Terry and Pat’s travels and more

  30th April Uneventful

  28th April I am winding right down now and getting as much sun as I can during my last two days here. The only change to my normal routine today was that this evening I sat with the other Saga guests, some of whom will be on the same plane home as me because they only booked for a week. They are a very nice bunch and it was a pleasant evening and I was later than usual when I left them to go to my room. It seems that Spain and Portugal have had problems with a loss of electrical power which I was worried might affect Pat’s flight to Spain tomorrow but she has been contacted by Saga telling her that, at present, it doesn’t look like there will be any problems. I’m crossing my fingers for her. 29th April Due to my two days of inactivity I had to relinquish my Boules title by default but this morning I had the chance to reclaim my title and to preserve my unbeaten record. I decided not to rely on brute force but to introduce a degree of delicacy to my armoury.  Disappointedly I...

  April 27th Just a short hiatus but like a bad penny I am now back.  Only a few days to go now so I will continue to take it easy. I’ve had more sun than I expected, met a number of very nice people and got more involved in the activities on offer at this hotel than I thought I would. Two days of self imposed confinement to my room was no different from if it had rained for that time so it hasn’t affected my enjoyment in any way. A bit late for breakfast this morning but felt better for something substantial to eat and no coughing. After breakfast I tucked myself away in the lounge and immersed myself in the paper and the puzzles after which, for the first time, I left the hotel and walked down to the shore and the local square which houses a supermarket and a restaurant. Trust my luck, I hadn’t gone 50 yards when it started to rain and the wind got up several notches. On the way I popped into the other Hyatt hotel and had a look around. It looks very nice and maybe Saga migh...

  24th April Oh dear, I think the people in the adjoining rooms to mine are going to get the hump because I’m developing a cough and a bit of a cold. Hopefully it won’t get too bad otherwise it’s going to spoil what has, so far, been a really good holiday. This week I’m going to cut back on activities and spend more time being as inactive as possible and that started with this morning. I’m becoming a pool bar lizard. The entertainment this evening was Carmen who was good I have to admit but sang mostly in Spanish and tunes that were unrecognisable to me. I left early and face-timed Pat before having an early night which is still later than when I am at home. Hopefully I will be feeling better tomorrow. 25thApril I had a bad night coughing which I tried to mute by using my pillow. I did eventually go to sleep but when I woke up this morning the coughing started again so I put a ‘Do Not Disturb’ notice on my door and went back to bed where I have stayed all day. I’ve missed breakfast...

  23rd April. Today is St George’s day and, as a proud Englishman, I think we English should celebrate this day as proudly as the Scots, Welsh and Irish celebrate their special day. It also has a special personal meaning for me as it is the anniversary of the first time that Pat and I went out together. Don’t ask me what year that was because I do not have a date remembering memory, but it was a long time ago. My holiday friends, Linda, Neil and Roger have all left to go home and I hope they have a safe and pleasant journey. I waved them off and then spent some time in the pool area talking to two other hotel guests (both ladies as you might have guessed) Michelle and Magic. Today is also the start of the second week of my holiday and, my word, the time has gone so quickly. ‘Time flys when you’re having fun’ it’s said and in this instance it has been very true. It’s  still nice and warm but the sun was a bit shy and the breeze a little sharp at first but it wasn’t long before ...

  22nd April When I booked this holiday I wasn’t expecting too much with regard to the weather so I have been pleasantly surprised as to how good it has been. Today was no exception. My Boules reputation remains sky high after my team of four triumphed this morning. It is now generally accepted that I am the Nobby Stiles of Boules and the clamouring for my autograph from the female groupies is getting close to legendary proportions. Admittedly the age of these groupies is between 80 - 100 but beggars can’t be choosers.  Full of confidence, I entered the Dart competition but it soon became clear that the only thing that I have in common with the latest English dart protege is that I am little and he is Littler. I was immediately at a disadvantage as I could only aim at the bottom of the dartboard because I wouldn’t have been able to reach the darts to take them out otherwise. My dart career has probably been the shortest on record, 45 minutes. Roger and I met up after lunch for...

  21st April Weather wise it was ‘normal service resumed’ this morning. The sun was out early and my spot in the grounds was warm and shielded from the little breeze that wafted up from time to time. For some reason I know not what, I didn’t sleep well last night and subsequently woke up later than normal and for the first time I wasn’t the first person into breakfast being 30 minutes late. Of course my normal table was taken so I had to sit elsewhere. Poor me. I have said previously that I try not to advertise companies or products unless they pay me. What a mercenary I am. But in this instance I am going to make an exception. My Host (Rep), as they are now called, noticed my absence at breakfast and, knowing something of my medical history, she was concerned and checked with the Maitre’d as to whether he had seen me enter the restaurant who informed her that he hadn’t. Maria checked with reception then checked my room and even walked all the way to the Sports bar to see if she co...

