A fun top ten list.

So I have just arrived home from our annual holiday away.  Tenerife this year and I have to say we had the most fabulous time, this years holiday has surpassed all expectations that we had before we left.  

It started in just the right way, arriving at the airport just as the desk opened and before all the crowds arrived we have more of a loitering wait at the desk rather than a full on queue, this in its self was a whole new experience for me, but the we had even better to come.  My husband in his wisdom (and he is wise) had booked a fast track pass through airport security it cost all of £3 each and is well worth every single penny.  We waltzed passed the queues and happily processed our bags through the x-ray machine before sashaying through the magnetic doors and on to a very leisurely breakfast completing what was one of the most civilised airport experiences I have ever had.

Our hotel was fabulous, large enough to feel a little like a vibrant and bustling small town, but in a good way, th hotel was huge with plenty of room for everyone, there was three types of evening entertainment every night, something for everyone, from soft music in the piano bar to the raucous outdoor singing and dancing or indoors for the more refined light entertainment of magic shows, live music, amusing parrot or snake shows.  The show we saw on the first night was a magic show which surprised me utterly, the magician performed the big flashy tricks which I have never seen done live before and I finished my first nights entertainment feeling properly entertained not just "holiday entertained".

The holiday continued with some very hot weather and fabulous trips out around the island, I can highly recommend going on a catamaran trip out to sea, we were able to spot wild dolphins, small whales and also excitingly a bride whale with her calf.  The jeep safari up the mountain to see Mount Teide was fun and the children really enjoyed their camel ride at the end, lunch in the clouds was a nice touch too!

The children found some excellent new friends and spent those leisurely days around the pool with their friends, two boys and a girl, leaving us two grown ups unexpectedly to our selves.  Eventually the new friends went home and our children returned to us for some family time which was nice too!  We took the opportunity to book one of the luxurious Balinese beds with a small area on a private sun terrace with two additional sun beds.  Heaven!  I was hooked on this life of luxury immediately and the arrival of an icy champagne bucket with two glasses and chilled bottle of the fizzy stuff, along with some delicious fruit kebobs, just rounded the day off.  In fact I wasn't sure I could manage a return to the morning race for the best sun beds around the pool, but indeed by this time we had worked out where the best spots were.  The weather remained very hot and we took an opportunity to explore the beach, we had avoided it, as we were not to sure about the black sand of the beach, but actually it is only weird for a short time and very soon I fell in love a little with the black sand, it has little pieces of sparkly sand mixed in with it which makes it really beautiful.  The sea was quite rough with large breaker waves very close to the shore, the sand slopes quite steeply in to the sea so you find yourself quite deep with out going too far out.  The cove nearest our hotel was not over crowded with a single juice and snack bar at the top of the beach, here we stopped for a refreshing orange juice or for others perhaps an ice cold beer, the glass comes from the chiller and little pieces of iced beer from on the bottom of the glass, one is not  enough to quench a serious thirst apparently!  I was happy to have a second orange juice having discovered to my joy that the oranges were freshly squeezed and delicious!

Soon it was time to return home and holiday was finished perfectly when we discovered that our family had been bumped up to first class.  From start to finish I feel, that my husband myself and my two boys were blessed and we have every intention to return.

I tell you all this because as delightful as our holiday was.  And is was delightful, we were also very happy to come home and here, finally, is my top ten reasons I am glad to be home.

1.  My own bed!  

2.  The feel of soft carpet underneath my toes instead of cold hard tile.

3.  Eggs Benedict!  This might seem odd but it is the one breakfast that couldn't be replicated at the breakfast buffet.

4.  Toast that I don't have to stand and watch!

5.  Coffee made my way!

6.  The sun is no longer quite so fierce and feels more like an old friend again.

7.  Friends and family, I have missed them.

8.  Shoes, I have returned home to my shoes

9.  The internet, magically it all just works again, the signal was intermittent at best while we were away.

10.  The Diet, it starts here people and not before time!