Count down to summer

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In Spain we are lucky enough to work what is know as the jornada intensiva in summer, which means that in late June and all of July we work an 8-3 schedule instead of the normal 9-6. I've been doing this for a couple of weeks now, and I can't begin to say what a difference it makes to quality of life! I now have time to pop by art exhibitions at the Reina Sofia in the afternoons, do an extra yoga class, meet friends for an aperitif on one of my local terazzas or simply just go home and take a guilty nap or watch Anthony Bourdain re-runs on the sofa :-) It also gives me time to make the finishing touches on planning my trip to Bali this summer - as I mentioned a few weeks ago my accomodation and the yoga retreat is all but sorted out I just need to get myself a new suitcase and some Bali-esque clothes. I'm not sure that I really need a new suitcase - but as I'm travelling alone I do sometimes get a little worried about some 'new friend' putting something in my bag and things getting a bit Bankock Hilton (there's also this programme on Imagenio called encarcelados en el extranjero, translated roughly as 'banged up abroad' or something which has made me somewhat paranoid!). So, I figure a hard-cover suitcase wouldn't be a bad purchase, preferably Samsonite who have a great discount outlet in Las Rozas shopping village. Along the same lines of better safe than sorry I need to compare travel insurance quotes online before I go. Perhaps my favourite pre-trip purchase is going to be the clothes - I'm not going to buy much - but I would like a few essential items before I go, I know I can probably buy great stuff out there, but before jetting off I at least need to get a new bikini, cute flip flops, a beach cover-up and a sun hat.  Holiday clothes shopping list to follow ;-)