Lovely Alison, RDH Mom is our fabulous host this week. Go and see her and read her adoption series, it’s fab, nsightful, exciting, heart breaking and wonderful. And check out all the other gorgeous participants while you’re there. You know you want to.
Alison says:
“Vacations (that’s holidays if you’re a Brit like me, JB)…this is the time of year when most of us go on vacations. Show us and/or tell us about your favourite vacation – where you went, what you did, etc. Pictures would be great. Let’s all take a trip around the world via our FM friends!!”
My kids are aged 3 and 7 (nearly 8).
A perfect holiday is anywhere with them.
While I would love to do Disneyland, or take them skiing or exploring other cultures across the world, I feel there’s time for that later when they’re bigger…and we’re richer.
But we still manage to have our perfect holiday every year as long as there is a beach, space to play and somewhere to swim. This is what I was brought up on, and while in my teenage years we travelled a little further afield and often holidayed in France, I will never forget the pure excitement of building something fabulous with my bucket and spade, buying little packs of flags from the local shop to decorate my architectural triumphs, and learning the song, “Who’s Pigs are these?” at a local folk festival in the village hall in Port Eynon, South Wales. In fact, my dad and mum started us off in a round if it when they were taking me and the girls for a day out a couple of weeks ago.
The words are;
“Who’s pigs are these?
Who’s pigs are these?
They are John Potts
I can tell ‘em by their spots
And I found them in the vicarage garden.”
Sighhh, you’re so glad I shared that aren’t you?
We used to sing ‘liquorice’ garden when we were little, but only learned recently the real word. I prefer liquorice myself, I mean, a liquorice garden would be so cool.
Port Eynon is a tiny village on the Gower Peninsula. Every year we met up with the same group of people and stayed in a small area of a beach side campsite. I often wonder what Jackie, Deanne, Eleri And Carowyn are doing now. We had some really good times together. I still have a picture of myself and Jackie with tennis balls down our swimming costumes trying to look all grown up and erm, busty.
The lady in the village post office always remembered the four of us and commented on how we’d grown each year. The local people were always friendly and helpful and warm and there was always enough room on the beach for everyone.
It was here I learned the true meaning of the word ’sand’-wiches, and that I rock-pooled for the first time and floated in a rubber dinghy for the first time and probably really appreciated being part of a big family for maybe the first time.
We’d go on amazing cliff walks, and my dad would tell us stories of pirates and smugglers and buried treasure, a big part of Port Eynon’s history.
And on our first night every year my mum would cook us tomato soup and hotdogs as we set up our bunk beds and rolled out our sleep bags and it really felt like home.
The Gower is a beautiful part of the world and I hope to one day explore it with my little monkeys.
But for now I am happy to share it with all of you.
May 26th, 2008 at 2:46 am
nothing but nothing but nothing beats the beach. i used to take qoh every saturday and sunday, as the beach was a mile from our house. why oh why the (youknowtheword) did i move? sigh. well at least there’s the gower. and the lovely welsh weather…
oh wait. dang.
May 26th, 2008 at 7:48 am
Sounds like a lovely Vac.
No post from me this week, just making the rounds, visiting a few others.
May 26th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Oooo… lovely! I posted about a vacation when I was a kid too!
May 26th, 2008 at 8:19 am
How’s about everyone plan to come to the 2010 Olympics? We can all meet up in Vancouver, whadda’ya say?
May 26th, 2008 at 8:43 am
tomato soup and hot dogs! yum.
disneyland is over rated.
May 26th, 2008 at 10:15 am
I love the beach myself … ’tis why I live where I do (a block & a half from the Pacific Ocean in Southern California). Disneyland (about 30 minutes from me) and other ‘vacation destinations’ have an appeal now and again, but nothing compares to a family trip to the beach! I enjoyed your memories & love tomato soup, but have never had it with hot dogs ;–)
My Fun Monday is at Small Reflections today.
Hugs and blessings,
May 26th, 2008 at 10:47 am
It’s nice to have good memories about you childhood that aren’t polluted by unpleasant occurrences such as parents fighting and stress and unpleasantness. You are a lucky girl. I hope your girls will look back with the same fondness. I am sure they will.
May 26th, 2008 at 11:20 am
looks and sounds like a wonderful place….childhood vacation memories are the best, aren’t they!!!
Thanks for playing this week!!
May 26th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Wonderful recollections of your family vacations. Don’t wait too long to get rich, it never worked for us, so we just went ahead and did things we could afford.
May 26th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
I caught just a glimpse of the Gower coast last year and it did look beautiful. I know how you feel about your holiday. When my girls were young we always went to Cornwall it is only in the last seven years that I have ventured abroad. I still love Cornwall, if only the summer weather was predictable!
May 26th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I’d prefer the licorice garden, too.
There is something about childhood vacations that stand out — we had no troubles or problems. Life was good.
May 26th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Another place to visit…thanks for the preview! Very nice!
Have a nice week!
May 27th, 2008 at 12:54 am
Thanks for all the comments folks. I will be doing the Fun Monday rounds tonight and tomorrow, I promise I haven;t forgotten you, but ee have a few days of madness planned.
May 27th, 2008 at 3:08 am
You paint a lovely picture of family holidays!
May 27th, 2008 at 5:32 am
Living on the Gulf Coast of Florida, I understand the pull of the beach and the ocean. I loved the song… I think licorice garden is better too.
May 27th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Your vacations to South Wales sound delightful, but I can do without a licorice garden.
May 27th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
What great memories you have of a lovely place. Thanks for sharing!
May 29th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Glad you enjoyed your visit to Gower. It’s my favourite place in the world and I am lucky enough to live there.
May 31st, 2008 at 3:48 am
I have a very similar photo of Culver Hole taken about 1954.
I am a Gower exile in Ireland. I miss it extremely.