‘Let’s go to Spain!’ said my teenager. It was a good idea, and we all agreed, including the eight-year-old twins.
The trouble was, we were already there, in the heart of Murcia, less that half a kilometre from the Mediterranean coast, where palm trees dot the landscape and paella is the classic dish.
But where we were staying, it didn’t feel like Spain at all. We were in La Manga, a resort three times the size of Monaco. And it was a kingdom unto itself. Within the resort, we could have been anywhere. Sure, there were tapas bars and open air tennis courts, but there was also a traditional Irish sports bar with giant plasma screen. If we wanted to see Espana, we had to escape to it.
There was a wonderful beyond. Just a 15-minute drive away stood Cartagena, a small town with huge style and an almost complete Roman amphitheatre. We wandered up and down the terrace of stone seats and climbed on to the stage, becoming Roman players ourselves. My man gave us some lines from Shakespeare – ‘Frailty, thy name is woman’ – the only lines he knows. He shouted them into the damp, warm Spanish air. We imagined how it might have been when Augustus was Emperor and held sway in this area, commanding performances. Then we drove back to the resort, the car barrier lifted that shut off all entry roads, and we were in the world we knew.
Familiarity and foreignness were combined in one trip. How fabulous. But a bit of me didn’t want to be that comfortable, even in the evenings. I wanted my presumptions and concerns to be unsettled. If I go away, even on a family holiday, I want to see the world from a slightly different angle. Standing on the steps at the Roman Theatre, I did so. Back in the resort, I felt as cosy as could be.
I suppose every holiday doesn’t have to be an adventure. Does it?
See Takethefamily's pages Hotel La Manga Club Principe Felipe, Hyatt Las Lomas Apartments, La Manga, and Spain. For more information visit www.lamangaclub.com Best guide on Murcia is Dorling Kindersley’s Top Ten Costa Blanca from Amazon
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It doesn't, but if you felt disappointed, then maybe this is what you were hoping for from your holiday! Or, were you feeling guilty because you thought you should be hankering after the family travelling adventure?! My vote would have been for Cartagena :)
ReplyDeleteMaybe not every holiday needs to be an adventure, but I think the ones with at least some element of adventure even if it's just navigating your own way to an attraction or activity, are the best ones.
ReplyDeleteBefore we had kids I had never been on a resort holiday. Although they seem much easier with kids, it can get a bit samey and sterile if you're not careful, so every couple of years we try to do something a bit different. Wild camping on Exmoor didn't go down so well when our daughter was 6, and needed the toilet however, but we have had some great experiences and memories.
I love the way my children recall family holidays, it is always the bits that didn't quite go to plan that they will suddenly bring up out of the blue. 'Do you remember when we missed the ferry?', 'Do you remember when that car crashed into our car', 'Do you remember that time the policeman was shouting at you in French?' (don't ask). The point is, going somewhere different often seems to have some kind of adventure involved, even it is not the kind that you planned! But I do agree with Dea, there is something very exciting about 'seeing the world from a different angle', although in my experience every family holiday seems to be an adventure of some sort!
ReplyDeletethought-provoking blog as ever, dea, and interesting comments.
ReplyDeletei've responded in kind on my own blog - pretty much echoing the final thoughts of 'anonymous', as it happens!
www.rhondastravels.net/blog.php