You know what it's like. They don't speak Spanish…they'll have lots of luggage: you will pick them up, won't you? You've bought a load of food they like, but they think it would be nice if you ate out with them once or twice…and met them at a café … and had a drink and a tapas or two. “Shall we have a bottle of wine tonight?” means you've thought ahead to buy in some bottles. And surely, you won't mind running them about a bit?
After all, the countryside here is beautiful what about a trip to La Viñuela? How about an afternoon walk? They wouldn't mind having a stroll about some of the other white villages perhaps you could drive them over to Torrox and Frigiliana, Archez, Salares and Sedella? Going present shopping in the markets would be fun; they must get to the beach while they're here…and what about “Nerja caves”?
And, of course, you've done the markets, the white villages, La Viñuela etc before. Possibly several times. My husband has been round Nerja caves four times with different sets of guests. They are a very good attraction … but probably not that often. On the last trip he couldn't bear to do it again and we waited for our visitors outside. Oh, visitors last year! I thought they were a pain in the neck but he had an even lower opinion of them! But then, last year our visitor count was in double figures.
Actually, the people who came, family and friends, were just fine. Well…of course my Mum drives me up the wall …. and Dad sends me spare when he…and as for my brother and sister…but essentially we were pleased to see them. It is a compliment, people wanting to stay with you, though this is undermined a little by the compliment to location: we never got this many guests when we lived near Manchester.
No, the difficulty comes down to two things. Firstly, they are on holiday, and you aren't. They, quite reasonably, want to have fun, see the sights and spend some money, but as guests in your home it's hard to avoid doing the same spending time and money you may not have, smack in the middle of your busy life.
Secondly they are aware of this one little visit. You were fine with the first visitors this year, but by now… well, I repeat, last year our visitor numbers were in double figures. How many weeks out of the year is that? You aren't just re-visiting places you're re-visiting conversations, explanations, introductions…aaarrrrghhh!
I'm particularly jaundiced about this because last year I was pregnant. My brother couldn't understand why I wouldn't go horse riding with him when three months up-the-duff. A difficult friend expected me to feel grateful for her visit after inviting herself with a week's warning when I was seven months pregnant. She did assure me that if it was very inconvenient, she could come next month instead. We even had a visitor bravely booking in two weeks before D-Day.
Still, I know I shouldn't whinge. Since last year's deluge, we've switched to drought. And now, ironically, we could really do with them we have a puking, crying, pooping baby for visitors to help out with. Anyone for the 7 a.m. nappy change? Hey…where have they all gone?
