On Monday 17th August I woke up with a very swelled up stomach and I felt like I might explode. I decided to have a walk round the block to see if I could ease it a bit before a long car journey. Captain Caveman and I were off to Scotland today and would be staying in a place called Airdrie, not far from Edinburgh. When we set off I was still unwell so we called in to the supermarket to see if the pharmacist had anything. She didn’t and just recommended I buy some Colpermin off the shelf. I did and they were £9 in the big Tesco.
We drove north and the temperature was getting cooler and it looked like rain. We stopped at some services in Richmond where I experienced a first time experience; watching camels run around in the field next to the services! They seemed very happy and even smiled at cars going past them. In the shop Captain Caveman decided he was going to buy a sausage roll for lunch and, of course, I wanted one but couldn’t eat it for fear of an upset stomach. We still bought 2 for a whopping £7 and I got a packet of 95p sweets for the rest of the journey. Nearer to our destination, Captain Caveman got a coffee from Macdonald’s and we watched as crows tried to bully other birds and scavenged the bins outside.
Back on the road it was raining and much cooler for the rest of the way and I started to wonder if I’d brought enough suitable clothing. We arrived at The Tudor Hotel and had to hurry in as it was now raining quite hard. The hotel was nice and we decided, instead of eating in the hotel restaurant, that we would pop to a shop and get something from there. Here’s what we bought with the prices in pounds;
Morrisons Supermarket Ribena drink 0.70 Ziplock bags 1.00 Monster munch 1.20 Blueberries 1.29 Cherry tomatoes 1.35 Raspberries 1.79 Grazing platter 2.00 Cocktail sausages 2.60 Green salad 3.00 Chicken noodle salad 3.50 1 bottle of red wine 5.12 2 pairs of black leggings 10.00 Total spent £33.55
As I didn’t have any other warm clothes except for the jeans I had on, we bought a 2 pack of leggings. My stomach was still iffy, as I’d eaten the sausage roll once I got to the hotel, but I’d taken the Colpermin and was hoping that would help. It was an early night as we both had long days tomorrow but we were happy to have a comfy bed with a duvet on as it was pretty chilly in Scotland.
Gratitude List 1. Colpermin tablets 2. New leggings 3. A comfy, warm bed.
My new whiteboard was a game changer on Tuesday 11th August and I had popped it on the spare room windowsill. Captain Caveman was working on site today and tomorrow so it meant I could borrow his work desk. It was great to have more space and I had started to really get through my tasks today. At lunch time I met Vanessa who had popped over to see me. I’d had the great idea to go to The Grind cafe but it was a bit much for Vanessa’s stomach and she just had toast and I had a Greek salad. We both had a cuppa and, as the weather was nice, we sat outside. One of Vanessa’s favourite places at Kelham Island is the Fat Cat so we went there next and had just a quick drink. We chatted on about how good the 60th birthday 80s night had been and Vanessa still had some more celebrations to do next month. Back home it was a busy admin afternoon/evening and I forgot to have any dinner.
Gratitude List 1. My improved productivity from having a new whiteboard 2. Using Captain Caveman’s desk 3. Meeting Vanessa for lunch.
Ordinarily, if I’d been in Dalyan, Wednesday 12th August would be weigh day and I’d be going to Fat Club. It had now been 7 weeks since I had last been to the group and got weighed. I knew I had put weight on, even without any weighing scales, because I could tell on photos of my face! I decided to still take my measurements which I last did a month ago and it wasn’t quite as shocking as I’d expected. I’d lost 1cm from my bust, put 4cm on my waist (that will be the bread) and my hips had stayed the same. I decided I would walk in to town for some exercise and also I wanted to see if I could order The Handy Travel Planner at Waterstones yet. It turned out I could and they said they would order it in for me and call me when it arrived, which could take 2 weeks. I nipped in to Barclays to ask if it was ok for Captain Caveman to bring his bicycle in when he came for the mortgage appointment and while I was there I met the mortgage advisor and asked some generic questions. The mortgage advisor was very helpful and the branch had been done up very nicely. Next, I popped in to TK Maxx where I noticed a men’s manicure kit for £3 so I bought it for Captain Caveman ready for his forthcoming holidays. In Holland & Barrett I picked up some Gin Gins, tea for a bad stomach and some healthy snacks, spending a total of £9.32. I took photos of the cherry supplements for Captain Caveman so he could decide if he wanted any to help with his gout symptoms. I had also arranged to meet my parents in town and then we were going to be doing another pub crawl in Kelham Island. Captain Caveman was working so he couldn’t be there. Ma & Pa met me outside Boots and we got on the tram and went to the Wellington for a pint. Mom got the round in and it was very reasonably priced in there and is one of our favourites. It was warm enough for a sit out in the beer garden too. Our next stop was the Alder for a quick pint each at a total of £12.46 and then we decided to try the Neepsend Social Club which is very nice and had ice cold Aircon on. We decided to order some halloumi fries and chips with our drinks and I decided to go on to wine. The round worked out slightly cheaper at £12.19 and we were the only ones in there. We also did a video message to Nanny Kay who was in the UK celebrating her birthday this year. By this time we were peckish again but Ma & Pa didn’t fancy the main meals in the Neepsend Social Club so we decided to go for pizza at B’Reyt Dough, just round the corner. I had a pepperoni pizza and a large glass of red wine, Dad had Margherita pizza and a large red wine and Mom had a calzone and a smaller white wine. Dad ended up having a laugh with the waiter and we completely missed the eclipse. The total bill came to £62.25 for the 3 of us which my parents paid and I ended up with some leftover pizza to take home. I walked them back to the tram stop as we were all a bit merry, having had a really good time. It was also a farewell drink as all of us were going to be away on our holidays soon.
Gratitude List 1. A successful trip to town 2. Another Kelham Island pub crawl with Ma & Pa 3. Pizza and wine.
On Thursday 13th August it was more holiday planning for both me and friends. As we would be joined by Briony in Vegas she had sent her flight details through and we were lucky to be landing within 10 minutes of each other. There was a Resort Experts Team Meeting where updates of the eagerly awaited websites were spoken of and were looking likely for next month. In the afternoon I met with a friend who had booked to holiday in Dalyan while I was there so we had a walk to Tescos. I finally found some rice noodles and we carried on to her house for a late lunch and a glass of wine while we sorted out boat trips and taxi pick ups. I had a Greek salad pitta pocket while my fellow diner had tuna and cucumber in hers. It was a nice afternoon and we planned to meet up for drinks again very soon. As Captain Caveman was not back until late, I got to occupy the beanbag at home but I did have trouble getting back off it. I totted up the 2nd week of the month’s spending and it was much better than last week at £131.69, so less than £19 per day, but still too much and I needed to be more frugal next week, even though I had plans which required spending money.
Gratitude List 1. Knowing the Las Vegas arrival times were lining up nicely. 2. Rice noodles 3. Catching up with a client and friend for more holiday planning.
