Blethering Boys: pot aventura

Sadly, we will not be going on holiday this year due to some pretty dire financial straits, but hey, we went to Disneyland last year, so we certainly cannot complain.

I'm still not sure how we are going to break the news to the boys, who are desperately excited about summer holidays (all 7 weeks of them! Help!), but hey, that's life, huh?

Here's a review of all the fabby places we were dreaming of going this year. I'm running this as series of blogs so as to give each the proper dream-time it deserves.

Dreams are allowed. Always dream big.

1. Port Aventura

When we were last in Port Aventura in 2010, it was amazing! I am a total rollercoaster freak and really know my Vekomas from my Arrows.

When we booked Port Aventura it was just 1-year-old Thomas, Dave and I. And what happened before we were due to make a final payment on this amazing, all-inclusive holiday of our lives?

I fell pregnant.

Worst timing ever.

Not only is it completely not fun being hugely pregnant in a hot country, but if you are 'embarassades' you cannot ride. Anything.

I think I was the most gutted I have ever been.

Dave, however, was in his element. Not only could he ride all of the amazing rides front row as a single rider in the single queue lines, he also had a ready-made baby and bag watcher.

He rode the amazing and completely perfectly named Dragon Khan...

...got cooled down on some truly awesome water-rides...

...and got to take Tom on some of his first theme park rides.

I have to say, although it was pretty much one of the most soul-destroying things ever for such a massive ride and theme park fan to have to sit on the sidelines as a bystander, not all was lost.

Port Aventura offered some of the best themeing I have seen - it certainly rivals Disney in terms of photo-ops and carefully-designed amenities. There was plenty for people who cannot ride, for whatever reason, including maurauding Mariachi bands, Sesame Street characters so many fantastic side shows like puppeteers, bird displays and tribal dancing, all themed to either Meditteranea, The Far West, Mexico, China or Polynesia.

Staying at Hotel El Paso, we had an all-inclusive holiday, meaning unlimited breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets which offered an astounding array of cuisines, including traditional Spanish fare. We also had our pick of snacks throughout the day in both the theme park and the hotel as part of our deal, and free refills on drinks to keep us all hydrated.

Imagine starting your day with this!

Staying on-site with a toddler also meant that we were among the first up, breakfasted and to enter the quiet park, which was a lovely way to start the day. And having 10 nights there meant that we could chill out and take our time to wander around, rather than trying to cram it all in.

We were very lucky to have gone at the 15 year celebrations too - there were loads of extra decorations and activities.

As part of the package we booked through Thomas Cook, we also had a day trip in Barcelona, where we visited the huge Barcelona Zoo and went on a wander down Las Ramblas, the main market strip, which was certainly an eye-opener!

Las Ramblas

I think if we go back (WHEN we go back - I NEED to ride those rides!) we will definitely be going for 10 days. It was a perfect length of time to accommodate everything that we could do and meant that we didn't knacker ourselves in the heat trying to 'do' rides.

Although, with 2 small boys who take up space on aeroplanes and sleep in real beds rather than a baby cot, we shall have to do some considerable saving up.

Looking at their website, they are teasing me with such beauties as Shambhala, the sister coaster to Dragon Khan