Desperate for a holiday

Every image shows people standing around in sea/beach/bars/greasy pavement cafés in blazing cancer Inducing sun, or getting blasted in tacky filthy unsafe venues!!

I must say it was blazing hot in the queue at Knossos when we went a couple of years ago.
But I'm so glad I went - something I'd wanted to do since I was 11.
Ditto Spinalonga.
Then having a lovely lunch and cooling drink in a cafe in Elounda afterwards, under the canopy with not a grease-spot in sight.

I returned yesterday from Menorca ....absolutely no problems at the airport, with the flight or hotel ......NO six hour queues....almost straight through ....no hold ups the other end either .....seemed almost normal ...apart from wearing masks except at dinner ......social distancing trying to be enforced (lots of guests from the mainland who took not a lot of notice !) bit tedious all the questions, QR codes, downloading all info onto mobile....just had my 2 day back test ...easy ...dropped it into a drop box in town ......I would say GO ....apart of course from the fact for you running a business it could be difficult if it does go RED ...........at the moment it is still amber .......I make no excuses for going on holiday .....my decision .....going again to Iceland in two weeks' time and then Italy by road in September (IF France lets us through !) then Norway, the Arctic, Switzerland and Menorca again (I used to live there, so normally go about 3 times a year but with COVID not been back until last week for 2 years ! Its your life your decision ....of course there will be people who say You are being irresponsible ...what if you catch it and spread it (no one knows WHO and who hasn;t or isn;t an asymptomatic carrier ) ....but no one knows if you are going to be hit by a bus tomorrow ..............no one is promised tomorrow ............

Have a great time on your holiday! Problem for me is, and it’s a big problem, I’m not beach body ready, I’ll squeeze into my bikini .
The ppl I come into contact with in my hols will be there anyway,so I’m not putting them at risk, like minded similar to myself! I’ll have a few drinks, rude not too! Maybe we’re fearless
It’s a free country and always will be, ppl can judge me, but I actually don’t care
Or I can go on hols to the uk, England maybe, as I don’t have to wear a mask, which will be busier than Majorca

ALANaV

I returned yesterday from Menorca ....absolutely no problems at the airport, with the flight or hotel ......NO six hour queues....almost straight through ....no hold ups the other end either .....seemed almost normal ...apart from wearing masks except at dinner ......social distancing trying to be enforced (lots of guests from the mainland who took not a lot of notice !) bit tedious all the questions, QR codes, downloading all info onto mobile....just had my 2 day back test ...easy ...dropped it into a drop box in town ......I would say GO ....apart of course from the fact for you running a business it could be difficult if it does go RED ...........at the moment it is still amber .......I make no excuses for going on holiday .....my decision .....going again to Iceland in two weeks' time and then Italy by road in September (IF France lets us through !) then Norway, the Arctic, Switzerland and Menorca again (I used to live there, so normally go about 3 times a year but with COVID not been back until last week for 2 years ! Its your life your decision ....of course there will be people who say You are being irresponsible ...what if you catch it and spread it (no one knows WHO and who hasn;t or isn;t an asymptomatic carrier ) ....but no one knows if you are going to be hit by a bus tomorrow ..............no one is promised tomorrow ............

Thanks for this! Review next week, if still amber we are going! It’s probably quieter than UK resorts

Each to their own but I won’t be going abroad this year and DH and I love our holidays. In normal times we go a couple of times a year, one normally a villa in Florida and the main holiday further afield. We got back from Australia January 20 and haven’t been anywhere since. I now drool over the photos! As much as I miss it I could not take the risk of catching covid and having to isolate abroad and all that entails plus the tests and airport queues. I do realise we’ve not got endless years left to keep travelling so at some stage we’re going to have to bite the bullet, but not quite yet! My DS and DDIL both work in the travel industry so I realise the need to open up the economy but I personally feel this is all too much too soon plus the places we like to visit won’t allow us in anyway so Cornwall in September it is for us!

I have always hated going on holiday. I always got homesick and wanted to come home after a couple of days. I only went on holidays for the sake of my husband and sons. We always stayed in England but even that was enough for me. East,West , home is best as said in the Town mouse and country mouse book (I think). It’s as bad as going to the hairdressers. ?

GillT57

*Sophrosyne*, so sorry to read of your diagnosis and hope your treatment goes well. Your comments are very accurate and true, and I think one or two on here need to wind their necks in with their condemnation of anyone who wants more than a UK based holiday and their sweeping generalisations of those of us who do go overseas. I hope you are soon able to travel again.

Hear hear.
I’m delighted for those who like a UK holiday and never go abroad, I happen to have a different view. I dont drink I don’t lie all day in the sun either. Where possible I spend time chatting to local people and visit places of interest etc. I eat in local restaurants and love the “different” food. Sometimes I ride a bike or play tennis or take a boat trip.
I dont want to rent an expensive cottage over here or stay in an expensive hotel for two weeks, sorry but I just don’t.

Go on holiday Lucca, and anyone else who wants to go. I’m not condemning anyone who wants to holiday in the UK, so they have no right to condemn me for going abroad. I don’t recognise Gabriella’s description of foreign holidays either, my holidays abroad are much more like yours Lucca, except I don’t play tennis.

