Damien Enright: Fruit trees are laden with their bounty as we prepare to leave

View of Valle Gran Rey, La Gomera, on the Canary Islands in Spain

On June 26, we sat outside the first bar to open here since lockdown began on March 15. There are only two bars in the valley. Cafes serve drinks, but these are bar-bars, the kind that stay open after midnight. There are no discos or clubs; it's a quiet place, the Valle Gran Rey, La Gomera. At night, the only sound is the sea breaking and the shearwaters attracted by the harbour lights.

Almost all 20 clients were locals, gathered around tables with generous space between. Many called hellos and one man came over to stand nearby and talk. He knew my son well, and recognised me from when he was a teenager. After he left, Fintan told me he was one of the "Inglés" family. His eyes were blue. Blue eyes give the family its name.