Summer Holidays Recap

Mijas

I thought I would take a look back at the summer holidays, which seem to come round quickly, just like Christmas, and then when they arrive, have flown by.

Apex Park

Every year I make plans how to fill my time with the kids, and depending on the weather, I never quite get to do half of it.

Admittedly, the boys are with their dad the first two weeks at the start of the holidays which allowed me this year to jet off to Spain for a few days. When they returned, I had four weeks to entertain them.


Well, this is the list of things we have done:

It's been parks, bike rides, the Cheddar Gorge, walking, climbing, zorb fighting, Slimbridge - feeding the swans and ducks, meeting/making new friends...

Zorbs - Apex Park

Costa coffees, hot chocolates, museums, train rides...

1 of 70 Shaun's - Dolly

Hungry Horses for tea...

Tytensfield with Dad for his 70th

More train rides to Bristol, Shaun The Sheep hunting, selfies, a visit to Nanny Sylvie's (where they did cinema and more parks), castles, steam trains, National Trust houses, 70th birthdays...

Board games, lunch at Za Za Bazaar, and a book signing...

The last Shaun - Starstruck! 

And ending with the theme park Devon Crealy, adding roller-coasters, log flumes, water chutes and drop slides, and Glamping, where we've cooked on a wood-burning stove and made camp fires, roasting marshmallows, and played football with newly made friends until dark.


Sadly, I couldn't put all of the photos on my blog...

Glamping

Yeah, I think I'm ready for the boys to go back to school.

34 In The Shade

Beach - Wednesday!

If you follow me on Twitter and Facebook you'd have learnt of my excitement about travelling to Spain for a few days.

I returned late Thursday, rose for work Friday, and then out with friends, and then worked again this morning. Nothing like burning the wick at both ends! I have now finally sat down and caught up with social media.

I had three nights and three days in Spain, flying out late Monday night.

To be honest, the plane ride was just as important to me as I love flying. I haven't been on a plane in over 10 years. The last time I flew was from Filton to Toulouse with work (Airbus). I had been 4-5 months pregnant, carrying Ben. So when my cousin invited me and 'my new passport' out to visit them, I flew at the opportunity :)

Mijas - Thursday am

I don't have huge amounts of holiday days available to take this year, and what I have got, I need to cover with childcare. But the boys were with their dad, and I thought I needed to get away. It was like drawing a line under the last 7 months. If I didn't do it now, it would be another year before I got the chance.

On the Tuesday I had to entertain myself. I took to reading in the shade a lot as it was 34 degrees Celsuis - in the shade! (I've been telling people this a lot since I've returned!) Spain are currently having a heat wave. Wednesday was spent with my cousin and her partner on the beach (Fuengirola) - taking brief dips in the sea - without a wetsuit! - avoiding the Medusa Jellyfish, then showering, then sitting back in the shade drinking ice cold beers. Thursday, a little more confident of the area, I spent the morning in Mijas, then went back to the public pool in the afternoon. It's a refreshing reward after a long walk up a mountain!

View from Mijas

The flight over wasn't too exciting, except I was talking to a handsome Spaniard (and sadly his girlfriend, although she was lovely too lol!) the whole flight. On my return, it was dark, and flying out of Spain was fabulous, seeing pockets of fairy lights on the ground. Somewhere on the horizon which could have been Spain or France, there was a thunder storm going on, and I could see these clouds light up in the dark, and forks of lightning. I was supposed to be reading my book, but found myself watching the sky.

And, believe it or not, as we came into the UK, it was clear too, so I saw Bristol all lit up. I could see car headlights going along roads. It was like looking down on miniature villages but at night. I couldn't work out where we were flying over, but I'm assuming we cut across Cornwall, and flew up the Bristol Channel as the (nearly) full moon lit up the sea.

And I'm now back to reality... and not even hitting 20 degrees C :'( And it's rained on my washing. Welcome back to the good old British Summer.

The Cave :)