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Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Birthday Milestones



My wife celebrated her birthday recently, but the time between the last one and this one had passed so quickly I had to check to make certain we were not celebrating two in the same year.

I arose after her and instead of the first words from my mouth being "Happy Birthday My Love," I said " Good Morning. I see the cat has thrown up again." We were due to leave the house at 11am at which time she seemed to storm out of the house ahead of me, moving the car outside the gates and waiting. Up until then I still had not mentioned the word birthday.

I closed the house and got in the car and then I said, " I have not wished you a happy birthday because I am taking the responsibility to make this a very happy day for you. So, let's get this show on the road."

She just stared at me. She then said I'm so angry with you that I have just posted this on my Facebook page. The message read "I'm so angry with my husband, and she went on to tell the above story. I said so, we are starting at the very bottom and it may be a long way to the top but I will get you there. Off we went!

The plan was that we would drive to Benidorm, about two and a half hours away to stay overnight at an hotel, and we would spend the evening at The Benidorm Palace for dinner and a show. I made certain that the hotel would be out of the ordinary, therefore I chose the MeliĆ” Villaitana which is not located down along the waterfront in the jungle that is all that concrete, but rather a hotel that presents itself as a full Moroccan-style village with commanding views over the Mediterranean.

By the time we reached our destination she was back on civil terms with me, but the sight of the hotel brought a soft smile to her face. The location is next door to the Terra Mitica theme park. This is a glorious hotel whether you are travelling as adults only or with young children you will be comfortable and pleased. If you are also a golfer you may think you died and are now in Heaven.

As the night overcame us we prepared for the main part of the experience. About fifteen years ago I had the opportunity to attend a Sunday afternoon charity event at The Palace featuring talent from several venues around the town. It served as a taster for me where I vowed I would come back someday to celebrate something important. That time had come, but in the meantime The Palace had reinvented itself by changing its image. It now looks like a place out of the ordinary that offers something unique. On the other hand it would be right at home in Las Vegas.

Our dinner that preceded the show was first rate, accompanied by wine for my wife and something non-alcoholic for me, the designated driver. And then, The Show! The title was "Rubi" as The Palace is celebrating 40 years of presenting the best. A Fortieth Anniversary is commemorated by the giving of a Ruby.

I so want to describe our every sense as the show unfolded, first by presenting Fiestas EspaƱola highlighting Flamenco and Spanish culture. It went on to take us through so many genres including music from the 50´s and 60´s. The sight of twenty-six dancers was so enchanting that by the time the show had come to a reluctant end we were left without words except one. "WoW!"

When people work that hard to give so much of themselves to make us feel so special we can only respond by appreciating the effort and to pass along the recommendation to visit The Benidorm Palace at least once in your life. Save it for a super special occasion when you want to impress.

My wife's day started off in the pits but by bedtime she had experienced a birthday like none other. My reward was to gain a few Brownie Points and they matter.

Enjoy!

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael