The Holiday itself was enjoyable Thomas got his free beer and Caroline made some friends almost right away. But the place itself I did not like much, two reasons, 1. because it was too windy and very cloudy and overcast, some days it took the sun ages to come out right in to the afternoon it was before it came out. It was not a cold wind but very annoying. The actual Island where we went was called Phorta Ventura which is one of the Canary Islands you could see the neighbouring Island from where we were which is called Landsorotty.

The hotel was called the Bristol playa it was meant to be a 3 star hotel but I would have down rated it to a 2 star. We got there soon after midnight only to find that there was no porter service to show us where the apartment was so Barrie and I had to rely on Thomas and Caroline to read the numbers for us. Barrie doesn't see very well in the dark until his eyes get accustomed to it if you see what I mean. So we eventually found the apartment and discovered to my horror that we had to make our own beds I mean at that time of night who wants to be bothered making beds. So then we had a look round to see what there was, there were a couple of bars but not much really going on. So then we decided to go to bed and start early the following day. Breakfast was served buffet style like all the meals in the hotel. The breakfast was o.k. you could have cooked breakfast every morning which consisted of bacon, eggs, scrambled or fried, beans baked, tomatoes sausage fried onions and there was also chipped potatoes for heavens sake I know we English like our chips but I wouldn't eat them for breakfast mind you a lot of them did believe it or not. I was not impressed really because the restaurant area was too small for the amount of people that were there, you were literally falling over one another and it was the same round the pool area too, so if you were not friendly then it was too bad. There was no culture there just a load of desert sand and the ocean. It was the Atlantic ocean and it was very cold. The swimming pool was outdoors and it was half chlorine and the other half was salt sea water fresh of course but again that was rather cold lets face it we didn't like to hang around in it because it was too cold and yet the kids used to play in it near enough all day. There was a poolside bar which sold burgers and chips and in the afternoon they used to barbecue chicken and make paella but I am not very keen on that.

A funny Story of what happened one night. The hilight of the week was this, Thomas had made arrangements to go down town one night and so we left the apartment unlocked so that he could get back in as we knew he wouldn't be back till the early hours of the morning. Barrie and I had a few to drink so we were feeling a little bit well you know what I mean. We went to bed and about 4 in the morn I woke up to the door clicking open and then the next minute I heard Barrie say Thomas what are you doing Thomas, you are in the wrong room so then he bumped in to my bed. Then we heard the door click again, Barrie says, the silly sod has gone out again so he gets up to see whats going on, Thomas he says, whats going on, why says Thomas I have just come in. Then have you brought someone home with you, no says Thomas. Barrie then heard something in the bathroom so he goes to investigate only to find a guy in our bathroom staring in to the mirror and stripping off. Barrie says who are you, the guy says my name is Gregory its on my tee shirt honest haha. So Barrie explained that he was in the wrong apartment haha so this Gregory person apologises and Barrie realises that he is the guy from next door haha so he ushers him outside with no pants on and tells him goodnight. Apparently this guy was trying to get in bed with Barrie, just think if that had been me I would have screamed the place down. Well in the morning we saw him and asked if he remembered anything of last night and he couldn't he was well gone! well when we had told him what he did he was very embarrassed and he apologised and we also found out that his name was not Gregory but Mike, his surname was Gregory and he had a girl friend and a young baby. He was glad that we had seen the funny side as he was half expecting Barrie to hit him. When his family found out they were teasing him something wicked.

We went on one excursion it was a jeep safari it was very bumpy and very dusty we got filthy. The driver took us right up in to the mountains where we stopped off at a beautiful beach with sand dunes it was nice. Then we had lunch which had been provided for us, it was a Canarian style lunch with chicken and these very small jacket potatoes which were very salty on the outside. The children had a different lunch they had hamburger and sausage and chips. It was a nice day out.

The entertainment was not too bad in the hotel there was this American guy called David Harlindon he was a fantastic guitar player it was like being at a real live pop concert he was great. He came and danced in front of me and nearly fell over haha. Everyone screamed and clapped for more he must have come on stage for three encores.

The Island used to be a volcanic one but not any more. So if you like beaches and lots of ocean then that is the place for you. I don't think we will be going back there. The kids enjoyed it so thats the main thing. Apart from those minor problems we just made the most of the situation after all it was only for a week.