Sunday 9th August turned out to be a bit of a disappointment and a lot of wasted time on our day off. Captain Caveman and I decided we would go to watch some of the events at the Transplant Games, to support our friends, Becca & Steve. Unfortunately the Sheffield (not so) Super Tram had other ideas. We popped to the tram stop and noted the sign which said there was a bus replacement service from the Cathedral, as the tracks at the delta area (between Fitzallen Square and the train station) were being repaired. We bought a £10 day ticket for both of us and went from Shalesmoor to the Cathedral with no bother at all. The notice had told us to go to a bus stop outside Lidl so we walked down to there and waited in a big queue which also had bus drivers and Super Tram staff in it. There seemed to be a huge amount of disorganisation and chaos as the bus drivers didn’t seem to know that they needed to set off every 10-15 minutes. Instead, they waited until the bus was full. Captain Caveman was in agony with his foot and could hardly walk, otherwise we would have attempted to walk to wherever the next working tram stop on the way to Meadowhall was. Captain Caveman had not brought any painkillers so I quickly nipped in to Boots to buy more, 2 packets were £1.68 and we had a pack each as I now had a headache! After sitting on a replacement bus that was very hot and busy we set off, driving past the many bus stops closer to the tram stop, which would have been better used by disabled/old people – or us with someone with a bad foot! It was lucky we hadn’t tried to walk to the next tram stop because it turned out that there were several closed in this track repair work and the next stop was quite a way off. When the bus pulled in we had to wait a bit more for a tram and by this time we were commited to continuing on, rather than abandoning the trip altogether. Captain Caveman was not impressed and we both could see it would be absolute chaos for Monday morning workers trying to get anywhere tomorrow. We timed the delay and it was 57 minutes – totally unacceptable as it was meant to have been 13 minutes maximum. I suggested Captain Caveman send a strongly worded complaint email and ask for a refund, knowing of course that he would not bother. The petanque games were only on until 3pm so I was concerned we were now later than we had wanted to be and, when we arrived, we had missed our friends who had already gone home. The sun was out and it was hot as we watched some of the other games, mainly as we couldn’t deal with the bus replacement fiasco for the return journey just yet. Captain Caveman had wandered off to sit on a rock as he was in agony. We were back in town by 2pm, even more annoyed with the whole Super Tram business. I’d learned that the heaters on buses can’t be turned off by a bus driver and that an engineer needs to be booked to do this when I asked why the bus was so hot and, again, we waited until it was packed full to set off. It was a joke and we decided we would not use the tram or replacement bus service again during the repair period which was not due to end until 31st August. Between the bus replacement arriving on High Street and the tram leaving from the cathedral I had time to call in to Sainsbury’s for a loaf of bread (£1.35!) while Captain Caveman limped to the tram stop. We got back home and I was of course upset that I hadn’t been able to get to the games to support Becca and Steve so I was in a mood. Captain Caveman went for a lay down as he was in pain and sick of my complaining so I decided to do a bit of work. Today on my Facebook business page I had posted 2 different cruises; the very high end luxurious 4 day Danube one, which I had been on with Riverside Luxury Cruises going in November and another which I’d quoted for a client who wanted a no fly, no frills cruise in France next spring, with Ambassador. I was cheered up by a post of the litter clean up organisers who had also sent me a thank you email and photos from yesterday’s helping out.
Gratitude List
1. Paracetamol 2. A rock for Captain Caveman to rest on 3. Promoting great cruise breaks.
In addition to a full day at my laptop on Monday 10th August I also managed to do some more holiday research. I made notes in my copy of The Handy Travel Planner (available on Amazon if you’ve not already bought one) about what I might like to see, do and eat while in Poland, Belgium and America. My £25 voucher came from one of my suppliers and I had chosen Waitrose vouchers so I could give them to Captain Caveman to get a nice bottle of gin or wine perhaps. I’d not got him anything for his birthday so this was a bit of a treat instead. For lunch Captain Caveman made us a pasta dish which was very tasty and after we both finished work we went to Aldi. I was a lot more excited about this shopping trip than Captain Caveman was, as I hadn’t been to an Aldi for quite some years but Captain Caveman was adamant that it was and in and out quick trip, not a browsing of the middle aisle type of shop. I bet you can guess what happened! Here’s what we bought, with prices in pounds;
Aldi Supermarket Radishes 0.39 Tomato puree 0.59 Spring onions 0.65 Rocket 0.69 White sliced loaf 0.74 2 tins chickpeas 0.82 Ginger 0.85 Garlic 0.85 Soft cheese 0.89 2 tins lentils 0.90 Greek yoghurt 0.95 Crackers 0.95 Bananas 0.96 1 kg dried pasta 1.19 4 red peppers 1.38 Tomatoes 1.49 Onions 1.49 Hummus 1.59 Spinach 1.59 3 packs of salted peanuts 1.77 Pastrami 1.89 Raspberries 1.89 2 packs of wraps 1.98 Sliced chicken 1.99 Cheese slices 1.99 6 Energy drinks 2.19 Peas 2.25 Beef 2.25 Toilet roll 2.79 12 eggs 2.89 Mini Cheddars 3.19 3 packs of chocolate bars 4.35 1 Whiteboard with pens 4.99 Crispy Duck ready meal 6.49 1.8kg Chicken thighs £10.78 Total spent £72.64
Some of this was for Captain Caveman’s work breaks when he was working on site and I was shocked to see he had bought energy drinks which I never knew he consumed. I have a bit of a phobia of them as the smell of them makes me feel sick. In the middle aisle I had spotted a whiteboard that was just perfect for me to keep track of my entire life admin and to do lists so we got it! I’d tried to get one in Dalyan but they weren’t as good as this one so I was very pleased with my purchase. I had also wanted rice noodles but had not been able to find them. The crispy duck ready meal was for our dinner that night, instead of getting a takeaway (which we rarely do) or eating out. We had it with the little pancakes, Hoi Sin sauce, cucumber and spring onion – it was delicious! I forgot to take a photo.
Gratitude List 1. Holiday research and planning 2. A trip to Aldi and a good find in the middle aisle 3. Crispy duck pancakes for dinner.
I was finally getting my eyes tested on the afternoon of Friday 7th August and had booked an appointment at Vision Express for 4pm. Before work I used my own copy of The Handy Travel Planner to make a note of some of the research I’d done for my trip to Las Vegas next month, of the things I might like to see, do and eat while there. Just after lunch time I set off walking in to town to the opticians and I was a little bit early so I popped in to Primark where I bought 5 pairs of socks for £3.50 and a travel bottle set for £1. I noticed a new hotel on Pinstone Street and went in to have a look around. The Radisson Blu had a lovely roof top bar with fabulous views over the Sheffield city centre where there was a fair on this weekend. I took a couple of photos and noticed a nice roof terrace and quite a pricey drinks menu. I didn’t stay as I had to get to my appointment, where the optician was somewhat confused.
