Rest and Relaxation

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Mister E and I survived our first full-length holiday alone together since our eldest was born more than 22 years ago. We stayed in Meloneras on Gran Canaria. We did, of course, miss the children and realised just how reliant on them we can be; when lettering is small or speech is very quiet we have clearly got into the habit of asking them to decipher for us. Fun times when we were both struggling to read the air conditioning settings in our hotel room and we both put reading glasses on especially!
We didn’t feel unduly old; most of our fellow holidaymakers seemed to pass their day perambulating on the promenade, taking in the sea air and then sipping iced coffee whilst watching others stroll. On our part, we were quite proud of our ability to throw off the crowds on parade as we walked that extra mile or two.
Mister E insisted on setting his alarm clock for fear of missing breakfast which finished at 11am, meaning that on two occasions we were even first down. We thought we’d be joined by retirees on the basis that we’ve heard that as you get older you rise early, but soon discovered our morning companions to be the parents of babies and toddlers. Oh yes, I recall those days of motherhood well.
All in all it was a pleasant break. A sunny interlude in warmer climes before winter takes a grip. That said we both agreed it was a holiday and that whilst we want to travel in retirement we don’t necessarily have the same urge to holiday. We have identified the difference.  Our holiday was an escape from reality; a week for relaxation and rest in a comfortable hotel. In retirement, however, we would like to travel and discover, maybe even putting up with a little bit of hardship to do so. We are thinking we may not “need” a holiday in the same sense as last week. Will we be so rested and relaxed, we won’t want one? However having returned to the onset of winter and frosty mornings, we are now conceding that once a year or so, we may have an understandable urge to treat ourselves to some hot rays of winter sunshine

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