From plane to Spain

Hola, I'm back! And when I say I'm back, I mean I'm back with a heavy load of photos, 3 pound of the weight I'd lost, and a miserable mood. Technically, I got back on Tuesday afternoon but have only just grabbed a spare moment to prepare and post the favourite holiday photos I picked out (of about 500, oops!). Quite frankly, I've had to force myself to shift my blues and gear up some motivation. Holidays are an evil source in life; the feeling you get when you step on the plane to go abroad is the most uplifting feeling you will ever feel, breathing a sigh of relief as you awkwardly shuffle your way past the narrow aisles and knock into complete strangers as you reach your seat, daydreaming about how much enjoyment you're going to have and how long you've been waiting for this break but it's a different story when you stroll grumpily back on to the squashy economic plane once your holiday is over, with that doomed sense of reality and troubles on your back again, making you want to stay in the hot weather forever despite how disgustingly sweaty you felt for the entire duration. It's all dandy when you leave but not so good when it all ends and you have no choice but to return. The sun and a change of scenery can take you into a different world; it makes you feel so much better about yourself, the way you see your golden tan starting to form within a few days of being there, the way you feel so refreshed, relaxed and happy, laying out by the pool or the beach with no worries and only pleasant thoughts, getting dressed up in your best summer clothes, exploring the pretty sights and appreciating the architecture and nature around you. It's a shame it has to end so quickly, which is why you (well for me, excessively) need to take lots of pictures to remember those times clearly.

Playa Flamenca, Torrevieja in Spain has been a location me and my family have visited for 5 years in a row now. We've become familiar with the area, the residents and the setting and have loved been there each and every time so we end up choosing the same place over and over again because A) It never gets boring, B) We know everybody and everyone is so friendly thus resulting in free drinks, great company and lots of laughs. It's tradition for me to go abroad with my mum, grandma and brother. Despite the fact I'm 21 now, I still can't see anything changing, nor do I really have anyone else to go with. My mum is my best friend, my grandma is the most comical little lady and my brother is my partner in weirdness. I don't think it'd feel right not being around them with how close we are as a family.

Moving on to what we actually got up to during our 17 days in paradise... as I said, we've been here plenty of times so know the routine and what to expect. However, since blogging and developing a massive interest in culture and the beautiful places you can newly discover encouraged me to do more than just laze around and get out there with my Nikon. Upon arriving in our rented apartment, I saw that my room was painted fresh white with a cute, little bed and headboard, accompanied by a dream catcher, some white blooms and complete with the prettiest bedding and throwover. I swear they must have known I, a sucker for anything pink and floral, would be arriving. That was another thing I wish I could have taken home with me!

For the first few days (and many after that), we just chilled and ate our body weight in ice cream sandwiches and Italian food (not good folks, I do not recommend indulging because you can will easily get addicted). In the first week, we decided to take an evening trip into the centre of Torrevieja, a place we've only passed by before. It was certainly a highlight of my holiday, it was such a lovely evening. We had an all English meal in a Hungarian restaurant (how that works I do not know), took a long stroll down the dainty street market, met a headless man, enjoyed the views and then settled down for a hot beverage at the most charming bar beside the harbour. Watching the sunset in the picturesque background was bliss! Within the same week, we visited the new boulevard which featured Primark, H&M, Zara and Bershka (just to name a few). Pretty dangerous where I'm concerned but I did manage to behave myself (although I do still have a haul to show off). The shopping centre was nothing like the ones back home, it was all open with the sun still blazing through at 8pm. The atmosphere was cheerier; nobody rushing around or rudely bumping into each other, just laid back browsing, with the shops open till 11pm and plenty of restaurants and cute little cafes and kiosks to sit and have a rest at. There were decorations all around, in particular vintage style bicycles painted in fresh colours topped with fancy flowers, and then there were the mini waterfalls paired with vibrant lights as it turned to night, the children running through the water in their underwear like it was the norm. All in all, I loved it. So much that we ended up going back there for a second time. The second time, we ate in the most beautiful 50's American Diner. I was in awe with the whole presence of what it delivered; the food was amazing (and unhealthy, but who's watching?), the staff were dressed head to toe in the stereotypical pink for girls and blue for boys, with their hair made up in 50's styles and class streaming through them, and then there were the cheesy but laughable quotes on the wall.  The entire vibe was fabulous and the place was spotless, very much to the point of sparkling. It was like I stepped into a time machine and transported back to something from Grease. If I'd have stayed in there a bit longer when the crowds died down, I may have even broke into a song.

A day at the beach is always on the agenda when we go away, despite the heat being somewhat unbearable, it's a time to soak in the sun, the sea and the clear blue skies (even though the waves were pretty violent this time round). Up the stairs to the beach and around the Playa Flamenca area, there are the quirkiest streets with a range of large to small adorable houses and villas. The Spanish buildings have so much character to them, every inch of detail is delightful, well thought through and almost tells a story in some way. I'm always envious when admiring the houses. The plain, unattractive brown English brick is nothing in comparison. Another usual place we visited was the waterpark; Aquopolis. Without spending a day there, I don't think our holiday would be complete. They've even added another kids section, a Disney sort of themed pool play area which I just couldn't resist taking a picture of.

The last few days were spent just like the first few days, laying by the pool and making the most of the fattening foods before I was home and back on the salads. We grabbed the chance to visit the Saturday market which I'd heard about but never bothered to go to. It was packed with individual street sellers selling all sorts of useful bits and bobs. It was the longest market I've ever been to; when I say long I mean long, the kind of long that made me think as we walked further along that we'd end up in a different part of Spain! We had to stop for an ice cream and a icy cold drink as we grew more exhausted from the heat but I couldn't think of a better way to finish our holiday.

If I've bored you with my huge amount of photos and diary-like ramblings, I do apologise. However, just to prompt all you lovely readers, I will be cramping my outfits of the nights spent out in Spain into one post very soon for you to take a peek at how I styled my new clobber so keep an eye out for that (if you'd like, there's no pressure ;) )

Have you been on holiday this summer? Or have you ever visited Torrevieja before? I'd love to know what others think of it.