My OperaA holiday in other people's misery
Monday, February 23, 2009 2:12:17 PM
Assuming she can put up with me for another 10 months or so, Mrs. Fiendish and I will have been married for twenty years at the end of November. As we did on our tenth anniversary, we are treating ourselves to a holiday away together sans kids.
Last time round we went to Lanzarote, largely because that's the only accessible place that is warm at the end of November. This year Mrs. Fiendish said we don't actually need to be away on our anniversary, just so long as we go away some time this year outside of the school holidays. So, the world is our lobster, as George Cole used to say.
As for destinations, we are typically targeting places that our kids would hate. Me, personally, I like a beach holiday but leavened with a bit of culture: a Greek or Roman ruin, some Moorish architecture, a chance to see some unknown blues genius playing in a Chicago club, that sort of thing.
We've been looking at places in Europe, even, God help us, going on a cruise. A Baltic cruise looked appealing, taking in St. Petersburg, but there is something about the perceived age profile of people who go on cruises and the fact that you appear to be tied down to an itinerary that put me off the idea.
I've always had a hankering to go to Corsica, largely because it is a chance to go to Italy (almost) without having to speak Italian, though I doubt whether my barely remembered "O" level (failed) French is any better at communicating with the locals than waving my hands and shouting very loudly.
However, lovely place though it is, it looks a bit expensive, even before sterling plunged against the euro.
Bizarrely, places a lot further away, such as Cuba, Trinidad & Tobego and the Dominican Republic, appear to be far more cost effective, even for a 7-day break. I get the sense that, beautiful though these places are, they are not geared up to cater for the cultural side of the equation, though Cuba sounds like the sort of place I would like to explore.
Mrs. Fiendish has out-sourced the research to one of her colleagues who, being single and childless, goes on about 5 holidays a year so knows where to go to get a bargain. However, any feedback from readers on where to go will be gratefully accepted, unless they involve Spain (Mrs. Fiendish is not a fan) or France (too close).
Last time round we went to Lanzarote, largely because that's the only accessible place that is warm at the end of November. This year Mrs. Fiendish said we don't actually need to be away on our anniversary, just so long as we go away some time this year outside of the school holidays. So, the world is our lobster, as George Cole used to say.
As for destinations, we are typically targeting places that our kids would hate. Me, personally, I like a beach holiday but leavened with a bit of culture: a Greek or Roman ruin, some Moorish architecture, a chance to see some unknown blues genius playing in a Chicago club, that sort of thing.
We've been looking at places in Europe, even, God help us, going on a cruise. A Baltic cruise looked appealing, taking in St. Petersburg, but there is something about the perceived age profile of people who go on cruises and the fact that you appear to be tied down to an itinerary that put me off the idea.
I've always had a hankering to go to Corsica, largely because it is a chance to go to Italy (almost) without having to speak Italian, though I doubt whether my barely remembered "O" level (failed) French is any better at communicating with the locals than waving my hands and shouting very loudly.
However, lovely place though it is, it looks a bit expensive, even before sterling plunged against the euro.
Bizarrely, places a lot further away, such as Cuba, Trinidad & Tobego and the Dominican Republic, appear to be far more cost effective, even for a 7-day break. I get the sense that, beautiful though these places are, they are not geared up to cater for the cultural side of the equation, though Cuba sounds like the sort of place I would like to explore.
Mrs. Fiendish has out-sourced the research to one of her colleagues who, being single and childless, goes on about 5 holidays a year so knows where to go to get a bargain. However, any feedback from readers on where to go will be gratefully accepted, unless they involve Spain (Mrs. Fiendish is not a fan) or France (too close).
