50 plus 3 days!!!

Welcome to the Pyrenees, people! ⛰️

Day three and it started off terrible, you can notice a recurring theme of if Lily says “upsie dupsie bupsies” in the morning, I’m miserable. Today she did just to annoy me on purpose, since I wrote about it in the blog.

I called from my room - too lazy to get up - to ask if we were doing something today since mum hurt her foot, but apparently it was all better and so yes, we were… wait for it… driving to Spain!!!

That’s the benefits of being in the Pyrenees, and more specifically, of being in the EU. The right to free travel kids, isn’t it amazing?

Breakfast was a chill affair, Paul was not making sandwiches since we planned to have lunch in Spain. Lily, who had showered this morning, regaled us with the tale of how she had been forced to get out halfway through, and switch to mum and dad’s shower because of a spider that was walking on the wall. Now, I saw this spider. I also showered while it was there, and so did Allegra… I think it’s fair to say, Lily is a sook. Dad’s main qualm with the events of this morning was that despite the very obvious showermat, placed in front of the shower door, It was bone dry, as opposed to the rest of the floor, which was soaked.

Dad also commented on how the blog was now named, a name that he had come up with. “At least this time,” he said, “we’ll know I named it”. I looked at him, outraged. “Um, I named this blog dad,” I said. He looked so betrayed at this that I did drop the facade and give a cheeky grin. We are soooo funny.

Also, I had my favourite breakfast that you may remember from last year, of cornflakes in hot chocolate! So it can’t be all bad.

What I especially love about mornings with the family is that you get to hear Mum say things such as “Yes, Ruby, you’ve absolutely f a i l e d me”, because of very important things such as not closing the bag of pretzels last night. Yes, I know, the horror, the scandal. I, the only one who eats the little pretzels, will have to suffer through them being slightly stale. But yes, Mum. I have absolutely failed you.

The plan was to leave at 11, but since we are always running late, and the twins barely were even conscious, we left at at least 11:30, much to dad’s chagrin. Lily was a whole other situation, wearing a fancy top and jeans. Mum was scandalised at her outfit choices, but since we planned on taking it easy for the walk, she held her ground.

In the car, we once again struggled over music choices, and it was eventually agreed that we would get to pick one song each and go around, in the name of democracy. We set one ground rule: no one is allowed to critique other’s music, but sometime’s it’s just a reflex to make a disgusted face at your sister’s music taste, you know? And Allegra, despite being the person who set the rule, could often be heard saying things such as “What is this rubbish?” when a song would come on, before realising her mistake.

Gosh, we’re so *good* at democracy here.

We arrived in Spain after about an hour's drive, it was fairly anti-climactic since it really was just “cross a small river and there you are, Spain”. We drove to a town called Les, much to dad’s happiness, since he often jokes about “his old school friend Les [insert any plural french term here]”.

Since it was lunch time, we decided to wander around the town and stop at a restaurant, but as we were wandering, mum was photographing us. She was in front and we all walked behind her; hilariously, every time she turned, and with increasing stealth and speed, we would all strike a pose so that the photos would look extra swaggy. Try as mum might, a candid pic was nowhere to be seen. We ended up just loudly laughing at the end.

Soon enough, we found a nice looking restaurant, ordered things based off of vibe alone with no actual knowledge of how much there would be, a true rookie mistake because we ended up with too much food. It was all so so good though, I would honestly say, and this is not a title I hand out lightly, it might be second to RooPaul’s Gourmet Bakery. Please. We're still better. You really thought.

But honestly, the presentation of this food is perhaps more impressive; Allegra and dad had like, skewers, but they were hanging over the plates from hooks, and really it was very impressive. Photos enclosed in the blog.

We managed to leave minimal remains from our food, a true talent I know, and as we left for some unknown reason, as mum was standing up from the table she said “Love you!”, in the tone of voice you use when you’re saying goodbye. Tate, who mum was looking directly at, seemed very perturbed, perhaps wondering if she were going to be left behind in the great country of spain.

We laughed.

It was decided that it was too muy caliente, as Allegra kept saying, for us to go on a walk, and that we should simply have a small stroll through town before heading back home, especially since it was getting into the afternoon. So we took a photo with the big red Les sign, wandered down some roads, and that was it.

