Day 4 in La Oliva started out rather slowly. Before getting ready, I worked to get another load of laundry going and Brian checked in at work. the big kids did some homework while Eilidh spent the morning whining. Still struggling with a cold and a cough that frequently wakes her at night, Eilidh was only up for about an hour before we found her asleep on her bed. She ended up sleeping almost 2 hours before we finally woke her up to take her to the car. She was not happy about the interruption to her nap but was slightly mollified when we promised her a trip to the beach.
We had a short drive to the first beach Brian had identified for the day. We parked and grabbed a quick lunch before walking down to the El Cotillo beach. Situated in a small cove with volcanic rocks jutting out on either side, this beach featured some of the most gentle ocean waves I’ve ever seen, making it ideal for little people like Eilidh. The kids largely spent their time digging in the sand and trying (rather unsuccessfully) to make trenches to protect their sandcastles from the gently rising tide.
Daddy had bought a bucket full of sand toys, and this kept them busy for some time. Emmie joined me for a few walks in the water and let me help her float. Eilidh rode on my hip but only allowed her legs to get wet as she thought the water was too cold. She was ecstatic to see multiple fish swimming in the clear water and, I have to admit, I was too!
It wasn’t long before our kids found some new friends. With their sunscreen-smeared faces and long-sleeve rash-guard clad bodies, I felt a little bad for our almost-translucent offspring as I compare them to the bronzed and Speedo-clad Spanish kids whom they befriended while playing in the surf. Despite the language differences, tag is a universal children’s game, and the kids enjoyed having someone besides their siblings to play with.
By this time Eilidh had taken a walk in search of ice cream with Daddy, so I was able to read a book while Emmie and Noah played with their new friends. Brian was impressed with the local ice cream shop, which sold 8 kinds of homemade ice cream and sorbet. He tried half of them, while Eilidh stuck to chocolate.
Eilidh had a cone, then a dish, of the chocolate ice cream.
Eilidh and Daddy returned for some additional time in the sand before Emmie and Noah bide their new friends “adios.” We hit a small local park per Eilidh’s request and Daddy walked with the big kids to get ice creams before we loaded into the car to head back towards La Oliva.
Emmie and Noah both had mint chip ice cream.
We also stopped by the local supermarket before leaving town. Eilidh had been requesting green beans for the last several days and was pretty excited about the purchase.
Just outside of town we stopped by an aloe vera farm for a spiel on aloe vera and its many benefits. Along with many other trivia nuggets, we learned that aloe vera plants are part of the onion family and can be harvested for up to 40 years. We purchased a few aloe products, including some pure aloe gel for Emmie’s multiple big bites, then returned to our home to clean up.
Noah and Emmie both smelled the aloe vera leaf but were unsuccessful in making the association with onion.
Eilidh seemed extra exhausted, so we decided that I would stay home to allow her to chill for the night while Brian returned once more to our favorite local pizza place Kamala Kafe, per the kids’ request.
Brian brought home some takeaway pasta so I could eat dinner before he left with the kids.
While he was away, he placed his dine-in order, and the waitress reserved our go-to table at the restaurant.
Brian tried the intriguing (to him) tuna fish and onion pizza. He reports it was alright, definitely better than it sounded.
Noah set a new personal record for pizza consumed, eating 7 of the 8 pieces from his Margherita pie.
The waitress captured a group photo; Emmie and Brian had desserts, but Noah was too full from his pizza.
Our plan backfired somewhat when Eilidh then got a second wind and had trouble going to bed. We listened to various renditions of her singing Peppa Pig songs and her telling us how she loves us on repeat. Eventually, she decided that one of the rocks embedded in her bedroom wall looked like a monster. In her defense, it kinda did. She was very happy when I covered it up with a pair of her shorts and she was finally able to fall asleep.
The “monster” rock (second from left.)
Eilidh’s cave room wall with the covered rock.