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!

Richard Rides Again ......... ???????

With Darrell fretting over Richard (his amaryllis) not having a proper pot to grow in, having been beheaded and divested of his stem and waxy bulb protection, you wouldn't believe his change of mood when the ever fragrant Alice returned home from the hairdressers (and yes, they did a booooooooutiful job), proudly holding a bulb vase aloft, after nipping into the charity shop next door on the off chance. 

Let's just say it was emotional ....... very emotional, with several manly tears shed.

Once duly decanted/transplanted into said vessel, there were more gasps of unbridled and unfettered astonishment and no small modicum of unabashed joy, as it would seem that while being kept in the literal dark, for reasons best known only to Darrell, Richard having another flush of growth!  

Again, it got emotional, more on Darrell's part than Alice's perhaps, but yes, Richard it seems has a new proud head. Whether it will reach it's previous full potential is uncertain and only time will tell ........

However, with Darrell and my Eviva Espana Experience on the cusp, he's just going to have to trust Alice and Eric to Richard's tender, loving care.

I've also told him, in no uncertain terms, that he is not going to be texting every five minutes from his sunlounger and an ample granizado, wanting progress reports with photographic evidence from them, unless Richard bursts forth completely!   I can tell Darrell's not very happy about this, but once his two best pairs of budgie smugglers are carefully placed in his case, I think he should be OK ........

Alas Poor Richard .......

Richard, Darrell's horticultural companion of the last month or so has finally and very sadly reached the end of his magnificent bloomage .......

...... after bringing so much expectation and joy to The Towers and the aforementioned Darrell.

It was the day we all knew would come, but poor Darrell not even daring to contemplate after all the loving care he'd given Richard, but this morning, finding all blooms wilted and Richard's stem drooping sadly, Darrell knew he'd have to do the obvious and put Richard, he hoped and prayed, temporarily out of his misery. 

So, with that, Richard was gently lifted from his pot and lain on the table ......

..... where Darrell lovingly laid a paper towel over his face, to avoid Richard any further distress ......

 

.......... before cutting his stem right to the bottom of his shooting, embryonic leaves and then removing the wax cover that had kept him balanced and nutritionalised whilst in Darrell's tender care.

It was emotional!  What comes next is now in the lap of the botanical gods.  Darrell has tasked all of us to look out for a bulb vase dans les charity shops of Evesham to help Richard establish some new healthy and robust roots and after that, if successful, he will be re-potted in appropriate soil to wishfully ride/rise again ........ therefore the crossing of fingers, toes and anything else that can be crossed is required during the coming weeks and possibly months ........ let us pray!

We Try Kunafa Dubai Chocolate With Pistachio

You find Darrell and I trying out another Dubai chocolate, but obviously, once again, one at the lower end of the market, because availing ourselves of the absolute "real thing" would be way way out of our stringent budget! 

So, today we have Kunafa, which cost us £5.90 for 100g bar from Amazon.

To be honest we weren't really sure what to expect, perhaps a tad more lux in the presentation department, with a more ample fillage than the first bar of Dubai chocolate we tried the other week?

Certainly, the inner gold wrapper was suitably impressive, but there again, we're not really going to eat that are we?

And, the all important filling of a viral sensation type nature? 

Well, it looked as if there was more, with a softer, creamier texture.

 BUT, how did it taste?

Well, the chocolate itself, although pretty thick, was nothing special, in fact it tasted on the cheap side, if we're brutally honest.

And the all important filling?  Nah, it didn't do anything for us, as it was hard to pick out any discernible pistachio taste.  It had crunch, but then there was far too much kataifi in it for our liking, which left a strange aftertaste, like a breakfast cereal we just can't quite put our fingers on, Weetabix perhaps, anyway, it spoilt it.

Now, would we buy it again? No.  Would we recommend it to family, friends or strangers? No.  We know we can do better, so upwards and onwards, to the next bar please .........