Only two days to go here now – and the time has actually flown. H and I made the most of our last few days together on our own, keeping up our morning walks/cycles – much to my phone's consternation, as it keeps telling me how much more exercise I am doing this month compared to all others, I can virtually hear the surprise in its tone.. And of course, popping to the beach and all the lovely little places round here, to make the most of everything.
Mark & Charlie arrived on Sunday, of course screaming at pace down our quiet little street in a Fiat 500, hooting all the way…which pretty much set the tone for the next few days.
We dragged them out on our walks too, and they made the most of the in-house gym, which H & I have again totally ignored. Did a cracking 2 mile yomp up the main beach at speed to get our exercise and then stopped at 5-6 of the beach bars in the way back, for gins, aperols – and some fizzy waters in between for me – plus chocos (cuttlefish), prawns, croquettas etc for lunch on the go in each one.
Plus a fab dinner at a hilltop restaurant overlooking the water for H's and my wedding anniversary – 13 years since we got married on Friday 13th… who would've thought it?
Did a cracking bike ride through the pretty woods and trees at the far end of Chiclana on a purpose built path out to another stretch of coast above Roche, overlooking Conil – still wishing I'd packed my cycle shorts but we made it.
And topped off our 5 days together with a trip down to a major windsurfing / kiteboarding and whatever they call that thing where you're on a tiny surfboard and can jump it out of the water to ride on your rudder only using a kite… I suspect it has a shorter name than that. Lunch overlooking the beach and all the kites and sails whizzing about at Bibo beach club, big thanks to M&C for treating us (again!) Even had a final stop at some roman ruins on the way back to tick the culture box for the trip.
Though I suspect the moment we will still be laughing about for years to come was one of the mid week nights, when we were cycling back after a fab dinner at El Arbol in town, with admittedly a few G&Ts and wine in us. It's only a mile or so, so a 5 min ride, and Mark decided he would put a spurt on to beat H back to the villa. He was in the last 200 yards as he passed the last turning before our one, only for a Spanish police van to pull out of the totally quiet, residential street – and to pull him over. I was thinking 'crap, we've got no lights and it's now just got dark – he's going to get a fine for that'.
'Have you been drinking sir?'
'Well, um, yes'
(H, who had stopped with him, thinking – 'yes, quite a few')
They put on their police jackets and got out – and handed Mark a breathalyser. Somehow – god knows how – he was only just a smidge over the limit and they let him go, on the condition they walked their bikes the remaining few yards back home. A lucky escape – though Charlie & I had wanted to stop for an ice cream en route, so if they hadn't cycled on, they'd have missed the coppers. Moral of the story – always choose the ice cream.
Anyway – a beach day is lined up for today and tomorrow before H drops me at the airport on Mon. Back to the English drizzle/dotted sun, I'll try and bring more of the golden stuff back with me x x