Ibiza - Day One

We are definitely getting braver with our holidays. Finally we are getting out and visiting places in the world that normal people have already been to...twice probably. (Although there is plenty to say that a holiday to South Wales in a Yurt is probably a similar level of bravery). Anyway we booked Ibiza.

Just to make life as hard as possible for us I booked to go in April before the season starts, requiring a bit of planning and a lot of driving on the other side of the road. Ah well if we could cope with this we could do anything. Which is apparently the same I said about Amsterdam. And probably the Yurt. We really are the travelling kind.

Inevitably we spent the first half an hour in the airport wrecking my perfectly packed suitcase by decanting a sizeable amount of clothes into every piece of hand luggage we could find. Other than that and having to throw two perfectly good water bottles in the bin because I forgot to empty the flipping things and it all went smoothly. Although Phoebe flashing shoes did rather upset the security scanner.

The plane went up and then came down again in the right place without any ear related agony. And the sun was shining. I started to think things were going a bit too well.

We had booked a hire car at home using one of those irritating compare sites and got a ludicrously cheap deal. On arrival we realised why. Firstly we could't pick the car up at the actual airport - that would have been too convenient. We had to wait for a minibus.

My guidebook said in Spain people don't queue. We, of course, do - so queued behind a British couple in a semi patient fashion. The minibus arrived and the boot was opened just as a Spanish couple shot out of nowhere wielding suitcases. I rejected my Britishness and threw the suitcase in first like a woman possessed. I'm not sure the Mediterranean is good for me.

We were taken to a dusty car park and brick shed and queued for far too long. I wasn't keen on the Spanish negotiation that followed (well not so much negotiation as me signing a piece of paper and hoping for the best) but they lent me a car so that was the first goal achieved. I set off out of the car park and swore a few times. I initially thought it was terrifying. Although not as terrifying as the thought of scratching the paintwork. The kids were the quietest I have ever known them. I can't imagine why.

After about twenty minutes, most of which I can't remember in the slightest, we arrived at our apartment in Cala Llonga.

The view was beautiful. The pool was lovely. The bar was open, as was the Spar to buy croissants and biscuits. We swam, unpacked, ate at the only open restaurant in the complex and were shown a tortoise. Our holiday had begun.

Rabbit Rabbit

Oh my it's been a long time since I've typed anything. It's as if I can't do it when my head is so filled up with other things. Anyway all the other things are moving over to make room so it's time I caught up, in no particular order.

Get ready to go aaaaah. We have baby rabbits. Well ten week old ones anyway. One is called Betsy, the other has been through a couple of personality disorders but is now called Petal. Currently.

I'm not big on furry things to be honest. We had the school hamster home one weekend and I refused to touch it, frightened it would bite me (because that would have meant a trip to a&e surely), run up my cardigan sleeve or disappear under the piano for three weeks. Or die spontaneously. But then hamsters are a bit odd aren't they? They only live for about five minutes and they are awake at night. The wheel rattling noise would be a bit annoying if you were trying to watch 'Endeavour' in the other room.

I had goldfish when I was little. I remember clearly winning the first one at the fair (is that even allowed nowadays?). I loved them but they didn't exactly do much.

We also had a tortoise allegedly, not that I can remember him to be honest. He has become the stuff of legend. The tortoise who arrived in our garden one day without a word and disappeared a while after while Dad was digging in the rhubarb patch. I like to think he is a bit like the 'Littlest Hobo' and went off to help a family in distress. It's more comforting than any other soil related possibilities.

But I digress.

So we didn't have rabbits. I suppose there was a little part of me that would have liked a more substantial pet than a goldfish and maybe that is why I didn't say no when Tilly asked for a rabbit for her birthday.

Our rabbits are gorgeous. Fluffy, friendly (so far) and extremely cute. They chill me out when I'm mardy and I'm hoping they provide the girls with two pairs of large listening ears when ours won't do.

I am also hoping they will help overcome Phoebe's phobia of animals and so far that seems to be the case as she interacting with them loads. She'd still rather walk into the road than go past a dog though so we have some way to travel on that one...

I recognise that I will undoubtedly be the one cleaning them out for most of their lives, but that's ok. I'm used to a bit of mess. The fondness I have for them so quickly has surprised me a little. It's a lovely feeling.

Not so lovely is the fact that I saw a fox walking down our road in broad daylight. In the space of a week I have gone from thinking foxes fabulous to never wanting to see one again.

So far the only real negative I can see to having rabbits is the cost. We've already spent a small fortune. And I suppose there is also the fact that we are inevitably going to have to increase the size of their run to take over most of the garden. On the plus side they are excellent lawnmowers.

Having two new family members more than makes up for the cost. Just please don't let them die anytime soon, and when they do please let it be quietly and calmly in their old age.

Right now I'm off to give them a hug and to talk them through my anxiety over starting a new job (of which more later).