Number 115: La Coco Beach Hotel Mauritius!  An all-expenses paid holiday for two, our first alone since our children were born!!

How so?

In January 1996 Ray’s 13^th Anniversary gift to me was going to be a subscription to Femina Magazine. But I postponed subscribing until March – a competition month with the possibility of winning a gift as a new subscriber.

At home  in our tiny kitchen at 24 Quo Vadis Road preparing for the  Pesach Seder which we were hosting that night, I was suddenly knee deep in kneidlach soup after accidently dropping the pot on the floor a mere few hours before dinner. Crying and very distressed, I answered the phone. “This is Femina Magazine here. You have won first prize as a new subscriber – a week for two to Mauritius”. I did not believe it. This doesn’t happen to people like us! But repeat checks revealed that it was genuine! My Mom, typically Fanny Edelstein, brought over the soup and kneidlach she had made for 2^nd Night Pesach, and cooked more for her Seder dinner the next night. That problem sorted!

Sascha and Cal came to Quo Vadis for the week to look after Yair and Maya. As it was during the school term, l arranged for all the lift schemes to be sorted.

By the fourth day Ray, who had brought his PC along on the trip (no surprise there!) was freed up (by me) to work when he wanted to. Sitting and baking in the sun is not our idea of fun. Nevertheless we swam probably twice a day, snorkelled, walked on the beaches, read a lot, ate copious amounts of excellent food. We hired a car for two days to explore the island, travelling to the Capital Port Louis, its fresh produce market, beautiful Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens, Hindu Temples and factory shops in Curepipe. Ray still wears the jersey that he bought there all those years ago.

A truly lovely holiday experienced in exotic Mauritius. l also enjoyed being a subscriber of Femina Magazine for many years thereafter.