"Holiday"

Just back from holiday. 2 weeks on a sunny(ish) spanish island with plenty of sun, sea, sand. Food and wine aplenty and yep, not a lot of sleep or chilling out but definitely a holiday from life at home.

Tell people without kids that you're off on holiday and they feel you should come back nicely bronzed, very relaxed, looking at least 5 years younger, blah, blah, blah. Little do they realise that a 'holiday' with kids is fabulous but you'll feel none of the above during or after the break! I did look back on my old life a few times while on holiday, longing to have an afternoon on the sun lounger with just my book and a glass of wine but, you know, we got to do and see so much more with the kids. Getting up at the crack of dawn every day has its appeals too (always in hindsight, rarely at the time). We got to catch the markets as they opened and buy up the best of the fruit and veg as well as eat hot churros with hot chocolate and coffee with the locals before they disappeared to work and the tourists arrived (normally around midday day as the market's closing and the sun's blazing). This won lots of hearts of minds as the locals adored the kids and we were all made to feel very welcome.

We got to see the valley we were staying in come alive with bugs, birds and wildlife before they hide from the sun. We got to build sandcastles (you really can't get away with it after the age of 10). We got to buy icecream and use the loos at the very exclusive and otherwise private and snooty Hotel Formentor beach side cafe. The list goes on.

Time to plan the next one I reckon although even in hindsight I'm not sure either of us grown ups have the stamina for another flight with the baby. I can still hear her 2 and a half hours of yelling and the tutting from the miserable old busy boddies in the row in front...