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Sadness at my Lanzarote family holiday swansong
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After six consecutive years of family winter sun in Lanzarote, this year marked the swansong, the last hurrah, the final goodbye. A bittersweet trip to Arrecife airport with a head packed with wonderful memories and an aching melancholy of finality. We would not be going back next year. The family holiday would be amended to fit with life’s changes.
Childfree holiday
The first year was a gamble — no expectations, just the decadent feeling of a winter escape and an expectant child. We embraced the welcoming whispers of balmy air and aloe vera
Childfree holiday
The first year was a gamble — no expectations, just the decadent feeling of a winter escape and an expectant child. We embraced the welcoming whispers of balmy air and aloe vera
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drenched land as we journeyed to Playa Blanca. While the snow created stodgy white blankets across the UK, we whipped out our sunglasses and rolled up our sleeves, to expose our sun-deprived skin. And possibly some very smug smiles.
Family holiday
Year two was a sharp contrast. There were similarities in climate and escapism, mixed with the shock of a first holiday with a baby. Sleep was evaded, and restful sunbed episodes were distant memories. Suitcases heaved with nappies, wet wipes, toys and bottles, my shoe quota strictly reduced from too many to
Family holiday
Year two was a sharp contrast. There were similarities in climate and escapism, mixed with the shock of a first holiday with a baby. Sleep was evaded, and restful sunbed episodes were distant memories. Suitcases heaved with nappies, wet wipes, toys and bottles, my shoe quota strictly reduced from too many to
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not enough. Instead, we cherished the crisp strolls along the Playa Dorada beach, the sand between our toes, the sun dusting off dusk and the accompaniment of a little body in the papoose. Family footsteps etched in the sand rather than snow.
All change
It was a hesitant tiptoe into family life aboard. A journey from two to three, from heaving cocktail bars to sticky high chairs and early nights. Regardless, we were hooked and returned every year. First as two, then as three and finally as four. The children have transformed from babies to little boys,
All change
It was a hesitant tiptoe into family life aboard. A journey from two to three, from heaving cocktail bars to sticky high chairs and early nights. Regardless, we were hooked and returned every year. First as two, then as three and finally as four. The children have transformed from babies to little boys,
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and we have adapted our routine to include the Rancho Zoo and the Aqualava water park in aid of further entertainment. We’ve gone from strict nap times and feeding routines to a more leisurely pace of whatever works.
Winter sun
January weather in Lanzarote is sunny and blustery, but in Brit terminology, ‘Shorts and T-shirt weather.’ Nowhere is busy, and the azure ocean boasts a toe-curling chilliness that remains inviting. These factors have captured our hearts and lured us back. At the risk of a cliché, we fell in love with Lanzarote and our
Winter sun
January weather in Lanzarote is sunny and blustery, but in Brit terminology, ‘Shorts and T-shirt weather.’ Nowhere is busy, and the azure ocean boasts a toe-curling chilliness that remains inviting. These factors have captured our hearts and lured us back. At the risk of a cliché, we fell in love with Lanzarote and our
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beloved Princesa Yaiza hotel. I love the escape from SAD during a British winter month, the ever-changing activities as the boys grow older and the dismissal of structure, routine and the school run.
Family memories
With heavy hearts, we left the island for the last time this January. With school now a factor in our lives as parents, we feel we can no longer flee to Lanzarote for a family holiday during term time. I feel sad that I will not return to a place where I have watched my family develop and my children grow up. Where they took their first
Family memories
With heavy hearts, we left the island for the last time this January. With school now a factor in our lives as parents, we feel we can no longer flee to Lanzarote for a family holiday during term time. I feel sad that I will not return to a place where I have watched my family develop and my children grow up. Where they took their first
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hesitant steps into the sea and spent hours building sandcastles as the frenetic ocean challenged their infrastructure. Where they have learnt to curl their toes around the side of a pool and pierce the water in a belly flop or hopeful dive.
Fitness and freedom
It’s an island where, regardless of my level of fitness, I have run along the Playa Blanca promenade. I’ve inhaled the sea air, marvelled at the craggy cliffs and savoured the luxurious sun on my face. I have lapped up the half an hour of freedom, whether I was unfit and using it as an
Fitness and freedom
It’s an island where, regardless of my level of fitness, I have run along the Playa Blanca promenade. I’ve inhaled the sea air, marvelled at the craggy cliffs and savoured the luxurious sun on my face. I have lapped up the half an hour of freedom, whether I was unfit and using it as an
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excuse to escape or to tick a day off during Red January.
As with all good things, this family holiday must come to an end. What lies ahead is a fresh chapter of parenting; a change of scenery, new adventures and the blissful opportunity to create new memories.
I’ll always be envious of those who have the Lanzarote magic to come.
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