A little piece of paradise

~ Sam

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Firstly, thank you for your good wishes on my previous post. I’ve a lot of catching up to do…

Now, I’m not going to get too deep and meaningful here about life balances, making time for yourself and so on, but having a few days completely away from my usual life has been BRILLIANT. Before I left, I’d had niggling anxieties about the journey and about being away from the children, David and home (daft, I know); I was exhausted and fretful from making sure everyone would be ok and that everything was organised in my absence. But, as soon as we arrived at our friend’s house and stepped out into the glorious sunshine, well, all my cares melted away. I actually felt physically lighter, the worries disappeared and I felt properly relieved, and incredibly happy.

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The sunshine (beautiful and hot), the air (clean and clear), the smell (delicious and herby), the atmosphere (peaceful and relaxed), the house and garden (huge and fabulous), the company (kind and generous) – it was all utterly marvellous. I had five days of lazing about, sunbathing, reading, swimming, a little exploring, lots of chatting and laughing, and not a lot else. Perfect. A big part of what made it so lovely was that we were staying with our friend. She picked us up from the airport, drove us around, took us to great places that we probably wouldn’t have found if we’d been visiting on our own, and she thoroughly looked after us. It was such a treat.

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That’s an avocado in the middle there! The garden was full of trees we can’t grow in our UK gardens – avocado, almond, orange, pomegranate.
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A pink peppercorn tree – Shinus molle – native to the Andes. It’s fruit isn’t a true pepper but it is often used as a spice.
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Fabulous tiles everywhere.

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We visited a hilltop castle village where the street signs were in quirky, 3-d tiles.
We visited a hilltop castle village where the street signs were in cool 3-d tiles and there were flowerpots embedded into the walls.

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The orange-tree courtyard.
The orange-tree courtyard.

And now I’m home. Back to the hustle and bustle of daily family life. The children were absolutely fine. Of course they were. We missed each other and time apart has made us (them) appreciate each other (me) that little bit more. Bonus! I feel restored and reinvigorated, raring to go, and I’ll never forget my five wonderful days in Andalusia.

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This wall-hanging is in my friend’s kitchen. Contribute to others’ happiness – I think that’s a good mantra to live by. She certainly contributed to mine. 

 

25 thoughts on “A little piece of paradise”

  1. Dearest, wonderful Sam, I haven’t commented on your blog before because although I read it rigorously, I have had too much on my plate recently to cope with responding. It has given me so much pleasure. I have loved the development of your plot and now the holiday away, which you so, so deserve. Need to come and see you soon – I need to see the garden in its autumnal bloom. Most importantly, I would love to see you.

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  3. Paradise indeed. It is a gift I think to be able to leave your cares behind you when you are on holiday. Glad you had such a lovely time and feel restored, plus you’ve come home to some lovely weather!

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  4. Sam, I am so happy that you’ve returned to Kent and family, happy and recharged – and that you loved this place as we do; the girls (human, canine and feline) enjoyed you so much. Anna told me the morning after you’d left, that you ‘were like a fairy in our garden’…..Perfect, I thought. Thank you for coming. Mi casa es su casa.

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  6. Oh, wow. It sounds so perfect. I am really taken with the flowerpots built into the walls, I like that. I could do with a holiday like that to be honest! I’m glad you had such a wonderful time. x

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    1. Thanks Gillian. There were quite a few walls with pots in – really effective. I highly recommend a break like this if you can somehow manage to get away.

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  8. glad you,ve recharged your batteries sam,just what the doctor ordered eh ? its amazing what good a few days away can do ,lovely photos to ,glad your back though xx

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  10. What an uplifting post! Your joy and relaxation shone through in your writing. It is really good to have a few days to just be yourself. I had a similar experience in the spring when I spent a few days in Florence with friends. The build up and departure were, to be frank, hellish, but once I was there, it was utterly marvellous, and I loved every second, and the joy of the home coming was also wonderful. So delighted it all worked out for you, and your family all coped without you for a few days. (Am very taken by the built in planters!) X

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