I just got back from a short holiday in France. It is a lovely country, and although we didn't go far, there was plenty to enjoy. The Emerald coast has wonderful beaches with reassuring views of the white cliffs of Dover peering from the mist.
I am not a huge fan of holidays. Let me rephrase that; I am on permanent holiday of course, but often cannot see the point in spending a great deal of money to be somewhere else that is often less comfortable than being at home, whilst doing things not much different to what I would normally be doing at home. Ok there is scenery, I'll grant that, but even scenery can become samey after a while and even that can be marred by the weather. Then there is the food. Yes the food can be wonderful but eating out at more than fifty pounds a time can quickly drain a bank account and disturb delicately balanced digestive systems. For the cost of one meal I could easily eat for a fortnight at home.
Yes it is nice to experience a different culture (up to a point), and would be so much more satisfying if I had paid any attention to French lessons at school, but in any foreign country, I feel myself surrounded by people that make even less sense than people at home.
Museums, galleries and religious buildings and monuments are legion of course and wonderful if you like that sort of thing. To me all churches look and smell the same. Grim reminders of the suppression of ignorant peasants who funded the buildings while probably starving and being fed fairy stories.
There is always a town or city just down the road, and when you get there, it turns out to be rather like the last city or town that you visited, but we always hope that there will be something exciting or different.
Shopping is the same wherever you go. Supermarkets are supermarkets all built to a fundamental model that encourages people to buy things that they don't want or need, and these days, thanks to the Eurozone, even prices are much the same.
Anyhow, I did enjoy the week, much of which was spent walking on endless beaches and very little spent zooming from town to town. The kids were back at school and the holiday season coming to an end and so nowhere was busy and that suits me well. The Gite was tiny and cosy but the owners were friendly and generous and I still love France even if, for me, a highlight of any holiday is coming home.
I am not a huge fan of holidays. Let me rephrase that; I am on permanent holiday of course, but often cannot see the point in spending a great deal of money to be somewhere else that is often less comfortable than being at home, whilst doing things not much different to what I would normally be doing at home. Ok there is scenery, I'll grant that, but even scenery can become samey after a while and even that can be marred by the weather. Then there is the food. Yes the food can be wonderful but eating out at more than fifty pounds a time can quickly drain a bank account and disturb delicately balanced digestive systems. For the cost of one meal I could easily eat for a fortnight at home.
Yes it is nice to experience a different culture (up to a point), and would be so much more satisfying if I had paid any attention to French lessons at school, but in any foreign country, I feel myself surrounded by people that make even less sense than people at home.
Museums, galleries and religious buildings and monuments are legion of course and wonderful if you like that sort of thing. To me all churches look and smell the same. Grim reminders of the suppression of ignorant peasants who funded the buildings while probably starving and being fed fairy stories.
There is always a town or city just down the road, and when you get there, it turns out to be rather like the last city or town that you visited, but we always hope that there will be something exciting or different.
Shopping is the same wherever you go. Supermarkets are supermarkets all built to a fundamental model that encourages people to buy things that they don't want or need, and these days, thanks to the Eurozone, even prices are much the same.
Anyhow, I did enjoy the week, much of which was spent walking on endless beaches and very little spent zooming from town to town. The kids were back at school and the holiday season coming to an end and so nowhere was busy and that suits me well. The Gite was tiny and cosy but the owners were friendly and generous and I still love France even if, for me, a highlight of any holiday is coming home.
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