My transitional varifocals from 2 years ago and my non-transitional varifocals from 5 years ago (both purchased in Danang) were not even close to the correct prescription for me and the optician had to ask if I’d taken the sight test using the Vietnamese alphabet as she was very confused how I’d managed to find my way in today. She was also surprised I didn’t have any headaches. I chose 3 sets of glasses but time was against me and I decided I would come back tomorrow for a proper look and to narrow down my choice. I also needed to check with Captain Caveman as the glasses weren’t going to be cheap and I didn’t have the money for them. I’d actually thought my eyesight had improved a bit and that I’d be able to use my existing frames to save money but it wasn’t possible. I walked back home through town, splashing out on a snack and a bottle of water for £2.78 even though I probably shouldn’t have. Captain Caveman made us a chicken salad for dinner and I went online to research travel insurance for my forthcoming 2 Europe plus 1 USA trips. The post office was coming up as the cheapest but was still over £100 for the 3 weeks when an annual policy was only £120. Unfortunately, I didn’t meet the criteria for an annual policy so decided I needed to shop around. I checked who Louisa was covered with but Coverwise were no longer taking on new customers. Before bed I totted up the spending for this week and I’d spent £703.39 already (including just over half of that on flights). This was not great and Captain Caveman had to tell me he would pay for my new glasses as it was important that I get them and could see properly.
Gratitude List 1. Planning lots of free/cheap things to do in Vegas 2. Nice food at home 3. Captain Caveman helping me out with my new glasses.
I was lucky to not have a hangover on Monday 3rd August, after a mammoth Kelham Island pub crawl with Captain Caveman and the parents yesterday. I had morning training sessions with Travel Gossip where I got right in to their Costa Rica webinars. I learned loads of insights which put this year round destination firmly on my bucket list for when I could afford to splash out on this type of holiday. I got confirmation from the Estate Agent that they were going to arrange a viewing for the nearby flat and I checked out the floor plan to see if there was enough room for Captain Caveman and I to both work from home when I came back to Sheffield, usually during the summer. Captain Caveman made us a late lunch of beans on toast (one of my favourites) with a slice of bacon. We both were so busy at our desks (me at the kitchen table) that we had to stop in time for the Kelham Mills Residents Meeting. It was the first one that Captain Caveman had been invited to and he had said I could come as long as I didn’t stick my nose in and talk too much. I was glad he was going to it so that he could raise issues about the post being left in the wrong buildings, the car parking permits and anything else. It was held in the Kelham Wine Bar which is attached to the building where Captain Caveman lives. I got chatting to the owner, Sarah, who was very nice and holidays in Türkiye. We had a couple of drinks each for a total of £22.29 while we were there and met Josh, the organiser, and a few other nice local residents. I was pleased we had attended as Captain Caveman’s issues were raised and getting sorted, plus he was added to the group Whatsapp. It made me think that him buying a place here was a good move as it felt really welcoming. Back home, Captain Caveman made us beef brisket with potatoes and veg then I did us a cheese plate using some of the new cheeses. It was amazing but I ended up with a bad stomach which made Captain Caveman question if it was dairy I was intolerant to! At bedtime I used my new lamp, balanced on a cardboard box, as my bedside light. Captain Caveman had given it me and I loved that it was in the shape of the moon.
Gratitude List 1. Training webinar on Costa Rica 2. The Residents meeting 3. Good food at home.
As Captain Caveman had plenty of beef brisket left over, I decided to treat us to a sourdough loaf on Tuesday 4th August. I also got a croissant for Captain Caveman and a pain au chocolat for me. It cost £8.26 and was very fresh from Depot Bakery, nearby. I had a little walk around to stretch my legs and the weather looked like it might be nice again. I had more training webinars on Costa Rica to attend in the morning, all of which were very interesting.
Captain Caveman was working from the Stoke office today so I had arranged to meet Louisa during my lunch hour. We ended up at the Fat Cat and I spent £12.50 on snacks and drinks. We were getting excited as Captain Caveman had invited Louisa to join our holidays to Poland and Belgium at the end of August and in to September. Then Louisa, plus 2 more friends and I had plans to be together in Las Vegas. It was exciting but, as per usual, I was concerned about the cost of it all and would need to be frugal on all 3 holidays. In the afternoon I was pretty busy until Captain Caveman arrived home. He’d called at Aldi on his way and done a big shop. Here’s what he bought with prices in pounds;
Aldi Supermarket Garlic 0.45 4 baking potatoes 0.79 1 bunch of bananas 0.80 1 red cabbage 0.89 1 pack of rocket 0.89 Cucumber 0.99 1kg dried pasta 1.19 2 packs of English muffins 1.30 Leeks 1.37 2 packs of tortilla wraps 1.98 6 Red peppers 2.07 Gruyère cheese 2.99 Manchego cheese 2.99 2 packs Fish fingers 3.30 4 packs of tortellini 3.96 2 packs frozen berries 3.98 2 packs of butter 3.98 1 bottle of red wine 4.99 900g chicken thighs 5.39 1 bottle of rosé wine 8.99 Total spent £53.29
Captain Caveman had also gone mad and bought an air fryer and a hand held blender, both for under £35! We rounded the evening off with brisket and cheese on sourdough for dinner and then had a relaxing evening.
Gratitude List 1. More free Costa Rica training with Travel Gossip 2. Meeting Louisa in my lunch break to discuss forthcoming holidays 3. Captain Caveman’s big shop, including new kitchen gadgets.
Claire and I were both up early on Monday 27th July as we were continuing our staycation while doing some work at the Buxton Palace Hotel & Spa. The breakfast was a self-service one which had pretty much anything you fancied and we had the cooked English breakfast with a hot chocolate and juice.
Inbetween working remotely, we also managed to do some lengths in the pool, where I used the sauna and steam room. We found out that we could have had free parking at the spa side of the building and that the roof had recently had a leak in the ladies changing room. It was certainly old fashioned and could’ve benefited from some loungers but it was good enough to relax and have a quick dip in before getting back to the laptops. We didn’t have lunch at the hotel as we had something exciting planned. We had a wander in to the park for a bit of exercise and bird spotting before checking out the shops for souvenirs (for Claire) and old fashioned sweets (for me). There was a car show just setting up round the back of the opera house too so we thought we might come back to look at that later on.
Claire and I absolutely love an afternoon tea and were booked in at 6 The Square Tea Rooms for a veritable feast. I can honestly say it was one of the best afternoon teas I’ve had (and I’ve had a few), where the cherry scones were the absolute dog’s doodahs. I imagine anyone listening to us making ‘sex’ noises over the food wouldn’t have believed we were simply eating quiche, finger sandwiches and a selection of sweet treats. The staff were lovely and not shy with the tea, either! I absolutely loved the whole thing and it was a real bargain at £58.00 for the 2 of us – especially as we took a considerable amount away with us and had to have a lay on the bed back at the hotel, to recover!
We obviously didn’t need any dinner as we were so stuffed but that evening we ventured to the bar where we had about 3 rounds of wine at £15/£16 per round. We played games again and had a great night in the lounge area of the hotel.
Gratitude List 1. A hotel breakfast 2. Swimming 3. Afternoon tea in Buxton with Claire.
