Not too much to say about today. After our normal pattern of morning activities, we returned to our rooms to brush our teeth and pack. I’m not sure what happens to all our stuff during the holiday, but it’s always a struggle to fit it back into the cases. The number of times I thought I was almost done and was then confronted by a kettle, pair of canvas shoes or other bulky item seemed like a never-ending puzzle. It was a good job we weren’t time-challenged or I’d have ended up being locked in, forcing the team to give up a crystal to get me out again. 
Once we’d packed and double checked the room was empty, we rode the lift for the final time down to reception to checkout. A good acid test to determine if you enjoyed the holiday can be measured by your feelings at this moment.  If the excitement and anticipation you feel as you walk into reception for the first time to check in is reversed as you checkout it was likely to have been an enjoyable experience. 

Having checked out, we headed to the pool bar for a glass of something cold, before our coach transfer to the airport. Your scribe left the ladies reading, Mr B sharpening his virtual knife and fork in preparation for mid-morning snacks and headed down to the beach for a final walk along the seafront. There’s something almost hypnotic about being in the beach, the sun warming your back and the edge of the incoming tide lapping on your feet or nearby. And my walk this morning didn’t disappoint. 

To round off my walk in style, Char joined me for one last ice cream from our favourite gelato parlour. She had a scoop of banana in a cup, and I had a frozen yoghurt with blueberries and strawberries topped with chopped nuts. 

Back at the hotel, we had a couple more drinks, a small slice of pizza, and Mr B honed his skills with the snack bar, which he’d started to practice as soon as Char departed to meet me for an ice cream. We didn’t think two burgers (minus roll) and chips, and then two breaded ham and cheese savouries, was a bad option for an early lunch. I guess he was compensating for the fact that we were having lunch at the airport and ensuring he didn’t end up with a dodgy curly sandwich. It’s only fair to remind ourselves that walking along the seafront with an iced tea and/or ice cream is my idea of fun, whereas his passion is pulling a chair up to the snack bar and tucking in. Each to their own! 

The bus to the airport was pretty punctual, and so, dear reader, your scribe is completing the account of our holiday on the shuttle bus. The route back to the airport took us past a huge marina on the outskirts of Palma and then past the Cathedral. As the coach rounded a corner, we were presented with a stunning view of the exterior of the cathedral and city walls, which continued for another half mile. The height of the wall varied, and in places it was only 6 feet. I suspect it had been eroded over the years, as it didn’t have the same rounded capstones all the way along. 

Once we got to the airport, we checked in our bags, moved through security and found somewhere for a late lunch. Due to the extensive building work, we ended up in McDonald’s. Thankfully, we waited longer in the queue for the self-order kiosk than for our food to arrive. Having eaten our food, I explored the airport’s terminal C to locate their piano. A considerable walk eventually yielded fruit, and I spotted a grand piano with nobody in the hot seat. It was a Yamaha and sounded crisp and bright. Unfortunately, I didn’t have long to enjoy the piano before Liz appeared, telling me my time was up and I needed to walk to the departure gate. We backtracked my route from the piano back to McDonald’s at speed. We descended the escalator down to terminal A and through the passport scanners. That done, we rounded the corner and saw a huge number of stores and eateries in the walkway in front of us. When do you ever see eateries right by the gate? If we’d known, we’d have had lunch nearer the gate as the selection of eateries was way larger. The queue at the boarding gate was long and moved so slowly. If we’d known it would take that long, I’d have invested an extra 10 minutes in playing the piano!