Karen was up quite a few times in the night for loo trips and was up early.

We enjoyed breakfast outside and went for lunch with mum and dad at El Paco’s. Dad ordered and STUNNED is all with a sentence or two in fluent spanish. I kid you not. No pigeon english, no raised voice, juat spanish. He was probably just ordering some beers, water and the menu, but it sounded great and we thoroughly enjoyed the white wine and orange juice when it arrived ! (only kidding). It was a lovely lunch and for less than £20 for 4 of us (including drinks), I should have offered to pay, but my wallet remained sealed (a special dp trick).

 

We took mum and dad back to the hotel and went shopping for some cushion covers for the villa deckchairs as the current ones are looking a bit tired. We found four lovely ones and I paid for them. TWO HUNDRED EUROS. In english money that’s about…….A BLOODY LOT ! We took them back to the car and discussed them for ages, before agreeing it was too much for our more limited budget nowadays. It’s the thought that counts, well we hoped that’s what mum and dad would think.

We came back and kp had a bit of a snooze.

We went to a pizza place in Torre for tea with the family - Pizza Nostra – and then went round the fair for the kids. Jamie and Sophie loved the kids rides. They both went on this little vehicle based one. Jamie drove a truck of some kind and Sophie was in another vehicle.

 

 

 

 I made friends with a dog that was faithfully sitting on a coconut shy stand.

 

With the kiddy ride over, I tempted Sophie to go on a bit more of a daring ride. Dad was rightly concerned that if she didn’t like it she couldn’t have got off and she would have to cry to the end as it couldn’t be stopped for her. I offered to go on with her. Great Plan ! EXCEPT for the fact that I couldn’t get in. It was a “older” kids ride, but it wasn’t designed for 25 year olds like me ! The family had a great lauigh at me trying to get in to Sophie’s car with her. In the end, I had to go in sideways in to the seat besides her. She was very brave and loved it !

We meandered up the street markets before returning home for some drinks on the veranda and the NIGHT OF HELL !

It was a long day, and all of us were knackered. Mum and dad returned to their hotel and we all resigned ourselves for an early night. You could sense the tiredness around the table.

So, about 10.30pm, we were all in bed.

At about 10.50pm, all was quiet. Quiet – meaning Guy was at full volume snoring and Jane must have been asleep otherwise Guy would have been shouting “Ow”, followed by peace, after a nudge from Jane.

At 10.51pm, Karen and I heard a scuttling noise.

kp:- David, what was that ?

We instantly both thought it was a cockroach.

dp:- I dunno, it sounds like something’s stuck in the air conditioning unit.

The scuttling got louder and I put the light on.

dp:- It’s too loud to be a cockroach. It sounds more like a bird, or perhaps a mouse.

Karen was very concerned. She Hates (CAPITAL “H”) cockroaches and mice and anything that crawls.

The scuttling continued. I decided to reach up with a shoe and tap the air conditioning unit, but before I had chance to tap it, a VERY lively cockroach dropped from the air conditioning unit and hit the floor and ran off at top speed.

dp:- It’s a cockroach

kp:- SSSSCCCCCCCCCRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMM

Guy’s snoring still pervaded the room once her scream died down.

The cockroach hid behind our bedside table. I grabbed a shoe and as it ran for me, I sent it in to the next life with such a clout.

dp:- Do you want to seei it ?

Strangely she did.

kp groaned when I showed it her.

We couldn’t be sure there was just one, even though the scuttlng noise was gone, so I got a can of cockroach spray and sprayed every orifice of the air conditioning unit. I must have used half a can. There was no chance any could live for long as even kp and I were struggling for breath. I went outside and sprayed the outside and could see another one and where it was entering the house through a pipe duct.

kp went to the loo and came back ………………….

kp:- I can’t sleep in here now.

To be fair, the room was too full of the spray and it was really hard to catch your breath, so we resigned ourselves to sleep on the coach in the living room. We tried sleeping on the same one, but that was a non-starter. I gave kp the long couch and slept on the smaller one.

kp:-  I want to go home tomorrow. I don’t want to stay here and I certainly don’t want to come back in August.

dp:- Can we discuss this in the morning ?

We didn’t have too bad a night sleep as “sleeping on couches” go.

Here is kp on her couch with bedclothes still visible with the kids eating their breakfast.

 

 

I spent the morning filling the duct holes so no further cockroaches could come in. kp was very quiet all morning – very tired I think.

Dad kindly offered to put us up in his hotel. kp was pleased and we moved over this afternoon. Lovely view…………..

And if you look closely you can see dad and sophie heading from the pool (right) to the deckchairs.

 

That’s our eventful day. kp is fast asleep (3pm) in the hotel room and will definately be better off for it. Tonight dad is baby sitting the kids whilst he watches some football final on telly. I think it is more a case of mum babysitting and dad watching, but it gives us a night with Jane and Guy so that will be nice. He said a funny thing the other day when we were planning this night.

Dad::- You go out for a meal. We will mind the kids.

Great offer.

Mum:- Oh yes, that’s the night of the football final isn’t it John ?

We all laiughed. And then he suggested

Dad :- You could go to Patio Andaluz (nice restaurant with flamenco dancers). You could take the kids they’d like it there !

We laughed even more. A babysitting offer had turned into a “I’ll watch football with Ann”. He didn’t mean it like that to be fair and they are looking after the kids tonight so thanks Mum/Dad for that !

Enough blog – sunshine time !