Wednesday 25 April 2018

The End - update

For some reason, the photos on yesterday’s post “The End” didn’t publish. So I’ve put them all on again! They should be there now. Hasta luego y gracias...

Tuesday 24 April 2018

The End

It’s been a little while since the last post, but I still have the end of our adventure to tell. So here goes...


Thursday 12th April was party day! Lots of preparation first: Jemima and I went to the butcher to collect the Scotch eggs I'd ordered, then the English supermarket for the Pimms, then the normal supermarket for the food... And after a brief Chameli's lunch, I made the sandwiches and cooked the sausage rolls and cocktail sausages (I've realised English picnics are heavy on sausage meat). Then Jemima, Kevin and I took the food, drink and beach towels through our building complex and set up camp on the beach, ready for the 4pm post-school arrivals (Jemima's class had already gone back for the summer term).


The usual slightly tense pre-party wait followed, exacerbated by a few "sorry we can't make it after all" messages. Finally, our first guests arrived! Alicia and Juliana, plus their mums - the only two that don't really speak English... But they said yes to the Pimms (which I described as "English sangria"), and things were soon relaxing. And then streams of adults and children arrived: the Pimms was flowing; the various sausage snacks were a hit, even the Scotch eggs, although the most popular were the cocktail sausages, in Jackie's (Kevin's ex-wife's) special marinade - I had requests for the recipe; and before long there were eight naked children splashing in the sea. Jemima's three main teachers even turned up: the wonderful Miss Oliver, her form teacher; Miss Kingerley, Miss Oliver's assistant and the PE teacher; and Miss Rodriguez, her Spanish teacher. 


It was a lovely afternoon: Jemima couldn't have had more fun, and all the adults and kids enjoyed it. Every drop was drunk, every scrap was eaten, and we finally packed up past 7pm when it started to get a bit chilly and the last revellers went home. Jemima's farewell English picnic was a success! Kevin put Jemima to bed while I unpacked the bags, then we both got into bed and went straight to sleep...


Friday morning started slowly, after the excitement of the day before. It was also pretty grim weather - cold and rainy (after a cold and windy Wednesday, and terrible weather again on Friday, we had been so lucky that our beach picnic day was warm and sunny). We put our coats back on, and went to use up our last pass at Katmandu: the crazy golf.


This was a fun way to pass an hour or so: it was an elaborate course, with lots of water features and fake rocks, and gave Kevin lots of scope to show his superior putting skills. I was pretty rubbish, but Jemima enjoyed being taught by Daddy and did some good putts by herself by the end.


Final plan for the day: I needed to return a library book to school, so Jemima had been invited to come along for the last half an hour of the day. Kevin, waiting in the car on the road, could hear the shouts of "Jemima!!!" as we went in the classroom; she was nearly knocked over by an avalanche of children. I have a lovely image of Jemima looking back at me with a surprised and happy smile from the centre of a massive multi-child hug. It's so wonderful to know that she's made good friends over the last few months (and the parents were all even more friendly too, after our picnic efforts the day before). After school we went with a few of the mums and kids to the playground down the road (which we'd only recently discovered), and Jemima had a final play with Quico, Sara, Juliana and Nicole.  Then back home for beans on toast before bed.


And then it was the final weekend. I started packing on Saturday morning, before a final breakfast in Chameli's (a lot of "finals" now...). Then the packing continued, while Jemima was playing at her friend Lili's house (Lili's mum Olga had offered to have her so I could get on, which was very kind of her, and Jemima had a lot of fun). I finished a few (final) jobs, while Kevin had a rainy run; then I collected Jemima, and made a special (final) meal - steak, chips, mushrooms, salad, and peppercorn sauce. Two sleeps to go...


The Last Day started with (final) pancakes, then more packing. While a Kevin watched the Grand Prix, Jemima and I went for a (final) scoot/ run in the marina - I ran while she scooted for 10 mins, then I pushed her a bit as a rest, then we repeated it - there was some complaining, but it worked reasonably well. And the reward: a (final) marina ice cream. At 2pm, we went down to meet Femi for a goodbye lunch in Chameli's: pimientos de padrón, jamón, and lobster paella for Kevin and I; and carbonara for Jemima. We played a lot of games and chatted; then it was back home for the last push on the packing: four hold suitcases plus one cabin suitcase, plus my rucksack - it's a lot of stuff. Thankfully though, because we're coming back in May, there wasn't that panicky "will it all fit?!" fear. And, true to form, I did bring too much stuff - there are clothes going home that I didn't wear once...


