Holiday Report

Date:
9-16th July 2009
Location:
Carvoeiro, Portugal
Result:
Awesome!
MVP:
Everyone/(Claire, Nynke, Grace)
Players:
Adil (Riddler), Andreas (Balcony Paparazzi), Andy (Sunburn Canary), Darek (Asshole!), Gareth (DJ), Han-Ru (Chief Tourist), Jan (VolleyPool Expert), Paul (VolleyPool Facilitator/Contact Spoiler), Remco (Photographer), Rowan (Young'un), Claire (Mum #1), Grace (Mum #2), Hannah (Life-ring Backstroke Paddle Champion), Jana (Dessert Chef), Nynke (Mum #3), Natalie (Lost Luggage Victim), Rebekka (much appreciated Taxi Driver!), Sarah (Faceball Victim)

Comments

Obviously a report by one person couldn't cover everything that went on in this week of sunshine and volleyball/pool, but a brief summary should be possible... Highlights of the trip included:

  • 18 members of OUVC past and present coming for a week of sunshine in Portugal!
  • Catching a flight at 6am, which meant taking a bus from Oxford at midnight and waiting in Gatwick for 4 hours!
  • Cramming 4 rental cars with 17 people + luggage, then getting stuck in a traffic jam 15 minutes from our destination.
  • Taking 45 minutes to get to our destination after the traffic jam because 3 cars insisted on finding "the roundabout" before going to the villa, even though it was only 100 metres away at one point!
  • Finding out the villa was even more awesome than the website photos suggested - a large swimming pool, tennis court, table tennis table, 2 pool tables, barbecue, ~300m from the high street & beach.
  • Playing beach volleyball on at least 5 of the 7 days. (On an actual beach. With nets. And sunshine!)
  • Eating awesome food every day/night, cooked with love by lovely people for 18 people!
  • Buying the supermarket's entire bread section! (And a good chunk of its fruit and veg too)
  • Playing Contact and finding out that "cantelope" is not actually related to "antelope" (apart from 8 letters that are in the same order... go figure!), and also finding out that even if you're wrong people will still know exactly what you mean :D
  • Tennis table tennis: the rules - you play in the service boxes of a tennis court, in the dark!
  • Amazing cliff-top views.
  • 5 great people who were willing to drive everyone else around the entire time, unless it was before 10am, in which case there was one person (thank you Nynke!).
  • Darek getting thrown into the swimming pool, and then trying to throw the perpetrators in!
  • Seeing a sum total of 3 clouds all week.

I hope that I haven't forgotten any major events, and that this serves as inspiration for more club members to sign up for the next trip!

Report by Gareth

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