For a few months Kasia, her brothers crew in Peterborough and her parents in Poland were planning a 2 week holiday in the sun. With access, finances and children to consider – it proved tricky to arrange.

Finally we found a place on Owners Direct near to Torrevieja and La Manga. It had 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (one with everything I need from an accessibility perspective), a lounge, kitchen and dining area. There was a hoist in our room too. It was wheelchair accessible all around the outside of the villa. The garden had a pool with a hoist and it was heated!

So on Monday 7th March Kasia and I (with my electric wheelchair and my shower chair) flew to Murcia airport and got a local taxi to the villa. A great start to any holiday. Particularly with the risks of equipment breaking on the plane and accessible taxis being unavailable or unaffordable.

One slight hitch was that the roads to the sea weren’t safe by wheelchair. An accessible hire car was in Benidorm and therefore was crazy expensive. So there were 2 options. Be lifted into the normal hire car and take my shower chair. Or get taxis and pay €15 a pop.

We did both! This meant I had to spend about €50 for a few beach trips in my wheelchair. But it was worth the money for the comfort and views. However I also went to a few places in my shower chair and had a great time too.

I’ll write about our trip to the Archena spa in another post. The beaches were all very accessible. The promenades went for miles. There was wooden slating on the beach to drive nearer to the sea. Most importantly there were cafes for a much needed beer. So with the sun, the sea, the sand and so forth – I was a happy boy.

The family of Kasia are great. Much like my crew. Nothing is ever a problem. We all had lots of fun. Every morning I was jumped on by the 2 and 4 year old niece and nephew of Kasia. Plus I’m a great youtube DJ for ‘wheels on the bus’ and TV friend for Despicable Me (I think we watched it like 100 times!). It’s cool how kids just adapt to our differences too.

So as I prepare to fly home a fortnight later, I have yet more amazing experiences and memories than before. I love travel (and sunshine) so much.

Martyn

World Changing Blogger | Facebook | Twitter | Linked In | Google+
Co Editor Disability Horizons
Co Founder Accomable