Some time ago, although I don't actually remember when, I promised Romy that we could go to a funfair one day. For the day, not just a couple of rides when the fair comes to town. To a proper place.
The Easter holiday seemed to be the time to fulfill that promise.
I have to say I am not a fan. FR is even less of a fan. Mateo has never really been a fan. But a promise is a promise.
So, yesterday, Romy, Ruy (who is quite a fan) and I set off in the morning to make the trek to the coast and
Tivoli World. It's not a huge place and has no outlandish rides but it is the nearest permanent fairground to us and for fair-deprived children, like mine, it pretty much hit the spot.
 |
| Blue skies, palm trees and just the right temperature |
Apart from having to submit to the incredibly inefficient ticket system, which, despite having bought our tickets online, meant we had to join three different queues and wait for a total of 45 minutes before the required wristbands were applied. These bands provided access to all but a couple of the attractions in unlimited repeated turns.
There was a little moment of being underwhelmed as we set off to explore but the park is cleverly laid out to appear much bigger than it is and many of the attractions are not immediately visible.
I won't describe all the rides...(phew, I hear you say) but despite trailing around after my children for about five hours, carrying rather more than I had intended, we had a great day and they thoroughly enjoyed it. Ruy reckons he had probably around 100e-worth of rides on the Dodgems....
Here's a selection of fairground photos - always colourful but especially nice when the sun is shining!
 |
| A nice gentle Jurassic tour to start the day... |
 |
| Following a spin on the Roller Coaster. |
 |
| Probably Ruy's favourite - dodgems! |
 |
| Clearly here, it's called the Techno Jump..but since we've lived in Spain, we know it as 'La Rana' or the Frog. |
 |
| Not sure if I took this before or during Romy's spin on it... |
 |
| A rather uninspiring photo of what was the best ride - the Aqua falls - this was just after the infamous soaking! |
 |
| And yes, they went on several times! Dried off quickly in the sun though. |
 |
| And another treat - a kebab...both still soaking wet but unbothered! |
And having driven all the way to the coast, we had to visit the sea. Benalmadena was too busy and difficult to stop in so we drove along the coast to Torremolinos. It's really rather a lovely place despite its reputation. I always like this long, clean beach where you can mooch along and find lovely shells.
I wasn't remotely tempted but my children did their usual strip and waded in without hesitation. They confessed it was VERY COLD!!
How Ruy is chunking out...his voice is on the verge of breaking and he spends his time shouting 'Harry!' in a brilliant copy of Ron Weasely's voice in the early Happy Potter films....(And of course, Mateo used to look exactly like Harry Potter so it makes us all laugh.)
 |
| Do you see anyone else in the water? Nope...not one. |
This was around 7pm and after stopping at Riofrio to buy fresh and still wriggling rainbow trout, we arrived home in the dark just after 9.30pm. We'd watched the full moon rising over the Sierra Nevada as we drove and noticed that the mountains already looked to have much less snow than they had earlier in the week.
 |
| Delicious fresh fish just visible on our makeshift barbecue. |
I admit to feeling a rather smug good mother and wife. FR was waiting with a fire in the garden to cook the trout, the children were full of their day and I was quite knackered from all the driving, safe too in the knowledge that I've prepared a rather good set of clues for this year's Easter Treasure Hunt that my children love to do on Easter Sunday morning. I even made some chocolates for them on Friday morning....in secret!
I went to bed feeling good.
 |
| The full moon from my garden |
And just so you know, Barney is still happily sunbathing in the garden as I write ...he won't be dinner this Easter!
Happy Easter. Hope you're all having good holidays.
