Holiday thoughts

Pool
Originally uploaded by MrsEds

A rule of thumb for the E family is that a holiday will probably be a success if we get through the first 48 hours without getting hopelessly lost on the way to our accomodation, losing or damaging a precious item (Malta; Mr E's wedding ring, France; my camera) or finding ourselves in the A and E department of a hospital frantically ringing the insurance to see if we are covered.

So, having only suffered a few minor problems such as the nipperette throwing a massive tantrum about which bedroom she could have, Mr E driving in through the out door of an underground carpark to the consternation of the locals and me smashing a beer bottle on the tiled floor of the bedroom having walked into a glass door an hour previously, we settled into the slow and thoroughly relaxed rhythm of life in Spain.

Being me, of course, I took a keen interest in the cleanliness of the local environment and related rubbish matters. I was pleased to find recycling facilities close by, but less pleased to discover that, despite this being a private complex of holiday flats miles from anywhere, the inhabitants allowed their precious perros to crap pretty much anywhere. Why would you spend that much money on a flat in such a location and then let your mutt foul the footpath? The answer here I think was that very few people used the footpaths as they drove everywhere, the nearest shop being 10 mins down the road. So the intrepid and nimble walkers that are my children felt right at home skipping over the poo.

Another thought struck me as I nightly carried the small bag of rubbish to the community bin on the road. I think I have one possible reason why people may not wait to put out bags of rubbish at designated times back home. Quite simply, soiled disposable nappies.

Back at E towers, being a good eco housewife, we use washables. The stuff goes down the toilet, the nappy is soaked in a bucket and washed. Maybe my house smells of baby doodoo but everyone must be too polite to say so.

On holiday, I switched to using disposables and believe me when one of those is full to the brim with paella and turron icecream, you have to get it out of the flat and to the bin pronto!

So, it occurred to that maybe one reason why bin bags go out at all hours is because they are have soiled nappies in them and disposal is an imperative. Not I hasten to add have I any intention of testing this theory by doing any research. Knowing as we do that more and more families are being crammed into smaller and smaller spaces in Harringay because of pressure on housing, could the need to dispose of your disposable when you don't have a wheelie be a contributing factor in the dumping of bags at all hours?

Es posible, no?