My life was finally picking up, and for the first time since their births, my mum felt ready to look after my 2 daughters, so I planned the "Shirley Valentine".....
However, by the time I had a budget, I was also in a new relationship, so the runaway turned into a romantic getaway, I didn't care where, I hadn't been abroad for years.
We would have been happy,( and on a budget of £400 for the 2 of us EXPECTED!) to end up with a grotty little room, as we intended to spend as litle time in it as possible-who said romance was dead?lol
The travel agent arranged everything, i handed over the cash and we flew off, my partner was SO unconcerned by where we went, it wasn't until the bus journey to Arillas that he turned to me and said:- "Corfu?
I thought we were goig to Kos!"
The plane landed at 2am, and by the time we arrived at our apartments it was so dark outside we could make out nothing other than the fact that we were fairly high on a hill, and my heart sank, imagining the miles of cross country hiking to a beach.
The apartments however were unbelievable! I sat up for an hour waiting to be told that we'd been given the wrong accomodation and evicted into the grotty room i had imagined. On split levels, the tiled floors immaculate, every need catered for, I decided that I preferred the Anna Studios to my own home!
Finally we crashed to sleep, excited in a strange place, and I slept until I was awoken by a giddy squeal from Chris that would have put a horror movie scream-queen to shame!
Panicking I leapt from the bed.
He'd had only 2 wishes from this holiday, 1)being close enough to walk to the sea and 2) that the sea be warm enough to splash helplessly about in.
Two fast facts about my beloved are that he had never been to a resort with warm sea, and also, he cannot swim to save his life!
I found him on the balcony with a huge grin on his face i joined him and saw the desert-island -blue sea with Gravia Island on centre stage. Chris instantly declared this to be Tracey Island like Columbus claiming land his own, and the name has stuck!
We had such a wonderful time that the following year we brought my two girls, and the year after were even joined by our little "surprise" our third daughter Sydney-who i fought to name Iona in homage to the sea there. I lost on a technicality that Chris wanted to name her for his grandfather.
And now....we have 18 days until we return again,this time wth the whle family, including my mum, sister and nephew, who will be new to Arillas, but guaranteed to fall in love with the perfect beaches, the unbeatable food and the wonderful people lucky enough to call Arillas home, because we may only have to joy of visiting, but home is where the heart is, and we lost ours to Arillas 5 years ago.
Anna, Chris, Lili, Bonny & Syd