I’d been away from Dalyan’s Fat Club for so long now that the weigh day on Wednesday 15th July almost felt pointless. Luckily, we Fat Club ladies have a group chat and they are 2 hours ahead in Türkiye so there were already messages – mainly encouraging and humourous. It’s great because it keeps me conscious of trying to maintain some semblance of sensible eating and I do miss the group a lot when I’m not there. So, I got on the scales in Barnes and took my measurements (I always carry my tape measure). I was shocked to find I had lost 1.5kg (3.3lb), lost 2cm from my bust, no change to my hips but had put 2cm on my waist. I was pleased with that but I now still needed to lose quite a bit more to get back to my target weight. What I didn’t realise is that Captain Caveman had done his work for the week, was now on holiday and was sat playing Bridge on his phone when I came back from the bakery. I’d been to get croissants from Gail’s but there was a massive queue. A cute dog alerted me to a counter at another bakery a few doors down, he was waiting to be served and there were dog biscuits on the counter. I paid £6.20 for a croissant and a pain au chocolat, the dog biscuits were free so my new pal got given one for helping me. There was no sign of an owner but the dog was obviously a local. After me cramming in some work, we left Barnes at midday. We said farewell to Captain Caveman’s Ma but I only shouted up ‘bye’ to Pa, who I hope had his hearing aid switched on. Captain Caveman’s parents are always so welcoming and accommodating so I was actually sad to be leaving. We got the bus back to Heathrow airport (again) ready for our 3.25pm BA flight to Sofia. We were off to Bulgaria for the Phillgood festival in Plovdiv and were really looking forward to seeing more bands. On our way through a precinct in Hammersmith we nipped in Tesco to stock up on meal deals for dinner as we didn’t want to be spending money unnecessarily in the airport or on the plane. We paid £12 for 2 meal deals which included a chicken katsu bento box for me and a sandwich for Captain Caveman. We both had a snack and a smoothie too.
The flight to Sofia went as planned and we landed in to Sofia where we were staying for 2 nights. The navigation of the train/metro from the airport to our hotel was easy and it wasn’t busy at 9pm. We arrived at Hotel Niky which I had booked with Resort Expert’s for an excellent price and it was very comfy and in a great location. Captain Caveman decided we would pop to an ale house for beer and sausages but it was closed. Instead we ended up at a lovely pizza restaurant on the main street. At La Piazzetta we ordered a beer and a red wine and 2 pizzas. The wine serving was massive and so were the pizzas. Captain Caveman had a spicy one and I had a BBQ chicken. They tasted great and it wasn’t expensive – Captain Caveman paid. Back at the hotel, it was late so we were looking forward to a good sleep and exploring Sofia tomorrow – neither of us had been before.
Gratitude List 1. Losing weight this week 2. Being able to stay in Barnes again 3. Another trip away to somewhere new, with Captain Caveman.
Before we even contemplated leaving the apartment in Madrid on Friday 10th July, I read that fans of Twenty One Pilots had been queuing since stupid o’clock this morning ready for tonight’s performance at the Mad Cool festival. People were suffering from heat stroke and there had been incidents of medical attention being needed. I had a morning of work and then we popped to Lidl to replenish the food stocks. Here’s what we bought with prices in Euros;
Lidl Supermarket 2 bread rolls 0.58 Onion 0.84 2 apples 0.88 Crisps 0.92 Coffee 0.95 Bread 0.99 Gazpacho 1.05 Salami 1.79 Fruit Mentos 1.99 Cheese 2.75 Total spent €12.74 (£10.90)
Captain Caveman was still feeling a bit dehydrated so he had a coffee drink and a cold Gazpacho drink to sort him out a bit. My blisters were pretty bad so we called in the pharmacy where I bought Blister plasters for €5 (£4.28) and some effervescent rehydration tablets for €9.80 (£8.38). There was a fire engine near the apartment and we thought it was a fire or a cat rescue, it turned out to be a falling branch.
It was insanely hot now in Madrid and we were struggling to get motivated for day 3 of the Mad Cool festival. We got there in time to see The Pixies who were excellent and definitely another highlight for us. I was particularly hopeful for Kings of Leon who followed on the big stage but they didn’t wow me as much as I thought they would. The crowd seemed to love them and maybe it was just because we were too hot. We made a sensible decision to miss the last band and leave Twenty One Pilots to the youngsters. It was still just after midnight when we got back home but the over 40°C temperatures were certainly taking their toll on us. Tomorrow was the last day and we had the horrible dilemma of at least 3 acts who were overlapping and we wanted to see them all.
Gratitude List 1. Surviving Day 3 of the Mad Cool festival 2. Seeing The Pixies 3. Blister plasters and rehydration tablets.
I met a friend for a walk and talk at 7.30am on Friday 26th June. We talked about how my trip to England and Europe had gone. She’d also been busy so it was a good catch up and we had to wait at Kaunos tea gardens for it to open. We just had 1 large tea and 2 waters for 65 lira (£1.05) then both went back home to get on with our days. Upon my return, I snipped as much of the unruly bushes that I could then messaged the gardening company to ask them to do the rest – it had obviously not been touched for 3 weeks at our side of the complex, but Block A looked very tidy. I finished work at 4pm, despite having a lot to do still, as I needed to get prepared for my guests. I’d invited Richard and Michelle over for a curry at mine but I needed to get some ingredients in as I’d not done a proper shop yet. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;
Star Gurme 1 tin baked beans & 1 jar curry sauce Total spent 300 lira (£4.84)
Yaman Büfe 2 1 bottle of Angora red wine 525 3 Dido chocolate bars 105 Total spent 630 lira (£10.16)
I didn’t need the beans or curry sauce but had walked all the way to buy curry paste and they didn’t have the one I wanted. I couldn’t remember if I had an alternative at home so I bought the jar in case I needed it to make a quick version of my chicken curry. The naan bread is just a pide type of bread but does the trick.
I threw everything in to the slow cooker and had a paste at home I could use, plus it didn’t need to be ready until 9pm so I had time; 4 hours on high. I met my friends in Retro bar for a pre dinner drink (or 2) and they brought me some gifts which was really lovely and much appreciated. I paid the bar bill this time at 950 lira (£15.32) and then we went over to mine for curry. We had another drink while I popped the rice in the rice cooker and we had a good old chat, mainly about holidays and future plans. The curry went down well and the Dido chocolate bars worked as a dessert. It wasn’t a late one as I had work in the morning and my guests were off on a boat trip.
Gratitude List 1. Walk by the river with a friend 2. Retro bar for drinks with friends 3. Hosting a curry night at mine.
