Dark Thoughts

There are alternatives to Ryan Air, if I can fly from London (no way!) OR fly from Southampton to Alicante... If I was hiring a car that would be OK but, the villa is 2 mins from Murcia, so Bournemouth to Murcia was the best option even at the sufference of RA.

I was at my dad's villa in Los Alcazares. He has had a villa there for over 12 years and sold his first one 5yrs ago and bought this one. He has just received a bill for capital gains tax of £3.000 on his previous villa... AND they charged 10% for non payment, but he did not know until this week there was a bill to pay! He is debating whether to contest this. I do not hold out much hope there.

I have been to the villa quite a lot over the years. This trip was just to rest. No sight seeing this trip, did not even bother with a car. I went for a bike ride every day, usually going along the sea front  and ogling for exercise.  

The villa is in a quiet close and very mixed, The villa opposite is owned by a french couple, one behind by a Russian couple who live in Germany, on the left a retired couple from Berlin who my dad moans about because the wife, in his words ' walks around with hardly any clothes on.'  (er.. its a bikin Dad) 'I dont know where to look, quite embarassing!  I would not mind if she were younger, but she is wrinkled '.  Dad! She might be seventy but is still younger than you!  On the right is a spanish family that live there, well, when I say spanish, he is she isn't, she is Italian but was brought up in Germany.  A useful neighbour as she speaks Italian, Spanish, German and English..(I hate show offs).  Other neighbours are a mixture, Swiss, Scottish more French and English.  So as you can imagine, social events are amusing as nobody understands each other and and usually ends up looking like a game of charades.

Spain was great... back to reality and the mundane already!

This was the first time I flew with Ryan Air... OMG! What a cattle train. I paid for priority seating, which actually meant I was standing (saving on the need to provide seats) at the front of the queue with the others (about 1/3rd go the cargo... oops I mean passengers). It was a bit like the start of the London marathon. The fastest runners are placed at the head of the race; they are followed by the serious amateurs and bringing up the rear the hoi polloi. RA ground staffs mingles with carg... er… passengers tearing off the priority section of the ticket, the ticket that YOU have to print out from their email (another saving, on paper and ink this time). The shout then goes out “Priority cargo… err… passengers “ (sorry, joke a bit laboured , I will cease immediately) “ready to board… wait for it, wait for it… NOW!”
I was not prepared for the sudden mad sprint to the plane. Shouting ‘FREE DESIGNER SHOES’ to a crowd of fashion conscious females would not have produced a more frantic response. I would have worn my running shoes had I known.
On the plane it was, sit down, buckle up,
‘Drink?’
'yes please. G&T'
‘£8 please’
‘Er, coffee?’
‘£4’
‘Costa Rican ground?’
‘Wot? No, Instant!’
‘Water then.’
‘£2’
‘Natural fresh spring?’
’ fresh tap?’
I gave up!