Leaving Home, Returning To The UK.

The last day in Spain involves well practiced rituals – closing security shutters, opening windows behind the shutters for ventilation, charging the anti humidity devices, covering everything with dust covers, checking, loading the car, and locking up. We have now refined them down to the minimum time possible and today they were conducted without the need for much communication. Those completed we went to deliver preserves to our neighbours and friends and say our goodbyes, the most pleasant part of the parting rituals.

Those done we set off for Alicante where we had booked lunch at Prego for 14.00. This time, for the first time, there were no unplanned diversions other that doing a complete circuit plus of a roundabout because Garrath refused to believe the SatNav when it instructed him to take the first exit. We call it going the scenic route!

We arrived at Prego on time and enjoyed a leisurely and delicious lunch. Even though it is an Italian restaurant they are always able to cater for me, and Garrath has the extra bonus of being able to have a gluten feast, something he never gets at home, so he stuffed himself with croquettes and lasagne. To be fair he did have a salad too, so it wasn’t all unhealthy. I has smoked salmon, salad, grilled steak with Roquefort sauce and grilled aubergine and courgette. Deeeelish, and not a micron of gluten in there.

Ladies, if you are heterosexual and gentlemen if you are homosexual, if you are in Alicante please go to Prego for Sunday lunch. El Jefe (the boss) is one of the most delicious pieces of eye candy on the planet! I have no idea which way he swings but he is well worth a view regardless.

After lunch we had several hours to meander around Alicante, a truly delightful city. I only had my compact camera with me but managed to get a few shots of the marina and some lovely plants. I told (instructed actually) Garrath that we simply must go there with full camera kit to record its delights.

We also saw some lovely, lively, innovative art work done by an artist whom we assumed was African by the content of his art and the colour of his skin, but we could well be wrong in this assumption. We would have loved to have bought something from him but being on the plane there was no way we could have done so. His deliciously witty, humorous style will stay in my head forever though.

It was only after we had left Alicante, when I was buying shoes in their airport branch in fact, that I found out that the big El Corte Inglés Alicante had been open while we were there. Aaaaargh! Never mind, I know for next time.

For those of you who are bewildered, El Corte Inglés is the poshest department store in Spain staffed by the most elegant staff I have ever seen in a store. I swear they must have to report for work two hours earlier than the store opens for costuming, hairdressing, make-up and manicure, and that’s just the men. The women have to be drop dead gorgeous with perfect figures before they can even apply for jobs there. I reckon that the merest pimple would get you suspended for a week!

Panic and withdrawal symptoms at the fact that this was the first ever trip to Spain where I had not bought shoes to bring back to the U.K. drove me into El Corte Inglés airport branch. Needless to say I found the perfect pair and with my bank account only €99.00 lighter I found that my hand luggage had the perfectly shaped empty space to accommodate them, a sure sign that they were simply meant to be mine!!!

We were called to board the plane at 20.20 for the flight that was due to take of at 21.00 Spanish time and we did indeed start boarding. Then the queue stopped and we waited —— and waited —— and waited. Eventually people who had boarded returned to the boarding gate and we all watched in awe as the Spanish fire service mopped up a fuel spill outside the plane.

A further wait at the departure gate was followed by having to go through the passport and boarding card check yet again while a couple behind us whinged as only Whinging Poms can. So what? Things happen, get used to it!

Take off was about 40 minutes late but it is anticipated that we will only be around 15 minutes late landing.

After the flight out being so horrible with the drunken louts immediately behind me foul mouthing throughout the flight and prodding me and pulling my hair in a futile attempt to engage with me, I insisted on buying extra leg room seats at the front of the plane to minimise the possibility of aggravation by 50%. Deep bliss, for only €42.00 extra we are having a peaceful flight!

I am not a glass half empty person, neither am I a glass half full person. To me an empty glass represents the potential for champagne, so I look forward to tomorrow when I will collect the dogs from kennels, I will be mobbed by them and then I will bring them home to sleep off the frenetic activity they have been involved in for the last couple of weeks. I only hope that their holiday has been as good as ours.