Every delay has a silver lining

It turned out to be quite an eventful holiday. At the beginning of half term, as I finished zipping up the suitcases and disposing of the dregs in the fridge, a text popped up from Easyjet:

We are sorry to inform you that your Easyjet flight xxx has been cancelled. You can transfer onto a new flight or get a refund...

Blue sky, sunshine, RELAX

Gee, thanks, Storm Dennis. After a few hours of high stress (12-year old hid in his room), we finally managed to book ourselves onto another flight to Gran Canaria, our holiday destination, three days later - yes, three days later. 

I suspected that Husband was secretly pleased as our delay gave him a few bonus days of pottering around the garden. In a burst of silver-lining vim and vigour, I decided to finish painting the windows in our study (not the best idea in gale-force winds - you live and learn! 🙄)

Turning ourselves out of bed in the chilly hours of Tuesday morning to catch the bleary 07:25 flight to Las Palmas, we were resolute in our determination: to squeeze every drop of sunshine/joy out of our foreshortened holiday. The suitcases were lighter, our Kindles were loaded and our spirits were high.

The view of the bay at Playa Mogan

The resort of Cordial Mogan Playa did not disappoint - it's a comfortable, old-school hotel where we've stayed several times before. In the past, I've beaten myself up about being unadventurous, but on this occasion returning to a tried-and-tested formula was an inspired choice. It meant we settled in instantly - no time lost on getting our bearings - and I fell into a deep, untroubled sleep that same evening (first nights in a new place are usually a twitchy, insomniac affair for me).

There followed three days of feasting, warm sunshine, quality family-time and reading under palm trees by the pool. Bliss! Even this short break from the hurly-burly of home sent me into an intense state of vacational mindfulness. To empty my head of work, everyday niggles and family logistics was a boon. It made me ponder whether I should be carving out a slot in my daily routine for a bit of enforced mindfulness - five minutes to turn down the noise...

The scenic harbour at Puerto Mogan

When we returned home at the end of the week - escaping a Saharan sandstorm in the nick of time - I could no long remember the password to my computer or where I had left my car-keys. No matter - I took these lapses as a good sign. My mind had been swept clean by those warm, Canarian breezes. 

So it's back to the madness of the corona virus, heaps of washing, work deadlines and tired kids. But, I still have sunshine humming through my veins and the ghost of a tan. With any luck, it'll last me until the start of spring.

What we were reading on holiday

Me:

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Stories We Tell Ourselves by Sarah Françoise

Husband:

Factfulness - Ten reasons why we are wrong about the world - and why things are better than you think by Hans Rosling

16-year old daughter:

Clan of the Skyriders by Florence Phillips

12-year old son:

The Trials of Apollo - The Tyrant's Tomb by Rick Riordan

You might also be interested in these posts:
Exploring Lanzarote
Six memories from Gran Canaria