I was “between” jobs but financially buoyant, and it’s only a four hour flight!
We had no shortage of visitors both from the UK and locally during this period either, with everyone pulling the stops out to keep things feeling positive. However, by July ‘17 I had to return to the UK to start a new job as funds were getting low.
My final visit to the farm was in late November 2017 when I visited Christine for a week. It was shortly after I’d discovered about Abi’s affair, prompting the start of our divorce and separation. It was a much needed distraction from the turbulence back home.
However, without Johannes the Finca had lost its purpose and much of its soul. Christine had no desire to remain, simply wanting to return to the UK.
It took a further year to find a buyer, with the sale taking place just ahead of my divorce.
Unfortunately my relationship with Christine became more distant in the years following the divorce. Which was a shame, but kind of understandable. It is the way things often play out during divorces and the relationships with ex In-Laws. However, for me, it was especially difficult given we’d lived in each other pockets for considerable periods over the two decades, especially the latter years. It’s also been doubly difficult for my children from my first marriage, who for almost two decades looked on Christine as their grandmother and Abi as step mum.
In 2024 I returned once more to the island of Tenerife, this time with my new partner Emma, on a hiking trip near Mount Teide.
We drove past the farm on the way to my favourite beach.
I had mixed emotions as we passed by the entrance, especially when I noticed the new owners had changed its name. Life moves on!
However, it’s fair to say that Finca el Refugio played a big part in all of our lives and in so many ways and will not be forgotten.
Thank you Johannes !
**** I had to reload the video recently as the original one (which was uploaded over 15 years ago) was removed because of YouTubes strict censorship rules ****