butlins | part three

the next morning started out... well, as slowly as the day before, but this time there was no fear of being washed away to contend with. we were just daaaamn tired and maybe slightly hungover. ever so slightly. after another well-deserved home-cooked breakfast (me, this time), we partially packed up our stuff for our later departure home, and headed out to explore more of what the resort had to offer. it was another gorgeous day after all, and there was only one thing i wanted; ice cream! (or, oin the actual case, gelato. when one is trapped in a resort, one accepts their lot. gelato it was!)


prior to my entry into the ice cream gelato parlour, i was dead keen on a fruity-flavoured combo. a passion fruit or a raspberry or a something refreshing. as soon as we walked in an the first flavour i saw was 'peanutella' well... no. peanutella and strawberry cheesecake were now the order of the day. and boy oh boooooy, they were flippen sensational. more. more. more for me!

ice cream gelato in hand, we wandered into the fair ground to see what rides were open - if any, and realised we practically had the whole park to ourselves, and the rides were all operating. uhmm... yes! we kicked it off nice and easy with a carousel ride while we finished our iced confectionary, before heading into the 'dodgem arena' for some light hearted 'dodging'. funny how they used to be called 'bumper cars', huh, but now they're called 'dodgem cars'. we were even reminded of this fact as we boarded our vehicles. because spoil sports. don't want. people to. have any fun.

to be fair though, despite our warning and yells from the staff to sttaaaahhhp it, we were still pretty reckless drivers and i did sustain minor whiplash (thankfully they also schooled us on how to wear a seatbelt. i feel like, had i not had the seatbelt across my shoulder, i may not have actually been whipped with the lash. i dunno, i'm no scientist, but i am pretty sure that thing hindered my experience). after that we were dumb enough to go on a spinny thing that goes high and fast and is spinny. and... it was yuck. not least of all because of the hangovers. or the ice cream gelato. or my whiplash. mostly because of velocity and height and closing my eyes and thinking of england. never again. it was horrible, and about three seconds in to the ride, amy and i wanted off.

when we were finally allowed to disembark the swirly death device, we sat in the sun while our nerves repaired themselves. i could feel my skin burning, but in a really novel way; in australia, you sit outside for five minutes and you've obtained third-degree burns. in this twee country, you sit in the sun for five hours and maybe notice a slight pink later that day - it's the best. the sun was so warming and the resort was eerily peaceful that afternoon, so we just sat and drank and chatted, and it was really, really nice.

after awhile we decided to grab some food inside; we probably wouldn't have had another chance to eat before leaving for the train later that day, and we were an hour off heading into another comedy show. while alex tucked into a meat tray (or something)(he's northern, i don't know) and amy scarfed down a giant double cheese and bacon burger, i settle into a deliiiicious cranberry, bacon and brie baguette. and chips. and some dodgy side salad. and a vk because i'm 18. it was the meal to end all meals. and i was heepppppyyyyyy. but also sleepy. which made the next comedy bit a bit tough.

this time we were treated to the comedy stylings of some-guy-whose-name-i-don't-remember-and can't-find-on-the-official-flyer, zoe lyons (who i'd never heard of but who was really funny), and al murray (again, never heard of the guy, but...). al murray. he's a guy you brits all know and love, right? yeah, i really got that impression. i was probably overtired, yes, and ever so uncomfortable in the worst seats in the whole world, but... i wasn't in the mood for casual racism and the like, so i was happy to finally get out of there, get back to the room, and finally depart the resort in favour of getting our tired asses home.

which... if you remember, i'd locked my keys in the house as i'd left on friday, so had to wait for my flatmate to get home herself from her weekend away which... was about half past ten that night. i'd known this was going to happen, and *thankfully* the london underground network does not favour a weekend traveller, so by the time i'd actually made it back to my ends, she'd just arrived anyway. perfect timing eh? oh, this was just after half ten. pm. on a school night.

oh, what a weekend it was.

a long, boozy and tiring weekend, but one that i wouldn't have changed even if you'd let me.