Ad
We were chatting a few days ago, Damian and I, about how we were sad that our annual trip away wasn’t happening this year in light of the current situation. We got to talking about the things we might do instead, to make the summer a happy memory for the children and we got to talking about the holidays we remembered as children.
I remember the holidays in France, the long drive and the ferry crossings. I have a specific memory of hot chocolate on the ferry for some reason! I remember the fun of going shopping in the French supermarkets and the different foods and drinks that we would buy. I remember chipsters (a sort of box of salted puff crisps) being a staple of our French holidays as well as one-year having plastic shells that were filled with a boiled sweet inside that you had to lick. I remember saving my spending money to spend on the last supermarket trip on all the stationery. I don’t know why but the French always seemed to have much more exciting pens and notepads than we did at home.
I’m not sure where our next break will be, but the Voyage Privé website offers lots of destinations to think about. I want to create some holiday memories for my own children. Memories of exploring unfamiliar cities and towns, of grappling with hammocks and hammock stands as the children playfully fight over who gets to try it first. Memories of trying to understand what we were ordering to eat and memories of the sense of awe and wonder of visiting somewhere new.
Family Friendly Breaks
For us, we would need somewhere family-friendly and the South of France appeals in that respect. I can get by in French a little and it’s doable in the car/Ferry and would be a beautiful part of the world to visit. I really would like to visit Carcassone for the history alone. There is something wonderful about France that is familiar but new all at the same time; it’s no wonder it’s a favourite destination for many British families.
I’d also love to take a weekend break to Paris. It’s somewhere I have yet to visit, and I’d love to take the children and to explore the city with them, taking them to the things they’ve read and learnt about and letting them experience the Eiffel Tower, L’Arc de Triomphe first hand. There’s something magical about seeing these things face to face; it makes all the learning they’ve been doing that much more powerful.
Travels Further Afield
I do quite like the idea of travelling much further afield with the children, and Sri Lanka has been on my destination wish list for many many years now. I’m not sure what it is exactly about Sri Lanka that draws me in, other than I have always wanted to go. I think it’s the combination of the potential to spot fabulous wildlife in some of the national parks such as Yala National Park or getting to see the temples in Colombo, which I imagine are unlike anything else I’ve ever seen. The images I have seen make them look beautiful and powerful, and I imagine the feeling of standing beneath them. I think it would be a hugely enriching and rewarding experience for the children to witness and experience travel like this.
A Place to Practice Languages
The other place I’d love to visit would be Spain. The older two have been learning Spanish for a few years now, and I would love for them to be immersed in it for a week or two. I think it would really help them to understand the languages more, and to hear it spoken aroud them and to of course have to read it, in context, on menus and signs would be fantastic at helping to build their confidence and language skills. Mexico would be another place I’d like to re-visit. I found it an endlessly fascinating place when we visit many years ago. I’d like to see how it’s changed and I think Mexico City would be a good experience in helping the children to see the differences in how people live and to experience some of the amazing things that we did when we were there. To see the work of Frida Khalo and Diego Rivera, artists we have studied time and again, would be powerful for them.
