Summer Holidays

[Shabu]

I am, I want a trip to our Texas office soon to meet my team and get drunk eating BBQ.

[vietnammer]

Lucky enough to have friends in the Rioja region of Spain (up North). A partly smart, partly derelict hill town called Ausejo. Was taken to Logrono for the Wine & Tapas thang though (his Mrs doesn't drink so she drove). Have never done the 'Tapas Bar' experience and it was brilliant. Mate's a bit of a 'connoisseur' ("Notes of oak, definitely from the south part of the hill where that tomcat goes for a piss" etc) but it was great trying the 'higher end' instead of my usual Blossom Hill piss back home. Love their version of black pudding (Marcello?) which is a bit more like haggis. The only bar in Ausejo is strictly locals, it's no tourist town, and it's funny how it fills up and gets raucous after Mass on Sunday. Thing is, he'd take me up to this bar about 10:30 am and start on beer. That first one in the morning makes you feel ecstatic, though the afternoon's a write-off. Beautiful scenery (though we didn't make the coast) and plenty of history.
Weirdest thing was groups of people in Ausejo have what they refer to as 'caves'. And they literally are, a 'gathering place' at the top which is extended underneath by caves hacked out of the rock waaay back in which they store wine. Was treated to a 1981 vintage, but you understand that 'vintage' doesn't necessarily mean 'good' (it was corked). I have been given a key to this cave meaning I can go there when I like now. It's some kind of 'status' thing as you aren't really 'anybody' in that small town unless you are a member of a 'cave'.

[The Old Man of Storr]

Booked a nice little house in Findochty , Morayshire - historic fishing village .

Touring Moray - Cullen , Lossiemouth , Macduff etc .

Bloody freezing today .

[Hampshire Hammer]

We arrived back from two weeks in Spain, just south of Alicante, late last night. Great break with our own pool, we've really missed foreign holidays in the sun. Biggest ballache was filling in the travel locator form on the gov website, which kept timing out and sometimes losing what had been entered.

[vietnammer]

/\ that form is a sod

[Billy Hunt]

/\ that form is a sod

Agree, it's a pain and takes an age to get it completed, eventually.

We just had a week + in Crete, extended our stay by a day to take advantage of the travel changes that kicked in yesterday. Just the one lot of tests needed (not 3), no quarantine, no early exit test fee, no brainer

[Hampshire Hammer]

/\ that form is a sod

One of the annoying things is that you can't fill it in until two days before you travel to the UK, so can't complete details in advance and then just add test details later. I took a laptop on holiday but it must be a real ballache trying to do it on a phone.

[pablo jaye]

Booking a week in Anglesey/Snowdon in a couple of weeks. Looking to visit a few places - Portmerrion, Snowdon, Abersoch and Barmouth on the shortlist … any others? Cheers.

[Billy Hunt]

Booking a week in Anglesey/Snowdon in a couple of weeks. Looking to visit a few places - Portmerrion, Snowdon, Abersoch and Barmouth on the shortlist … any others? Cheers.

Stunning area that, enjoy.

I've not been for many a year but it's a sightseers paradise - loads of history, loads of castles (Caernarfon, Harlech, Conway to name a few), Ffestioniog railway and the slate mines, betws y coed, Swallow falls

[BigFatSam]

As I’ve got older I’ve started to enjoy going abroad a lot less. I feel the build up is always better than the actual holiday. Not sure If I’m becoming an old miserable b*stard in my 20’s but I always feel a bit meh about the holiday when I get home.

I genuinely think I’d prefer going to Cornwall or somewhere like that. Does anyone else get this/feel like this?

[Shabu]

As I’ve got older I’ve started to enjoy going abroad a lot less. I feel the build up is always better than the actual holiday. Not sure If I’m becoming an old miserable b*stard in my 20’s but I always feel a bit meh about the holiday when I get home.

I genuinely think I’d prefer going to Cornwall or somewhere like that. Does anyone else get this/feel like this?

Going anywhere is brilliant to me. If I haven't been there & I get to experience something new, I'm happy.

[EvilC]

As I’ve got older I’ve started to enjoy going abroad a lot less. I feel the build up is always better than the actual holiday. Not sure If I’m becoming an old miserable b*stard in my 20’s but I always feel a bit meh about the holiday when I get home.

I genuinely think I’d prefer going to Cornwall or somewhere like that. Does anyone else get this/feel like this?

I prefer it now to when I was younger. With work being such a treadmill I love the simplicity of being somewhere warm, with the pool or beach and maybe the odd day out to a water park for the kids or whatever making for limited options, which mean most days are relatively simple and relaxing.

[BigFatSam]

I prefer it now to when I was younger. With work being such a treadmill I love the simplicity of being somewhere warm, with the pool or beach and maybe the odd day out to a water park for the kids or whatever making for limited options, which mean most days are relatively simple and relaxing.

I think this is my issue. I’m looking for relaxing holidays but I never seem to have one!

[DaveWHU1964]

Booking a week in Anglesey/Snowdon in a couple of weeks. Looking to visit a few places - Portmerrion, Snowdon, Abersoch and Barmouth on the shortlist … any others? Cheers.

If you're contemplating climbing Snowden then consider Cadair Idris as well/ instead. Wales's second highest mountain and more interesting imho than Snowden. Certainly less busy and a lovely pub called the Cross Foxes a ten minute drive or so from the foot of it. Mind, the cafe at the start of the Llanberis path route up Snowden does the best bara brith, a lovely cake - ToMOS might wax loquacious about it if he sees this.

You may well have heard of zip world or already be planning to go there. I'm not great with heights but had to do this when we went there a couple of years back. Glad I did. A taste ...



Don't know if you're a walker Pablo but a word of warning re Barmouth. The famous Barmouth viaduct that takes you across the estuary can't be used until December which is a shame as the walk to/ from Dolgellau is stunning. I know this as Mrs Dave and I went to walk to Barmouth from Dolgellau last weekend only to find a mile into the walk that the bridge was down.

[DasNutNock2]

Not far off.

[EvilC]

I think this is my issue. I’m looking for relaxing holidays but I never seem to have one!

I recommend going alone.

[S-H]

Can't beat being abroad, in the sun, for your holidays, eating lovely food, sipping cold beers, and cocktails, it's the travelling part that I dislike.

Although, airport beers always go down well, whatever the time of day..

[pablo jaye]

Stunning area that, enjoy.

I've not been for many a year but it's a sightseers paradise - loads of history, loads of castles (Caernarfon, Harlech, Conway to name a few), Ffestioniog railway and the slate mines, betws y coed, Swallow falls

Billy and Dave - thanks for your suggestions. I think we’ll squeeze a castle in and also Betws y Coed has been mentioned too. I like the look of Swallow Falls, and whilst not seasoned walkers (partly due to my back issues), the outdoors is a great place and we’ll do some more sedate routes.

To be honest, I think we’ll have to do do more than one trip up there, as there is so much to see!!

[Shabu]

Just booked another trip to Puerto Vallarta. Flight is $11 there & $17 back :lol:

Going for Mexican Independence Day

[btajim - mcfc]

I might do a week in Malaga next summer. There’s Airbnb apartments near the beaches and tapas everywhere.

Ideally it’d be the World Cup in Qatar but it’s winter and I don’t fancy it.