It's come

We use that card but travel insurance has to be specifically okayed by them for people over 70.

So far so good!

Greatnan - Thank you. I could tell my neighbour about that but she is not one for listening if you see what I mean! She would never understand it in a million years and even if she did, and it went wrong, she would be round here to tell me off bless her. She loves her trips abroad, she goes with a couple who are a quite bit younger than her, I expect they will give her options (if she will listen).

I've never really enjoyed holidays except when I was small. The stress of packing and being limited on the amount I can take I've always found tiresome. We're lucky enough to have a holiday flat where we can chill out because there is no pressure to visit everything within a set amount of time and I do think holidays are for chilling out. The thought of spending hours in an airport does not appeal - and I have the added concern of always needing to know where the loos are or else I could be in trouble. I've travelled a lot for work and enjoyed experiences that holiday makers probably never have and those memories are sufficient for me. My ideal holiday is being at my flat and sitting on the prom with a good book.

Petra I don't think it's age, I just think you need somewhere else to go. I love my home and the area in which I live (suffolk/norfolk border) and feel no reason to leave it particularly, apart from wishing to visit friends and family all over the UK. But DBH gets itchy feet and I do love to go abroad, just not with him...A friend would love me to go with her, but I don't have the money that she does and it would be mean and more expensive to have separate holidays from him. I have costed it out. Plus I want us to have shared memories. So I am gradually talking him round to taking holidays at times that are not too hot, and cutting back on the sightseeing routemarch that is his preferred activity. We didn't make it Barcelona this year, which was a good thing as by the time we got to Carcassonne I was more than willing to go home and still had another two weeks to go.

I really hate packing. I deliberately didn't pack a cool box and picnic stuff so that he couldn't make me make packed lunches on top of everything else. He bought one when we were there but I managed to outmanoeuvre him at every suggestion because the thought of trailing around yet another huge supermarket buying things when it is so much nicer to have a reason to sit at a pavement cafe and watch the world go buy exhausted me before I even started.

I think you just need to find a different type of holiday. I love the sound of a river cruise. Any recommendations?

My sister and I had week on the river Moselle in Germany this July and it was delightful. The cabins were very small, but had a private shower/WC and plenty of storage space. The meals were really excellent. The scenery along the river was very pretty and we tied up every day by a different small village or town. I went on a different excursion each day, including one to Luxembourg (my sister stayed on the boat to read or take a nap, as she cannot walk very far). In the evening, there was a very good singer/keyboard player in the comfortable bar, and I actually did quite a bit of bopping.
It was my first catered cruise, although I had been on a self-drive cruiser down the Canal du Midi with a man friend - I liked working the locks.
Next summer, I am planning to take a cruise down the Danube as I want to see a little of Eastern Europe before I emigrate.

Jane I'm with you on the packing . I used to do it easily when DH worked as he had to put up with what I sorted. Now he seems to start the packing three weeks beforehand and takes what I call inessentials like a light sweater and an Aran ,a jacket and a Goretex . I also saw the light in Christchurch about six years ago when I was sitting in the sweaty laundry room of our very nice hotel and realised DH was sightseeing. Since then I have sent all our stuff to the laundry. He still mutters about the cost but I can't hear him. But I do enjoy pottering around the shops to buy picnics if I'm in France . He's just planned another route march around Vietnam. We have plenty of time but he's squeezed it all in three weeks.

Packing is easy - you just pack what you think you will need and then take out half of it!

I never seem to have mastered the art of travelling light! I tried that scheme, Greatnan and found that I could have done with some of the garments I rejected. Can't win.

Shoes are my big problem with packing and trying to travel light. I often go on holidays that need walking boots.These are worn and when at airports taken off to go through the scanners. Then I just try to take two other pairs.

Pack your underwear in your shoes, Nellie - saves some space.

Every time I go for my long holiday in New Zealand, I leave something that I am going to need, especially heavy walking boots, a warm dressing gown, spare trainers, and two walking poles. As my daughter uses her washing machine several times a week, I really need only one week's clothes for the whole seven weeks.

Tegan I've just seen your post.

Re holiday weather in Menorca. We've had:

1 week starting mid-June - lovely weather
1 week early June - more changeable, a couple of days overcast/breezy
2 weeks late June-early July - lovely weather

We stayed twice in Santo Tomas (quiet but, I think, really nice) and once in Cala Blanca (still quite nice but I preferred Santo Tomas). I think many of the resorts in Menorca are lovely. It's not as spectacular as some places but gently pretty, with very nice beaches at Son Bou and Cala Galdana (I'm not sure I'd like to stay in Cala Galdana as sometimes it can smell a bit "drainy").

It's a shame you had bad weather in Kefalonia. We've been there in June and August - lovely weather both times - fairly hot in August. I think a car is needed to get around as there are some really beautiful parts of the island.