  20th April Wow, what a difference a day makes. The sun didn’t come out from behind the blanket of light grey clouds until late afternoon but it was still very warm with little or no wind. By early evening the clouds were looking rather forbidding so what tomorrow will bring I don’t know. It had been my attention to spend the morning at the Sports bar and perhaps have a potter round the putting green which I did and it was a real challenge. The surface was synthetic and I’m convinced it was plagued by Moles or had Mumps. Being there when the Boules tournament was about to start led me into being enticed to have a go as they had an odd number. We had one French entrant who was pretty experienced going by his florid manner of delivering the boules which were never far from the ‘jack’. I took a more direct delivery and kept knocking the s…t out of his boules which he didn’t take too well. What is it they say “the means justify the ends” or is it the other way round. I am now the curr...

  19th April  This morning the weather was perfect, a hot sun, a clear light blue sky and just a gentle breeze. Perfect, and I took full advantage of it by sitting on a sunbed listening to music and reading for nearly 4 hours which is most unusual for me. As I was leaving to get ready for lunch,  Ray, the animator boss got me to enter a ‘guess the age’ quiz which, lo and behold, I won. Things are really going well for me here. This afternoon was a shade cloudier and the breeze stiffened just a little so I restricted my time outside and moved to the lounge area to read the online newspaper and do the puzzles. It was bingo night tonight and I got close but the last time I checked close is not good enough but it’s been another good day all round except for me locking myself out of my room…..twice.

  18th April This morning I decided to have a go on the bowling green with Roger one of the other guests. He has bowled but is still a beginner and although I can truthfully say I won convincingly nevertheless it was disappointing when I compared it to my abilities 25 years ago. I can’t bend down or keep my balance properly anymore so I have to accept that my bowling days are well and truly over. It’s a bit sad but it’s the price of getting old.  The weather was almost perfect, a bit windy this morning but died down this afternoon. After lunch I lazed on a sunbed reading for sometime and have already got a bit of a tan. I am enjoying this holiday and the rest and doing what I want when I want. Still happy with the food and had a nice dinner before finding a nice seat to watch the evening entertainment and what a good show it was.  Joe Mina is a D.J., Singer, Harmonica player and Showman and plays a variety of music nonstop that is designed to get his audience up and danci...

17th April I attended the welcome meeting that took place after breakfast just in case there was any new information that I wasn’t aware of but nothing of any significance had changed from my previous visit to the hotel. The sun was out, the sky relatively clear and the temperature had jumped several points since yesterday, the only problem being a chilly wind but I found a sunbed by the far side of the hotel against a wall that acted as a windbreak. Perfect. Despite the wind there were a few hardy souls topless. Unfortunately they were all men which was a bit disappointing as a few bare breasted maidens would certainly have enhanced the scenery. Must have a word with reception to see what they can do about this. The chief animator, Ray, talked me into playing a game of getting four coloured doughnuts in a line but omitted to tell me that the line could be diagonal as well as horizontal and vertical. I have appealed against his victory and he has been disqualified for non disclosure. S...

  16th April This is the second time I have holidayed at this hotel, the last time was with Pat, which is a rarity for me (no, not the fact that I had gone with Pat) as I usually like to try somewhere new.  The journey here was uneventful so I won’t bore you with the details but suffice to say I arrived safely and in time for lunch. It was also nice that there were still some people here that I remembered fondly from my first visit and who remembered me (with a shudder no doubt).  The sky was dotted with dark grey clouds but it was still pleasantly warm. As my room was not quite ready, my first visit was to the bar (where else) and then lunch and then to my room where I unpacked a few things but tiredness set in so I had an hours sleep to revive me (it had after all been a long day). The afternoon was just spent walking around noting the changes and renewing old acquaintances. A pre-dinner drink (organised by Maria our holiday host) with the 3 other guests who arrived wit...

 16th April Hi, I AM BACK you will be relieved to know. Handing the blog over to Pat was like Tony Blackburn handing over to Sarah Cox. No wonder the readership suddenly dipped. It’s amazing how much technology has changed in the travel industry since my last journey abroad in September 2024.  I was collected this morning at 4.30 a.m. to take me to Gatwick airport but not in the type of vehicle I expected. It was my own fault because I made an assumption instead of reading the fine print on the documents sent to me by the Holiday company. Not the car I expected but a drone. A big drone. As you can imagine I was perplexed as to what I needed to do but, having found the instructions painted on the side of the drone, it was quite easy to work out. First I had to strap my main piece of luggage (suitcase 18kg) to my right ankle and my hand luggage (hold-all 6 kg) to my left ankle and then strap myself to the undercarriage of the drone. Fortunately the weather was fine but given the...

  8th April Up early for the journey back home. The first hitch came at Malaga airport trying to find the ‘ assisted’ area. Several airport staff gave me directions which were completely wrong and it was only luck that the hotel Rep was in the airport at the time who recognised me and took me to the right place. The departure was also delayed but at  least the time was made up during the flight. No problems at Gatwick until the Holiday company transport picking up their guests to take them home found that they were one driver too few which caused a further delay. Eventually I arrived home at 4.15p.m. a bit later than I had originally expected but had the luxury of a sit down and a rest while Terry prepared and cooked  dinner, As glad as I was to be home I have to say that I enjoyed my holiday. The hotel was much better than I expected considering the very reasonable price I paid. My room was quite spacious and newly renovated with a nice balcony and a full-on sea view. Th...

