It’s been a while again, but we’ve been out and about. A lot.
Life is for living as the saying goes, and for me it’s not a suggestion, in my mind, it’s a direct order.
Once you survive a near death experience, well, it kind of makes you feel differently about life, the universe and everything…specially your role in it.
I didn’t get through all that bleakness to consider myself lesser than before. If anything, I’m far better off than the intact me was.
Firstly I’m bionic, well my bowels are.
And secondly I caught a very fleeting glimpse of not being here anymore and it rejuvenated me, and my thirst for life.
Did it mean I wanted to become an adrenaline junky and white knuckle my way through the rest of my time here…No it bloody didn’t. I’m pretty timid for a bold gal!
But it did make me want to see the world, eat food and spend time with friends. Those things were out of the question in the misdiagnosed years.
So when I say I’m living life to the full, I just mean I’m doing things that most people take for granted, possibly.
But for me, someone who feared the world because of the constant risk of accidents, it wasn’t my normal.
The pain I was in back then doesn’t really make it on to my top 3 of the worst parts of misdiagnosis. It was excruciating, but nothing is worse than the fear of humiliation and embarrassment of having public accidents.
Some people may think pooping in a bag on my belly IS the worst case scenario, but actually sh***** your pants far outweighs any embarrassment I was ‘meant’ to feel by having a colostomy.
And it’s one of the things I feel sorry for my friends that don’t have a colostomy for.
That potential risk for them gives me the heebie jeebies.
So for me personally my stoma life is very good. I totally understand if that’s not someone else’s experience. But for me my bag has given me the world to play in. And I absolutely love it!
We headed off to Spain for some autumn sun. When I went to Spain last it was 40 degrees and my head boiled.
This time it was a balmy 27 and it was heaven.
To make my life easier for air travel I wear loose fitting clothes (as long as I remember to pack some for the return journey that is).
For this trip I wore a dress, with a half petticoat underneath. That way if for any reason I have to flash my bag at someone (because sometimes that happens, it shouldn’t, but it does, I mean security guards, rather than requests from the general public) I at least have my modesty covered.
I’ve been at an airport before and been demanded to show my bag, whilst only wearing a thong, so once bitten twice shy and all that I wear a slip, so I can raise my dress, pull the slip’s waistband down, so the only bit exposed is the bag and the briefest glimpse of belly skin.
Dress from Tesco, Shoes from Hermes.
Things I remind myself when I’m on holiday;
Life is too fleeting to worry about what others might think.
That’s it! Sermon over!
Bikini from Playful Promises
And this one…
Bikini from Sainsbury’s
Wear the damn bikini! (If you want to wear it).
Don’t let the ‘I shouldn’t, I can’t…because’ - insert a myriad of made up things here.
I’m 50, I’m a grandma, I have 2 hernias, a stoma, cellulite, weight gain, etc etc…
So ******* what!?! The most important thing is I’m alive!
And that is everything. xx
I do of course on occasion on holiday wear clothes, I know, how terribly conventional. :)
One concern I had pre op was if I’d be able to dress well. I’ve always taken care with my appearance. I like to put outfits together. I like compliments on how I dress.
I enjoy clothes.
And thankfully I still get to enjoy them because what I feared I’d be stuck wearing never materialised.
I assumed it would be baggy tracksuits, and oversized T shirts and sweatshirts.
It has been a source of great delight and joy to find I can wear nice things. Okay, so maybe I’ve modified the wear list. I tend to look for things to disguise my bag, not out of fear and shame, but simply because I prefer smooth lines.
But believe me when I say, if I had the body for it, and I wanted to, I’d be in crop tops and low waist jeans. I dress for me…with a mild to moderate interest in other people’s opinion.
If I like the outfit I’m wearing that is the most important part, but if I were to receive a compliment, I’d be very happy with that too.
Dress from Nobody’s Child, Shoes from Gina, Bag from Jimmy Choo.
Dress from Hollister, Shoes from Hermes
Dress from Nobody’s Child, Shoes from Hermes
Then we come to the pinnacle of our trip, our holiday within a holiday.
Our house in Spain is in Murcia, a beautiful region on the Costa Callida.
It’s a very simple two bed house with a fab roof terrace. But the most important thing is it’s a great base to use to head to other places from.
We’ve been to Gerona, Valencia, Madrid, Sierra Nevada, and we drove through Benidorm once - because to see it is to believe it. ;)
So this time we headed to Granada. More specifically to Alhambra and Albaicín.
(Albaicin is a district of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is centered around a hill on the north side of the Darro River which passes through the city. The neighbourhood is notable for its historic monuments and for largely retaining its medieval street plan dating back to the Nasrid period (13th to 15th centuries).
It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1994, as an extension of the historic site of the nearby Alhambra. from Wikipedia).
