Right so we’re back from our final sunshine getaway of the year.
We arrived back from India last Monday night, and boarded a flight to Spain last Friday night.
The turn around was a bit of a thinker, getting unpacked, washed, ironed and repacked in a short space of time isn’t my forte.
Thankfully we took very little clothing with us anyway. I took a bundle of brand new very fluffy towels from Costco, and Chris took his spare X Box, this was not a normal weekend away.
We just popped over to our house in Spain to see our new bathroom, and pay for said new bathroom. We’ve owned the house for 23 years, and the time had come to refurb a much needed area.
The tiles had become loose on the walls, which we muddled on with, but now Zak goes there, we thought we’d better make it safe for him.
So thank you universe for bringing Zak into the world, me and Chris would still be showering holding the wall up otherwise.
The new bathroom is glorious!!
We have the most amazing builder out there. He did an incredible job.
It’s sleek, it’s classic, it’s perfect. And the tiles are secure too, so that’s nice.
The before…
And the happily ever after…
Heaven, absolute heaven.
Yes, we had a bidet put back in. So many people turn their noses up at them, but who doesn’t love a freshen up in the day time. ;)
We were only in Spain for a flying visit, so Saturday was spent shopping for new bathroom bits and bobs. Which was wonderful.
Shops to visit for home wares in Spain;
(Often I will fly out with the stuff I need. Neptune bedding and ornaments, Costco towels, anything I can pack in my bags really).
Zara Home
H&M Home
Primark Home
All are incredibly good value and really very good quality. I don’t know why I don’t shop in them more in the UK for home stuff. Definitely worth a visit if you have a property abroad. And as always, IKEA, you can’t go wrong.
After 23 years of waiting I finally have a bathroom I’m happy with.
We have two in England which are the absolute pits, but it always comes down to ‘new bathroom or holiday’ and the lure of travel always wins.
I think it always will too.
Top from Kate Spade, Jeans from Tesco, Shoes from Gucci.
Saturday night we went for dinner with our friends/builder. Which was such a great evening. We went for a curry at our favourite Indian restaurant in the area.
We can’t be too far from a curry or we get withdrawals. :)
Then Sunday morning was spent lazing around, in my Primark purchases from the day before. I know, I know, I went out specifically for home wares, but the snuggly stuff drew me in.
Top, French knickers, socks all from Primark.
Then off to the Marina for lunch. Our usual restaurant was closed, which for creatures of habit like us was a bit of a shock…but nothing like the realisation that my favourite ice cream shop in the world was closed for the winter. I very nearly burst into tears, I’d got myself so excited for a tub of my favourite flavour!
Thankfully the restaurant we chose was really very good. And maybe it was the universe’s way of saying try somewhere else for the love of god!
Dress from Nobody’s Child, Shoes from Dior
We were dressed for two very different weathers. I’m all dolled up as if it was summer, he wasn’t feeling well, so he was in long sleeve top, hoodie, jeans and trainers…I wouldn’t be surprised if he had thermals on under it all too. :)
Was I underdressed? Slightly I’d say, but it was still 22 degrees, so I was fine. CD was possibly a bit overdressed, but he felt so rough he needed comfort.
The food at Meson Murciano was very good.
Heaven :)
It occurred to me while I sat on the wall watching the sea, that this would be our last trip abroad of the year.
It made me think about all the incredible adventures we’ve been on in the last 11 months.
12 in 11 months;
Bulgaria in Jan
Greece in March
Spain March
Austria April
Hungary in April
Greece in May
Spain in May
Spain in June
Ireland August
Spain September
India November
Spain November
Firstly, I realise how very fortunate I am to get to go away so much. I am very thankful for the lifestyle I have, and the opportunities it provides me. Thank you Chris xx
But I’m also very grateful to be alive to able to do all these amazing things. Thank you to the medical professionals who helped save me, and my stoma for facilitating it. Xx
During the very bleak misdiagnosed years I didn’t go anywhere. I hadn’t flown for 8 years prior, because I was so worried about shitting myself mid flight. It was bad enough worrying about it in my day to day life, but at least then I could run and hide if disaster struck. I wouldn’t be able to do that on a plane. So I gave up on myself, not knowing that I had cancer, assuming the diagnosis of IBS and piles to be the correct one.
I kick myself for believing the doctors back then. I should’ve been more proactive and insistent on further tests. But you go to a doctor, assume they know what they’re talking about and take what they say as fact.
(I don’t now dear reader, I don’t now. Unfortunately I don’t ever have the faith and confidence in them that I did back then, which is a hard path to travel in itself sometimes).
I have friends who are GPs and surgeons, I don’t hold ill will towards medical professionals, I simply don’t have that blissful peace of mind when seeing doctors professionally now. I have large amounts of skepticism. My peace of mind was shattered when I was eventually diagnosed and it’s one of the things that never recovered.
Anyway, I missed out on all those years where we could have travelled if only I hadn’t been trapped by chronic and constant fear of accidents, and excruciating pain.
