M.I.A. in Greece

Sunday 26 August 2012


So as you will have probably gathered from the lack of mad musings last week, I was on holiday.  I did create a little post about what I was packing but in reality, it would have been of no use to man or mouse. 


Also, can I just apologise for disappearing off on holiday just like that (do Tommy Cooper hands when you read the "just like that" bit).  In this case, I have to blame the tools of the trade - our dodgy router meant I had no internet connection to say something as simple as "Off on hols - see you when I get back". And thank you to everyone who was kind enough to leave a comment on my last couple of blog posts whilst I was way.  I took an active decision to be internet free for a week and it has been good for me but I will get back on track soon ...... after the mounds of laundry.



Oh hang the laundry (no pun intended), let's do a holiday post!


George's first time for flying - we didn't dare before now



We've all been nervous about our first flight with George.  Ben's been on a plane several times and has been impeccably behaved and that's including long haul at the age of 11 months and 3 years to Hong Kong.  However, George is the proverbial cheeky chappy and can be quite vocal whether expressing his pleasure or displeasure at whatever is amusing or displeasing him at that moment but phew! he was good as gold (all hail the IPad!).  So after a successful and quiet flight, we arrived at our hotel in Iixa in Rhodes early afternoon to scorching temperatures, scantily clad people in bikinis around the pool and a thumping disco beat in the background - we were in Family Club Med!  I had a lovely time people watching and there were lots of itsy bitsy bikinis to take in and "review".  I confess to chickening out of wearing my bikini at the last minute as my bagel belly was becoming a jelly belly and I didn't want to lie there everyday looking at it and more to the point, I didn't want the Grumps wobbling it for fun as he would have done given half the chance.  However, having had my eyes opened to the body & swimwear bazaar in front of me, the next time I go on a holiday where swimwear is the outfit de jour, I may try again.  Whatever you think about yourself, there is always someone bigger, smaller, firmer or wobblier than you and ...... no one gives a damn.  I also found myself strangely drawn to watching the "entertainment crew" perform their daily show by the poolside to some Euro disco number where everybody is supposed to join in - think "Macarena" style.  If I'd been there another week, the force would have been great and I would have been compelled to join in.  Thank goodness, I was only there for one.


My view most days!

And this one too! I'm walking behind as usual.



On one of the days that we decided not to be poolbound, we managed a trip to Rhodes Old Town which I'd been to previously 10 years ago on a day trip from Marmaris in Turkey. Amongst all the traditional leather goods, there is a "market" for cough cough "branded" goods.  This year Longchamp, Rayban and Converse seem to have a strong presence.


Bags Galore!

George took a shine to this pink pair!

A veritable Greek Aladdin's Cave



Stray cats are always around and the one below looked well fed and content enough. It does  break my heart when I see little stray kittens though.

Looking good for a stray!

So cute.


Being in Rhodes Old Town did bring back memories for me.  The Grumps and I had only been married a year then and children were not part of the picture as yet.  Fast forward a number of years and how things have changed.  See!

Double Trouble!

Ben & I, Hot & Sweaty in Rhodes Old Town


Having children means a visit to the Falaraki Water Park which was a good day out actually despite my general dislike of water.

Unfortunately, this wristband does not entitle you to endless ice cream.

Floating down the lazy river.

This apparently is fun!

Happy chappy!


We forewent the culture in favour of ease and lack of grumping from small people - so no pictures of the Acropolis here this time.  They wouldn't thank us for it and we wouldn't have liked them by the end of it.

Evenings were spent in the hotel restaurant - we went with friends (George's God Parents and their children (our God children)) which always make for a jolly atmosphere and most evenings, there was the obligatory fashion shoot for my 15 year old God daughter - who looks good in everything.  Do not stand next to her unless you want to feel really old and really fat.

Kirstie - my God Daughter.  The bloom of youth.


And then it was my turn.

Awkward camera pose - it's definitely easier to be holding the camera.


And having seen that I am wearing black in all the pictures (blending in with the Greek widows look), I have included a colour combo :

H&M combo & grey tatty bag

We like trilbys!


And did I buy anything on my jollies?  I bought some ornamental cows and a donkey!

They clash terribly with the decor at home!  Should have bought them for Grandma!


No I didn't .... I bought another trilby and a bracelet.

Perfect for the September school run.


So I'm feeling almost human again after a couple of days at home and sleeping in my own bed with no air con blasting away in the background.  The toes are repainted. I'm moisturised and I'm settling back in to my own routine.  I'm a little bit browner but not too much - there was a lot of suntan lotion being applied as I didn't want a tan.  Unfortunately, I don't go a delicious golden brown like my Ben, instead I just go mucky coloured which is not that good a look so I do my best to avoid the sun (says the woman who just holidayed in sun soaked Greece).  The stripes are back on along with the comfy jeans as somehow, I managed to put on 5lb and am now officially a heffa-moose! But still it's good to be back in Blighty with it's temperamental weather and all. 

