Do we know how to travel?
posted 13th October 2023
Do we really know how to travel?
A very controversial question, I know. I have worked in the travel industry for over 28 years and have been lucky enough to travel extensively, experiencing the most incredible history, hospitality, and culture far and wide. Travelling as a family and a single mum, there is nothing better than a good old all-inclusive, I don't have to worry about what time we get up and will he like the food; there is so much choice. The pressure is off, and we can relax, but are we relaxed or are we just in a different rat race, queuing in our masses for buffet dinner, making sure we arrive on time for the entertainment to get a good seat and let's not even mention the sunbed debacle.
Don't get me wrong, I love an all-inclusive, I have made some incredible friends and stayed in some magnificent hotels. And I must confess I am partial to cheese and ham toasties at lunchtime. As for Archie, well he is the epitome of an all-inclusive junkie; he wants to stay by the pool all day, strops at the mere mention of doing anything different and even manages to secure a staff entertainment T-shirt, and at 6:00pm every night, he would be there waiting to co-lead the children's evening activities! That was my holiday treadmill as a parent. We may think we know how to holiday; all-inclusive resorts offer relaxation and convenience, but are we truly relaxed or just in a ham-and-cheese toastie-induced delusion?
I used to book holidays worldwide to some of the most fascinating destinations, but a vast number of us love and still book our firm favourites. But what if we tried a different country or a smaller, lesser-known resort? Try an activity that we usually wouldn't, or switch to B&B. Is it time to rethink how we holiday with our children and friends, at least occasionally?
In the words of Aristotle, "Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all." And having just returned to the most idyllic Greek Island after 18 years, my gosh, my heart feels full and my head clearer. After a very stressful start to the year, I didn't think it would be possible for us to get away this summer. But a few phone calls later to my wonderful Greek friends, and within three days, we flew to Athens and then headed off to Poros.
I decided on an overnight in Athens as I wanted Arch to experience just a snippet of what this incredible city offers - mad, I hear you cry! August, city, busy, extremely hot, and with a hormonal (almost) teenager in tow! But surprisingly not so, we downloaded the Free Now app (like Uber) to get across the city and found the most innovative and original way to see the sites - Fat Bikes. It is fun, refreshing, and relatively cool (trendy and heat-wise!) way to experience the city's most fascinating ancient monuments. Nick and Theodora were entertaining and educational storytellers, and Arch had the most marvelous time whizzing around the city! If you can ride a bike, you can use one of these, or for younger children, pop them on the back. https://wheelzathens.com/
After a late lunch stop at the port with some friends from Scotland, we headed over to Pireaus to catch the flying dolphin to Poros. That was another source of education and excitement as we left it right to the last minute. I would say that 95% of the drivers speak English. The driver that was first to arrive didn't, so I used charades to demonstrate we needed to get to gate 8 for the flying dolphin to Poros. I pronounced Poros, Hydra and Spetses in my best Greek accent (although it sounded more French to me) whilst flapping my arms simultaneously pretending to dive with my nose. Arch was super amused and I could have won comedy gold right there.
PART 2 COMING SOON...