Akin is away

Working like a dog

Gosh! I have been working like a dog, all hours of the day and especially the witching hours to get things done before I go off on holiday.

A holiday that has been postponed for 6 weeks because my dear partner would not imitate me in one specific respect, one does not run for the train, else in this case, a trip and crack – leg in plaster for 4 weeks – thankfully, at a time the planning was still tentative.

I threatened to book a trekking holiday to see the spectacle of a hobbling tourist but relented.

At the same time, I had postponed the commencement of my thesis to allow for my holiday only to now find myself looking for an internet café in Playa del Ingles to do submissions, my recommencement having started on Tuesday.

So, my last working day came and I was still in the office at 8:30PM, took a cab home only to find that my partner had packed the whole Summer collection, like I was about to chaperone Donatella Versace in a remake of the Airport (TV series) 63 suitcases bar one at Heathrow Airport – lighten that load – we dumped 6Kg of stuff to stay in limit.

Comfort ye by payments

OK! We were traveling Comfort Class, whatever that means – extra 5Kg baggage, 8cm leg room, then, I found I was traveling a souped-up EasyJet service, we were paying for cabin service on a flight that would last 4:30 hours and the joys of noisy babies to help one relax and sleep off the whole flight. Arkefly they call themselves – never again after this holiday – but I suppose package holidays with charter flights do have their surprises.

Then, we were picked up at the airport and we had a tour of all 4/5-star hotels and apartments in Playa del Ingles before we arrived at our hotel last and just ready for dinner.

I decided on half-board accommodation with all the trimmings, the thought of looking for restaurant for 17 nights did not appeal to me and the Riu Palace Hotels brand does dish out luxurious cuisine in themed restaurants apart from the fact that company has the stomach of a child, it whines for food to my utter distraction.

We took our seats at the restaurant and checked-in afterwards, I was a bit disappointed because I thought I had an apartment-type room, but it was OK, not very large but well decorated and a balcony to boot.

Beside the seaside

I did not request a sea-side view because I felt I would get a Fawlty Towers room with the quip, the sea is just over the dunes, so I thought our orientation was towards the town though I could not see a prominent feature at that time of the night.

Later on, I found that the hotel was patently for holiday-makers, poor Internet service, no newspapers delivered to the door, I really should learn to take a holiday properly, imagine, I travelled with my laptop, well, because, I do need to make some critical submissions for my thesis.

Anyway, I woke up in the morning and looked out on the balcony, I saw the sea, yes, I saw the sea and my holiday had just begun.

Strangely, no one reads newspapers at the breakfast table, I need to, “chill-out” as they say in street parlance, I should stop counting the days left and do what I came to do – I have worked really hard, I should play doubly hard.

Ole!