Back in the NI

Firstly, I think I owe a huge thank you to Volcanic Ash - it stayed away during my holidays and all my flights were blissfully ash-free. I also successfully avoided the British Airways strike and the rail strike in Spain. All in all, it could have been a pretty stressful trip with travel issues, but it wasn't! Success!

So, I am back in Northern Ireland . . . straight back into work, and already staying late again in order to prepare for tomorrow. I am hoping to have time to blog properly about my trip this weekend (highlights to include: Granada, Spain; Chefchouen, Morocco; and Malaga, Spain) but in the mean time here a few highlights:

• Morocco was my first time in Africa and I really enjoyed it!
• Both me and Karen were proposed to in Morocco (we said no) and we were told we were beautiful several times a day by random men on the street
• I enjoyed many sangrias while in Spain
• The weather was HOT - too hot in Morocco (37 degrees!) yuck!
• I spent a day at a spa in Chefchouen and had my first massage - I now understand why people go on spa breaks. When can I go on my next one?
  
• Karen got robbed at our hostel on our second last night in Malaga - they took all her money (BOO) . . . but, at least it was only money. Passports, credit cards, etc are all in tact
• Swimming in the Mediterranean again = HEAVEN
• When I arrived in Malaga, Spain to start my holiday, the customs guy forgot to stamp my passport. I lived in constant fear for the rest of the trip that this might come back to haunt me. Luckily, it didn't.
• I got a total of 7 new stamps in my passport. I heart passport stamps.
• We made a point of eating ice cream at least once a day. Yum. I introduced Karen to Magnum ice cream. So. Good.
  
• This trip made me realise how much I love to travel - I want to go backpacking again soon! Luckily, I am heading to both Iceland and Canada in August: Two more months!
  

Now, back to work! :-)