I was a giddy little kipper on Wednesday 17th June as the day of my 5 day Riverside Luxury Cruises and Travelpack Fam trip was here, at last! In the afternoon I would be boarding the Riverside Mozart ship and sailing down the Danube from Budapest to Vienna. When my alarm went off at stupid o’clock that morning, I was feeling sad to be leaving Mallorca and really had enjoyed an amazing 1.5 days cramming in stuff with the Mallorca Resort Expert. My flight was at 6.50am so the taxi was booked for 4.30am and was costing 50 Euros. We said our farewells, both knowing we had forged a great friendship and would definitely see each other again. The taxi was good, the driver spoke English and there was no traffic. My flight was with easyJet back to Gatwick, it was practically empty and I had nodded off before takeoff. Pauline, my petite pink under seat case kept her wheels on and there were no issues. I landed in a very rainy and cold London at 8.30am and had to get a bit of a spurt on. My next flight, which had been booked for me by Travelpack, departed at 11.05am and I had a small dilemma. They had booked me a Wizzair flight from Gatwick to Budapest with 20kg hold luggage and an underseat case. It would be my first time flying with this airline. Unfortunately, Pauline my petite pink case was 5cm too tall without the detachable wheels and couldn’t go as hand luggage. Wizzair staff at the bag drop told me that they would be strict at the gate so it would be better for me to pop Pauline in the hold and definitely not to chance taking her as an underseat bag. I wasn’t keen on this, with her being so small, and I had to take out my laptop, chargers, diary and other work related stuff, which I put in a shoulder bag. There was barely anything left in Pauline – mainly just dirty laundry, toiletries, a pair of sandals and a new sandy travel towel. Wizzair weighed my checked luggage and, although allowed 20kg, it was only 7kg and I got a receipt. Of course, I had the obligatory wait in the airport near a screen until an hour before the departure time, when the gate would be made public. It was too early for me for an airport pint so I ended up spending almost a tenner in Boots and doing some work. Oddly there was a member of staff there complaining to me about the heat and apologising that the AC wasn’t working. I had my hoodie on as it was comparatively cold to Spain and Mallorca. Here’s what I bought, prices in pounds;
Boots 1 paper bag 0.18 1 chocolate bar 1.00 1 smoothie 3.00 1 Hoisin Duck wrap 3.75 Meal Deal discount -2.75 1 mini cocoa butter 2.20 1 mini mouthwash 1.80 1 mini toothpaste 1.65 3 for 2 minis discount -1.65 Total spent £9.68
I’d had to buy the toothpaste when I realised I had left the rest of my toothytabs in Mallorca. I also didn’t really need the paper bag from Boots but it was another travel hack. If you buy a bag from any of the airport shops you can count this as an extra hand luggage at no extra cost. I used it to put my lunch plus diary, headphones, water bottle and other bits and bobs in. At the gate, I witnessed every passenger have their hand luggage measured and weighed with many having to pay a £70 fine – even some passengers who argued they had been told they could take carry on. The Wizzair gate staff were having none of it, they definitely charged a lot of people extra and boarding took ages. The Wizzair plane was not particularly clean and I got sat on an aisle seat near the back of the plane. A stag do of 10 lads had decided they weren’t that bothered about paying to select seats together so they were spread out, one in the window seat of my row and one behind us. We had a chat and it was a nice lad who offered me one of his jelly bears. I didn’t partake incase they were laced with drugs but the stag lads turned out to be a lovely bunch. They let me wear one of their masks, I shared a few travel tips with them and we had photos and drinks to pass the time on. When I told them about the neck pillow filled with clothes travel hack, they loved it – especially as one of them had paid an extra £70 and wasn’t happy about that as it was more than the cost of the flight. We landed in Budapest at 2.40pm and it was probably the longest I’ve been in a passport control queue in a while. Luckily, I got chatting to a man who often holidays in Budapest and he gave me a few ideas and tips based on his several visits. He even saved my space in the queue when I needed the toilet.
After about 90 minutes, I was through to pick up my luggage – needless to say little Pauline was on the baggage carousel belt on her own. I picked her up and walked out to arrivals where I was met by Suzie, an employee sent to accompany me on the private transfer to the ship. She looked shocked and apologised that my hold luggage, which she presumed had got lost, would be retrieved and brought to the ship as soon as they could. I explained that I travelled light, there was no more luggage, and she was even more shocked. The minibus driver asked where my luggage was, I explained and he and Suzie had a good old laugh together about that. While Suzie gave me some tips on how to say the basics in Hungarian, we drove along the Danube, where I would board the ship. Even the view from the minibus was fantastic and I was very excited for my first ever river cruise.
As I boarded the Riverside Mozart docked on the river Danube in Budapest, the porter, the receptionist and then a waiter were equally baffled over my lack of luggage and that I hadn’t lost any. I was given a welcome glass of champagne, a lady in the bar shouted hello but I wasn’t sure who she was until later and then I was shown to my cabin, number 153. My only comparison was a ferry so I was extremely impressed with my sleeping quarters for the next 4 nights. My cabin was a Harmony Suite with a picture window and was around 20 square metres. It was the ‘basic’ level cabin and I was certainly impressed with it – it was much better than any hotel room I’d been in this year. This was my first ever cruise and I had never had myself down as a cruiser – that was about to be challenged! It was also my first time visiting Hungary, Slovakia and Austria so I saw it as a great introduction to 3 countries I may want to see more of in the future. The Riverside Mozart wasn’t a massive ship but it can fit 162 guests and 82 crew – so far I had seen far more crew than guests and, at 23m wide, this boat felt pretty roomy. I had a welcome bottle of fizz and some rather lovely chocolates in my cabin and a note to welcome me. The bathroom was an absolute delight with one of those Japanese style toilets which can wash and dry your nether regions while having a heated seat! The shower was marvellous and had opulent toiletries so I needn’t get out my travel ones. I learned that Riverside Luxury Cruises do not charge a single supplement for any of their cruises! This was good to know as I often get requests from solo travellers who obviously don’t want to have to pay up to double the price. I also learned that I was on the Premium All Inclusive package with included excursions and that was an absolute bonus – I am partial to the odd tipple and the diet was certainly on hold from now on.
I felt so lucky to have won this trip and I almost skipped to the bar to find the other travel agents. On the way, I found the free DIY launderette and popped in my dirty laundry so I could start with a full complement of clothes. The bar was fantastic, the kind of place they hand out Taittinger like it’s water and the nibbles need a Google to work out what they are. Our first task was to listen to the safety briefing from a very dishy Captain, who’s priority was only the safety of his passengers. My fellow sailors on this Fam trip were; • Victoria – the Business Development Manager at Riverside Luxury Cruises • Joely – the Business Development Manager at Travelpack • Amy • Grant • Paul • Cath • Sam So, there were 8 of us in total; 5 other Travel Agents, me and the people in charge of putting on the trip. They seemed a nice bunch as we went through to the Waterfront dining room.
We sat over 2 tables and had a waiter, a server and a sommelier at our table, making sure we were waited on very well. There was a menu which changed daily, as well as a menu that was available throughout our stay. Amy & I chose the Asian spring roll to start, it was pretty and delicious. Grant and Cath had what looked like parma ham wrapped round bread sticks on a bowl of salad – they liked it. The next course for me was a soup, also very nice, I was on my second lot of bread and double parked with wine and champagne. Cath had a pasta dish which also looked good but rather filling as an interim course. For main, we all had the beef and it was absolutely delicious – fancy, but not over the top! Of course, it was served with fabulous wine which was probably too expensive for me to even appreciate, given I’d had 3 champagne, 1 white wine, and now an ample pour of Merlot. The desserts on the menu looked good but I had laundry to attend to, much to the amusement of my fellow Fam Trip winners. I excused myself to tackle the rather enthusiastic tumble drier, hoping to reconvene for a cheese plate and more Merlot. I got chatting to a guest in the laundry room, she was younger than I’d imagined the average cruiser would be and this was not her first rodeo with Riverside. She could not praise them enough and she told me that I was going to love the excursion tomorrow. We chatted a little before me taking my laundry back to my cabin to find someone had been in there. It turned out that I had a butler, who had brought me a treat and turned down the luxurious bedding, on the off chance I was too lazy to know how to get in bed unaided. Daniel, the butler, had popped on some mood lighting and closed my picture window curtains. The bottle of champagne was chilling and my ice bucket was full. So, this was what luxury cruising was about! There was a note on the desk to say to call Daniel or WhatsApp him if I needed anything at all – including room service! I messaged to say hi, ordered a glass of red wine and a ‘bit of cheese’. I made sure I was drinking water as there was plenty in the fridge and I read the itinerary for the next day.