So I'm looking forward to catching up on everyone's blogs - it's like all the magazines have landed on your doormat all at once!  Kettle on and Earl Grey at the ready, blogs away!


27 comments

  1. Hi Sue!
    I was wondering what happened to you with no posts, and so glad to hear you are back and had, obviously, a very nice holiday! Also, super, that you finally posted a picture of your face - you are truly a very beautiful woman!
    So, what again did you to to entertain children on the plane? Something with Ipad? We go on holiday in October and I am already trying to figure out what to do with our chap during the flight:)

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    1. Hi Ekaterina. Yes I'm back after a short break and thank you for the compliment!

      IPads are a gift from the Gods to parents. If you have one, load it up with movies or tv programs that your child loves so they have it on tap for watching when they hit the boredom button on the plane. Put games on it which are age appropriate and which can they handle. Both my boys love playing car parking games (I don't understand it either) but it keeps them entertained and the parents happy. Also, I keep a little small tub of miniature cars for George in my bag which I pull out in restaurants and this keeps him occupied for a while too. Basically - try anything legal.

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    2. ha-ha...try anything legal, that's a good advice!
      will look into ipads:)

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  2. Looks like you had a great time! I love that Trilby, its a good one! I got one of those bracelets in black in Marbs! xx

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    1. I can't believe you have another holiday coming up too! Couldn't resist the Links of London dupe bracelet especially in the yellow and grey combo!

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  3. it looks like you had an amazing time! I love your holiday wardrobe, and all those delicious Longchamp-esque bags... heaven!

    I am itching to get away from this horrible Northern drizzle and escape to warmer climates - I watched Mamma Mia last night and was like GET ME TO GREECE!

    anyway, glad to have you back! :)

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    1. Thank you and it's nice to be back and catching up on everyone's blogs. The Longchamp-esque bags were nice but not nice enough. When I was younger, I may have fallen for it's charms in Greece but now I want a real one and then it's going to be hard choosing which colour and which size too. I was always perusing them in the airport shops several years back but never got round to buying one when I should have ... now I just keep thinking ... I should have bought one.....

      By the way - I think I almost prefer the English drizzle to the Greece sunshine. It was just sooooo hot and I don't do hot very well if at all. I was just hot, sweaty and shiny which is not a good look. Pink porky pig is how you feel out there.

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  4. I wish I was heading off on holiday now!! Gorgeous photos and I love your new hat and bracelet:)
    ~Anne xx

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    1. I hope to get some wear out of the hat - they're quite a new thing for me as I thought I couldn't wear one for years until I learnt I just had to tuck my hair up or tie it back and then all of a sudden, it all fell in to place. Only took me till this year to work that out - doh!

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  5. Those holiday snaps make me wish I was heading to the sun too. Love, love, love the trilby and bracelet ... good shopping!

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    1. I love the trilby too - though I had to carry it all the way back as I couldn't bear thinking of squeezing it in to a case. Infact I had to carry four hats back (2 for the boys and 2 for me). I do love a bit of holiday shopping!

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  6. Looks like you had a lovely time together! The hats are fabulous - wish I could carry a trilby off like that! And I love the one your little boy is wearing. We've not braved flying since my 2nd son was 2 and he threw up in the taxi on the way to the airport !! Oh dear. X

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    1. My boys won't wear anything other than trilbys but I'm not complaining as I think they look cute in them despite it being much easier to stuff baseball caps in my bag.

      I was apprehensive about flying with George .... but I lived to tell the tale .... and it had a happy ending.

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  7. Hey Sue,

    Wow I'm so jealous you were in Greece for a holiday ;) I'm dying to go there, never been to Rhodes but then the problem is there are so many places/islands and never enough time! Must be good being so close to everything around Europe! Love the trilby you picked up. Had the same problem last year packing my hats, ended up stuffing it with clothes and making a hole in my suitcase to drop it in and it miraculously unpacked just fine ;)

    Steph / absolutely-fuzzy.com

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    1. Greece is obscenely hot at the moment! Don't go in August! Every morning, I had to psyche myself up to face the temperatures on the other side of the hotel apartment door. And though we are close to everything around Europe, we've done as little travelling with kids as possible until now.

      Oh and thanks to your post where you had a black Zara jumper and khaki shorts - I finally found a way to wear my black cotton shirt with my khaki shorts on holiday (as in above photo). I told my God daughter to take all pictures above the waistline though ... so you can't see my shorts (I know, I'm a bit of a lost cause).

