Sand, Sand, Sand

From now on, don’t bother asking me what I’ve been up to at the weekend – because I can promise you it will have been spent…on the beach. Yes, the weather has finally abated and is now a gorgeous 35 degrees celcius each day – perfect beach weather, and no need to be hiding under a parasol all day.

So this weekend I combined the posh version of the beach and the free version. The first version involves going to a luxury beach club set in gorgeous grounds, where waiters tend to your every whim. The most exhausting part of the day is getting up for the huge buffet lunch, served on crisp white tablecloths in the shade. The only thing which breaks the calm is the sound of the sea plane landing and taking off each hour or so.

The second version involves driving down to the public beach, via a lesser-known side road which takes you to a slightly quieter part. You have to walk through the sand to get to the beach. No sun loungers, just your towel at the edge of the sea. No waiters, but you can munch on your own snacks (watermelon, yum). The sounds of fellow sunbathers and the odd rubber ring/banana inflatable ring in your ears. The view is: lots of other people, the Atlantis Hotel and the Burj Al Arab.

Opposite ends of the scale but whichever way you look at it, not a bad way to spend a weekend!