Our plan was to leave home at 9.30am giving us plenty of time to catch our plane to Barcelona. Well we were a little late leaving and coupled with a road work delay of over forty five minutes we finally arrived at the airport just fifteen minutes before the check in desk was due to close. So it was a quick dash to check in then onto passport control, security and straight to the gate for departure. All a bit of a rush but every cloud has a silver lining as they say, at least the rush prevented Christine from joining the queue for the bananas, this time it had to be a sandwich and beer on the plane.


So we arrive at Alex’s house at around 5.45pm and at six o’clock Dave and I are ordering our first bottle down the bodega. It’s good to be back and so far no ones lost anything or injured themselves so no insurance claim, yet.


Tuesday and the sun’s shining, it’s nice and warm and it’s t-shirts and shorts and a walk down the beach, then while away the rest of the day having coffee, sitting on the balcony watching the world go by. It makes Christine and I appreciate what retirement is all about. Still no problems - yet.


Six o’clock and of course Dave and I are off to the bodega to meet Sven and have a few sherbets. Alex and Christine are taking Amber and Joe to hockey training and the plan is to meet up for dinner around 8.30, the night is panning out OK and still no problem. Well, that is until Dave’s mobile rings.


Alex and Christine are back home early, Janet (AKA Wonder Woman) has been called to assess if an hospital visit is needed and I’m listening to one end of the conversation and wondering what Christine has done now. I am just thinking about putting the insurance company on standby when Dave comes off the phone and says “at least it not Christine this time” but the bad news is that Amber has taken a severe blow to her elbow at hockey and has a suspected broken arm.


They are now all on the way to the accident and emergency hospital so there’s nothing else for it but to have another bottle and wait for their return. Two hours later they are back and the good news is that it’s not broken but as best we can understand she has damaged her elbow joint and has a bright blue sling encasing all her arm. She hasn’t to move her arm for three days and then a return visit is required.


So this morning Amber’s up bright and early for school, arm still in the sling, knowing that this will be a talking point amongst all the girls today, I think she is a little disappointed that it’s only a sling and not a pot that every one could write on. But she looks OK and sets off for school with her pain killers.


So there we have it, one day here and already a hospital visit. Is it us, we wonder, are we the jinx, should we stop coming but then later over a drink on the balcony we begin to recall the scrapes Alex and Dave have managed to get themselves into without any help from us.


They have been locked out of their hotels due to bomb scares in Blackpool during the IRA troubles and London for a suspected terror plot. The problem with that one was that Dave was having an asthma attack and his sprays were in the hotel, the ambulance men came to his rescue. Then there was the forest fire on holiday in Spain when they had to be evacuated from their villa. The five days snowed in at Times Square not to mention Dave’s earthquake in LA or the walking sticks that have appeared more than once to help with his sprained ankle. Chemists and hospital have played a part in virtually every holiday they have ever had. So we have decided that it’s not us and whatever we do these things will continue. Mind you I will be happy to complete the rest of this visit without any more hiccoughs.


I pour another drink and study the local street map highlighting the important places, hospital, police station, chemist and doctor making sure I know the way to them all, just in case. It’s good to be back, I wonder what’s next.