So the Costa Del Sol was alright, it really was! Spain is such a beautiful place when it’s cooked properly. We even tried to find some pedalos (for the children), but there were none and no-one even knew what we were talking about, excellent. Perhaps it’s because Country school broke up 3 weeks earlier than any other teaching establishment this side of Ireland so no queuing at airports, beaches, aquaparks etc… but for what ever reason, we had a genuinely good holiday.

I notice with some confusion that husband and I no longer have any interest in tanning ourselves. In my opinion you hit 40 and it’s rather unattractive to be deeply tanned, one can risk looking rather ridiculous, and more than anything, tanning oneself is bottom tinglingly dull and extremely bad for you. I suspect however, that once again, my LODTTM (lack of desire to tan myself) has more to do with having young children; for a start sunbathing for longer than 10 minutes with two under 10′s within 10 yards of one is worthy of a degree and secondly who cares anyway? We all go to bed at the same time on holiday as sleep is no longer the big issue, hence there is no chance to show off the beautifully tanned back, thighs, legs or bum down at the disco even if you wanted to. My hair seems to get frizzier than ever in the humid evenings too, possibly the wiry grey that is being endlessly semi perma coloured so that it can’t take the chlorine as it used to. What I did happily note, whilst on the Costa, was how little I really cared about my appearance or anyone else’s (fortunately I’ve ever been judgmental in that way); it was so hot there that the list of I don’t cares was a long one and wonderfully liberating; 51 scabby mosquito bites on the calves, who cares? My size 16 top half and size 12 bottom half of a tankini, clearly not normal, who cares? The standing half naked on a beach with no waist to speak of, no make-up on the red nasal veins, who cares? A Sissorhands hairdo,no Eve Lom Kiss Mix lip balm to make the lips look, at the very least, there, and I didn’t give a shit. It felt great and it’s at moments like those I truly recognise that it’s not what is on the outside that counts but what is on the inside, as the beautiful picture of this elderly lady demonstrates, her clear and definitive inner beauty, the growth she has achieved throughout her life and the contribution that she would have made over many years is obvious and inspiring to me. On a lighter note tell me though, why do you suppose we are so much more concerned with the way we look in the cold than in the blazing heat, do we just give up, losing battle etc… or could it be a permanent case of manana (spanish for tomorrow).. I’ll sort myself out tomorrow???
Ellie xoxoxo