Learning the right lessons

At the time of writing, Lanzarote looks like it’s finally managing to get on top of a second wave of coronavirus infections. If so, that’s fantastic news that will allow the island to face the future with a little more confidence and a lot more hard-won experience.

But there’ll be caution this time, too. We’ve already seen hopes dashed this year, after the UK and Germany’s quarantine decisions dealt a crushing blow to a tourist sector that had been slowly struggling to its feet after the lockdown.

There’ll be challenges to come – more cases, more outbreaks, the establishment of widespread testing, flu season, Christmas celebrations – but now we have a much better idea of how to face up to them and the knowledge that we can beat the virus back when we have to.

It’s been a long year – the lockdown, with its deserted streets, prowling cars broadcasting distorted health messages and a sense of real fear and uncertainty, now seems like a weird, distant dream to many. And thankfully, while few of us have experienced the worst of the virus, few have escaped the serious economic and social consequences of it, either.

It was wonderful to see kids going back to school last month, but while learning has restarted for them, it’s also true that all of us have done plenty of learning in the last seven months.

We’ve learned that lockdowns hurt and that, while it would be great to make Lanzarote ‘covid-free’, we’re going to have to learn to live with this disease. But we’ve also learned how to do that, and we’re still learning. We’ve learned that wearing masks isn’t about us, it’s about everybody; we’ve learned that this island’s outrageous beauty can catch your heart and lift you up even when you are at your lowest.

So enjoy the magazine and maybe learn a little more here, too – we’ve got loads of great interviews this month, and we’re so proud to finally feature Helen Lindes, whose generosity and charm impressed us all.

Enjoy the magazine, Shaun.