What it's like viewing a total solar eclipse

I spent my honeymoon with not just my honey but also the moon — which, on 12th August at 08:31pm, moved across the sun in Palma de Mallorca, obscuring it completely and creating a ‘ring of fire’ (not the kind you get after eating a dodgy curry, thankfully).

I hadn’t actually been that keen to see the total solar eclipse, so I was totally unprepared for how awe-inspiring it would be. It’s surprisingly breathtaking when celestial bodies behave in such an unusual way, because we’re so used to seeing the moon and sun in the sky act in everyday fashion.

There was a rooftop pool at our honeymoon hotel in Palma, and we were amazed to learn that only one other eclipse-seeking couple had booked a Bali Bed opposite the pool — a large double sun lounger with, aptly, a canopy to shield it from the harsh summer sun. We paid a mere €40 to reserve it and got some free fruit skewers into the bargain! Bonzer.

I was so convinced that the rooftop would be swarmed by eclipse-lovers keen to get the perfect view that we guarded our territory jealously for a whopping 10.5 hours, which turned out to be totally unnecessary — though we refrained from urinating on it to mark it with our scent!