Package Holiday

Brendan Murphy

1984

Summer holidays were really important in those days. A whole group of us lads, going year after year to some or other part of Spain. We were 20 years old and it was 1984. It seemed to me then and it seems to me now, nearly 25 years later, that it would have been easier just to number those Spanish resorts, 'one', 'two', 'three' rather than give them the semi-exotic names of 'Benidorm', 'Palma de Majorca' and 'Llorett de Mar.' This year's turn was Llorett, or to be precise, Fenals a built-up suburb outside the town. It was a balmy and hot June day.

The day started as they all did on holiday, not so much with breakfast but with breakfast after lunch as not one of the six of us woke much before 2pm. We had the classic Scottish suntans that consisted of chalk white from too long in the shade or the bright red from too long in the sun; both hot to the touch. We had been out late the night before as we had every other night of the holiday. ... (continues)