Spring and Sunshine

April is proving a busy month this year, what with a backlog of work to catch up on, happy family celebrations to organise and partake in and unusually warm weather tempting me away from the computer.

We started the month in Spain, landing at Alicante’s brand new airport, which was an interesting experience. The airport had officially opened four days earlier and is a great improvement on the old one with modern amenities like air-bridges instead of steps and a bus.

We fly in and out of Alicante fairly regularly so have watched the development of the new airport, but hadn’t expected it to be ready so soon.  It’s wonderfully spacious and airy, with great shops, lounges and places to eat.

If only the great facilities were matched by an improvement in the way airlines treat their passengers. Why are we    called to board the aircraft and then made to wait in a long queue AFTER we’ve queued to go through the gate? Short haul flying is more of an ordeal than a pleasure these days, and only tolerated because we love to travel.

It was sunshine and cloudless blue skies the entire week we were in Spain and quite a few brave souls were swimming in the Med. Too early for us  – we’ll defer that pleasure until the summer. We settled for a different form of exercise – gardening,  satisfying but tiring too – pulling out tough weeds, cutting back palms and general tidying up after the winter winds and rains. The orange trees looked particularly  fresh and pretty with their glossy dark leaves, white blossom buds and orange fruits.

Despite the economic downturn, spas continue to prosper. Our talented contributors have visited exciting spa resorts in Egypt, Sicily, Spain and Germany, so watch out for their reviews on the website in the coming weeks.