Adios amigos

Up early (ish) to pack. Somehow our belongings had swelled and it was a struggle to squash everything (including some delicious looking avocados off the tree) in.

The kids enjoyed a last play in the pool, then it was time to load up the car and head off for a farewell lunch. The food is admirably pictured and described by Lesley, so I'll just show you our cups of tea*.

After a delicious lunch, and ice creams for the kids, we found a grassy knoll near a playground to sit and watch the kids playing before we said our fond farewells and headed off to the airport. As our flight was very late in the evening, we thought we'd have a little trip into Malaga to look round. Despite some difficulty in finding a car park, we eventually had a nice walk around an odd arboretum in a central reservation, then over to a rose garden under the ruins of a huge castle. We walked back through the centre of town past a very dramatic cathedral and down streets where the council have sensibly hung awnings across from the tops of the buildings, to provide shade.

Of course my spare camera battery was in the car, so I can't show you any of that... I'll just have to go back next year (if we're invited...)

I'm still so relaxed from the week, that I'm not even going to rant about the intensely annoying wannabe who sat next to me on the plane, flicking her hair in my face every five minutes, and moaning about the drinks not being free (while regaling her friend with tales of the designer clothing she was wearing). When she fell asleep with her head on my shoulder and feet in MY footspace I did have to shake her off, but even then I couldn't work up any genuine irritation.

The temperature difference between holiday and home is always an interesting problem. The plane was evenly divided between those still in beach clothes, who were shivering in Edinburgh, and those sweating away on the plane in trousers and cardies, but looking distinctly smug at the other end. We took a middle ground of pulling extra clothes on as the temperature dipped during the flight. I did briefly consider whether we just wouldn't be allowed back in the country for being clad in such an ill-matched manner, but we got away with it.

*ok, so the chill on the side gives me away. It's beer in icy cold mugs.