  6th April Not much to report today. Just lazing about, sometimes in the garden area, sometimes in the lounge or back in my room with a short spell on the balcony. I have started to pack a few items ready for the journey home on the 8th. The weather is still good but there are a few clouds here and there. Nothing to worry about. 7th April  Other than almost competing my packing, today has been a replica of yesterday. It’s an early start tomorrow and then I shall be on my way home and then getting back to normality. At least I will know that I will not be going home to a sink full of dirty dishes and piles of washing and ironing because Terry will have dealt with all that plus all the general housework. Neither will I have to worry about what to cook because I’ll have a nice meal cooked for me. He does have some good points. In a way my holiday won’t be over until the day after I get home and then I will hand the blog back to Terry. So keep watching.

5th April Today is my 42nd wedding anniversary (it’s Terry’s as well) and I hope we have many more to come. As befits the day the sunshine has returned and it’s perfect weather to bomb out in. I sat outside for much of the morning, reading and, yes, nodding off as well from time to time. I have decided not to go on any more trips but simply to rest and soak up as much of the good weather as possible in the time left to me here. During the morning I got an email saying I have won some money on the premium bonds, how much I’m not sure but I’m looking up the price of houses in Spain generally just in case it’s one of the big prizes. I went to lunch later than normal and sat at a table on my own until Chrissie the rep came and joined me. This is the first holiday I have ever had where the other guests have been so unlikeable. Chrissie agrees.  After lunch it was off to the wine tasting here in the hotel but this week it was red wine. Right up my street. There were only 4 of us there wh...

  4th April  It was warm but cloudy this morning, much as it was yesterday, and it was this that decided me to go to the market in Alumenacar this morning. The temptation was too great. Onto the shuttle I hopped (well, perhaps not hopped exactly) and off we went on the 15 minute drive. The market was bigger than I had imagined it would be and there was some reasonable quality items on display and I spent a leisurely 45 minutes just poodling from stall to stall just window shopping, although there wasn’t any windows. When I returned to the hotel the restaurant was almost empty of people so there must have been quite an exodus over the last few days. I spent the afternoon in my room, had a nap, then washed my hair. I went to dinner a bit later than normal so that I could keep away from the other guests whose company I do not enjoy. There is no entertainment or quiz  this evening which means I am still the reigning quiz champion. I got a drink from the bar and a coffee ...

  3rd April Today I took the shuttle to Nerja. It was the longest journey of all the trips I’ve been on so far but probably the most enjoyable. It was an hour there and an hour back but we got nearly 3 hours free time to do whatever we wanted. I was determined not to have company so I split from the other guests and wandered around wherever the notion took me. There was much more interesting things to see than any of the other towns I have visited during this holiday. A nice church, shops, cafes and little squares to sit in and rest. I did quite a lot of walking but thoroughly enjoyed the time I was there. I even enjoyed the long trip there and back in the shuttle. We got back to the hotel just before the lunch restaurant closed and after I went back to my room and spent some time on the balcony before having a nap. So much for the restful days I had promised myself but it would seem a shame not to visit these places which I might never get the opportunity to visit again. Tonight w...

  2nd April I had been debating whether to do any more trips and, if so, which ones to take or simply use the rest of my days just resting.  I spent the night in the ‘spare’ room but got up early this morning to check the situation in my own room. Still no electric so I decided to have breakfast then get the shuttle back into Salobrena and see what the situation was when I got back.    This was my third visit to Salobrena but my first on my own. I wanted to see a different part of town and, hopefully, find some nice shops and, if I had time, to get to see the church. I did find some nice clothing shops (dresses, tops and t-shirts) and had a nice leisurely time browsing. I didn’t buy anything (was that a big sigh of relief I heard from Terry) and I didn’t have time to get to the church before I had to make my way back to the shuttle pick up area where I had a nice coffee in a cafe we had used previously. I didn’t bother to check my room on return to the hotel but elec...

  1st April Nearly all the people I have met and talked to while I have been here have gone home today (I hope it wasn’t something I said) and four new guests will be arriving. It will be interesting to see what they are like. I sat outside this morning and chatted to two of the few guests that are still here and it was nice and comfortable because the wind has dropped and I noticed the water level in the pool had lowered which appears to show that work is going on to get it back into use. When, I don’t know and I am not too bothered because it isn’t affecting me but I do feel sorry for those people who do have missed out. I’ve had two problems today and the first is a man called Brian. He is here with his wife who is very nice but he is a real pain in the backside to the point that I refuse to be in his company. He is obnoxious and self centred and wants to be the centre of everybody’s attention. I am not going to let him spoil what has been a really nice holiday so far. I now hav...