Friday 16 December

Despite being in a strange house, we all had a good night’s sleep although the double bed that Keith and I shared was much smaller than our super-king at home!

We decided to go out for breakfast as we’d forgotten a few of the essentials we needed but before we ate we had a quick drive around to try and get our bearings. We found the hotel we stayed in many years ago and also the new Marina which has lots of shops and restaurants.

Breakfast was taken overlooking the beach at the same restaurant we ate lunch at yesterday called Roco Mar. It was heavenly to be able to sit by the sea, looking at the gorgeous view and feel the warmth of the sun already.

After breakfast we managed to find the underground car park for the local supermarket and filled the trolley with household and foodie essentials including beer, wine (from Lanzarote) and some treats.

It was then back to the villa and a very relaxing day spent by and in the pool. Our Villa Plus Rep popped in half way through the morning and asked if everything was ok, but the only complaint we had was that the toilet in our en-suite bathroom wasn’t filling properly and that we had a whole army of ants rampaging through the terrace. We didn’t actually complain about the ants as she’d spotted them as she’d come in! Within an hour the handyman had arrived to deal with both niggles, which impressed us very much.

So, a little description of our villa… We have three bedrooms, a cosy living room with satellite TV (we can get Sky News but not much else), a small kitchen with dishwasher and a large fridge, a central dining area, two bathrooms and a small utility room where the washing machine lives. Outside is a large shady terrace, the pool, a little garden of cactus plants, a pool table and an area where I can hang our laundry. It’s in a quiet residential area called Los Calamares (The Squids?) and is very close to everything we need!

We were all ready to go out earlier than planned so we drove up to Femes about 10km away. The last time Keith and I had stayed in Playa Blanca we’d walked up to the village from our hotel and when we were driving along we didn’t realise how far it was! Of course, we were both a lot younger then!

Most of the road going up was fine but the very last bit was steep with a couple of hairpin bends. I had another car behind me and she must have been totally fed up with me as the Seat just couldn’t cope with the incline. In the end I had to put it into first gear to get around the final bend and I was terrified I was going to stall the car and start going backwards! I’ve never driven a car with such a lack of power even though it’s only done about 3000kms.

Church - Femes

Femes

As you enter the village there’s a café called Mirador de Femes and it has stunning views over to Playa Blanca and the sea. The sun was just going down so we took some photos and then headed back to the car as it was a mite chilly up there!

Before dropping the car back at the villa and going for something to eat we stopped off at the new Rubicon Marina a couple of miles away from Playa Blanca. It’s a beautiful area with a large marina full of yachts and lots of bars, restaurants and shops. We meandered along taking photographs and looking at menus and had a drink at a very quiet bar right on the water front. The owner told us a few months ago he had eight waiters working for him but now there was just him. We didn’t mind, though, it was lovely and peaceful and we never had a problem ordering a drink or finding a seat. I found it totally bizarre that we were sitting outside enjoying a drink in the warm evening air while all around were Christmas decorations! It does feel very strange, but in a good way!

The bar owner gave the children some bread to feed the numerous, huge, fish that were swimming around near to us and then we called into a supermarket to buy a newspaper before dropping the car back at the villa and walking into the resort.

Our restaurant for the evening was called Brisa del Mar and again we were accosted by the maître d’ who explained the menu and implored us to come in and eat. This seems to be a feature of the resort but I suppose they need to attract customers as the place is quiet, and probably dead by summer standards!

We went in and had a good look at the menu and there was something that all of us fancied. Mikey wanted a starter so he ordered tomato soup, Sophie had garlic bread, Keith went for Padron Peppers and I chose breaded goats cheese with a dip. The children enjoyed their starters but Keith and I were both disappointed in ours. My goats cheese was devoid of any taste whatsoever while Keith’s peppers were mild. Our mains consisted of lasagne, beef stroganoff - both children were happy with their meals – chicken in a mustard sauce and half a chicken. Again, Keith and I found them lacking in any taste with the vegetables mushy and cold. I don’t think we’ll be back! I did have a half bottle of Lanzarote wine at 8 euros (the local wine is more expensive than Rioja which is shipped in!).

Keith's Padron peppers

Back at the villa we noticed with horror, the amount of mosquitoes in the rooms. It’s been years since any of us have been bitten so we were completely unprepared. I have six bites on one arm and five on another, presumably from the night before when we just didn’t realise we had little visitors in the villa with us. Mikey and I went on a killing spree and managed to dispatch as many as we could. Tomorrow it’s down to the supermarket and plug-in mosquito killers!