The family left late last night, later than intended it seems due to the flight delay, and arrived safely home in the early hours of this morning. I awoke this morning to a deep sense of loss which I know will pass eventually but meanwhile........
We managed the Cortijo 'changeover' amidst all the chaos and yesterday afternoon welcomed a family from France who are now holidaying downstairs for the week. Of course, their arrival did not go smoothly but we have come to expect this. The map we sent was yet again ignored in favour of the Sat Nav which took them to a street in Motril instead of our lane here in Las Zorreras, an area to the east of Motril. 'We are outside your house' were the first words we heard after picking up the phone. 'No, you are not outside our house' replies himself and we go from there, finally persuading them to track back and use the map we sent and arranging to meet them outside the Bull Ring which they can't fail to miss. 'Oh yes, we have the map!' they cry triumphantly.
After waiting for 25 minutes at the entrance to the Bull Ring my husband sees their hire car pass by.
He waits a while then the phone rings. 'We are next to the Rubber Tree' he hears. Which Rubber Tree, there are a lot of Rubber Trees in Spain? Luckily, he rightly guesses where they are and they follow him back to the Cortijo. He mimes throwing away the Sat Nav and they laugh and agree and all is well. 'Paradise' she exclaims as she walks through the gate and past the pool.
'Paradise lost' is all I can think with our family gone and our pool and gardens no longer ours to enjoy.
We managed the Cortijo 'changeover' amidst all the chaos and yesterday afternoon welcomed a family from France who are now holidaying downstairs for the week. Of course, their arrival did not go smoothly but we have come to expect this. The map we sent was yet again ignored in favour of the Sat Nav which took them to a street in Motril instead of our lane here in Las Zorreras, an area to the east of Motril. 'We are outside your house' were the first words we heard after picking up the phone. 'No, you are not outside our house' replies himself and we go from there, finally persuading them to track back and use the map we sent and arranging to meet them outside the Bull Ring which they can't fail to miss. 'Oh yes, we have the map!' they cry triumphantly.
After waiting for 25 minutes at the entrance to the Bull Ring my husband sees their hire car pass by.
He waits a while then the phone rings. 'We are next to the Rubber Tree' he hears. Which Rubber Tree, there are a lot of Rubber Trees in Spain? Luckily, he rightly guesses where they are and they follow him back to the Cortijo. He mimes throwing away the Sat Nav and they laugh and agree and all is well. 'Paradise' she exclaims as she walks through the gate and past the pool.
'Paradise lost' is all I can think with our family gone and our pool and gardens no longer ours to enjoy.
