Cooking doesn't get any tougher than this!

The top picture is largely out of focus as I was too distracted by the camera not melting, or my arm for that matter. Somebody's job is to stir this feast - I can only imagine what their skin must be made of. Anyway, I have broken my arbitrary, "I don't do collages" rule to share the finished product. And yes, it was very tasty. And no, sorry, there isn't any left.

Penultimate day in Spain for us and last for the B's. The morning greeted us with a cloudy sky which was a kind way of acclimatising our friends to their journey back to Scotland. With the feel of a storm brewing, the temperature, however was decidedly unScottish so the kids were more than delighted to spend a morning in the pool. Having written all of that, I am reminded that we were in Scotland with the same folk in July and 3/4 of the kids went into the sea there; admittedly fully dressed for warmth, of course.

The grown-ups alternated tag-lifeguarding and packing / tidying until it was time to head out to lunch to one of our favourite restaurants - El Chambao de Joaquin, in Le Herradura. We were a little late booking so we ate inside for the first time which was very nearly as lovely, and no bad thing as there was definitely more breeze.

There are many fine things about this restaurant, not least the excellent service or the delicious local grilled fish. However, it's 'big thing' (literally) is this paella which is made every day.

Very sorry to see our last visitors go but happy for having had a big chunk of time to spend with folks who live too far away for us to see very often.

Home for the last family swim of the summer, a spot of tidying and packing before a quiet last evening on the terrace where I am writing this. Very happy and ready to head back to London. It's been bloomin' marvellous and I will look forward to doing it all again next year.

Lesley x