Feelin' hot, hot, hot!

Today, I’m off to the sun (in fact, by the time you read this, I’m probably there).  

You’ve probably got used to these blogs being a little erratic over the past few weeks due to busyness, laziness, whatever, but they will now be missing entirely for a period of about 10 days whilst I laze in the sun on my Cretan balcony.

I have been accused of being profligate about my holidays, chiefly because I have so many (“What, you’re going on holiday again?” people cry), but I would like to point out that I book my flights on the first day they are released and so get them dirt cheap. I have four holidays booked this year and for the two of us, the flights have cost less than £1,000 all in. We have very little in the way of living expenses when we are away because we eat cheaply and pretty much self cater about half the time with the usual housekeeping plus a little extra, and we don’t spend a fortune on ‘extras’ or excursions.

All in all, we spend about as much on four holidays probably as a family will spend on a fortnight’s package tour each year costing around £800 quid a head half board at the height of summer.

This year, I have booked one flight to Crete, connecting via Thessaloniki, for less than £60. My return ticket in September flying direct was under £100. I phobically check the Easyjet web site when I know the release date is imminent to get in right at the start for the best deal. The Hubby says I am obsessed, and he’s right. But I live for and love my holidays in the sun in the same way that some people can’t go without a skiing holiday or trekking through some insect infested, dangerous forest somewhere, and so I do anything I can to make it affordable.

I can see why many people would think we are lucky and spoiled with our apartment, and that we must be rich. But we’re not; we have chosen to step off the UK property ladder and be content with a low value house on an ex local authority estate and put our money into a place we love and which will serve for our retirement. I don’t see what’s wrong with that. We have chosen to have two mortgages now, when we are earning, to fund a dream for when we are older and in the meantime we have determined to take maximum advantage of or capital asset by using it as much as possible. We may be different or unusual in that respect, but we’re not rich and we’re certainly not spoiled – we’ve worked hard for what we’ve got, so why shouldn’t we enjoy it?

Holidays spread throughout the year are also a chance for some down time together. I’ve always believed that you have to work at a relationship if it is to have any chance of success, and that you have to make time and energy for each other too. During a standard working week we simply don’t have that; in between work, chores, pet care and running after the rest of the family almost every waking minute is taken up and we are exhausted. Going away means we can concentrate on each other, do things we both enjoy with enough time to do them properly and go back to having fun together, which is so important for a couple.

This time we are going to do some DIY (See? Not rich so doing it ourselves!) but even that will be an adventure in a small way, going together to the Greek version of Homebase and then working in the sun with a nice lunch as a reward. That’ll be done in three or four days and then we’ll have a nice relax before coming home, and it won’t be too long until the next time.

Can’t wait. See you all soon!

Hols again

I’m off back to Greece tomorrow after a three month break (yes, yes, I know, most of you get just one holiday a year so I should stop moaning).

Once again, potential burglars can stop short of even thinking about burgling my house because my daughter and her boyfriend are there and also, this time, my fast growing and ferocious Labrador puppy, which they are supposedly generally looking after, walking and feeding.

My flight is at a hideous time on Saturday morning and we have to be at Gatwick at 4am. But at least that does mean we get to our apartment at lunch time and have most of the day available to us (even if we do sleep for quite a lot of the afternoon). A nice dinner, and early night and we will be raring to go on Sunday.

Unfortunately the flight back is also at a rubbish time and we land at Gatwick about 2am. That is more knackering, as when you come home you don’t have a holiday to look forward to. But I suppose you have to come home some time!

Being adopted, I have no idea whether I have Mediterranean blood in me anywhere but it would certainly seem like it. There is very little of the English temperament in me as far as I can see, and I have never minded being out on a limb with my lifestyle and preferences. I dislike so much of the UK and adore being in southern Europe where the climate suits my health issues and where, being a keen cook, I love the variety of fresh, vibrant and nourishing food, in particular the fish, fruit and vegetables.

We have some friends who have recently moved up to Cumbria. Apparently they dislike being too warm and like the outdoorsy life. The fact that it is bloody cold and wet most of the time up there as well as being miles from anywhere would appear to have escaped them, but perhaps they like that too? Personally, it wouldn’t suit me. As I have blogged before, I like being warm, I love the sun and I hate being cold and wet. Tramping across the moors and sitting by a roaring fire in country pubs is alright for a holiday, but I would dislike the remoteness which, although it might be a novelty for a short while, would eventually grate on me and I’d be wondering where the next Chinese takeaway was coming from or where I could buy Clarins.

Greece is, of course, even further up shit creek than the UK at the moment and to make things worse would appear to have also lost the paddle. And they’re drifting even further upstream as you read with no hope whatever, if my layman’s observational view is worth anything, of paying back their debts and repairing their infrastructure in the next decade or even possibly within my life time.

But it’s still my favourite place. Even before I get off the plane, I relax. At home I’m ancie (I’ve no idea if that’s how you spell it, and the spell checker suggested ancient as an alternative – totally useless!) if things take too long or people are late, out there it doesn’t seem to matter. I’m sure I’m less stressed and my blood pressure goes down.

So early start or not, I can’t wait. I have been applying the tinted moisturiser for weeks now to make sure I’m not totally ‘engleesh white skin’ on the beach and my bag is packed – passport, cash, tickets, ipod and book. Gatwick, here I come!