Normal service is resumed............

So after Kevs mammoth lie in, we trotted off to Toscana for breakfast yesterday, Kev had a big breakfast as he was starving!! Hardly! Lol!! For me just a bowl of cereal, then back to our regular spot beside the pool.  The lovely Nelson popped by to check we were ok, -he's off to Belize for a day trip today! I guess it's like us popping to France for a bit of shopping, but it sounds so much more exotic!

We decided to have an early lunch as we were going wine tasting at 5pm with Martin, so toddled off to the Grill where Carolina found us, she's been looking for us for a few days she said, she is so lovely and really wants to make sure everyone is enjoying their holiday.

We had just started lunch when our mates turned up - Kev in his excitement at seeing them almost knocked his camera into the pool! - so, tables pushed together, warnings given to Kev!!, we proceeded to have another leisurely lunch, lots of laughs, not too much vino, and we parted to meet up a couple hours later at Chez.

We went back to our room for a little read, then we got ready to go out - it seems odd to get dressed up for the evening at 5pm, but our experience of the wine tasting had prepared us that we wouldn't be finished much before 7pm.

Martin, as always was fabulous, informative, enthusiastic, fun, the time went so quickly.  We were with the aforementioned Bradjollies, some Canadian couples and a couple from New York.   Martin started by introducing us to Mexican wine history, and explained about the current Mexican wine economy, then we tried some wines, first a Sauvignon blanc, with goats cheese and strawberry compote.  Next a Chardonnay with chilli prawns, next a light red blend with tiny bridge rolls stuffed with beef and a beef and wine jus, finishing with a heavier Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec blend paired with rolled serrano ham.  All of the wine and parings were lovely, tiny bite sized deliciousness!!  This is the third time we've been wine tasting with Martin, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first time, I can definitely recommend it.  Mr Brads, usually doesn't drink red, but I think after this proper introduction, he was a convert, even opting for the Gatto Negro with dinner later.

After the wine tasting, we headed off to the martini bar, and then to the Barcelona for another delicious meal - I have to say, I think the food is so much better than last time we came, in particular the beef dishes - everyone so far has been lovely.  Last night, I had some small Kofti like kebabs made with sirloin steak and pine nuts - delicious, then the veal and finished with the baklava - yum! Kev had the seafood soup, the rib eye (he wanted mash!!! Lol) and the milk doughnut squares which he said was lovely.  

Now I didn't drink through dinner as I was full up from the wine tasting, but Kev.......not sure what's got into him, he drank and chatted and chatted and chatted!!!  Lol! I think he wants to get three years of missed chat with the Bradjollies into three weeks!!!  He's been put on a warning tonight Mr &Mrs B to let both of you get a word in edgewise!! ;-)

After dinner, I felt really tired, so we said goodnight and I was in bed, half a page read on my kindle and asleep by 10pm!!  Rock and roll lifestyle - not!!!

Just a little add on - when you're married to a gadget man you have to put up with weird stuff, like 3am this morning, waking up to find him walking round the room, buck naked with his iPhone torch on....I asked him what he was doing, and he said he could find his iPad,  I told him to check the plugs, check the safe, check his beach bag - no joy, then all of a sudden he remembers plugging it in by the bar  last night when he was drunk.  So lights off, he climbs back into bed, turns over and goes straight to sleep.  He didn't want the iPad, just wanted to make sure he knew where it was - and there's me, wide awake listening to him snore......good job I love him!

Staff member of the day - the absolutely lovely lovely Martin - couldn't be anyone else could it?

More tomorrow!