Most holidaymakers like to bring back some sort of souvenir of their trip but treating yourself to something will eat into your spending money and tourist traps are not known for their bargain prices. It has to be said that a lot of what is brought back is basically rubbish which people wouldn’t dream of buying any other time of year so why do they buy it when they are on holiday? Continue reading
Tag Archives: holidays
Holiday Gifts
As a young child I was always tremendously excited when it was time for my father to return from one of his business trips abroad. Naturally I was pleased to see him again but my enthusiasm for his return mainly centred on the fact that he always came back bearing gifts! I was usually treated to a beautiful doll in the national dress of wherever he had been and was very proud of my growing collection. It was a firm tradition in our house that travellers made the time to buy gifts and so when I first set out on my own I felt obliged to continue the habit. Continue reading
Breaking Down Abroad
If you are hiring a car whilst away or even taking your own vehicle on the trip then do make sure that you have arranged insurance that includes roadside assistance and recovery as things can and do go wrong. It is tempting to think that breaking down is a long shot but long journeys and difficult terrain can make issues with the car more likely than ever. I travel abroad two or three times a year and have had enough problems to last a lifetime. In a remote area even a simple thing like a puncture can be big trouble. Continue reading
Writing a Holiday Journal
My father recently found a holiday journal that my late mother had written several years ago. Seeing my mother’s work reminded me that there was a time when a diary and a photo album were the only ways to document your travels. The entries truly spoke of my mother’s great love of her favourite destination, Switzerland, and I realised that our modern ways of recording our travels can be a poor substitute for a well written journal. Continue reading
Holiday Packing Nightmare Part 2
I have written about holiday packing on several occasions, mainly regarding the difficulties of confining yourself to your luggage allowance. This can be a major issue if you are travelling with hand luggage only or if you are on a sporting trip which requires equipment. I have often struggled to squeeze all my hiking gear into a small case and skiing is a total nightmare but I have now discovered a bigger one! Continue reading