For a collection of reasons I really wont bore you with – this has been a pretty epically (is that a word?) rubbish year.

Even now the list of things to be properly life alteringly worried about, just sits like a ticking time bomb at the back of my head, don’t get me wrong, in many many ways we are blessed but then in other ways, well lets just say that the shit just keeps on coming.

So at a time when we definitely perhaps can least afford to do it, I decided that enough was enough and booked a break to our spiritual soulhome.. Palma

Now if you know me even a little bit, you will know that my love for Palma knows no bounds, a gazillion miles from the hell of Magamuff and Palma Nova, Palma is a veritable oasis of style, peace, great food, chic bars and fabulous boutique and spa hotels.

Its fair to say I’m never happier than when I’m there

We were lucky enough to visit with @VillaParade Prize – Majorca Villa Holiday Review – Part One" href="http://alysonsblog.com/2011/11/my-villaparade-prize-majorca-villa-holiday-review-part-one/">Villaparade last year for a family trip, but things as they are, what Mister & I really needed was time together, just the two of us *breaks into song*

With the children passed to their grandparents, Mister & I stepped onto a plane *and relax* for a utterly blissful 2 hour flight (note to any person reading without children: any flight is blissful without children… a fact you only tend to learn, of course the moment you have children) resplendent with 4, yes FOUR bottles of Prosecco.

What? You look shocked?

Well I am on my holidays you know, these minibreaks are never long enough.

The law according to me says that every moment away must be packed to the rafters with things you couldn’t ever do if you have the children with you and I’m pretty sure that getting smashed on a plane at 8.25am with your husband and four bottles of Prosecco would be right up there

We booked into my favourite hotel the Valparaiso Palace which is just outside Palma up on a hill overlooking the Bay, its stunning with a brilliant (free) spa, worth coming for that alone, its close enough to the city for shopping and eating but far enough away to be relaxed and feel like a holiday place – its also half way to our favourite restaurant in the world Flanigans in Puerto Portals.. if you click on that menu a little piece of heaven will open up for you.. doesn’t look like much but seriously you have to SEE the place and its location to appreciate it.

Friday was spent topping up on the Prosecco and Bombay, whilst lunching and lounging in the sun and spa, we stayed in the hotel for the day and then headed to Flanigan’s for a late dinner, we had already booked in and as ever we were NOT disappointed, amazing food and the finest location, perfect.

Saturday was shopping day and we headed down to Porto Pi, a shopping centre close to the hotel first, its pretty good and has a cracking Massimo Dutti in there, we both adore that continental Spanish style so we spent a good hour in there, then it was a taxi back to the hotel to drop the wares and then back into Palma for the next location on the Gastro tour of Majorca.

I can honestly say I have only ever dabbled with Tapas, I think its ones of those meals that frankly you need to go with someone who ‘knows’ what to get and how many dishes to get etc.So when I saw that one of the top recommends on Tripadvisor was a Tapas Bar I just did want to give it a go. Tasca De Blanquerna looked kind of up my street on their website so we made a reservation, 1pm to be precise. 

Now you know its going to be a good lunch when the fabulously friendly waitress allows you to taste the wine selection before buying the bottle, and so proceeded the epic AMAZING lunch marathon that lasted 4 hours and culminated in a stagger round Palma on a drunken shopping expedition (generally ill advised, especially when you are completely broke)

Saturday night after a snooze and a spa visit, we headed to Forn De Sant Joan – another truly top drawer place but after such an epic lunch I think it was a bridge to far, and whilst we enjoyed it, I think we enjoyed an early night even more.

Sunday was the day assigned to do nothing more taxing than chill out round the pool and in the spa, we met a lovely chap and his son who was recovering from a brain injury and spent a while with them, lovely lovely people. That night we headed back into Puerto Portals, for a night at Mood Beach and then dinner at Wellies, its chilled and informal and the best people watching spot around.

Monday it was time to head home, tired, spent, happy and back in the groove, its fair to say that Mister and I connect in a way when we are alone that we rarely seem to manage in the onslaught of daily life, whilst we always love each other, and he is still the person I want to be with the most, its those moments without the children when its just the two of us when I am truly grateful for our relationship and for just him.

It like pressing pause and rewind and going back to the start to remember who we are and who we were without children and remembering what brought us together in the first place, it’s magic, it really is. Relationship pixie dust that allow us to brush ourselves down and be ready for the next onslaught, stronger, more together and invincible.

I have  friends who either by choice or circumstance don’t manage to get away like that, and I know its horses for courses, but after 3 children and 14 years of parenting I think we are allowed some time off for good behaviour now and then.. even if its only to be very, very badly behaved

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