I popped back up to the top deck bar, where my fellow Fam trippers were, and had a drink with them while we sailed down the beautiful Danube. My photos really didn’t do it justice and it didn’t help that I was somewhat merry. I said goodnight, leaving my new friends having a night cap, and returned to my cabin around 10.45pm where a substantial cheese plate with a glass of red sat waiting for me – this was the life! When I finally got in to the huge bed, it was so comfy that I fell asleep instantly!
Gratitude List 1. A fun journey from Mallorca to Budapest, via Gatwick 2. Being part of the Fam Trip with Riverside Luxury Cruises and Travelpack 3. Being wined and dined like royalty on Riverside Mozart.
Photo Credit – some photos taken by the rest of the Fam Trip Attendees
There were so many things that we could have done on Tuesday 16th June but I was aware that with only one day and another night, the best thing to do was live like a local in Santa Ponsa. My host, the Mallorca Resort Expert, had asked if I’d wanted to do a boat trip, go to the pirate show or see any of the sights while I was there – I preferred to spend time with her. I did have some work to do but we kept it to a minimum as well as working on content ideas for our social media work pages. My friend had took the liberty of guessing what I might like for breakfast and had served it up on the balcony, overlooking the beach and sea. Our meal was a feast of yoghurt with fruit, cheese and ham on bread with garlic dip, olives, tomatoes, more bread and a hot drink. It was so good and we ate while people watching the goings on at the beach below. We decided that’s where we would spend some time today, on the beach! We donned our swimmers, put on the suncream, grabbed our beach towels (my new one was super light) and a parasol before tackling those steps down to the beach. The sand was soft and hot but there was a lovely breeze as we sat down with a small bag of picnic type items. We had to keep an eye on the cheeky gulls who were well practiced in stealing any treats they fancied from people’s bags while they were in the sea. It was my first time this year, just lazing on the beach. Despite being so near to it in Dalyan, I rarely have a day off for beach going and thought perhaps I should do more of it.
Around 4pm we decided to head back ‘home’, after a walk along the seafront path and calling at the shop. I noticed my face was pretty pink and decided it might be a good idea to treat us to a face mask to prevent my skin looking like a typical Brit abroad, later! Here’s what we bought, with prices in Euros;
Santa Ponsa Supermarket 1.5l bottled water 0.31 Apple juice 1.00 500ml Fanta Lemon 2.00 1 can Mixed fruit cider 2.35 2 Aloe Vera face masks 3.00 Total spent €8.66 (£7.36)
I did a bit of work then we popped on the face masks and had a 10 minute lay down which turned into a cheeky cat nap but my face felt and looked loads better after it. Back on that fantastic sea view balcony, we ate a really lovely meal of mozzarella, tomato, avocado and basil served with fresh bread, olives, rice crackers and a peach. I chatted on about how Fanta lemon in Spain is different to that in the UK. We also managed to have a croissant which we hadn’t eaten earlier. I was stuffed and feeling relaxed and happy, but not looking forward to leaving at 4am tomorrow morning. The visit had gone too quickly but I was still glad to have had some time in Santa Ponsa, which was so beautiful.
The evening plan was to simply watch the sunset at Il Chiringo, in Costa De La Calma. It was a place the Mallorca Resort Expert had been to many times before and she wanted me to see it for myself. After dinner we walked to the venue, bumping into a man with his dog on the way, who invited us to go to his house. We didn’t go but it struck me that the locals were friendly, and his dog was cute. When we arrived we had timed it perfectly and were sat amongst the other locals who were all coming in from a swim to have a sunset drink or bite to eat. It was beautiful and I felt so lucky to get to see it, I perhaps wouldn’t have found out about this hidden gem if I wasn’t staying with my friend. I wasn’t sure what to order to drink so I tried my first shandy made with lemon Fanta (commonly called Clara) for €4 (£3.40) and my fellow sunset watcher had an alcohol free beer which was slightly more at €4.50 (£3.83). I thought this was very reasonable given the location – the Fanta shandy was an absolute game changer. We walked back, taking those steps for the last time where a cat watched us. He was nicknamed The Manager as he was in charge of the place. I packed my stuff in to Pauline, my petite pink under seat case, I had a full neck pillow too but this time I was flying with easyJet so there was no need for booking the exit row seat. We both set alarms on both phones so that we could make sure I didn’t miss my flight.
Gratitude List 1. Spending time, both for work and personally, with the Mallorca Resort Expert 2. An afternoon at the beach 3. Sunset at Il Chiringo
I had no idea when I woke up on Monday 15th June that today would be such a great day. We saw our last sunrise and sea view before I needed to pack up Pauline, my petite pink under seat case, for destination number 4 in 3 weeks. Due to me winning a luxury cruise Fam trip, I had needed to rearrange my Spanish section of my trip and I was now going to Mallorca to visit my friend, the Mallorcan Resort Expert, for only 1.5 days!!! I’d managed to get bargain priced flights from Malaga and then to Budapest and my friend was very kindly putting me up in her apartment. It was the last buffet breakfast at the Ramada by Wyndham and I certainly made the most of it. I’d really enjoyed this hotel although, on checking the rooms the others had, I did think their rooms could’ve done with a better layout and their bedrooms were on the small side. I’m glad 3 of us were sharing and had a bigger room, despite sleeping on the pull-out sofa bed which was very comfy. I made a note for future customers, I would recommend the better rooms. Everyone made it to breakfast for our last one and I even made a cheese and ham sandwich, plus took an extra breadroll for the last of the pork – I often take an airport sandwich if I can. It had been such a lovely weekend and I genuinely was sad it was ending. Our taxi to the airport was booked through the hotel reception while Jamie had booked an Uber with Charlotte and Kerrie as their Bournemouth flight was slightly later than the Gatwick flight. After saying bye to Carol, who was staying on to meet a friend, we said farewell to Jamie, Charlotte and Kerrie even though we would probably see them at the airport. The Gatwick lot plus me got in the taxi to the airport. Reports of queues at Malaga airport were not what we found and everything was straight forward. We saw the Bournemouth gang who were a tad early and they were heading for a bar/lounge. I said bye to Claire, Dawn and Spawn at the international terminal and popped over to domestic one to find that my flight had been delayed due to a storm. It was disappointing as now my Mallorca trip was even shorter. My flight should have been at 1.55pm but it turned out that we were only just taking off at 3pm. At Malaga airport I learned that the water dispenser was much colder in the domestic terminal than the international. It was also much quieter with lots of seating areas for me to snaffle my sandwiches and have a browse round the souvenir shops. My flight with Vueling was booked with an under seat bag where the permitted measurements with this airline was 5cm shorter than that of easyJet. I’d checked this before I flew and noted that Vueling is the same as Ryanair. Pauline, my petite pink under seat case, wouldn’t adhere to that despite having detachable wheels and being under on width and depth. I couldn’t acquire a new case so I did a bit of research to work out how I could take Pauline, plus my neck pillow stuffed with clothes and not have to pay up to £70 in charges at the gate. To add on a larger carry on bag it would cost up to £50 if adding in advance. However, I noticed that if I added on a seat selection for an exit row at online check-in, it would be less than half the price and my case would have to go in the overhead locker anyway. I did that, confident that Pauline would not have to be put in the hold and I wouldn’t get a hefty fine for the sake of 5cm. The flight was good, I had a row to myself and all went well with the travel hack to get Pauline through as hand luggage. I was really looking forward to meeting my colleague in Mallorca on what would be very much a flying visit.
