Crunch.

Welcome one, welcome all, back to Mount Olympus, may you catch the goats that roam freely through life’s journey!

Today began as many days do; with vague annoyance at having been woken up, but ultimately a sense of contentment, and perhaps peace.

It did not last.

Sadly, we had to get out for the day, and Dad gave us a time to leave, which was, and this is important to note, 11:30. Since it was 9:45, we all thought that we had plenty of time.

This was not in fact true.

Lily and Allegra did yoga, too tired to face the idea of a harsher workout, and again, I watched them from my chair, eating breakfast, and wondering at their misfortune. Olivia was woken at some point, and hovered like a ghost, as she is wont to do.

At some point, the twins came I to an argument about the sea? I don’t remember much of why, but Tate hit Alger’s with the career ending line: your Mum’s sea, and Allegra was appropriately contrite, saying, “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Another day, another funny moment.

But then Tate showered, and Lily and Allegra had breakfast and we all got ready. This includes the extremely laborious task that is putting on sunscreen, and what’s more, Mum was grumpy a little and made me turn off the bopping tunes we were listening to (cf. Gracie Abrams the nepotism baby), and the sunscreen smells strange.

So bad does it smell that it sort of makes me feel physically sick and I don’t know why.

None of my sisters seem to have a problem with it.

Anyway, mum was getting antsy around eleven since she thought that was our target leaving time. So was dad. As previously mentioned, leaving time was 11:30. So. We were bang on time.

We were out the door before target time, so yay us!! Dad made us go to the bakerei as I call them, which is, I believe, German for bakery, and once we had acquired lunchables we hopped into the car with glees and drove off!

Lily plaited my hair during this drive and then all of my sisters laughed at me, and called me an egghead, and made fun of the mole I have on my scalp, and t h e n acted really surprised when I took out the plait?? Why were they surprised? Idk.

But forty minutes of excellent driving later, we made it to our destination, which was a beach called the Seychelles (chelles), which had been formed out of a landslide apparently.

Sadly, to get to this beach, one had to clamber down a steep and unwelcoming path. It wasn’t the least enjoyable experience, however, since there was a rope at the end to help one across the trickier areas.

Down on the beach we were, and mum and dad weren’t feeling it so much since there was a tourist to Simpson ratio that was too high for their liking. But they let us plant our umbrella and swim into the sea which was frankly gorgeous, the water was just so clear and turquoise and I wasn’t even freaked out when I saw a rope at the bottom (something that terrifies me more than the average scary thing).

We alternated between water and beach, had our yummy lunch pastries, jumped off a rock, “ran” in the sea, and snacked on some bros (there was one guy who we referred to as “the mermaid” because he just looked like a mermaid would).

But mum and dad’s annoyance at the ever growing company on the beach did not let us stay for too long, and after a while we packed up and headed back up the steep and unwelcoming path.

To get to the path we did have to pass in front of some very good looking guys so we tried to be as cool as possible- a failure since Lily slipped about and I scraped my leg on the rock, producing a smidge of blood. So. I think the twins succeeded though.

But up the hill we went, Tate had my blue purse that perhaps you have seen in photos, which contained my phone, otherwise I would have photographed the graze on my leg to dramatise for the blog; I thought it might have been the most interesting thing that would happen.

Ah, how I spoke too soon.

As we made it to the top, I asked Tate if I should take my bag back. She said “nah, it’s cool”. If only she had said yes.

We then get in the sweltering car, and I fix the radio (call me Tony Stark), and as we were ready to leave, I noticed a wasp on Tate’s window.

If only I hadn’t.

Because I I told Tate to open her door so it could leave, and she did, and then we pulled out of the car park and back up the road.

Mere moments in, I asked Tate for my phone so I could photograph my very injured leg, but as she was looking around for what should be a very accessible bag, I turned to look out the back window and saw a little blue bag in the distance lying on the floor of the car park.

“Darn and blast!” We were all thinking. “What I good thing Ruby realised!”

And mum ran down to the car park to get the bag off of the couple that had found it and were attempting to call me. As she ran back up, Dad reversed down- no easy feat.

Mum handed me my bag, and I was so happy, because it contained my phone, my kindle, my debit card, my id… and of course, my Leroy Merlin token. what would I do without it???

And with renewed vigor, we drove off…

Until Allegra noticed tyre marks on my bag.

Crunch.

And I’m thinking, “damn, we drive over my bag and everything is still intact? Impressive”, before I realised that I hadn’t actually checked that everything was infact intact.

So I took out my phone, lo and behold the back has shattered for the third time (the first being last year in Greece, if you recall).

“How funny!” I said. “At least my phone still turns on!”

Which, to its credit, it does. The screen had not a scratch. But then Allegra points out that the screen is not exactly attached to the back of the phone, which has bent.

Less funny.

So now I am phoneless, which did make me cry briefly but shhhhh, and with shaky hands I looked to see if anything else survived the ton of car that rolled over it.

My pocket mirror was shattered, glass shards everywhere. My hairbrush was destroyed. Thankfully, my Leroy Merlin token was justttt fine.

And by some miracle, my kindle did not even get a scratch! I don’t understand how! It is as if it wasn’t in the bag! It works perfectly! How??

I am so happy about that because if I had lost my phone and kindle in one go I wouldn’t have been able to read anything, which might have ended me.

But yeah. It was with a bit of a heavy heart that I lived the rest of the drive.

But at least the music was playing- we bopped out to some Ed Sheeran, to the chagrin of my mother.

But eventually we made it to our next location, where they had thermal springs! Which were rather cool, the water was so hot at places, and it was rather strange to be in the ocean and to be really warm.

Ooh, I almost forgot that dad impressed us all by reversing up a thin road with cars on either side- Ffion’s dad could take notes.

The only downside was the teenage boys- a menace to society, my sisters and I concluded. They ruin everything. Just obnoxiously shouting and walking in your personal space and backflipping off of piers and walls and boats they don’t own for some ridiculous attempt at appearing cool idk.

Attempt being the operative word.

Anyway! We then stopped for a drink to cool down before we made the drive home, the Twins I got a milkshake and Lily got a ridiculously sugary slushie, and we ordered three deserts between six.

They were rather tasty and absolutely gidomino in some cases.

Lily started to feel sick since she had “too much sugar” (as if that’s a thing lol), so I accompanied her to the beach so that she could swim and feel better if she cooled down. She did in fact feel better.

But then it was back to the car, and Lily is grossed out by sand (weirdo) and we were barefoot, so when we made it to the car, our feet were just black.

Yuck.

The drive was fun, I lamented not having my phone since I won’t be able to read the updates of my book or message my friends, but Lily’s questionable music taste (bopping at times, not so much at others, but that is all personal taste) cheered me up.

Forty-odd minutes and five goats later (literal goats on the road), we were back home!

We chilled for a while, watched the last episode of f1 with Lily, and then I showered because my feet were still black (oops).

This shower is weird but I did steal dad’s phone so I could listen to the Hamilton soundtrack as I showered (the only place no one can stop me from playing it) so it was allll worth it.

Just wish I had my phone though.

And then I read for a little while longer, and dinner time was upon us, and the food (Monday night pasta on Thursday) was delectable, thanks dad, and it was blog time!

I did steal mum’s phone since, well, mine is out of action. 😔.

But now I will have to pack since tomorrow is a dreaded (more dreaded now that I won’t be able to have music in my headphones) moving day!! That means an early start.

Much to my chagrin.

And so this is where we pause our trek up Mount Olympus, folks.
Bye family!!!Read more