"Hey You!!! .....don't watch that......"

".........watch this! .......This is the heavy, heavy monster sound………..
........one step BEYOND!!!!!!"

Last year Gemma, Caitlyn, Finley & Arwen came to stay with us for what seemed like the whole summer, 6 weeks of fun! And it didn’t look like they were going to get out here at all this year. But Gemma, always one for a bargain, spotted a last minute deal, so they booked, it packed it and F***ing arrived!!
For 2 weeks our house was very busy and noisy and lots of fun!!
...especially at bedtime!!
And for 2 weeks it was sun, sun, sun….. so we did beach.... pool......
.....pool.... beach and a bit more beach. We stayed mainly in San Stef, as the beach we used last year in Arillas was washed away in the winter storms, leaving a tiny strip of sand and loads and loads of pebbles.
The beach here is perfect, especially for small children, the water is very shallow for a long way out, no rocks and hardly any current or undertow,
so there is less likelihood that they would get into any difficulties compared to the local pools. .....which can be full of Crocodiles!!!!
..........and Dolphins

The 4 of them quickly familiarised themselves with places they went to so often last year,
........Athina pool

and many happy hours were spent digging in the sand, swimming in the sea, and that was just Keith! He thinks that he can get away with digging up ½ the beach cos he has his grandkids with him, even though most of the time they are not interested in his latest recreation of Windsor Castle or the Hoover dam, until he turns his back and it becomes a race to see which of the 2 little ones can destroy it first. Still it keeps him quiet for a few hours (for a change)
Its amazing what a difference 12 months can make; last year both Arwen & Finley seemed too young to appreciate the full “at the seaside” experience, but this year they had the time of their lives. This year Finley has learnt to jump in the water and hold his breath (thank goodness) as last year every time he jumped in the swimming pool he swallowed ½ the contents and promptly brought it back up again! Gemma spent a couple of hours successfully teaching him how to hold his nose and dive as he leapt into the water.

Arwen wasn’t even walking last year so it has been a big change for her, running into the sea, splashing everyone in the water, she has turned out to be a water baby just like her brother and sister.
Caitlyn, being much older than the other two, enjoyed the bits she got to do without the 2 little ones, like going to a couple of Keith’s gigs with Liz, drinking cocktails (non alcoholic….. we think?) shopping trips (when the little ones were asleep), and mixing with older kids, both family and acquaintances she met by the Athina pool. At one of Keith’s gigs in Sidari she ended up playing pool and exchanging email addresses with a group of girls from Birmingham, her self-confidence has been amazing this year.
One night Liz took a night off from her role as tour/merchandise manager for Keith, and took Gemma and co to see a Michael Jackson tribute act playing in the Condor Bar in our village. They had fun, although Finley found it too loud and walked around with his hands over his ears all night, much to everybody’s amusement.
Just as he did a couple of nights later when they all trooped down to see Keith (Papoo) do his weekly gig at the Athens bar, Arwen danced, Caitlyn chattered (and chattered) to the adults, and Finley was frankly not amused and wanted to go home! (A man of taste)
The two weeks flew by,
and soon it was time to take them to the airport for the flight home,
it was such a good fortnight, a great example of having lots of fun without going mad and not spending loads of money, on eating out, trips out, or hiring boats or bikes ‘n’ stuff.

Keith was working on the night of the airport run so we dropped him off in Sidari, and then carried on to Corfu airport. I picked him up about midnight and we got back to our lovely, empty and quiet house for a nightcap on the balcony. When we woke up in the morning, the beach was suddenly empty the town felt so sleepy, It was soooo quiet, it seemed like not only Gemma and family had gone home but most of the other holidaymakers had as well. It is now September and the summer season is drawing to a close and in a few weeks we will be back in the UK reflecting on the summer just gone and who knows next year?

It all seems like “Madness”

“One step beyond”. Do do do, dodododododo….