Afternoon Refresher

Now I do not consider myself to be a connoisseur of that noble spirit, gin, by any stretch of the imagination.

It's true, however, that I have sampled quite a few brands since I ceased wearing short trousers on a regular basis.

This afternoon, the sun came out at the old pier of Corralejo, Fuerteventura.

I stopped for a look at the drinks menu in a pavement bar called Barrakuda.

They had a fair selection of premium gins, the dearest being one I'm unfamiliar with, known as No. 209.

This gin is distilled in California.

Today, though, I enjoyed a beautifully served Tanqueray Ten.

The staff brought a collapsible side-table; served the said gin, with thin slices of lemon peel and large ice-cubes.

She poured the tonic-water on to a kind of long, thin skewer into the glass.

This drink cost €8, including the tonic.

The No 209 costs €11.