How many holidays do you have a year?

Sorry I got the wrong end of the stick wot- glad to hear things are not too bad. And that you can see what I meant. I've known so many people run themselves down looking after sick relatives- without any respite- and at the end of the day, not being able to do it anymore and having to give up totally- whereas had they only taken a bit of time for themselves from time to time- they might have been able to keep going, and wtihout the possible resentment, etc, that can slowly take hold.

Learning to travel light doesn't come easy- but honest, it can be done. If you are like me, I often come back with 60%+ of the contents of my suitcase untouched anyhow! Choose somewhere with washing/drying facilities and where towels are provided and wear walking boots (if required on hols) for the journey. And perhaps make enquiries about a taxi service to station or airport- or see if you can swap the getting there and return with a friend, etc, for another favour (babysitting, whatever).

It seems several of you are wary about going on hols on your own. How about starting a new thread and see if, instead of meeting for coffee or lunch, as so many on GN do- you could organise a couple of days/nights in a lovely place where you could spend the time together. Be it Harrogate or the Cotswolds, Devon or Norfolk- why not?

We haven't been on holiday since May 2005!

Granjura, my partner is on the way to helplessness but I hope it will be gradual. He's very hard work already. Curmugendly, deaf and can't see very well. The holidays I have been on on my own I loved. The GN idea for holidays is really good!

We love our short breaks. We started taking them rather than proper holidays when I was caring for Mum and couldn't get away for long. DH doesn't enjoy being away for more than a few days and the cost of kennels for the dogs puts a dampner on going for a week or more.

Last year we had a few days in Yorkshire and a couple of days in North Norfolk as well as trips to Staffordshire and Hampshire to visit family.

Not sure what we'll do this year but we don't have to plan!!

Grumpy, easier to spell than curmungly

What is a holiday ?2005 for us

was just about to look it up wot - thinking here is a new English word I've never come across before.

We don't fly anywhere now because I don't like it and OH spent years flying with his job (including over 40 trips to the states and Australia twice to give a 60 minute input at a conference) and doesn't want to do it anymore. We spend a month in southern Spain in January to see our son, several trips a year to the UK to see our daughter and a week in September on the Mediterranean coast of the Roussillon here in France. Apart from that we sometimes take off to see other bits of France for two or three days. In the summer we have lots of family and friends coming to stay in the guest cottage in our garden.

Our last holiday was two years ago, to west coast USA to visit our son and family. We go again in 4 weeks.
This time we have an 11 hour flight, followed by a 2 hour flight..... but it's so worth it. DH doesn't fancy driving over there, on the wrong side of the road and also all vehicles are automatic especially as we are staying in a city.
We tell ds to rent a larger car and we cover the cost. And we are happy to use the excellent public transport and a street map when we take ourselves off for the day.
We used to have more holidays, dh seems to have become more 'stay-at-home' and needs a push. Not to visit family, but to take off for a long weekend which we used to do very often.

Granjura, ??? I thought if people who guess the word, that would do?

When I became a part time worker tree years ago, the Bodach and I used to have Christmas in Gran Canaria, a couple of wee weeks in Zakynthos, and a couple of city breaks in Paris, Berlin, Barcelona. or similar.
Sadly, I've been forced to retire through illness, so the coffers are not so full, and I'm not fit for the busy city breaks ( which I loved!), so we'll need to rethink.

Could guess the word. Maybe I could blame mis spellings on predictive text!??

We usually have a couple of weeks away in the summer and long weekends when we can fit them in. We are down in West Wales with the family this August and are trying to find a nice hotel in North Norfolk for a long weekend in July. By the time we've managed to agree on somewhere it will be too late to book it!! DH has set his face against going abroad these days and refuses to renew his passport, and, if I'm honest, I'm not that bothered.

How many of you agree to disagree with DH on some holidays?
From time to time, we've had a holiday which was not together- because he, or me, are not keen on the location or main activity- I think it is very healthy to do so, and not always be velcroed at the hip. Last time was when I went snorkelling with Greatnan a few years back- it was wonderful and we snorkelled for about 5 hours a day... and DH would have hated that. When his cousin comes over from Tasmania, we intend to go driving around like Thelma and Louise, around Switzerland, France and Italy- without any planning- just go and do. And some girl friends met on a French Forum, from different parts of France and the UK- are planning to visit here and go off and do all sorts... DH really likes them, but will be very happy for us to go off and do our own thing.

So many of my friends say 'oh I'd love to go with my friend/s- but DH would hate that, would be jealous, would sulk, etc'.

"Curmudgeonly "
Is that the word???
Not that I would recognise the sentiment

We never take DH on our city breaks. We are out way past his bedtime.

Yes, Alea, that was the word I meant. I first came across it when I was reading an article about the character of Morse [played by John Thaw]

curmudgeonly

Holidays tire you out anyway. #knackered

I like that word

This year has knackered me already and left me feeling curmudgeonly

so sorry to hear that wot- but I'm afraid this is it- cumudgeonly is now part of my furiner's English dictionary. If Shakespeare can invent 1000s of words, so can you, I love it.

Apart from that

Holidays may be knackering but its amazing how they give one a fresh perspective on one,s life at home and,perhaps for me, a rest from my jabbering away all day on Gransnet ha ha

I'm going to have to dig out my physical dictionary. I caused much hilarity as a young girl by pronouncing words wrongly as I was an avid reader. Words such as facade etc. Probably still do it when I talk to the walls!

Grandura , the best invented words are by Lewis Carroll.......marvellous! Slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe,
All mimnsy were the borrowgrabes
And the Nome wrath
Outgrabe my memory is not so good.
Sorry, gone off subject of holidays.