I'm back from a great holiday even if it didn't turn out as planned. As you can tell from my previous post I'd gone with every intention of having a nice time with 'friends'. The in-laws to be precise. They moved out to Cyprus last year (not somewhere I'd particularly wanted to visit) and so it was that our first foreign holiday for many years was to visit them. In truth I'd had many reservations as Gramps had been particularly tight fisted and tetchy with the kid's in the past; hence the twins had dubbed him Grump-a. Well ! This time he surpassed himself. Having badgered Wifey into visiting - at huge expense to us - you'd think he would have been pleased to see us. Not a bit of it ! He went around with a permanent scowl on his face and snapped at the boys at every opportunity. By the third day I'd had enough and told him where to get off.The car pictured is Grumpa's. Thousands gets lavished on all those silvery sticky bits whilst the boys make do with a tenner for Christmas/Birthdays ... between them ! The boot is full of air cylinders for the flash bouncing suspension system which cost about a grand. (Nanna isn't much better to tell you the truth)
Some pictures of the resort where Nanna and Grumpa live...
"Oi ! Are you nicking another beer from the fridge ???" (never mind the fact that I'd stocked the bloody thing !)
A pity really. The accommodation was perfect for a family holiday and much more spacious than it looks here. The surrounding area was not at all nice though. I do wonder at what was achieved by moving from Leafy Berkshire to such a barren and derelict district.
As you can tell I wasn't happy here, so I used the plastic and got my family the hell out.
Immediately outside Grumpa's residence.
This is where we moved to. I won't bore you with loads of photos but the flavour of our new resort was consistent with this. It was lovely ... and bloody expensive ! (Thanks a bunch, Grumpa !)
I got my own little balcony on which I played my guitar to my heart's content.
And I got to win at Scrabble a lot which comes with it's own special prize.
A fine pair ! I'm so proud of them.
Taken by Sam.
I really don't know what got Grumpa's goat about the twins.(My computer is awaiting repair - this post has been submitted from the local library.)
25 comments:
Welcome back EK, sorry your holiday with Grumpa wasn't all you wished but glad you redeemed the situation and moved on.
The second place certainly looked better than the first!
I have a golden rule never to holiday, or even stay with relatives, except my darling daughters who treat us like royalty when we visit.
Your family look smashing, what a selfish man Grumpa must be, not to love his family and particularly the two lovely boys.
Glad you're back, you have been missed.
Di.x
P.S. I've written some more news of the Trubie clan on my site xx
Welcome back. Great pictures.
Banana in the exhaust?
Welcome back E-K. Trubes is right, NEVER (EVER) stay with relatives OR friends (unless you really have to) because it will either end in tears (words, harsh words are uttered OUT LOUD) or you will bottle emotions (and those HARSH words) up and have a dreadful time. I think it is all about territory and sometimes control. You can't do what you normally do and it all gets stressy.
Does GRUMPA and his wife go on about how CHEAP it is etc compared to the UK? Maybe not at the moment wiv da recession etc.
Was he in the RAF or Army and served in CYprus? That's normally why people retire out there, to ridiculously hot temperatures and an arid landscape - that an the fact there's no bleedin' foreigners...(except them and the rest of them)....ha ha!!
You can't beat renting a small villa/gite/house with a PRIVATE pool in the middle of nowhere that takes a few hours to drive to.
No airport crap and no tattoed fuckwit chavscum. BLISS!
Totally agree with Ranter. We always holiday on our own and rent property often in Antibes in S.France. we travel from a small airport almost on the doorstep with a two hour flight then 15min drive to Antibes...wonderful.. if we feel like company there are plenty of friendly folk to chat to.
Di.x
I dont really like them PT cruisers. Give me a Scooby any day. 135mph on the M1 then ran out of road but the car still had more.
Also I used to spank weekend warriors on their superbikes.
Bends or straights that car could kick ass.
Alas no more.
Oh by the way how were your hols Kev?
E-k,
Why are you wearing my pants on your head?
Grump-a
Elecs; you and your Supercrew are much better at doing things yourselves!
There's no need to put yourself, and also the lovely family you have, under that sort of pressure, so you did right Old Chap!
Welcome back anyway, there's no plastic wheel covers over here!
E-K, have you lost a bit of weight? It certainly looks like island life is agreeing with you.
Jesus! He sounds as tight as a cat's rectum but keep Grumpa sweet - where there's a will there's a relative etc. Glad to have you back!!
A warm welcome back to one of the most honest and fearless of bloggers.
The car, I agree, is shite. But the camouflage hairnet..... you look like the lovechild of Silvio Berlusconi and Andres Segovia.
You have my complete respect for doing a runner from the selfish grumpy man and giving the family a more enjoyable hols. Bugger the bill.
WTF? Is he insane? Sod the plastic - the lads won't give a monkeys. Anywho - whilst on the balcony buddy, there was a distinct hint of the Silvio!
Glad you all had fun and kudos for buying the boys weapons (use to fire pebbles at horses knobs...err.. taxi? For me?)
Great comments thanks. Still posting from the library until normal service resumes next week.
The 'hairnet' is essential sans hair in such warm climes.
'Where there's a will there's a relative'
There's also a soul not for sale !
;-)
What a bloody old grump.
Great pics! I like the 'nice pair'
reference too!
hahah
Hmmm...a strange post EK....not much I can say except for what a nasty looking car.
I hope Mrs EK doesn't find the friction between you and Grumps too stressful. My dad and my uncle just could not get on and it caused no end of misery for my poor mum.
That sort of situation is exactly what the emergency plastic is for! An excellent escape if I may say so.
Oh dear - families are funny things, eh? It does seem galling that someone can think so highly of their car but not their grandkids, who, by the way, look great fun :) Hope you had a good break anyway and managed to get some sunshine at least?
Sorry that happened to you, Kev. Hurts from family cut deeper than almost anyone else. We can't help but have expectations even when we know they are baseless and our hopes are proven wrong again and again, we still hope. Such is being human, like bees bashing against a window, thinking the best of people. Glad you got yourself out of there and had some fun with your beautiful family.
I went to the south coast and holidayed with chavs - more on that later.. ;-)
Boy you got royally screwed there, Kev.
It looked much nicer in the brochure from the previous post...
Fabulous pics Kev. Families, huh? Been having endless trouble with the inlaws myself of late.
The boys have grown up a lot since I last saw a pic of them. I like the pic of the catapult. And your wife looks stunning.
You are brave holidaying with your in-laws, btw. And welcome back, belatedly...
Horrible little brats. Give them an ASBO.
he needs to be properly grounded from seeing any of you for 5 years...unless he's rich. Then you may want to hedge your bets, and make your point clear in two.
Thanks for all the kind comments, everyone.
I'm back online now and am thinking of my next post. I also need to spend a while getting around everyone's blogs to see what you've all been up to.
Grumpa has not been in contact - that's fine by us.
Mmmm.... great guitar pic Kev :-) Photoshop could hardly improve it :-)
In the Tuscan household this is called "the dream and the reality syndrome", and applies only to blood relatives. Wouldn't it be nice to see X or Y or go to stay with Z? When they get here, or we go there, you remember you choose your friends but you do not choose your family. Plenty of us in the same boat, E-K, though perhaps with less exuberant bougainvilea in the passageways.
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