Rhodes relaxation

September saw us spend a week at a Mark Warner resort in Levante, Rhodes. The priority in our search was somewhere with childcare, as living in the UK without much extended family meant in almost a year we hadn’t really had a break and as much as we love Mini-Yazz, we were dying for some quiet time poolside!

Friends had recommended this particular Mark Warner, and having booked early we were upgraded to a family room which meant we didn’t even need to share with Mini, double win.

It’s a gorgeous resort, still fairly new so in great shape. Each day we’d gorge on breakfast before playing in or around the pool with Mini, who also enjoyed time in the small playground and on the beach. After his lunchtime nap, we’d drop him off at the excellent childcare facility for 3 hours of fun. This was our first time leaving him with strangers and in a nursery-type environment so we weren’t sure how he’d manage but apart from turning on the tears when we’d drop him off, by all accounts he had a blast. The team of nannies (all UK-trained) were friendly and confident, and clearly formed a bond with all the kids in their care. This resort did a kids meal at 5pm, so Mini could eat while we enjoyed a G&T before delivering him back to the childcare facility where he could sleep. While we  extra paid for each afternoon of childcare, this evening care is a free benefit available to all families at the resort. Mini wasn’t great at falling asleep there though so we only did this a couple of times, but it was fab to eat alone and pretend we were grown ups again.

 On our free afternoons, we made the most of the hotel facilities, trying paddle boarding, sailing and kayaking, a game of water polo, and even a couple of open-air pump classes. Dean took part in the resort mini-triathlon one evening, rocking into second place alongside some much more serious competitors. Proud wife and son moment.

We hired a car one day to explore the old town in Rhodes city which is an ancient walled town boasting cobbled lanes and a lovely, strollable harbour – the site of the legendary Colossus of Rhodes statue, destroyed in an earthquake more than 2000 years ago. That means we’ve been to 3/7 ancient wonders of the world – Rhodes, Ephesus and Giza. Still a few to tick off the list then!

All up, just what the Doctor ordered. Mini-Yazz charmed the pants off the nursery staff, who awarded him the Robin Hood award for stealing the nannies’ hearts, and so we all returned rested, and ready to face the London autumn.

 

UK sand and sun - a weekend in Camber Sands

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside! Especially when the seaside is 7 miles of golden sand, who'd have thought that existed just two hours from London?

Well it does, and it's called Camber Sands. But as gorgeous as that sounds, we rather quickly realised that sand and an uber-curious-everything-in-the-mouth-nearly-crawling-six-month-old don't really mix that well. They mix - in a sort of sand everywhere, in the mouth, in the eyes, in the nappy - kind of way, but not well in terms of cleaning it all up when the six month old is so wriggly you'd think he permanently has ants in his pants.

But back to the break away: we recently spent four nights at Camber Sands, an easy drive from London and just five minutes from the beautiful old town of Rye. With the aforementioned six month old in tow, we didn't do much, but we did all relax and sleep amazingly being away from the everyday. One morning we just plopped mini-Yazz between us in our super king sized bed and all snoozed off for an extra hour. Must have been that sea air!

As well as a couple of wanders along the beach and an aborted attempt at fish and chips on the beach in the wind with the wriggler, we explored Rye by wandering its steep cobbled streets complete with timber houses from the 16th century and the look-out at Ypres tower over the marsh land. The best find was Knoops chocolate shop which does hands down the most incredible, chocolatey milkshakes and hot chocolate we've ever had. And we've tried more than our fair share of those over the years. They make it with loads of huge chocolate chunks, and you choose what chocolate you want - like an 80% from Uganda, or a 30% milk, and then choose other bits to add, like chilli or peppermint. 

One rainy day we drove to New Romney where mini-Yazz discovered his squealling singing voice for the first time over lunch at the lovely Aboyne House restaurant. Top timing. It's still a weird sight for us having him sit at the table with us and gobble down morsels from our plates (the one - ONE - trait he seems to have from his mum is a love for burgers. Seriously this kid is 99% a mini-Dean). We followed up with a quick walk at the Romney Marsh wildlife centre which was smaller than expected but a pleasant stroll with some history thrown in.

Learnings from this trip:

• babies and sand. Stupid idea.
• our Ford Focus is at the very limits of space when travelling with a wee one.
• we need a super King bed.