Our Mollorcan Savoury Snack Of Choice

As you know finding our savoury snack of choice (for la plage), always plays a huge part in any of our exotic holiday experiences and this year, in Mallorca, is no different.

Dans Greece, we always tend to veer towards anything of a tomato type nature, however, they appear to be in short supply in Peguera ........

..... and unfortunately these Lay's tomato with onion .......

....... didn't quite hack it, as generally we prefer our tomato to fly solo.

Then, we thought we'd hit the jackpot with these Cheetos cheese and ketchup sticks, but alas, this time the cheese got in the way! 

And with that, our tomato snack base came to an abrupt end, but undeterred, Darrell spotted a snack that looked very much like Crunchy Cheetos, our very most US snack of choice, something we have craved since Las Vegas and New York, but are not available in their true version in the UK because, we think, of all the colourings/flavourings ....... so, we tried these unusually named Tronkless, which were cheesy (if not tomatoey), but if we're honest, not quite cheesy enough!

And then ....... we finally hit the jackpot, it might have been something about the lurid colour, but oh my goodness Risketos (one of the most consumed snacks in Spain) really hit the spot, the nearest to a proper Cheeto we'll probably ever get ....... with just the perfect amount of cheese flavour, crunch and texture!

So, now each evening, whilst on our evenings promenade we make sure we pick up a pack for the beach the following day from our Mallorcan supermarket of choice, to wit, SPAR 

What are we like if not creatures of habit  ........

...... and yes, we will be taking an ample supply back home with us in our suitcase as Eric and the ever fragrant Alice just have to try them too! Happy crunchy snack days!

We're Going 7 days A Week .......

Woo hoo hoo, it's been a long, long while, but thanks to some very diligent work behind stage, we're happy to announce that until the New Year at least (and hopefully beyond), "Its A Monkeys Life"  will be posting a full 7 days a week!!! 

A New Beach Experience ........

After some pre-holiday research, Darrell discovered that the sunbeds at our resort are run and managed by the local council and as such were a tad on the expensive side, at around 19 euros for two beds, a sunshade and (new to us) a safe, where usually we'd pay around 12 euros per day dans Greece.  

However, Darrell, bless him, found us an alternative, to wit a beach hire shop, where two loungers, a parasol (that we could situate anywhere on the beach we wanted), plus a sand anchor, would only cost us 39 euros for the week.

Well, it seemed a no brainer (in theory), leaving us a few more euros for an extra, cheeky, sangria or two.  

How simple could it be? 

It would be a new type of holiday experience, so off we trotted (before it got too hot), to collect everything .......  

It was all very new and a bit of a novelty and perhaps in our holiday excitement we hadn't really thought through all the logistics .......

 ...... as in getting everything, as well as our bags, up to our fifth floor room etc. in the heat, at the end of the day, then doing it all in reverse in the morning. 

But we were in buoyant mood, no one was going to rain on our parade (or parasol) ........ what could possibly go wrong?  

Our First Spanish Breakfast Experience ......

When we excitedly checked to our hotel, we were furnished with wristbands that allow us free access to a full and varied breakfast buffet each morning, such a mahooooosive treat, as we generally self cater such things when in foreign climes.

We would have liked to have taken a few more pictures, as the choice proffered was beyond our wildest, Spanish expectations, especially in the early morning pastries and baked goods department ........

 ...... however, in a busy atmosphere, surrounded by people in holiday mode, carrying heavily laden plates, glasses and cups, a swift Darrell type risk assessment told us to be careful.

Let's just say, it's going to take true dedication and fortitude for us to try absolutely everything on offer, though perhaps made a little easier as Darrell surreptitiously intends to make up a few rolls and avail our lunch bag of a few extra dainties to eat on the beach for elevenses!

We are really, really, really hoping there will be churros served one morning, as they are our number one "want to try", on this, our first ever Eviva Espana experience! 

Anyways, we chose to eat al fresco, watched on by cute, hungry sparrows and vultures seagulls  ........ 

..... with Darrell already worrying that all his efforts to facilitate the easy easing into  his beloved budgie smugglers might go a little awry by the end of the holiday!  What is he like? 

Our Mallorcan Home From Home

Last night, with our late, night time arrival, it was hard to take everything in .....

......  but in the full heat of a glorious, new Mallorcan morning .....

...... we can truly embrace our "new home" for the next little while .......

..... and I think we're so excited ........ we just cant hide it!

It's absolutely brilliant!

We've got a balcony, with full view of one of the swimming pools........

..... and Darrell is already fascinated by the early morning towel manoeuvres, with loungers "bags-ied" by at least seven o'clock, which, to be honest, we've never really understood. Why stay around a pool all day, when you can have a real life, actual beach, with sand and sea, just a few yards away, but each to his own I suppose.

If Eric was with us, no doubt he'd have already come up with some sort of zip line confection to get him into the pool to beat the lot of them, without any hinderance from stairs or lifts, bless him.

Darrell did request a sea view and we've got one of sorts .........

.... if you look beyond the trees at the top end of the pool ........

....... but we'll be sitting with the best view in front of us, on the beach, every day and when we do sit on the balcony, it'll most likely be dark anyway .......

........ so we're really quite happy with our Balearic lot, thank you very much, happy, happy, eviva Espana days me thinks!

Let The Show Begin - Eviva Espana

Oh my goodness me , Darrell and I have finally set foot in foreign climes, all be it rather late and in the dark, so, for the moment, everything outside our Room 539 is pretty much a mystery, .......except for a little balcony entertainment ..... 

..... with a disco in full swing at the hotel across the way. Well, it would have been rude for Darrell not to partake in  a few choice signature moves or two! However, as I was quite tired, on the cusp of possible jet lag, I was rather hoping, despite Darrell's enthusiasm, that the music wouldn't actually go on ".....all night long"!  

On The Very Cusp Of Our Eviva Espana Experience

Budgie smugglers - check, passports, euros, travel insurance, pool noodle - check, sunglasses, suntan lotion, holiday reading - check  .......

...... Darrell and I in excited mood, check!

This time tomorrow, if the wind is blowing in the right direction, Darrell and I will finally be feeling Spanish sand between our toes with a glass of sangria in our hand and an ample pile of churros ready to be dipped by our side, our Eviva Espana Experience having just begun! We are soooooooo excited we might burst.

We know it will feel incredibly strange without Eric and Alice, however, we can now reveal that they will not be found wanting in any way, shape or form in the holiday stakes, as we can now reveal (drum roll please ......) that they will be heading to Clearwater in Florida later on in the year, i.e. November for a Goodwill (to wit, charity shop shopping) and seaside experience like no other! Let's just say we are going to need this holiday in order to mentally prepare ourselves for the level of unbridled excitement we're going to have to cope with from Eric (and more fragrantly, hopefully, from Alice) in the coming months!  Happy days!