Saturday, 23 August 2014

Tunisia Part 2

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I decided that every morning I would go for a swim as soon as I woke up while the rest of the family had a lay in. Back in the U.K I'm normally up at the crack of dawn and although you go to bed a lot later on holiday with a belly fool of food, and alcohol, I still wake up earlier then the rest of the clan.

The first twenty four hours in Tunisia were what you expect on the first day of any holiday. You start off by planning to take it easy, but like I say there is always a but, when you are all-inclusive you can't but pig out on all the delights that were set out for us for breakfast, lunch and supper. Then you have the all day bar with a constant flow of drinks and bar snacks.

So in the morning it was pay back time for my waist line. The pool opened at eight in the morning and I was the first there, although by the amount of towels laid out on the sun beds you would have expected the pool to be full to the brim with other people. Now I don't believe in stereotyping people, but there were a lot of French people staying in the hotel who didn't make it to the pool until lunch time, but always had a sun bed to use even though they had all been taken by 10 am.

Never mind I reserved four sun beds for my family and didn't feel guilty about it because I was splashing my way up and down the pool before anyone else.

By day two my son and daughter had made new friends with the other children and spent all day in the pool. They enjoyed themselves but as children do they took  no notice of my wife's constant warnings to cover up. She kept plastering them in factor 50 sun-cream and made sure they were in all in one body swim suits,but they refused to use hats and by day two both had suffered from one form of sun burn somewhere on their face.

My son got on very well with one particular lad and by day two we became friends with the Bertram’s from Exeter, a wonderful family with two young children like ourselves. Their father was quick witted and their mother graceful, and while the children spent all day in the pool having endless fun; one of us would act like a meerkat keeping a watchful eye on them as the other three relaxed on the sun lounges soaking up the sun, reading, or just chatting.


In the evening we sat under the stars by the poolside bar enjoying a drink and finding out about each other lives as the little ones ran about, and played, carefree without a worry in the world. It was a nice mixture of friendship while at the same time still having enough space and doing our own things without being in each other’s way. 

It couldn't get any better and that was the problem when you are at the top there is only one way to go and that's down. Would the rest of the holiday go as well? To find out you will have to check the next post!

Regards

Mark.

Sunday, 17 August 2014

Tunisia Part 1

Postings every week

Links to

FRENZY on Amazon U.K
FRENZY on Amazon America
FRENZY on Amazon Germany
FRENZY on Amazon Canada
FRENZY on Amazon India
FRENZY on Nook
Frenzy for the rest of the world
Mark King on Goodreads.
FRENZY Facebook Page
Email markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
@author_king










The alarm went off at 3am and as soon as it was turned off I jumped out of bed. No time for a snooze, but I didn't want one anyway. The taxi had been booked the day before and it was due to arrive in an hour to pick up the family to take us to Norwich airport. I was tired and the wife was too. We didn't sleep too well, I don't know if it was the worry of over sleeping or just excitement; like being a child on Christmas eve. Our kids on the other hand had gone to bed early and slept through the night without a break.

The bags were already packed the night before. We only had our wash gear to pack once we ready to go, and on time the taxi appeared outside our home. By 4.30 we arrived at Norwich airport as required two hours before our flight and walked into the terminal all excited loaded up with a trolley full of baggage. We thought we would be some of the first people to arrive, but there were already four long lines of happy, if tired, people waiting patiently for their turn to check in. 

The flight left on time and the plane journey soon passed by. We arrived in Tunisia without a hitch, and after a frustrating time trying to get through the terribly slow pass-port control, the feel of 36 degree heat hit my flesh as we walked to our awaiting coach. The children feel asleep on the way to our hotel, but I eagerly viewed the landscape as it rushed by. The country side it was you would expect in North Africa, but the built up areas were a bit of an eye opener. The closer you got the more rubbish and debris was strewn across the land and some of the houses looked as if they had been built on one large rubbish tip. When I say built this is an under statement because most are only half built. The tour guild did inform us that the half built homes were a cultural thing to do with Tunisian families all living in the same house. As they expand they keep on building upwards with another floor added as different generations come along so the homes are never finished.

We are a close family but the thought of having three or even four generations living under the same roof is even a bit too close for me.

By 2 pm we arrived at the Hotel Tropicana without a hitch and were greeted by the staff with a drink. By 3 pm the bags were unpacked, we were all in our swimmers, and covered in lotion, before heading off down the pool to find some sun lounges. Luckily there was the odd one here and there which we pulled together under a poolside umbrella and while the wife and I settled down the children jumped straight into the pool. By the time the sun started to set and we decided it was time to head back to our room the children had already made new friends and I felt relaxed, happy and looking forward to a great meal in our all-inclusive hotel.  Happy days, but were they to last?

Regards

Mark.

Tuesday, 12 August 2014

The Three Stages of Getting Your Novel Published- A Guest Blog by Mark King

Postings every week

Links to

FRENZY on Amazon U.K
FRENZY on Amazon America
FRENZY on Amazon Germany
FRENZY on Amazon Canada
FRENZY on Amazon India
FRENZY on Nook
Frenzy for the rest of the world
Mark King on Goodreads.
FRENZY Facebook Page
Email markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
@author_king



Hello my friends,

Yes I'm back from my holiday in Tunisia and while I've been away I had the pleasure of a guest posting on the Writers Centre Norwich website. This is one of the countries best writers organisations, if not they best. I will be posting soon my normal trial, tribulations and thoughts on life, but before then click on the link below and check out my posting.


The Three Stages of Getting Your Novel Published- A Guest Blog by Mark King


Regards

Mark.