To give you a little background on the trip. I have wanted to go to Alhambra Palace for about 20 years. We have driven through Granada (past Alhambra) some 3 times, on our way to Sierra Nevada for skiing (yes, there’s skiing in Spain, and I know, I was surprised too).
Anyway, I have wanted to visit the palace for so long. I have a keen interest in jewellery, and there’s a brand that I love which makes a range called the Alhambra. I always thought the hard part was going to be getting the bracelet from the collection, but Chris made that dream come true and bought that for me the day of my colonoscopy in March. Which was utterly amazing and unexpected and much appreciated.
But I still hadn’t been to the Palace…yes, I hyper-fixate on things…hello, welcome to me! ;)
Anyway, this was finally the trip to see the majestic Alhambra Palace!
And it did not disappoint!
As it turns out, it isn’t just a palace, as I had thought, it is in fact a completely intact citadel.
Below from Wikipedia;
The complex was begun in 1238 by Muhammad I Ibn al-Ahmar, the first Nasrid emir and founder of the Emirate of Granada, the last Muslim state of Al-Andalus.It was built on the Sabika hill, an outcrop of the Sierra Nevada which had been the site of earlier fortresses and of the 11th-century palace of Samuel ibn Naghrillah.Later Nasrid rulers continuously modified the site. The most significant construction campaigns, which gave the royal palaces much of their definitive character, took place in the 14th century during the reigns of Yusuf I and Muhammad V.After the conclusion of the Christian Reconquista in 1492, the site became the Royal Court of Ferdinand and Isabella(where Christopher Columbus received royal endorsement for his expedition), and the palaces were partially altered.
I bet you weren’t expecting a history lesson and some culture from me today, but here we are.
It is THE most splendid accommodation place I’ve ever seen. This was most definitely a palace fit for a king. The fact it dates from 1238 is mind blowing. They were so advanced. I’m in awe.
They made a form of central heating by having the fires under the floors (and idea taken from the Romans), they used running water within the palace for cooling during summer.
They had purpose built toilets and baths, and swimming pools, all within the palace.
It’s incredible!! I knew a little about it, considering I had been desperate to go there, but I had no idea how truly spectacular it was.
The photos below do not do it justice, I highly recommend you visit.
This incredible citadel was built around the same time as the Taj Mahal.
Now don’t get me wrong, the Taj Mahal is sensational, I fell in love with the romance of it, but the Taj isn’t a palace, it was never a palace, it’s sole purpose was to house the coffin of the Mumtaz Mahal and then later her husband Shah Jahan. It is a mausoleum. The resting place for the Shah’s favourite wife. Built out of devastation and devotion.
This place was built to be lived in, and it is extraordinary.
Dress from The White Company. Shoes from Hermes, Bag from Goyard, Hat from Locke and Co.
You see the gulleys above, they are throughout the palace, the running water was used to cool the house during summer. A form of air conditioning…in 1232!!
Running water is a feat of engineering, but in the 1200s is astounding. The fact they had any water at the top of a hill was also remarkable. They engineered a way to pump the water up there.
Like I said, the photos don’t do it justice, it’s definitely a must see.
The architecture, the ingenuity of it, it’s utterly amazing and overwhelming. I teared up in places it’s so beautiful.
It’s one of the few places in the world where you can see Islamic, Christian and Jewish art and architecture together in harmony.
Chris said if we’re going to finally do it we’re going to do it right. He booked us into the best hotel, I would recommend, it was amazing! (Hotel Alhambra Palace).
Our view from our balcony was over Granada, it’s stunning. I couldn’t look away.
The bar is on a terrace overlooking the city too.
And It’s just a few minutes walk to Alhambra.
Chris pulled out all the stops and hired a private tour guide, so it was just the three of us which does make it a very special experience. It’s more expensive than going on a large group guided tour, but you definitely get value for money.
The tour included the Generalife gardens too.
Which are a must see!
The whole area is a must see. Including the hillside city of Albaicin.
Fun fact, you will see pomegranates all around the area. They feature in the art, architecture and culture. We had no idea why, so we ask our guide and it’s because they were brought here, and grown and loved. The word for pomegranate in Spanish? Is Granada!
You’ll notice them carved in places all over the city.
This whole area is magnificent, I honestly don’t have enough words to describe it.
We had a 3 hour guided tour and still that wasn’t enough. There would be plenty to see if we went again.
I loved the hotel…
I loved the Medieval city of Albaicin…
The city is built into the side of the valley the other side of the river to Alhambra. From the highest point you get incredible views of Alhambra.
Things I do not suggest you wear for the sightseeing in a hill side location;
Gina sliders
Hermes sliders.
Be more substance over style. Because I slipped and slid up and down for two days in my beautiful, but utterly unsuitable footwear!
