A week in the life of Nerina & Matt in Lanzarote.
If you’ve ever wondered what life looks like behind a small family-run business on Lanzarote, here’s a glimpse behind the scenes. I’m Nerina from Event and Catering Solutions Lanzarote. Most weeks revolve around creating private dining experiences across the island, while my husband Matt balances his work as an electrician alongside helping with our holiday apartment, Lucia Mia. This week, however, things looked rather different following my surgery.
Recovering, it turns out, is far harder than the surgery itself.
The first three days disappeared in a complete blur. Between the anaesthetic and enough sedation to knock out a small elephant, I honestly couldn’t tell you much about them. Matt assures me I occasionally woke long enough to ask for a cup of Yorkshire Tea, nibble a digestive biscuit and then promptly fall asleep again.
While I perfected the art of doing absolutely nothing, Matt somehow became electrician, nurse, chauffeur, shopper, apartment manager and tea supplier all rolled into one. Every lunchtime he would call in between jobs to check I was as comfortable as I could be before disappearing again to solve somebody else’s electrical mystery.
After nearly fifteen years together, I’ve discovered that being married to an electrician is a bit like living with a detective. Every evening brought another puzzle. One night it was a faulty main switch. Another day I was convinced it had to be a water issue before he’d even finished telling me the story. Sure enough, the brilliant team at Leaky Finders, who Matt often works alongside, were called in to investigate. Recovering on the sofa has clearly given me a new hobby… playing “Guess the Fault!” I won’t be swapping my chef’s apron for a toolbox anytime soon, but it’s amazing what you absorb after years of listening to electrical stories over dinner.
Of course, life doesn’t stop just because one half of the team is temporarily out of action.
Our holiday apartment, Lucia Mia, still needed preparing for arriving guests. I couldn’t physically help, so instead I became mission control, issuing handwritten notes and directions from the sofa while Matt quietly worked his way through my ever-growing list, helped along by some wonderful friends.
The Great Calima Challenge
Running a holiday apartment during a Lanzarote summer sometimes feels like competing in an Olympic event. The challenge? Clean the terrace until it sparkles and then somehow persuade the calima to wait just one more hour before dusting everything in its familiar shade of Sahara beige. This week… I think we just about won!
By Saturday morning, after a week of grabbing whatever food was quickest, Matt declared himself officially starving and escaped for a proper breakfast in Costa Teguise. In true Lanzarote fashion, who should walk through the café door but Jessica and Steve from Monster Radio. What started as breakfast for one became an unexpected catch-up. That’s island life – you never quite know who you’ll bump into.
Back at home, Junior, our newest whiskered family member, continues to grow at an alarming rate, while poor Tigger had the fright of his life when a La Hora pigeon, desperately trying to escape a bird of prey, crash-landed on our terrace roof. I’ve never seen a cat disappear quite so quickly!
Despite my brain operating at half speed, work quietly carried on. A few quotes went out and new bookings found their way into the diary for October, November and even a week-long retreat next April. It seems menus can still be created, even if the chef creating them can’t stand for very long.
One booking in particular made me smile: a joint 30th birthday celebration this October. We planned Mediterranean sharing boards with local cheeses, charcuterie and homemade accompaniments, sizzling garlic prawns, smoky blistered Padrón peppers, chargrilled salmon with vibrant mojo verde, fillet mignon with Rioja jus and, naturally, one of my favourites—baked Canarian cheesecake. I may not have spent much time cooking this week, but dreaming up menus is almost as enjoyable.
The kitchen itself, however, has been unusually quiet. I’m almost embarrassed to admit how many takeaways we’ve had! I did manage one proper meal: thinly sliced Spanish pork loin chops with roasted sweet peppers, slow caramelised onions and buttery Canarian potatoes fresh from the oven. It felt like a little victory… right up until my back reminded me that recovery wasn’t quite finished with me yet. Ironically, it’s the injections that numbed my legs during surgery that have caused me far more discomfort than the leg itself. Apparently it’s perfectly normal. Apparently!
So, that’s our week.
A little less glamorous than people probably imagine, a lot more Yorkshire Tea than anyone should reasonably drink, and proof that behind every small family business are two people juggling work, life and the occasional unexpected challenge.
Save The Date!
Thankfully, the diary is filling up fast with 2026 almost fully booked, and popular dates being taken in 2027 & even 2028. I always recommend booking early, especially for weekends and popular dates, as menus can be refined together afterwards and tailored to suit your guests, dietary requirements and budget.
Life has a habit of reminding us to slow down from time to time. For now, I’ll keep following the recovery plan, leave the heavy lifting to Matt, and look forward to getting back into the kitchen doing what I love most.
Lanzarote life… each day is a gift, even on the more challenging ones.
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Follow along with Nerina’s adventures: Event & Catering Solutions Lanzarote
Contact Nerina
Email: nerinahowell@gmail.com
Phone: 0034 711 065 993
Website: www.eventandcateringsolutionslanzarote.com
Contact Matt
For responsible electrical care from a friendly electrician you can trust, contact Electrical Solutions Lanzarote via WhatsApp at +34 711 008 502.
Secure your slot with Matt Howell, your reliable friend in electrical safety.
https://www.facebook.com/Electricalsolutionslanzarote/
Lucia Mia Apartment 176
Booking your next trip to Lanzarote? The lovely Lucia Mia apartment is waiting in Puerto del Carmen.
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