7: Holiday Blog: Gran Canaria - Day 7.5

Sitting in the airport writing this last wee bit to finish off the holiday blog this time around.

We are both sniffing, sneezing and coughing a little bit... but tanned, relaxed and maybe still a little tired.  Good news is that we should both definitely sleep on the plane!

Last night after dinner we decided to skip cocktails at Bar Diamonds, and go straight to Sparkles Show Bar.  (The scene of the infamous Norwegian!)

The bar staff recognised us and thankfully we got seated by ourselves at an aisle... and all laughed about avoiding all strange lonely weirdos...

We opted to go straight for gin and tonics, being the classy and discerning travellers that we are... albeit we ordered it by the jugful 😀.

The show was really funny, and included rude covers of the Sound of Music and Aladdin.  I contemplated buying merchandise... but you know common sense prevailed... well, at that point anyhow lol.

After the show had finished, we popped into Coco Loco, where actually we switched to beer (him) and full fat coke (me).  Lots of dancing to cheesy tunes but think we finished around 3am...  after getting our photograph taken, and paying 10 euros for a key ring... honestly, I am a marketeers dream!

Getting back to hotel about 4am, turns out we did indeed post lots of pictures to Instagram... but it was a fun night, and am guessing I won’t be having another holiday for a wee while, so all is grand lol. 😀

I was however absolutely paranoid about sleeping in this morning, so my alarm went off at 8am although my friend was not for stirring much... so I went to breakfast on my own to fend off the buffet lurkers, lurches and bandits.

(I had also set my alarm for 9am and 10am just as back up...still can’t help being organised even on holiday lol 😂)

When I got back up, packing had commenced, and actually it was quite nice to sit and chill for an hour or so before having to get ready for transport to airport.  

The snacks we bought at the start of the week mainly went into the bin, and despite not buying anything than a wee bottle of perfume, I have no idea how my suitcase contents appear to have expanded! Maybe having clean ironed clothes really do take up less space than worn clothes squashed into laundry bags after all lol.

However the trip back to the airport on the minibus was funny.  Most people were sitting in happy peace until these three older ladies from Yorkshire got on.  One was a ‘chatty Nancy’, who gave a running commentary on everything.  Except her newly acquired friend Pauline.  Who was actually called Maureen... 

We could actually hear her from when the minibus drew up, and realised she was one of those happy clappy cheerleader types, shouting ‘Hola’ to everyone and waving.  Then as she was getting on, she loudly declared that there was no space to get into the seats, and it was really very tight you know...

She then sat and waved to her other two friends to show her where she was seated as she was saving a seat for them... I feel I have to point out at this point is was only an eighteen seater minibus.  And she was wearing a brightly coloured muumuu and hat.  Without sounding judgemental, I am pretty sure her little old lady friends could probably work out where they were sitting on their own even allowing for any ailing faculties. 

Despite that, it was quite funny to listen to them all sitting into their seats, and also the fact that she hoped there would be no more pick ups as there were no seats left... (there were 4).

In response to random stranger’s query to his wife about a wanting a pastille, chatty Nancy declared loudly that she would also like a pastille as “it was ever so dry, wasn’t it?”  Not quite sure if she got one, but my friend and I did sit and snigger in the back seat and try not make eye contact.  Well, I did anyhow... not sure he was thinking anything other than trying to sleep... 🤪.

Upon arrival at the airport, I have to say, this was the speediest check in I have ever had on any holiday.  Ever.

As we were flying at peak times on a Saturday, and on a package holiday, I fully expected it be absolutely heaving at the airport.  But no!  Literally no one at the bank of check-in desks, and we got straight through there and security with no waiting times at all.

A big shout out to the security staff though.  I never set off the scanner, but they wanted to check my skull cap.  Rather than ask me to remove it, the security guard just ran her hands over my head... it was really thoughtful and discrete. ❤️. 

And Las Palmas airport is huge, and great facilities and amazingly clean too... I think one of the best airports I have been to recently.  But actually, also have to say everywhere we have been this week has been scrupulously clean and great infrastructure... my prejudices have been fairly and squarely put in their place.  Definitely a place I want to come back to. (She writes with one eye on her diary for the upcoming year 😂.)

Aside from the slightly kamikaze circling by the bus driver transporting us to plane, the voyage home was uneventful.  This has to be a first as normally I find something to comment on lol.

The only thing once we actually reached Glasgow was the airport official who gave us a running commentary on the inner workings of the airport - although think he was only trying to humour us after sitting in the plane for 30 mins due to lack of buses!

So... to sum up... an AMAZING holiday. ❤️

Great company, fabby hotel, learned to relax, ate healthily, walked and swam and danced many nights away to cheesy Europop.  My friend and I never fell out once, and actually, unless he tells me differently at a later date, think we could be willing to do this again together 😀.

(Although I clearly need to get teeth whitened and a spray tan to match him in the photos... 🤪)

So... final holiday memory playlist:

‘Voyage Voyage’ by Desireless

‘Barbie Girl’ by Aqua

Most songs by Vengaboys

Anything by Steps

Ditto from Spice Girls

‘Every Time We Touch’ by Cascada 

Anything by Cheryl 

Plus all the funny, rude and irreverent drag act songs... 😱

These may be the songs I now have to motivate me back to the gym 😀😀😀.

Till next holiday ramblings... (or other Mrs Mac musings lol)... byyeeee x