So I always celebrate the opportunity to travel now. I appreciate it’s not very green of me. But selfishness wins on this one I’m afraid. We are here on average for just 4000 weeks, if we are lucky. And I want to see and experience as much as possible in those days, weeks, months and years.
I can’t imagine never travelling again. Someone contacted me on Twitter to say they have to have dialysis, and can’t be more than 2 days from hospital appointments, he was very keen for me to keep up my wanderlust, because you never really know when it might all come crashing down.
If you get an opportunity, no matter what it is in life, go for it, grab it with both hands. Xx
I am not somebody that sits back and forgets to make the most of life now. Once bitten, twice shy and all that. I’m pretty much always 2 hours from being ready to travel at any given moment in time. So give me a call. :)
Have bag, will travel, anywhere and everywhere. I want to see it all.
Are there places I don’t want to go, and will likely never go? Absolutely yes! I don’t like soulless shiny places. Which some may find surprising, as apparently, I look like a soulless shiny place type of gal. ;) hahahaha
I’m not a culture vulture particularly, but a place has to have some historical significance, both cultural and architectural.
Are there places I haven’t enjoyed? Yes. See above notes.
But I’m still glad I went because, seeing is believing in some cases, and going anywhere is better than staying home. I just wouldn’t ever want to go back.
This year has been absolutely incredible for travel. Starting with January’s trip to Bulgaria to show Zak all that snow, and the buffet. ;)
But the main highlights were us taking our family to Greece to celebrate my 50th birthday. What an absolute pleasure that was. Even if the weather was rotten, you can’t win them all. :)
And then travelling back in time to retrace the footsteps of Chris’ newly discovered great grandparents in Ireland…and a flying visit to the Giants Causeway (an absolute must see!).
Then the biggest most favourite, most memorable trip of the year ~ back to India to celebrate Diwali in Mumbai, and to see old friends. And to explore more of my favourite place on earth - Jaipur.
How lucky we are to have had such an incredible experience. One I hope never to forget.
I’ve had a lot of messages from people who are interested in visiting India, which is lovely.
I can only encourage anyone who wants to go to go. It is such a magical, mesmerising place. So full of joy and happiness and serenity and grace.
(Everyone I’ve ever spoken to that’s been, has loved it there. Apart one of my friends who thought the Taj Mahal was a palace and was very disappointed by it, discovering that it had no bedrooms, and bathrooms and kitchens to view was cause of great dissatisfaction. Just so we’re all on the same page and to avoid future displeasure. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum, a burial ground, the final resting place. Never ever was a house for the living) hahahaha.
I did get questions about tummy troubles. Which is the first thing people seem to think of when discussing India.
So I will just make it very clear. I have never had the shits in India, there, I’ve said it.
I did however get savagely constipated on my first trip (I was bordering on needing hospital intervention). And then mild constipation on my most recent visit.
But this time I took laxatives with me so I was able to manage my issues without fear.
We stay in 5 star hotels and resorts. We do not eat street food.
I don’t eat street food anywhere in the world. It’s not my thing.
Some of our friendship group and our family went to winter wonderland in London years ago, and 10 out of the 13 of us on that excursion ended up with a severe stomach bug. Two of whom needed antibiotic treatment for it, as they were still suffering some months later.
I didn’t eat there, and therefore got away Scot free. Bugs can’t get in if you don’t touch the food. So no, I don’t eat street food ~ home or away ~ and that seems to serve me well.
You can of course pick up contagious types of tummy bugs anywhere in the world, but good hygiene practices and sensible precautions should be enough to help prevent them.
I’ve never had covid, so my ability to avoid bugs is pretty refined. As a germaphobe I am very practised at infection control. :)
So my answer to the tummy bug question is, go 5 star and you should be fine, the only caveat to that is, bugs can happen anywhere, and not necessarily food poisoning related.
Wash your hands, use anti bac, don’t eat from a cart in a gutter. ;)
And no, you don’t miss out on the “real” of a country by eating in good restaurants. You get the same food, with all the safety features added in. I do not need added jeopardy to enjoy somewhere.
*also, I’d never go to Winter Wonderland ever again, and even the mention of it gives me anxiety.
This trip to Spain was so much fun. Chris unfortunately had picked up a chest infection on the way home from India, so we had to make a stop off to a doctor on the way to the airport, but other than that, it’s been fantastic. A new bathroom, a bit of sunshine on our bones, ready for the season of good cheer, and bleak weather. Hahahahah,
I can’t wait to feel sun on my face again…(with factor 50 on of course).
Top from The White Company, Jeans from Tesco, Shoes from Gucci
Roll on January when we get to go back to Bulgaria for the annual family ski trip. (Well, a not ski ski trip for Erin and I, but ski ski trip for the rest of them).
I don’t ski for the same reason I don’t street food, I don’t need added peril to enjoy somewhere (I like sleigh rides and hot chocolate, that’s my preferred version of a ski vacay!).
Have a happy Christmas season build up. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Xx