Yes I have got a holiday booked abroad, it's been put back 3 times, looking forward to it. I have been away in this country, expensive and crowded.

We have a holiday cabin-cruiser booked on the Norfolk Broads, and the cost is much the same as it has been in pre-Covid years. All credit to Herbert Woods who don’t seem to have engaged in the profiteering that has taken hold in parts of the UK tourism industry.

We’ve just arrived in Spain to check on our apartment. Now looks as if amber plus will make us isolate for 10 days on return. It was a chance we decided to take. Kept changing our minds right to the day of our flight. I think everyone has to make their own decision and not judge others for making a different one. I’m a retired teacher and my husband is still teaching. I’m enjoying spending time together which we don’t get at home.

Wake

We’ve just arrived in Spain to check on our apartment. Now looks as if amber plus will make us isolate for 10 days on return. It was a chance we decided to take. Kept changing our minds right to the day of our flight. I think everyone has to make their own decision and not judge others for making a different one. I’m a retired teacher and my husband is still teaching. I’m enjoying spending time together which we don’t get at home.

Hi, hope you have a lovely sunny time, enjoy ?

Am slightly alarmed reading the posts about those doubled jabbed still getting Covid and having bad effects. Several years ago my partner and I decided that when we hit milestone birthdays in 2022 (him 60, me 70) we would go to New York city for a week at the end of February next year. That's only 7 months away. We've paid a hefty deposit. Worried now.

Smurf52

Am slightly alarmed reading the posts about those doubled jabbed still getting Covid and having bad effects. Several years ago my partner and I decided that when we hit milestone birthdays in 2022 (him 60, me 70) we would go to New York city for a week at the end of February next year. That's only 7 months away. We've paid a hefty deposit. Worried now.

Be positive! You never know, but I understand it’s something you’ve planned and looking forward to! You’ll love NYC, I went for my friend’s 50th December 2019, amazing ? little did we know it would be our last holiday under normal circumstances!
I always thought that if your vaccinated against something I.e polio, it protects you and then your immune, covid is certainly very confusing! My elderly parents caught covid 3 weeks ago, took a test & were positive! But the good luck it was just like a cold, they isolated and allowed last Sunday!

It's now being advised not to visit the greek islands, due to rising cases (covid, not suitcases)

Who is advising that?

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-eu-warns-against-visiting-popular-greek-tourist-islands-including-mykonos-rhodes-and-santorini-as-cases-rise-12367377

ALANaV, 14 days quarantine in Switzerland for Brits going in.

The Spanish government doesnt always make the safest decisions- they look more for the economy disregarding the value of human life.

geekesse

We have a holiday cabin-cruiser booked on the Norfolk Broads, and the cost is much the same as it has been in pre-Covid years. All credit to Herbert Woods who don’t seem to have engaged in the profiteering that has taken hold in parts of the UK tourism industry.

We were sat in our little boat up a Norfolk river yesterday geekesse. It was wonderful. Enjoy your break. The Broads are surprisingly less crowded this year.

No, we have no intention of travelling abroad, we will be seeing beautiful Britain, there is so much to see here. We have travelled abroad in the past but have no desire to do it any more, my DH has health issues so safer to stay here.

We are going to Madeira in September. We are prepared to isolate on return if necessary or cancel if the situation changes.
It’s time to start getting our lives back - that’s what we think.

I too cant understand anyone being desperate for a holiday. Holidays are luxurys, nice to have but not necessary. No one dies because of not having a holiday.
Apart from the lovely uk holiday destinations there are many ways of relaxing at home, lovely garden furniture available, barbeques etc. Im happy to have a good book in the garden sitting on my patio.
Think about our grandparents generation, going through war and strikes. They coped and no one went on package holidays. Its a relatively new concept that many want to jump on the bandwagon. If their friends can go to on holiday abroad then they must go too.
Find contentment and mindfulness at home

I can understand the need to get away Ethelwasherel we are not all the same. It all depends on people’s personal circumstances.
If we for instance tried to take a holiday at home it really wouldn’t work My DH especially works 50 or so hours a week in our business The office is connected to the house We have staff to run the office but he would never relax. The phone would still ring out of hours and his mobile would probably be permanently going
We only holiday in the UK but leaving all the hassles behind is a real tonic especially as neither of us are spring chickens and he needs to turn off for his mental well-being

Thank you Annie1962 and GillT57 for your good wishes and best wishes for your SIL Annie1962 and huge hugs to Saggi and Jaylucy and for all those who may have found our posts about our longed for holidays insensitive.

Heartfelt commiserations to anyone not having their desired holiday this year and for those that do get away for a change of scene either in the UK or abroad, enjoy.

I spend my holidays learning Greek, catching up with the islanders' news, photographing birds and the scenery and walking and hiking with only the company of goats, lizards, bee eaters and if I'm lucky raptors high above (far safer to do so alone in Greece and equally walking "home" in the dark, unlike the UK) all the while enjoying the unpolluted air, the far reaching vistas and the total peace and quiet up in the hills and at night, with nay a greasy pavement cafe or hangover on the agenda!