A fairly early night, and then a 6am start to get ready for our taxi. And then that was it - it really was all over. Muchas gracias Mallorca - it's been AMAZING. And hasta luego - see you soon...


PS thank you to anyone who has accompanied us on our journey via this blog.  I hope you've enjoyed it too...


PPS Aaaarrrgh the photos didn’t publish! I’ll have to put them all on again. Watch this space...




Party preparations...



And in full swing!






Miss Rodriguez



Miss Oliver



Miss Oliver and Miss Kingerley








Class playtime on the beach








Katmandu Crazy Golf






End of day guitar playing with Mr Miguera 



Adiós Mallorca!




Home!





Monday 16 April 2018

Going out with a bang

The pace stepped up for the last week - the weather was a bit mixed, but there was still Mallorcan fun to be had! Not forgetting the culmination of Jemima's time at King Richard III College: her English beach picnic leaving party...

But first: Tuesday was a trip to Port de Sóller. This has been on our list of things to do for a while, because it is supposed to be very pretty. And today, when we finally got round to it, we discovered it was! Embraced by the high Tramuntana mountains, it is a gorgeous, almost circular bay, with white sand beaches, a cute little marina, and a very nice promenade fronted with restaurants. We had a little wander, then Kevin found us a restaurant for lunch: Kingfisher, would you believe it, number #1 of 5390 restaurants in Mallorca! What a find. Miraculously (it was fairly early) they had a table - outside, and it was a pretty chilly day; but I got the coats from the car; they gave us some fleecy blankets; and we settled in. Pan-fried prawns for Kevin (wonderful); calamari for Jemima (in panko breadcrumbs, so soft and light); and tuna ceviche for me (amazing wasabi to go with it). Followed by "English-style" fish and chips: the best you'll get, with a fabulous smear of poshed-up mushy peas. Delicious. Not sure it's the #1 meal you'll get in Mallorca (the island does have 9 Michelin stars); but for view and taste, it really would be hard to beat.

But the fun didn't stop there. Jemima has been asking for a while to go on a glass-bottomed boat, after we'd seen one in Palmanova. So today was the day. She and I just made the 3pm sailing of the Esmeralda, while Kevin went off on his own for a bit. It's a good thing he didn't join us: the sea was choppier than it appeared, he wouldn't have liked the ups and downs at all... But luckily, before Jemima had a chance to realise she was sea sick, she made some friends: first, an 8 year old English girl called Caitlyn, here with her grandparents; and then a 7 year old girl (I think with an English mum and a Spanish dad). The three of them were soon playing together (and from what I could hear, Jemima was holding her own with the bigger girls...). As for the boat trip, we had a nice view of the south-west coast from the sea; but didn't see a single fish from the glass hulls, even when we'd stopped (too choppy I think). But Jemima had a nice time anyway, so wasn't too disappointed. We met Kevin at the jetty, and stopped for a cup of tea and an ice cream at an English-style bar just there (where Jemima made another friend - with the five year old daughter of the bar owner). And then it was home - enough fun for one day...

But the fun didn't even stop there. Jemima's other major request for the holiday was a trip to Katmandu. This is a theme park with a crazy upside house that we've driven past a few times. And now it was finally open for the season! The weather wasn't great again - overcast, a bit cold, and very windy - but three day passes later, and we were in (once again in our jackets and long-sleeves alongside some more optimistically dressed holiday-makers...) 

