Summer Holidays

[Shabu]

Me & two of my daughters fly out to Lima next week for two months of high altitude trekking in the Andes

We’ve planned our own itineraries so we’re not hiring any guides or mules - just going for that secluded experience which means apart from a couple of popular acclimatisation treks we will be far from the madding crowd.

Nervous & excited in equal measure.

What a brilliant holiday. Hope you have a fantastic time.

I plan on doing a big trip to Peru, Chile & Argentina in a few years.

[pablo jaye]

As things stand, we fly out to Sicily early Friday morning with BA

Bit of a hiccup of my own doing though...

I just went to get some Euros, gave my driving licence as I didn't have my passport with me... Poxy thing ran out on 28th May. With a hire car booked and needed Friday morning at the airport ...

The DVLA helped hugely on the phone and either tomorrow, or at latest Friday morning, my licence will be viewable online and they issued a check code that the hire company can use if I can convince them to do so

We got to Sicily on Monday - should have been with EasyJet but they’d got SmartLynx Latvia in on their behalf. A good airline and no hassle.

Mount Etna is giving off some decent displays at the moment - we are about 15 miles away but night time views of lava flows are excellent. Also went up there today, about 750m from the summit - an amazing experience walking round craters and seem smoke come out of small crevices.

Also, Billy, if you like fish and are anywhere near Santa Tecla, go to ‘La Bettola dei Marinai’ … a proper local restaurant and simply gorgeous food, reasonably priced too.

[Billy Hunt]

We got to Sicily on Monday - should have been with EasyJet but they’d got SmartLynx Latvia in on their behalf. A good airline and no hassle.

Mount Etna is giving off some decent displays at the moment - we are about 15 miles away but night time views of lava flows are excellent. Also went up there today, about 750m from the summit - an amazing experience walking round craters and seem smoke come out of small crevices.

Also, Billy, if you like fish and are anywhere near Santa Tecla, go to ‘La Bettola dei Marinai’ … a proper local restaurant and simply gorgeous food, reasonably priced too.

Sounds like you’ve struck lucky all round, airlines, etna and restaurants….

We are staying further west, between Cefalu and Palermo, and plan an Etna trip, so I hope it stays a bit vibrant. Sounds spectacular, and could check the restaurant out on our travels, cheers for the tip

Enjoy the rest of your time out there

[Greatest Cockney Rip Off]

Verona at some point in July hopefully although I'm wary about booking anything up at the moment due to the state of the airports at the moment.

[Monkeybubbles]

Verona at some point in July hopefully although I'm wary about booking anything up at the moment due to the state of the airports at the moment.

Coincidentally, while I was on holiday last week I read Tim Parks' "A Season With Verona". If you haven't already read it, I'd wholeheartedly recommend it. English bloke goes with the Hellas Verona ultras to every game, home and away and learns a lot about the psyche of the Veronanesi and the city's relationship with the rest of Italy.

Much better than I've just made it sound, honest.

[Tenbury]

^^^ Was just about to post exactly the same thing!! Brilliant book, written by someone who, IMO, really understands Italy.

Enjoy your hols, GCRO.

[EvilC]

What a brilliant holiday. Hope you have a fantastic time.

I plan on doing a big trip to Peru, Chile & Argentina in a few years.

You won’t be saying that when Jennings is kidnapped by a Peruvian tribe that were thought to be extinct and bummed violently to death.

It’ll make for a good film though.

[-DL-]

He'll end up hurting himself and land himself in hospital before there was a chance of that happening.

[EvilC]

Helpful stuff from the union here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61671829

[Harlow Hammer]

Just book a week away in Ibiza for October half term.

Couldn’t believe some of the prices whilst browsing holidays. Massive difference if you fly on the Friday before half term.

Anyway, all inclusive, 5 minutes from the beach for £3k for four(well maybe 3 if the Mrs puts work before a holiday).

Something to look forward to. Plus 2 days at Alton Towers, Formula E at Docklands and a round at The Belfry concludes my holiday/events bookings for the year!

[smuts]

Colleague of mine worked all through lockdown and had a break booked with her husband for a week abroad finally.

Arrived at Gatwick at 3am, flight cancelled at 4am, back home at 5am.

Have decided balls to it and cancelled and go back to work tomorrow.

[Jonah]

Was that today Smuts?

We got out here, Halkidiki on Thursday with rearranged BA flights after EJ cancelled. Gatwick was very busy for 3am. I cant imagine the absolute feeling of abject dissapointment of actually showing up to the airport and have it all cancelled.


34c here, above average for the time of year but see there is thunderstorms and rain forcast for the next 3 days and then it clears to a much more suitable 28c.

Thats going to be great for the Astraphobic wife on her birthday.

[smuts]

Yep last night. And this morning they've been getting welcome to Spain emails from the travel company and messages from their rep they are unable to respond to.

The unions, government and travel companies all pointing fingers at each other. It's a complete mess and as usual the British public get treated like crap after paying through the nose.

[Greatest Cockney Rip Off]

Coincidentally, while I was on holiday last week I read Tim Parks' "A Season With Verona". If you haven't already read it, I'd wholeheartedly recommend it. English bloke goes with the Hellas Verona ultras to every game, home and away and learns a lot about the psyche of the Veronanesi and the city's relationship with the rest of Italy.

Much better than I've just made it sound, honest.

I read it years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I went to Verona in 2016 for a wedding and fell in love with the place, although the heat at times was unbearable.

By the way, my missus has just started a travel agency and can in some cases get some bargains on all kinds of holidays if anyone is interested

LSB Travel Agency

(mods, please redact if this is inappropriate)

[r99c]

Just did Thu AM - Sat PM in a village airbnb near Looe, Cornwall. Friday spent on beach. Thu evening and Sat AM wandering Looe etc. Superb.

[Shabu]

You won’t be saying that when Jennings is kidnapped by a Peruvian tribe that were thought to be extinct and bummed violently to death.

It’ll make for a good film though.

The Peruvian tribe...

[Tenbury]

3,4,5,2,1.

[Crouchend_Hammer]

Just returned from a week down in Porthleven
Lovely as always, helped by having beach weather every day. Nothing beats a dip in refreshingly cold sea!

Will be back there for the first two weeks of the summer school holiday and then Charente Maritime for the last two weeks

[EvilC]

Just returned from a week down in Porthleven
Lovely as always, helped by having beach weather every day. Nothing beats a dip in refreshingly cold sea!

Will be back there for the first two weeks of the summer school holiday and then Charente Maritime for the last two weeks

Nice. I used to stay at Cadgwith as a kid, had some great times down there.

[Tenbury]

Just returned from a week down in Porthleven
Lovely as always, helped by having beach weather every day. Nothing beats a dip in refreshingly cold sea!

Will be back there for the first two weeks of the summer school holiday and then Charente Maritime for the last two weeks

Lived nr. Praa Sands for 5 years, spent many happy hours working around Porthleven, it's gone a tad more upmarket of late (none too soon) used to get banging lobsters off the quay.