Mallorca...The Final Hours :(

We've come to the final hours of the fantastic beach vacation.  I ALWAYS hate to see a beach vacation end.  I'm the type that takes one last look at the water in case I'm never blessed to see it again.....sigh.  But all good things must come to an end, right?  So on Sunday, we headed to Es Trenc.  This beach is in fact classified as an official nude beach, and I certainly have the pictures to prove it, but we are going to continue to keep this blog G rated.  I did have to laugh when Mackenzie and Canon were off for a walk and quickly headed back from the direction they set out.  Mackenzie said, "Abort, Abort!"  That end of the beach was turning out to be the really naked end.  And, I'm not talking VS super models.  I'm talking the 70+ crowd...both men and women!  It's like that episode of friends where Phoebe covers her face and screams, "My eyes, my eyes!" It just adds to the fun of the European vacations. :)

Here are a few shots from our beautiful final day.

This is the only picture I have of these two together, and I don't have any of the three of us.  What was I thinking?   Oh right...I was too busy stalking my children with the camera.  They were about done with me.  That's for sure!

They were very proud of their sand castles and worked very hard on them!

It's a beach vacation tradition. 

After a few hours, it was back to the house to clean up, finish packing, and head to the airport.

And, that's a wrap!  It was a terrific weekend, and we look forward to one day returning to this beautiful place.  Perhaps if you come for a visit, we can take you there. ;)

Until next time,

Wendy

Beach Hopping in Mallorca

We set out on Saturday in search of paradise.  The vacation rental owner had given us a list of his favorite beaches, so we put the coordinates (not address) in the GPS and off we went.  We arrived at the first beach fairly certain we were not at the owners favorite beach, but we thought we would give it a shot anyway.  What a sweet surprise we found....

It was a beautiful beach with terrific waves.  But, it was a hard sell for the kids.  They had such a fantastic time the day before that this beach wasn't up to their standards. ;)  The common complaints were, "This beach isn't as much fun...or the water has seaweed...the beach has trash on it!"  Really???  I believe I actually uttered the words, "You are spoiled rotten American children!"  Gosh, this beach in Mallorca, Spain just won't work for us....PLEASE PEOPLE!

I will say that I have pinned some pictures of Mallorca on Pinterest, and we really hadn't found that sort of paradise I had seen in pictures.  So, off we went to the next destination.  With a little tweak of the coordinates in the GPS, we were no longer headed straight into the sea, and we found Calo Des Moro!  The favorite beach that was recommended to us! Yay!!!!

And, this is what we found.  How about this for a first view of the area!!  

Wow!  God's creation...truly AMAZING!

Family photo shoots were an obvious MUST!

The Wheatleys!

The Michaels!
Someone doesn't look happy...but the important thing is she is looking. :)

With a bit of hiking, this is what we found.  As I approached, I could see the blue water in the distance and just kept saying, "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!!!!"  It was breathtaking!  It was going to exceed my expectations!

Then there was actually getting down to the beach.  It was tricky!  The beach itself was very small with large rocks, but we had a rockstar spot right on the water!

Enjoying paradise!

After that location, we walked to another swimming spot very close by.  The boys enjoyed the climbing while.... 

my preteen enjoyed the sunning.

Windmills can be found all over Mallorca.  They were used by farmers to grind grain and pump water.   There are 3,000 windmills on the island with some dating back to the seventeenth century.  Thank you to the Internet for this bit of information.

After our beautiful day at the beach, we returned to the house to go out to dinner.  This lovely area was just outside our back door.  What a great spot for more pictures. ;)

Sweet friends!  You would never know they are three years apart...except that Allison is a head taller! 

Beautiful sights on our walk to dinner. 

We had a terrific dinner and returned to the house with seven tired kids.  Rest was needed as we had one more half day to enjoy the beach.  More on that beach tomorrow!

Until next time,
Wendy

A Visit to Mallorca, Spain

The kids and I set off on Thursday evening for a "Mom and Kids" weekend.  This was the first of several four-day weekends at ISB, so we planned ahead and took advantage of the extra time off.  Three moms and seven kids hopped on a Ryan Air flight for some fun in the sun!  This was the first trip to Spain for our family, and it did not disappoint one bit!  The scenery was gorgeous, the temperatures were steamy, and the company perfect.  The only thing missing was Daddy.  We'll definitely have to go back, so he can enjoy the island as much as we did.  

Needless to say, I took hundreds of pictures.  So, this weekend trip will need to be broken down a bit, so I can share as many pictures as I can.  Up first is beach #1 just outside of Palma, Mallorca.  

The first of many sandcastles built over the weekend.

The waves at this beach were fantastic, and the kids had a ball.  They only left the water for some photos and food.  

He was cooperative, so Mom could grab some shots to share.

When little Miss E stands there and smiles for you, you take advantage of it!

This one will pose all day long. :)

These two would spend their whole lives at the beach if they could! 

Before coming to Europe, I really couldn't wrap my brain around how many amazing things I would be able to do while living here.  I didn't even realize how much was even out there for us to enjoy!  Spending a weekend on an island in Spain was NEVER on my radar as something I would do in my lifetime.  This international assignment is truly a blessing! 

I love beach pictures taken from behind with little ones gazing at the sea.

A shot with my girl!

Shayna with the oldest of her three!

And, one with my little man as well...who isn't so little anymore. :(

Back at our house for the night...the kids loved the pool.  I loved the hints of Spanish architecture. 

The housekeeper and his wife were terrific.  She prepared paella for all of us for our Friday night meal.  It was fantastic!  

Ready to eat!!!  And, then it was off to bed for another day of exploring and beach time on Saturday.

More to come!

Until next time,
Wendy