Jane Kemp

“Woman & Home” Magazine

The wildlife in my garden has seen the benefits of my lockdown – or rather, I’ve had more time to observe the wildlife that lives alongside me.

My pond has always been something of an obsession, and I’ve just seen electric blue and vivid red dragonflies hovering among the marsh marigolds that border it. The tadpoles seem to have disappeared – maybe to nourish the flourishing fish population – but there are still plenty of frogs hiding behind flower pots, so I know some of them must be making it through. And while it looks as if much of my summer will be spent “en casa”, so to speak, there’s no harm in dreaming of post-lockdown travel. As I sit sunning myself on an old chair beneath the cherry tree, I close my eyes and cast my mind back to a blissful visit to the heat and light of Gran Canaria, where my sister and I toured much of the island and enjoyed its fabulous hotels and spa treatments.

There’s one experience in particular that we’d both love to enjoy again. In the discreet surroundings of the hotel Seaside Palm Beach spa, the Pantai Luar is an Indonesian-inspired massage where you’re rubbed with herbs and hot oil using a special cloth. The combination of heat and herbs is out of this world. Gran Canaria is such a beautiful island. Let’s hope it won’t be too long before we can start exploring again.