My family and me have always gone on holiday abroad every year mainly to escape the dull weather. After visiting Portugal in 2012, We brought back more than a suntan, my dad had collapsed the Monday he went back to work due to pneumonia! It was our first trip to Portugal recommended by a friend and cheap prices. It took a long time for the sun to come out, we spent most mornings shivering on the sunbed or walking round passing the time before it warmed up. It didn’t help that they continuously filled the pool with freezing hose pipe water.
This year my mum suggested a British holiday ! I cringed… the thought in my head was a camping trip, with our notorious wet summers it would have consisted of sludge, sniffles and looking like a drowned rat on a daily basis. However it was so much better, we ventured down to Cornwall and stayed in Looe, it took a long five-hour drive. We swapped a hotel for a caravan we named faulty towers. Thankfully the people on site were helpful and fix the problems.
The weather was brilliant all fortnight, we had a bit of rain and a cold breeze some days, but there was so much to do. Looe seemed to be central to most places; so everyday we jumped into the car and went somewhere different. Heeley’s cider farm, Lands End, ST Ives and the Crumple Horn inn was a highlight, and I loved the variety of shops. Looe had a raft race one day in aid of RNLI, it was so funny … AND WE GOT A SUNTAN.
Everywhere we went people were polite and friendly. I’m sure they have the best beaches in Brittan, and I discovered a Cornish cocktail, it was freebee off the barman, but we did called in everyday and I often make it at home now. How it faced up to going abroad is a bit of a mixture, I think we got very lucky with the weather, and I was surprised I didn’t miss the swimming pool. But it was slightly cheaper because could stay in and cook everyday, although we self cater abroad we don’t stay in and cook. It defiantly beat searching round for a nice meal every night or eating pub food and from chip shops. I even made spaghetti bolognaise for five people in a caravan, with one saucepan.
The down side to this was the build up, having being spoilt by travelling on aeroplanes, I couldn’t get as excited about this holiday. We didn’t need to go out and buy summer gear, (because we didn’t know what to pack.) Before we went it was cold and wet. Not being very optimistic I packed for the worst, including a scarf, gloves, big coat, and a number of jumpers.
You really don’t need it, I wore shorts and vest tops most days, and the places around England are just as picturesque as any other country. I’m really glad we stayed in England this year, it just proves you don’t have to travel miles away to get the sun, sea and a good holiday.