I landed at Palma airport at 4.30pm and made my way to the arrivals area where the Mallorca Resort Expert was waiting for me. I was delayed, she stood there patiently and I was able to sneak up on her. It was the first time we had met in person and had so far only met online so I was really looking forward to meeting her. We hugged and it felt good to finally get together even though we had a very tight schedule. Rather than wait for the airport bus, we jumped into a taxi straight to Palma city centre. My host had organised for us to eat at a tapas restaurant which not many tourists know about and had booked us a table for when it opened at 6.30pm. This meant we had a bit of time for her to show me around some of her favourite shops in Palma. I was also glad that I had only taken Pauline, my petite pink under seat case, as we needed to walk through the busy streets of the capital and it was sunny. We stopped to listen to a street musician who was playing a Stevie Wonder song, we visited two of Dagne’s favourite shops; Georg’s which sold Salamis, herbs, olive oil, honey, and balsamic vinegar. The shop was so lovely, the owner very attentive and she let us try everything before I got a couple of souvenirs, mostly for myself. Puzzles was a really cute shop where they sell original puzzles that you can try out while at the counter and if you get frustrated and can’t complete them, the owners will lend you a hammer as a solution. It was such good fun and we had a good laugh before heading off to Bodega. For those not in the know, like the Mallorca Resort Expert, you would be forgiven for ending up at a different one. Ours was not the fancier, pricier La Bodega – more the traditional tapas place where locals queue as soon as it’s opened to get a seat.
Bodega was small but cosy and Pauline sat neatly under the counter/bar which we sat at on high stools. My fellow diner had a zero alcohol beer and I had a glass of red wine while we perused the excellent menu. We ordered a selection of tapas; croquettes, tortilla, brie, burrata on bruschetta, and patatas bravas which were all amazing – we both agreed on which were the best dishes. We had another drink each and, even though we were full, we chose 2 more of the pinchos to have with our drinks. The food and wine was so good that I would definitely put it in one of my top places to eat. When the bill came, I was expecting it to be so much more expensive so I was pleased when it came to just €25 (£21.25) each.
Next, we got the bus to Santa Ponsa, where Pauline and I were met with quite a few steps to climb that certainly weren’t in the brochure! Once inside I got a lovely welcome from my host who had bought me some gifts and even put some balloons out with ‘Welcome Jo Lo’ written on them. I felt like a celebrity or something as she had got both copies of my books out, ready for me to sign. After an admiration of the amazing sea view balcony and a drink of water, it was time for a quick shower and change. My friend had arranged for us to visit a roof top bar and hotel where we enjoyed a glass of champagne while admiring the view. A kind guest took our photos at the H10 Casa Del Mar hotel and did a pretty thorough job. It was lovely for someone I work with to be so thoughtful and I had definitely found a good friend here. The rooftop bar was really cool and we relaxed by the pool with our fizz, laughing and getting to know each other more. Even when we were back home, the hospitality and kindness shone as my host tried to insist I take her bed and she have the couch – I was having none of it as I was not about to take someone’s bed, I was more than happy on the couch.
Gratitude List 1. Having the last morning in Spain with the Costa Del Sol gang 2. Meeting the Mallorca Resort Expert in real life 3. Fantastic local tapas and rooftop bar drinks together.
Photo Credit – some photos by the Mallorca Resort Expert
After a lovely night’s sleep on the pull-out sofa bed I went outside to see what the view from our room was like on Saturday 13th June. It was lovely and I was pleased with the room we had, as we wandered to the breakfast area. I was very impressed at the choice and availability of the buffet style breakfast too and had plenty of it – all in the name of research, of course! By 10.30am 4 of us had decided that walking off the big breakfast may be a good idea and off to explore we went.
Claire, Dawn, Carol and I trotted downhill to the beach and wandered along the promenade all the way in to Fuengirola and stopped for a soft drink along the way. By the time we were headed back, the sun was shining, we were definitely getting sweaty and one of us needed to buy comfier footwear. It was all rather pleasant until it dawned on me that I was the most unfit out of the group and struggled on the hills at the end.
By 12.30pm we were rehydrated, armed with Lays crisps from the on-site shop and in our swimmers by one of the various pools. We had chosen one with less families and with a good mix of shade and sun. It was the first time this year that I had been in a swimming pool and it felt great. A few nibbles and a couple of beverages were had in the early afternoon and everyone, but me, had sandwiches, quiches or sausage rolls for lunch. The on-site bakery and shop had such a good range of products that it would have been quite easy to survive by not leaving the resort, should we have wanted to. In the interests of not wasting food, I had the warmed up tagliatelle carbonara from last night and it tasted even better the second day. In the later part of the afternoon, we sat out on the garden area outside our room, enjoying the sea view, drying our towels and swimmers while drinking tea or coke while we waited for the Cava in the fridge to chill a bit more and the other 5 to head over for pre dinner drinks.
Claire, who had become the one in charge by default because most of the rest of us couldn’t be bothered to step up, was the star of the evening. She had arranged some paraphernalia for each of the celebrators; Dawn who was celebrating her 50th and wore her tiara very proudly, Jamie who was less keen to sport an amazing vest top full of images of his cheeky face but loved the Gay Who? game and bracelet for his 40th, and Spawn, the bride to be was donned with more twinkles befitting her outfit and we all had a mask to show our support for her. The Cava flowed and we laughed a lot, not having time to do the games we had ready much chance, before heading off to the delights of Fuengirola and to feed our hungry bellies. I knew it was going to be a good night and decided to draw out more cash. The ATM charged me €5 to draw out €60 which was an error on my part as I should’ve just paid on card, but I wanted it for drinks/taxis later. We promenaded our way to the port and Claire had spotted a lovely looking venue which was fairly busy (always a good sign when choosing an eatery on holiday). The waitress at Ku’ Damm stuck us at a large table at the back, surrounded by interesting memorabilia and got busy with taking drinks orders. I really enjoyed the sangria and this kind of restaurant was right up my street as it sold pork! The ceiling of the ladies toilet in this Berlin-esque restaurant was certainly unique.