It's a tiny theme park, with the main emphasis being on 3D or 4D videos/ rides - a rollercoaster one where you were strapped into a moving chair ("this is actually really fun!" said Jemima); a cowboy one where you sat astride a horse/ chair and tried to shoot the baddies. They were all good fun; but the upside down house itself was the best bit: it was full of weird optical illusion rooms, like an amazingly complex hall of mirrors, or one where the floor was at an extreme angle so you couldn't work out where horizontal was; and some giant versions of kids' games like Connect 4, my favourite, Simon (where you have to remember the sequence of flashing colours), or Jemima's favourite, giant versions of those pin boards where you could make imprints of your whole body. It was lots of fun. And to make it even better, we ended up going round with Evie (aged five) and her dad - from Stafford, where my family is from. The two girls had a great time together, and there were big farewell hugs at the end.

After an entertaining morning, we left Katmandu for lunch at a pub across the road (Finnegans - fantastic chicken burger, decent normal burger); and had a stop in at the Katmandu soft play. By now it was getting late, so we decided to head home. Well done Katmandu - definitely worth a visit. And tomorrow: it's party time!

Port de Sóller





Kingfisher restaurant



Puerto Portals from the boat





Playing with friends 





The boat coming back to Palmanova



Katmandu!


Jemima's shape in the giant pin board



3D fish





Monday 9 April 2018

Springtime in Mallorca

Another week has flown by. Our Mallorcan Easter holidays have had three main themes: many trips to the beach (mostly ours, but also an afternoon stop off at one of Palmanova's three beaches); Jemima befriending any small child she could find, wherever we were (from a German 18 month old boy on the beach to an 8 year old English girl in Heroes, and everywhere in between); and, continuing our Mallorcan theme, lunch. Sunday lunch in Portals Kitchen (the fourth and final Sunday lunch offering in the area - great veg and sides, appalling beef); delicious prawns and calamari in a very nice beach-side place in Palmanova (with 45 different types of gin! Who needs 45 different types of gin...?); and, of course, lunches on the beach and in the wonderful Chameli's. 

We've also had a couple of outings: another trip to the excellent soft play Kids Republik (where I discovered they have a whole extra floor of dressing up, role play and an indoor football pitch - plus very tasty food - avocado and tuna salad, yum); plus a fun afternoon at the Port Adriano Spring Fair (a massive paella for 100 people, a kids' obstacle course, party games, and family Zumba, which Jemima and I enjoyed, and some clowns - all in Spanish - which she wasn't so keen on. Jemima and I also had a fun shopping trip to Porto Pi (the big indoor mall) to get her some more beach stuff (our trips inside actual shops leavened by having a go on the various 1 Euro rides). And we've even been out for dinner, to one of the remaining Portals Nous restaurants we haven't tried yet: Port Blanc, all white as the name suggests, with a very friendly welcome and excellent steak.

It's all been lovely. But the biggest news of the week: on Saturday morning, Kevin and I ran 5k, the culmination of our Couch to 5k training programme! Jemima made us flags to cheer us on - mine had hearts on it, Kevin's was more of an action montage showing Daddy running, then finishing, then sitting down and having an ice-cream. And it was great! We both had a real sense of achievement - and then we did go and have an ice-cream to celebrate. Next challenge: keeping going...

We go home a week today. In my usual way, I've started feeling nostalgic for our trip before it's even finished. We talk about going home, and we are all looking forward to seeing family and friends, and our house; but we are all also very sad to be leaving. As Jemima says, "we love Mallorca!". One week left to enjoy it...

Jemima braving the freezing sea



Palmanova















Porto Pi





Daddy, Jemima and the flags at the finish of his 5k!



Fun at Port Adriano





Jemima showing off her Frozen clip-on earrings (bought with her pocket money)...





Sunday lunch 



Jemima flying her own home-made kite from our balcony



The beach!





Wednesday 4 April 2018

A selection of celebrations

Saturday was not only part of the Easter weekend: it was also mine and Kevin's sixth anniversary. I managed to get him a card before he woke up (bad wife), and then after a lovely morning we set off for our celebratory adventure.

Friday had been sunny but extremely windy; today was still pretty windy, but also overcast. And we were driving towards the clouds that were hanging low over the Tramuntana mountains. When we got out of the car at the Jardines d'Alfabia (my plan - supposedly lovely gardens with animals for Jemima), it was grey and freezing cold. So we gave up on that idea and went back towards the sunshine instead. Another day, with better weather...

