If I weren't here.....

Great thought Trisha - I would be in Carvoeiro on my sun bed in the pool - relaxing - well trying to while my lovely grandchildren are playing volley ball in the pool and trying to miss me- well that’s what they say. Then we may have prawns on the barbecue for lunch - which we had got at the local market in the morning. Then a stroll around the village - maybe a trip on the little train followed by of course an ice cream from the ice cream parlour - bliss! I wish - as we all were supposed to be there at Easter to celebrate my daughter-in-laws 40 birthday. So my son is now arranging for friends /family to have an allocated slot during the day so we can go for our daily walk or walk the dog and come outside their house - and sing happy birthday to her if all goes to plan- it would have been so much better on holiday though. Hey ho we must all keep safe instead ! Love to all you lovely ladies x

If I weren't here, I'd be at Manchester airport as we were supposed to be flying to Nice this evening. I'd like to be on the beach at Budleigh Salterton, just watching the tide roll in. It's my favourite place in the UK

We are at our lovely caravan in Kent. Hubby and I would spend the day with our children and grandchildren, on the beach, walking the dog and in the park. Once everyone has gone home we will sit on our decking with a glass of wine watching the sun set ... heaven!

boheminan. Thank you! I can smell them!

I am feeding the chickens on my smallholding in Wales. I have cooked breakfast for my six kids and they are now washing up.
We are going to the beach for a swim once the chores are done . We will have a picnic of roast lamb sandwiches, a big mug of tea, then cake. We will sleep on the beach, then go for a long walk and have ice cream When we get back their will be steak pie waiting for us.

In the evening we will snuggle down round the fire with a book and a few Baileys. Finally falling into a huge soft bed.

Sounds like the food mixtures i usually end up with EllanVannin,im the only one in our house who will eat the 'leftovers'

Or corfu,too we went there year before last & wanted to go back again..ive loved always showing my boys the different places and getting them out in the world.sadly now i fear it wont happen for lots of people in the future.especially where it was hit worst by this virus!

This thread has reminded me of a couple of wonderful places. I think i would be in Florence, wandering along the river bank and browsing the stalls along there. Or in Scotland on the mull of Kintyre staying in a huge house with multiple friends and beautiful scenery - one of those rare times when a diverse group of people all got on well and had a fabulous, relaxing and enjoyable time.

Dannirae,that made me smile,when one of my daughters was small,one her teachers were 'playing' at tea shops with them& asked for "2teas& a kitkat please" & we've asked for it since whenever we've done same when we played with teasets for the grandkids.

Hi Ellan - was the Port Erin cafe in the Isle of Man? My daughter used to live on the Isle of Man and we loved visiting her there. It's a great place for a holiday - her partner was from there so we had amazing trips out. I loved it and enjoyed every visit we had there.

I know Tavira well Trisha and the island. I would be on one of the many Grenadine islands in the Caribbean! Possibly Mayreau. I would be having a fresh lobster salad, washed down with a glass of champagne. I would be doing their usual botanical walk looking at the beautiful flowers around the island and then bunk down on my sun loungers with cocktail in hand to sunbathe and then watch the sunset. Strangely enough I was there yesterday too!

Oh id definitely be looking at the northern lights right now as it was next on my& my boys to do list,we went cyprus a few yrs back,then new york nearly 3yrs ago,went venice last year,so seeing northern lights was next,maybe malta after that? Now i dont think anyone will dare to go anywhere else anyway,even when we can, 'just in case' its not all erradicated& it starts up again spreading!! I know i wont.

I would love to be at an animal rescue place in Kent. Sitting outside the cafe in the sunshine, drinking tea and eating a KitKat (always has to be tea and a KitKat) Watching the chickens in the enclosure beside us pecking about and making happy chicken noises. Most of them are rescued battery hens and it delights me to see how much they are enjoying their freedom.
Or I would love to be in Jersey on our way to visiting the Zoo. We go there every time we visit the Island and our first port of call when we reach the zoo will be to see the gorillas because we love them. Lunch in the Zoo Cafe and back to seeing all the other animals.
Great thread Trisher

The now defunct Cosy Nook café who did the most delicious fresh crab sandwiches which were deep with the white meat of the crab. This place was in Port Erin where friend and I stayed and their fish and chips were to die for.