Dad was truly hoping for an ice cream, he had even declared it ice cream day (he insists that I add that he would have declared it yesterday, but that would have been “ice cream sunday” and no one wants that, yes he found that very funny, I think the spanish beer was getting to his head). Sadly, his wishes were unfulfilled (punishment for his joke?)

The drive home was very peaceful; a lot of rolling hills, green grass, mountain views, and nice music.

At least, that was the experience in the back.

Mum and dad, apparently, knew nothing except for anxiety and precision driving, reminiscent of Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton if you will, expertly navigating hairpin bends down steep mountain sides as well as simply navigating. They found it very funny that we had thought it an enjoyable drive; that was not their experience.

I did have an 8 minute power nap, no more no less, on the way home, perhaps I missed some great terror or tragedy of the drive. Or perhaps they are exaggerating. Who knows?

When we got home, my sisters jumped in the pool, made such extreme amounts of noise that I, who was very tired, decided to go lie with dad on the bed, where we rested our eyes for like five minutes as mum read her book. Eventually, I went to join my sisters in the pool, of course right as they were all getting out.

It is worth noting at this point that dad is trying to locate the house keys, wondering if someone has taken them, as mum assures him they are in the bowl.

I hang in the pool for 5 minutes but it’s really no fun alone, so I get out to tan with my sisters, right as they all get up of course. I truly am unloved. But this time I didn't mind so much; since I had the utter joy of witnessing Tate walk smack bang right into a glass sliding door. It was so funny, it wasn’t even that clear, and she looked so shellshocked at what had happened, not quite comprehending for a second how she could not get past.

It was veeeeeery funny, as I’m sure you can imagine. We spent the rest of the evening making fun of it.

Speaking of making fun, Dad is talking about nature again! He said “it’s funny, when you look at clouds, they just don’t move. But if you look away, and then look back, they’ve moved! How cool is that?" Yes dad, very cool, go you! Be happy with nature!

BUt he was not happy for long. This man is still looking for the keys, he’s looked in the bowl, in mum’s bag, in her pockets, on every surface and they are just gone. He flops down dejectedly onto the sofa, making small comments about how they’re lost. Mum, who is trying to finish her book in peace, sighs a long-suffering sigh, and gets up and goes to the bowl.

For this next part, I have been informed that I may only give a PG version of the events.

In five seconds, mum turns around, saying “can we just take a moment for what an, ahem, absolute silly billy dad is?” Dad is already laughing, we sisters are looking on gleefully. Mum has keys in her hand, but they don't look like the house keys. “Gosh, these are keys we’ve never seen before,” says mum theatrically. “They look like the garage keys, as this keyring says. But look! It also has what are blatantly the house keys on them! But these keys aren't usually together?” Dad is barely able to ask through his laughter, “well why are they together? Who put them together? Who?”. And mum, in a display of absolute cinema, says “the, ahem, darn MAGNET!” and pulls them apart simultaneously. It was sight to behold, especially since for at least an hour dad had been asking where the keys were.

After this, we watched a couple episodes of scrubs as I crocheted my butterfly cardigan, and then, a little unimpressed, we stopped so that Lily could make dinner tonight, as per her request.

It was at this time that mum and dad went in the jacuzzi, and I joined them, and we had many funny and some traumatising conversations. Mum has already decided on the hardest part of being fifty, just 3 days in. Allegra eventually joined us, and minutes later, Lily came out to say that dinner was nearly done, but as soon as she saw us in the jacuzzi she was outraged, saying that every night she has been in the jacuzzi, and the parents have never joined her and she must be unloved :(

On that note, we set the table and had the absolutely delicious dinner made for us by Lily, truly worthy of praise, and she made sure she got it. The conversation during dinner was bopping, we laughed very often, mum told stories about when we were babies, the twins stated that being twins was like being a married couple, and many jokes were made. Ultimately it was a fun time.

And after dinner we hopped back in the jacuzzi because Lily was going in and we couldn’t let her be alone, she might actually get emancipated (can you do that when you’re already an adult?). It was very nice and warm and bubbly. We looked at stars and satellites and discussed tomorrow’s walk. It was truly peaceful with interspersed laughter. A top 10 Simpson moment if you ask me.

And after that it was simply time for bed (and time for me to write the blog).

Not so much happened today, but here we are, at the end of the day, feet aching (not so much) but hearts warm.

See you tomorrow!Read more