"I didn't know it was going to be this lovely"

There were a lot of Feelings associated with this trip before our arrival: primarily a combination of anxiety and excitement, particularly because of Jemima starting at her new school (she has never been phased by any of our travels previously, but understandably this has worried her - given her amazing ability to make friends, hopefully more in the anticipation than in the fact, but we'll have to see how it goes...).  And, of course, for me, in the What Do I Take conundrum - I try to drown any nerves in Stuff.  But all of these Feelings evaporated when we opened our curtains on the morning of our first day - it all was just too brilliant.  Golden sunshine, sparkling sea - what could be better.

But there was still a lot of settling in to do, so we got to it.  Jemima and Kevin hilariously unpacked (I sneaked in after them, straightening the heaps in the drawers); Kevin hired a Vauxhall Corsa for our stay (gutless he says, but small enough to park in the tiny Spanish streets); and then we had an important destination: Palma, to buy Jemima's school uniform.  Her new school is, as can be in the expat way, more (literally) old-school English than those in the mother country, and this is reflected in the uniform: a huge list including everything from a tie to an art smock to a mandatory coat, with the school logo emblazoned on it all, even the sports tracksuit bottoms.  I won't record the eye-watering bill, but Kevin suggested we think of it as being the cost of the Spanish lessons, which softened the blow a little. And then we were off on the search of a gumball machine.

When we'd arrived in Palma airport, Jemima was very keen to try one of the massive chewing gum balls from those slot machines, but I hustled her past.  In a minor parenting fail, I'd softened the uniform experience by promising she could try one when we'd finished - and she didn't let me forget it.  So we dropped off the bags and found our way through our apartment complex down to the gate at sea level - turn left, and you are on the beach; and walk right for 2 minutes, and you're in the marina - where surely there would be a gumball machine.

Sadly, there wasn't - but there was a Christmas market. Those little huts with all sorts of extremely expensive jewellery and clothes (the marina is a bit swanky - there was a lot of fur), and all decked out in snowflakes and fake snow.  It was a bit weird - we feel like we left the festive season behind about a week ago, but it turned out that Saturday was the Spanish Christmas  - they give their presents on the day the Three Wise Men arrived with gifts to see baby Jesus, logically really.  But it was very pretty, and we discovered a fantastic Basque tapas stall (pinxtos), with the best we've ever tasted.  It was a fitting first meal of our Mallorcan adventure, followed by a lovely wander around the marina.  As Jemima said as we walked back to our apartment, we didn't know it was going to be this lovely.

After a supermarket stock-up (again, no gumball machine), and a little sit-down, the Gumball Adventure on hold for now, we returned to the marina for the much-fêted arrival of the Three Kings by boat.  It was even busier than before, with lots of Spanish families out to enjoy their Christmas.  We waited by their arrival point watching Jemima valiantly attempting to make friends ("Mummy, I've said 'hola' to three people and they haven't replied"), and lots of false alarms created by boats firing flares out in the bay.  And then, on Spanish time (ie fifteen minutes late), the local lifeboat arrived carrying its crew of pantomime-esque kings with their retinue.  They docked, everyone clapped and waved; and we went to get dinner.  The marina has a line of shops and restaurants along the front - we tried Wellies (yes, like the boot), with a wonderful view of the Christmas fun happening just outside.  The food was great, the service lovely (especially when we tried our meagre Spanish); and then that was it.  Our first day over.  The remaining Feelings: a lot of looking forward to the fun to come.

View from our bedroom 

Jemima enjoying her tapas

The Three Kings!