Then a flight to the Cotswolds to another little home run café to sample their fresh beef and onion sandwiches which were out of this world. It was in Bourton on the Water . Continuing our gourmet tour, a café in Clovelly, Devon to round up with the best cream tea on the planet.

I'm hungry now and haven't got any of the above ingredients but it was a lovely trip down memory lane. I'll now make do with some left-over new pots to fry with bacon and re-heated mushy peas-----what a mixture

I would be just getting off the local bus in Costa Blanca and wandering along to the steps which take me to Altea Church and fantastic views across The Med.
On some days you can sit outside the cafes and watch Traditional Weddings taking place and admire all the older Spanish ladies wearing their traditional clothes.
I can just taste the coffee and sweet biscuits, delicious.

I am not in the UK, so I will travel to my favourite place in Cornwall, St Ives, and watch the waves rippling in over the sand, the beautful aquamarine water becoming deeper, the fishing boats starting to float as the tides come in.Then a lovely cream tea to finish off the day.Bliss!

I would be in a small, no frills, motel in Gloucester, MA. It is a beautiful day, sunny and warm. My family of 5 college age sons and my husband and I are getting up and around. People are heading in and out getting the car packed and I am taking orders for packed lunches. The chaos is wonderful. I am looking forward to a day on the beach with the people I love most in the world.

Hi hereshopping, come and join Juliet and I in the bluebell wood. Bring along your sketch pad, or good book - and a bar of chocolate would go down well! It will be very quiet as it looks like nearly everyone else has gone abroad

I would be in Dubai were i am ment to be now on holiday that was cancelled

St Martin on Il de Re
A French island.
We were due to revisit this month.

I can feel the warmth of the sun on my back.

The oyster shells crunch under my feet.
The sea is a calm and turquoise.

We are having lunch al fresco with my sister in little restaurant on the beach.
The gentle waves lap the rocks and the oyster catchers search for their own food.

One of my sister's springers lies across my feet, a little reminder that a titbit or two would be very welcome.
My DH is in seafood heaven.

We wander along the beach into La Flotte.
It is market day, the stalls are awash with a rainbow of colourful fruit and vegetables.

Tomatoes and olives are purchased to accompany a selection of cheese and french bread, that is to be our supper, which we will enjoy on the balcony of our appartment, that in times gone by, would have been the residence of the governor of the island.

In the evening we walk along the marina, to sit outside our favourite bar and chat with the locals and joke about rugby with the owner.

Night has now fallen, boats bob gently in the breeze, a pale blue light that surrounds the marinas edge gives a blue glow to every craft.

The church stands tall looking over St Martin, it too is lit by lights, giving it a golden yellow.

We stand to admire and as my DH stops to take aphotograph, a bright full moon rises like a halo above the church.

As we continue our walk, we chat and make a promise, one day soon, we will bring our grandsons to visit our very special island.

If anyone is looking for an escapism book,
Sea of memories by Fiona Valpy
Is novel set partly in Edinburgh and on Il de Re.

Trisher I am here in Tavira, there are many places worse to be right now and I am happy to be here. It is so lovely, and so quiet at the moment, the Roman Bridge and town square are empty. But I do miss my coffee and pastel de nato so much. To make you feel slightly better, today it is raining heavily!!

On the beach at Garlieston, or indeed pretty much anywhere in Scotland, which I love dearly.

Or cruising down the Norwegian Fjords in June blessed with glorious weather and the bluest of skies. I was up and down like a yo yo taking photo after photo. Then spending the evening sipping cocktails in the rather swanky bar. One of our happiest holidays...

I would be dressed for swimming, on the edge of the Mar Menor, near La Manga, about to be walked, by partner, down the sand and into the sea, where it is safe for me (with flotation device) despite disability, because of the lack of waves. My two sons, who are presently 80 miles away and overdue a visit, are, of course, here too. My elder son, a fluent Spanish speaker, will order our lunch when we emerge from the water.

DoraMarr we overnighted in Turin a couple of years ago when travelling back from Florence by train. Our landlord recommended the cinema museum so we went there, spent about 5 hours there and still didn't see it all. Stunning building. Have you been there? If not, it's well worth a visit. We'll be going back there again, if we ever get the chance to travel.

I'd be waking up on the overnight ferry to southern Corsica looking forward to exploring that part of the island. We had a camping holiday in the north a few years ago, at the end of May. Not too hot, not too many tourists at that time, beautiful countryside and wonderful, slightly different, food.