My next ‘mistake’, in some people’s eyes, was to order a pork knuckle with potatoes, gravy and gherkins. When it came it was ridiculously large and had so much crackling on – we’ve had smaller joints of meat at a family Sunday roast. A lot of the girls ordered the schnitzel and that was definitely not a small portion, either. The food was incredible and I thoroughly enjoyed my pork knuckle. Obviously it defeated me and I ended up asking to take half away with me. This is much more common abroad but, again, it amused most of the gang. There is no way I could have wasted any of that pork! Our bill was split between 8 of us again and I paid €40, remarkably the same as last night! Next, with very full bellies, we wandered (I most definitely waddled) over to a bar where it appeared it was part of the evening to be ‘forced’ to drink Tequila Rosé shots at the bar. Ordinarily, I do love a Tequila Rosé but I had overdone it on my meal so I struggled to get the first one down. Not one to be a party pooper too early, I took a second while one of the girls had to do a tactical chunder in the bogs! I almost followed suit and decided 2 was enough after a good amount of sangria and went on to water. While the celebrators really got in to party mode, I started to feel my age and was aware just how much I can’t drink, or stay out late, like I used to. Claire and Carol were either thinking the same or had took pity on me wandering the trendy bars of Fuengirola with half a greasy pork knuckle in a takeaway plastic bag. The 3 of us got an Uber back to the Ramada and Carol paid on her app. Back in our hotel room, having put my meat in the fridge, Claire and I tried to wait up for Dawn by watching a bit of TV but she still had to knock me up as we had fell asleep – was I turning in to a brunch friend rather than the party person I used to be!?
Gratitude List 1. Waking up to a sea view and included breakfast at the Ramada 2. Spending time on holiday with the Costa Del Sol gang 3. That huge pork knuckle!!!!
Photo Credit – some photos taken by the Costa Del Sol attendees
Typical of a last day before a holiday, I was busy on Thursday 11th June and had an early start. Claire and I also made sure I booked the airport transfer to our hotel tomorrow which, as a Resort Expert, worked out cheaper for me to book with Suntransfers. I attended an online workshop about copy content with Georgina and then checked in for my flight tomorrow. Although I only planned on taking Pauline, my petite pink under seat bag, I was cheating a bit by sharing toiletries with Claire which would go in her checked in bag. I wasn’t taking my own shampoo, conditioner or shower gel, but I was taking a deodorant stick and toothy tabs. I was also taking Captain Caveman’s ‘Scrubba’ a portable washing contraption in case I wouldn’t have the use of a washing machine over the next 10 days in various destinations. At midday it was the Resort Experts team meeting where we were told that we would be getting our own new websites built for us, next month and that was exciting. One of my customers who is also one of my best friends was on her way to the airport so I kept particular attention to see how she got on as we would be on holiday at the same time but in different countries. Unfortunately, her flight was delayed due to a problem with the plane. I stopped work mid afternoon and joined Claire on a quick trip to Sainsbury’s – I decided I needed to buy more knickers as well as pick up some Euros, ready for my 10 days in Europe. Here’s what I bought with prices in pounds;
Sainsbury’s 3 seam free knickers 9.00 3 pizzas 11.55 1 bottle of red wine 9.50 Razors 1.00 Glacier Fruits 1.50 Crisps 2.20 2 garlic & herb dips 3.70 Nectar card discounts – 10.17 Total spent £32.13
We dashed off for the school pick up of Claire’s daughter and then realised I had forgotten to get some Euros, so we all went back. I managed to get rid of some Scottish £20 notes but it did take a while, being so far south. This was also a good excuse for a cafe visit where Claire treated me to an earl grey tea, her daughter had chicken tenders and chips which looked fab and Claire dialled in to a meeting. I also was in touch with my friend who was still stuck at the airport with plane issues. Claire and I attended Otford Primary school’s summer concert in the evening while leaving the men to do tasks like walk Reg, put the pizzas in the oven and attempt (and fail) to fit a sofa bed in a van. Claire’s daughter was playing piano so we went along to support – it was actually a lot better than I had anticipated. Having been a young musician myself, it brought back lots of good memories and we all got a chance to sing a Beatles song where I gave it a bit of welly – who doesn’t love singing along to Yellow Submarine?! We got back home to pizzas and wine and I realised that I’d been so slack on taking photos that I insisted we have a family one where Claire displayed her unusual sense of humour. The out of office was on but I was still waiting to hear from my friend who was on the flight and was due to arrive in her destination after midnight. She had let me know they were taking off and I asked her to message once she was safely at the hotel so that I didn’t have to worry. I set an early alarm so I could check that they had arrived safely at her hotel.
Gratitude List 1. New knickers 2. Being invited to Otford Primary summer concert 3. A last family dinner with Claire, her family and Captain Caveman.
I didn’t get much work done on Friday 5th June because I was too busy getting on with other stuff before meeting up with more friends later on. My first mission of the day was to get the bus to the top of Ecclesall Road to Wax Inc. I used to go to the one in town but it had closed so I had to trek all the way across town. The bus took about 35 minutes from only a 5 minute walk away from Captain Caveman’s flat. My waxing cost me another £30 plus the £8.50 deposit I had to pay when I booked and Ruby was very good. I arrived earlier than planned and she still fitted me in. Next, I got a key cut for £7 at a shop further up the hill and called in to Sainsbury’s to get bread and some cream crackers for £2.85. I decided to get the bus in to town because I needed to call in to Marks and Spencer to buy a bra. They had a sale on so this is what I bought there, prices in pounds:
M&S 1 orange bikini top £11.50 1 red bra £5.00 1 box of peppermint tea £2.70 Edamame beans £2.00 Total spent £18.80
I got the tram back to Kelham Island and didn’t realise until it was too late that today’s buses and trams had cost me £11.60 when a day saver would have been cheaper. It also wasted quite a bit of time being sat on public transport so I had no time to do any work other than to check my emails. Captain Caveman cooked us a breakfast for our lunch because time was cracking on and neither of us had eaten yet. In the evening, Captain Caveman was off to Peak Cavern to see The Orb in concert, that wasn’t for me so I arranged to meet friends instead. Louisa was having trouble finding a bus to get to Kelham Island that didn’t take an hour so she ended up getting a taxi and we met in Salt. We had a couple of drinks in there before heading to 5 Tara for food where Kerrie was able to come and join us. The food was amazing and I had the butter chicken with rice and we shared a couple of different breads. The tap water came in a tin jug which was fantastic and cold – the people of Sheffield don’t know how lucky they are with their tap water! After a delicious meal and lots to catch up on, we had a drink in The Ship. It had been done up since I was last there and seemed a decent place to drink in now. Kerrie had to get back for an early start tomorrow and Louisa was working really early tomorrow too so I said bye to them both and headed back to Salt where I met Luan and Paul for a couple more drinks. We made more plans for the summer to catch up with the rest of the gang. It was great to see so many friends while I was in Sheffield and there was still more to fit in this weekend. Captain Caveman got back from his gig around midnight and I was already asleep.
Gratitude List 1. Waxing 2. New bra and bikini top 3. Seeing Louisa, Kerrie, Luan and Paul.
