Absolutely Cala d’Orable
Cala d’Or is beautiful, but would I recommend Esmeralda Park for a family holiday?
Before we get into the ‘review’ proper, a few poolside observations and thoughts.
I was queuing yesterday to buy ice cream and there was a woman in front of me with her two very small but independently walking children. She was Irish. She was mid-way through ordering and her mobile phone rang, and she picked up. By what she said to the caller, I could tell it was a work call, I got the sense that she ran or was heavily involved in her family business, and I could also tell this was an ENTIRELY unsolicited call. She politely told the caller (Vinny, of course he was called Vinny) that she was on holiday and that ‘Sean’ would be better placed to answer his query. But Vinny kept her talking.
She was doing that very, deeply recognisably Irish thing of humouring someone who just liked the sound of their own voice. She was repeatedly doing the other very Irish thing of trying her level best to end the call (‘look I’ll let you go…’) to no avail. While she was on the phone, humouring a man, she was also ordering ice cream for her kids, paying, being polite to the man at the ice cream bar and keeping both kids under watchful eye. Struggling to open her purse, struggling to manage her phone, bag and two ice cream cones and struggling with the caller, I was struck by many things.
First, how far we as women will go to maintain the politeness status quo. She should have and would’ve been WELL within her rights to say, listen Vinny, I’ve got to go here. Call me back in a fortnight. She didn’t. She could have lost patience with the children – she didn’t. She could have dropped one of the many balls she had in the air in that moment, but she didn’t. She stayed calm, collected, unfailingly polite, present as a parent, present as a professional and did it all while on bloody holiday.
And this is the thing! That woman wasn’t an outlier. This happens ALL of the time. Women are amazing, and how we’re not running every business and government on earth astounds me daily. We are able to identify and regulate our emotions and yet express them when necessary. We’re able to multitask. We’re able to birth and raise children, reshaping our whole identity in the process, and for the most part take it in our stride.
In other news, I watched a German language ad for Always incontinence pants last night and immediately started doing pelvic floor exercises. I also unlocked three BRAND NEW icks yesterday:
Men (specifically, not sure why) who can’t correctly use their knife and fork
The phrase ‘Partner in crime’ in any context apart from someone a person actually partnered with to commit crimes
Steven Bartlett. I’ve always known he was a knob-end but now that other people see it too I feel vindicated.
Now to the main event: Would I recommend Cala d’Or, and specifically Esmeralda Park, for a family holiday?