Port Adriano just down the coast from us was having an Easter street food festival, so we went there instead to have a look. The sun was out, but the wind was still cold, so we had a coffee on the sheltered first floor terrace overlooking the boats which were bobbing about fairly violently in the big winds. Jemima had a fun trip to the playground, Kevin went to look at the massive waves crashing over the sea wall, and then it was time for lunch.

I had been eyeing up a particular restaurant in the marina for a while: Lucy Wang, an expensive-looking Asian-fusion type place. So when Kevin asked me where I'd like to go for our anniversary lunch, that was my suggestion (I am hoping eventually to work our way around all the marina eating options, and this was not an everyday destination...). It was a lovely venue - it felt like a glamorous white tent, with billowing curtains, stylish wooden chairs and lots of carefully colour-toned cushions. But sadly the food didn't live up to expectations (or the price): my salmon tartare was drowned in a weird pink soup; and Kevin's miso cod was overcooked. Shame. But at least we've been - and it didn't dim my anniversary glow (love you Kevin). And we still had time to wander down to the beach to enjoy the rest of the afternoon sunshine - a happy day.

Easter Sunday obviously started with chocolate - lots of chocolate. Then after a coffee on the beach (it's hard to keep away now that it's so nice...) we met Femi in Heroes for Sunday lunch (great Yorkshire pudding and roast potatoes, slightly disappointing beef). The wind had gone, and the sun was out - it felt like a proper spring day. We sat in the beer garden and chatted, surrounded by the other English of the area (they all come out for a Sunday lunch). Then it was down to the beach to enjoy the rest of the day. And it was wonderful - we found a space on some empty sunbeds and enjoyed the lovely evening while Jemima played, literally happy as a sandman, doing her usual trick of befriending whoever was nearby (today, two little German boys). We were, sadly, far from friends and family on this festive day; but lunch outside in the sun then a trip to the beach does have its good points...

Then the final festive frenzy: Easter went out with a bang, in this case the Heroes' Easter Monday Egg Hunt. After our morning runs (final week - 30 mins now), we presented ourselves with a gaggle of mainly English kids at the doors of the bar. At 12pm they let us in; and then about ten minutes later they let the kids loose into the garden, in order of age (youngest first). It was mayhem, but in a brilliant way. And Jemima was thrilled to snaffle 12 treats! (The younger kids were actually so effective that we later shared some of her booty with a rather disconsolate and empty-bagged ten year old - not much was left by the time he was allowed out...) 

We were lucky enough to find a table (some people hadn't turned up) as it was absolutely packed - there must have been fifty children there, plus their attendant families. And then after the egg hunt the fun continued: there was colouring, and egg painting, and they'd employed some brilliant kids entertainers - the woman sang and did face-painting, while the man did magic, made balloon swords and ran the games - in both Spanish and English. Jemima ended up taking a starring role, being used by the man as his foil for the amazing bendy wand trick (when he held it, it was straight; when he gave it to her, it kept going bendy - she LOVED it). Sadly there was a problem with our food order - after an hour and a half it still hadn't turned up, and in the end we managed to establish it had been given to someone else; so we eventually (once the entertainment had finished...) got our money back and left to eat elsewhere. But Jemima (and all the kids) could not have had more fun.

And actually this was another stroke of luck: we decided to try the popular new pizza place in the village, only open for a couple of weeks. And it was absolutely brilliant - possibly the best pizzas ever? Fantastic fresh, home-made tomato sauce; wonderful crispy-yet-chewy dough, and delicious creamy buffalo mozzarella. And that was just Jemima's Margharita. Kevin had some fabulous prawns cooked wrapped in thin slices of ham fat (sounds odd, tasted amazing); I had a fancy version of a caprese salad with a giant tomato stuffed with mozzarella; and then we shared a delicious pizza bianco with jamón iberico. A spectacular meal - so simple, but so, so good. We will be back.

And that was it - the end of the festivities. We all went to bed early that night after all the excitement. A suitably celebratory bank holiday weekend.



More sword (umbrella) fighting...



A sleepy pirate in Port Adriano



Lucy Wang



Beach afternoon





Easter Sunday beach fun - morning...



...and afternoon







Easter Monday - Egg Hunt!





So much fun!