      I've just seen your trilby in your latest post - now that's a trilby! Now that would make people on my school run talk and gossip! It's very fashion forward for where I live :o)

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    2. Hey Sue I can imagine how hot it is there right now, can't be too different from my hometown Kuala Lumpur, we get 35c days with crazy humidity, people just stay indoors all the time.. haha. I think your travelling with kids will only get easier from now on!

      Glad I inspired you in some way. I'm very sure you could pull off a version of my trilby! ;-)

      steph / absolutely-fuzzy.com

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  8. Hi Sue, Your holiday post is fab and so glad you had a great time. Thank you for taking time to read my blog & thanks for all your lovely comments & compliments. I missed you whilst you were away! I am also back into the daily routine - but I have a little trip to NYC planned so very much looking forward to that. Have a great week xx
    P.S LOVE George's pink ray bans!

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    1. Hello ALLO. I still don't even know your first name though I've been following you for a little while - I hope you had good hols too - more stylish than mine evidently!

      Absolute pleasure to read your blog and comment - I like your picks or I wouldn't say anything and it's nice to get a view from someone who works in fashion.

      The trip to NYC should be amazing. I wish I could go again - I wore 2 coats and a big deerstalker hat when I went for a Valentines weekend several years ago. I'd like to go again when the temperatures are more .... temperate .... but not as temperate as Greece!

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    2. Wow, more lovely comments. NYC is November with a group of girls to celebrate a friends very special birthday. I cannot wait.. I'll definitely do some posts on it.

      First name is Clare. Thanks again x

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  9. Yay!! Welcome home - missed you lots! Kept checking the blog to see if I'd missed something. Loved this post - you are SO funny...great writing style. Love the outfits and the hats...and the pink sunnies too! Glad the journey wasn't too tortuous - we've not holidayed abroad in 4 years as we're too scared to bring 3 kids on a long flight. Wimps :) Have a great week and don't be going away like that again now...at least without warning us! Avril x

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    1. Thank you Avril - that's really kind! The travelling with George turned out okay but it was only around 4 hours. Any more and it could have been a very different outcome which doesn't bear thinking about. You're not wimps - you're a parent with every right to feel nervous about travelling with kids - it's not for the faint hearted.

      I did want to let everyone know about going off on my hols but I couldn't get round the faulty router so I just disappeared - I wasn't as organised as you arranging posts for whilst you're away - I couldn't even manage a packing post!

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  10. Glad you had a wonderful time. I lived in Greece, so this post made me feel so nostalgic. I love exploring all the islands and the little family owned shops. August there is so hot!

    Your boys are so precious!

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    1. Thank you Lindsay!

      I wish I had the chance to visit the islands but with the two precious ones - it was a no go this time. August is really hot ... why did I not know this before I went?

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  11. I totally get turning off the laptop over your week long holiday in Rhodes. I did the same - well, kind of, I just checked my email to make sure our flat hasn't fallen to bits etc etc but I felt so much more refreshed without the constant demands of technology.

    It's so good to see you! It's never good to stand next to someone taller/thinner/younger but I think you're stylish enough to pull that off. I've never ever been to Rhodes. I hopped around a bit around Hydra, Santorini (like a movie set but don't scratch below the surface unless you want to be disappointed), Chios, Lesbos, Crete and a couple of others. I don't think I have the energy to do the same now.

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    1. Yes - it was nice to have a break from the PC but once you get back - it all starts again.

      Yes - it's never good to stand next to a 15 year old especially when you're a good 27 years older (I just worked that out and now I feel really ancient). She liked my yellow sorts though so yeah - I'm cool ;o)

      You look like you're having a great holiday yourself. Have a cream tea for me!!

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  12. I missed your posts, Sue! Glad to hear that you'd a great holiday. I'd love to visit Greece as well. Never been there.

    Loved seeing more of you and your family in this post. Your boys are so cute (by the way, those towels/bathrobes (?) your kids are wearing are fantastic, I mean the octopus and the frog... simply adorable). You look great in the pictures (and so does your Goddaughter, by the way). Love your summery, relaxed outfits as well as the souvenirs (I need a cool hat like that).

    Good luck with the laundry! (I think I still have stuff to iron from my holidays...)
    xx

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    1. Thank you Sonia - I had a lovely time but it's nice to be back.

      The robes are inherited from my god children and they came in to their own for this kind of holiday. Yes - it's strange being in front of the camera instead of behind - I know which I prefer - it is very hard to pose and look "natural'ish" isn't it? It's the self conscious gene coming out and also the thought that "hope everyone doesn't think I'm vain". So I'm back behind the camera for now - I know my place!

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Susie So So