OK...another excerpt from Shane's facebook.....
"
Each
morning since being in Sardinia, I have swum out to a boy (buoy) off
the shore. While I estimate 1- 1.5kms, Claire thinks more likely 300mts,
but never-the-less, today it ended in a fight for life. On my return
swim I was attacked by a Medusa (jelly fish). Its long poisonous
tentacles wrapped around my neck and shoulders and a battle ensued. It
dragged me 30-40-50 mts below water and we battled life and death. Fists
and tentacles were thrown. Ultimately it let go, I surfaced, scarred
but alive. I swum to shore ultimately giving it a 50% of a blue bottle
sting, to see Italians weeping and putting ice on their hands where it
had got them and fleeing the beach. Seriously. It was no bluey. No
wonder they dive in world cup football quarter finals."
Hmmmm......SLIGHT exaggeration there from Shane....the REAL story is as follows:
Shane did his daily swim out to the buoy (which I still insist is 100-200 metres from shore) and seemed no different when he swam back to Neve and I - who were playing, neck-deep in the water. "I think I have been hit by a sting-ray?, he says. "Really?", I ask. "Where is it?".......never-the-less, Neve and I got out of the water. I had myself just swum out past the first markers, enjoying the magically clear water which was even clearer today than the other days - I could actually make out had badly my toenail polish was chipped even through the water (even without my contact lenses in) - that's how clear it was.....
A few minutes later we noticed a "crowd" (being off-season a crowd now constitutes 5 or more people) standing at the shore line looking at something. "Must be the sting-ray", said Shane.....until he walked down to find out what it was.....turns out to be a few jelly-fish, probably smaller than your fist in size....
So no, "battle" was fought....no torrent in the water....although to give him credit he was very brave and didn't required the ice packs that a few others were seen holding to various limbs.....and the welts that appeared half an hour or so later were pretty impressive...
Just a shame that on our last day in the resort and on the beach, the water (and it really was more beautiful today than ever before - if that is possible) was off-limits!!!
Neve - before "invasion"
Look at the water....it's terrifying!!!
And the beach looked SO inviting!!!!!
Not to be outdone by a bunch of jelly-fish...we moved to the pool area and continued our last morning in the sunshine and swimming....
Last night, at the "Baby Dance", we were treated to a 'spectacular' by Neve, Eloise and 2 other children, on stage, doing the Italian dance routines....
They had a great time - although I cannot understand why they need to have a "baby dance' that starts at 9:15pm!!! Italy is a crazy country where none of the restaurants open until 7:30pm and it doesn't seem like ANYONE (children included) go to bed before 11pm.....which is OK when you are on holiday and can sleep in until 9am (which I must admit our children have been getting close to...these late nights aren't doing them any favours)...but how do you sustain that long-term! I actually cannot remember the last time our girls were in bed at 7:30pm (their usual bed-time)....possibly a night or two in New York...maybe?
Anyway, yesterday was also the last day of the kids club. The girls had fallen in love with one of the staff, Cristina, who was so patient and lovely with the children and we owe her our sanity...
The girls with Cristina - who insists she will miss them as much as they (and we) will miss her....
Anyway...after lunch we decided on one last visit to our favourite gelato shop.
Shane was excited to have FINALLY parked within the blue lines on the road....today the summer season officially ended so all parking restrictions were shut down...
Our favourite place..
The funny thing about Sardinia (and it might be all of Italy, but I have never noticed it in such an extreme example in other places I have been in Italy), is that EVERYTHING (besides our beloved gelato shop) shuts down for hours everyday. Nothing is open from about 1pm to 5 or even 6pm.....which I guess is good for the staff who get to go home and have lunch and siesta or a swim...but painful for us when this is the prime-time for getting out of the sun and spending some serious money shopping!).....
Villasimius main street at 2:30pm.....ghost town!
But thank goodness the gelato shop is open....Shane got his daily fix of watermelon gelato (and a bit of dark chocolate gelato on the side) and the kids got their favourites too...
Dark chocolate and watermelon gelato......made in heaven!!
The girls enjoying their gelato on a kid-size chair by their seagull friend....although I must admit we haven't spotted "Mrs Thornton" while in Sardinia....this must be the substitute!
The biggest jar of Nutella I have ever seen.....5kg of hazelnut/chocolate gold!!
After our gelato it was time for one last swim (where the girls met up with one of their 'baby dance' friends)
A few last 'laps' of the pool and it was all over....finishing off the bread, proscuitto, vino, cheese and gelato...and then it is Arrievaderichi to Sardinia - we wish we had another week here...it is SO beautiful (apart from the man-eating jelly-fish!!!).
Tomorrow we get on another plane and fly back to Trieste...then drive through Slovenia to Lake Bled, where we spend the night....