I didn’t whinge about my poorly chosen shoes, it was after all, me who chose to wear them. But I did make a lot of yelping noises whilst I slipped down the cobblestones hills.
I was very fearful of a cracked skull or maybe a hip or two. Hahahah
We then did what every self respecting unhealthy person would do, and that was to hop on the sightseeing road train!
Which actually was great fun, very informative and dropped us off right by our hotel. Which was why we boarded it to start with as we couldn’t be bothered to walk any further, the history lesson being an added bonus. ;)
Our hotel is a historic building, and even if you don’t stay there it’s well worth popping in for lunch or drinks on the terrace balcony.
It can be quite expensive to get into Alhambra, but there are parts that are free to enter and open to the public, so that’s worth a Google to keep the cost down.
It’s definitely worth a visit. I’m not sure why but we don’t know much about it in England. Not many of my friends had even heard of it, and to be honest I only stumbled across it while ogling the Alhambra jewellery collection and must have mistyped all those years ago.
Granada is an ancient city. It is incredible. I can’t wait to go again some time.
It was then time to drive the two and a half hours back to our house…yes, 2 and a half hours away from our house (of 23 years) and we only just went there!! But I suppose it’s better late than never. And at least this way we did it in style. :)
Then it was back home to reality…not my favourite place to be…Reality that is, I love my home there. ;)
Shirt from Gap, Trousers from Hollister
We had a very chilled weekend, Saturday was spent working on a small seasonal project…soon to be unveiled. ;)
Then Sunday Chris, Me, Ben, Erin, and our friend James (Tanya was busy and couldn’t make it, but she was missed) went to dinner in the weirdest restaurant I have ever been in.
Chris booked it…need I say more? (This is the man who when left with booking us into Proud Cabaret (a burlesque club), he booked us into Freaks and Fetish night for a laugh. Eye opening doesn’t begin to cover it).
Although in fairness to him, that particular night, some 11 years ago does have legendary status in our group’s history. Everyone in attendance remembers it vividly! :o
Anyway, Sunday he booked us into Sarastro…and let me make it clear right now, never again!
It just wasn’t my vibe. I struggled to get in the door to start with, it gave me the ick. And some considerable anxiety.
Once inside that did not abate. Never have I been somewhere the toilets have had an age restriction on them. Over 16s only!?!
Oh I found out why, boy did I find out!
Dress from Ralph Lauren, Shoes from Gucci, Bag from Burberry.
The stairs to our little balcony dining area. Believe me when I say I could feel the walls (the heavily fabric swagged curtained walls that is) closing in on me.
In a weird way I could hear the walls too, although I can’t explain it.
I felt uncomfortable and uneasy in there. And the toilet decor did nothing to help with that. I’m not prudish, not by any stretch…but…
What now??? What!!?? I feel this photo with the toilet roll captures the whole experience.
The restaurant has won many awards apparently. Apparently some people love it.
The food was so ridiculously average, the staff were what appeared to be a state of faux bonhomie…which came across as insincere and at times - sinister.
My group of darling friends and family kept accusing me of being weird…in fairness I was, but I feel I was being shaped by my environment hahahahah.
At one point I expressly asked the waiter to make sure he was serving us non alcoholic beers (I panic if I don’t see them pour it) and he didn’t seem to be taking it in, so I jokingly said “for your sake don’t bring me alcohol ~ I get very flirty when I drink!” and I can honestly say I have never seen terror in someone’s eyes like I saw in that man’s with the threat of me flirting with him hanging over him like a hang man’s noose!
So I can officially announce I have become the age where I am so old and ugly I actually repel and repulse men!! I suppose it had to happen some time, but that was a harsh dose of reality hahahahahahahahahah.
Anyway, suffice to say, we won’t be going back, and Chris is now banned from booking us into places - without adult supervision haahahaha.
The night was not lost, because we then headed to a theatre in Drury Lane, to watch An Audience with Adrian Edmonson, which was fabulous!
It was a bit surreal to watch this approaching elderly, geography teacher looking man, standing where I expected Ade Edmondson to be, until I realised time doesn’t in fact stand still, and I’m now 50 myself, which would make him about 67.
He was really entertaining, it’s a book promotion tour as he has an autobiography out. It was sad in parts and hilarious in others. It was a great show.
I think we all still see him as Vivian from The Young Ones, but of course that was simply a role he played a million years ago, and surprisingly, it only took up 14 weeks of his entire 67 years on the planet! 14 weeks!! There are only 12 episodes in total, yeah, I was surprised by that fact too.
But he and the other cast members shaped a generation. I think maybe some of my teenage rebellion was in part inspired by them… and for that I say Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you! I had a blast!
It was a really interesting evening, and you get a book thrown in too, so what’s not to love.
I’m a tad tired now so I will bid you good day and wish you a happy week ahead. Thanks for stopping by. I really do appreciate it. Xx