Are we there yet?

For one reason and another we haven't been away on a 'proper' family holiday for a couple of years so when the boys asked for one recently it was a pleasant surprise. They'd made it clear in the past that they preferred to head off with their friends instead of their boring old parents. We suspect that since none of them is earning, the reason for this change is entirely financial but nevertheless we are excited to revisit the happy Doherty clan holidays of yore.

We've had some eventful holidays in our time:

a terrifying caravan holiday in Scotland where His Nibs shredded his arm rescuing a toddler son who decided to step off a grass sledge at 40 MPH

a 'quaint chalet holiday' in Ireland which turned out to be a shed over a septic tank. [His Nibs, out of misplaced Irish loyalty, will deny this as an exagerration]

a wonderful holiday in Canada tainted by a trip to a colonial heritage site full of unfamiliar plants which triggered a hayfever attack so pronounced I narrowly avoided a trip to A and E, leaving me slit eyed and swollen faced for two days. Fantastic.

With all these delightful memories bobbling around in my head I've been looking at brochures galore. Croatia, Crete, Italy and France... Where to go? The boys are at an age where the usual family destinations are a bit childish but they probably would tire of museums, art galleries and other cultural highlights quite quickly. Their father certainly would. Sigh.

In the meantime I'm enjoying perusing the options. We'll likely end up going somewhere completely unexpected but I'll be taking full first aid kit, antihistamine and extra cash for a speedy getaway. Just in case!