The Cool chill of the English spring did not seem to be developing into anything warmer so to cheer ourselves up a little spring break was planned together with some good friends. Despite being at home the day before we flew it was a blind panic to stow the necessary clothes into a suitcase and make our way to the airport. Sarah you can relax now we are on our holidays my ever loving Adrian said, I can never relax totally though at the airport a legacy of a career in aviation I guess. At customs we bump into a customs official not known for his leniency in crew customs. Hello he says smiling not in uniform today? No I'm off for a few days R & R I reply. As my little group are promptly waved through we start milling around the shopping arcades of the departures area. I freeze as a Hand taps my shoulder, Madam can I have a word? Oh no its a customs official, then a large laugh, "I got you didn't I". A conversation strikes up and we chat about mutual friends around the airport. My heart beat slows down and I see my partner bravely surveying the scene with interest from behind a stand displaying travellers gadgets but looking a little pale.

As we walk on to the plane my partner asks if I want the window seat or the middle seat. Oblivious to his remark I'm looking all around me at the door seals so the flight Attendant looks at me and asks partner,"is your wife a nervous flyer sir"

My Partner grins and says very conspiratorially "yes she is a first officer on the A300"

Response "they are always the worst aren't they sir"

The rest of the party is smirking to themselves as I hide behind my fashion magazine and try not to listen to the sounds of the engines or rattles of the plane. Finally we are off the ground and I settle into the experience of being flown, this is the life as I unwind with a coffee, until the attendant looks across the seats and says" dinner is served Captain"with a wide grin as we are being passed trays containing sandwiches and a packet of potato chips. The rest of my party enjoys the little joke and I blush. As we finish the meal a little boy turns his head from the seat in front and asks, "if you are a captain how come you’re not flying the plane"

I reply oh its not me its him pointing to Adrian. More confusion in the kids mind. But it has the affect and I can study my magazine and he looks blank as the kid says "Mister how does an aeroplane see above the clouds? Gametes and Match I think as I grin to our friends little later after landing we race through customs only to discover that the car rental company have given us a very small car for our group of 4 adults and a baby (whose luggage seemed twice as much as mine). We won't fit in we cried. Finally with no alternative we did get going and it was time to settle down at the villa for a week of lazing by the pool and walks along the beach, punctuated by trips to the local towns and of course meals at some lovely little restaurants each night.

How wonderful to take a few days out of our hectic schedules and enjoy the simpler pleasures of life sampling new wines and food, but mostly seeing a corner of the world we had not seen before .The peace was as is the case sadly shattered when a friend and I took the car to the market town near by to stock up on supplies and mum to escape the baby for an hour or so. Now 2 Girls in a remote town in southern Europe must be fine you say, but we seemed to walk past every construction site and bar in town to find the main shops. Quite unnerving with wolf whistles if the men think your attractive and hisses if not punctuated by "hello Engleesh, show you a good time" some of the other comments though sounded a little more lewd I guess but then again not speaking the language you couldn't be sure for certain.

Sadly the week shot by and it was soon time to pack up and leave the paradise by the pool for our return home. This was uneventful although fun to be asked if I was the babies mother as I held her whilst we waited to board the plane home, thankfully for the infant though I did not have to change or feed her.