Best Vacation Spot

There are many places i could choose, since hubby and i have been to a wide range of places on holiday. Some of those have been in the UK and others in Europe and the USA. For the purpose of this particular post, i am going to choose two. This gives me the chance to think about one with our son and one where there was just the two of us.

Almost exactly 4 years ago when our son turned 18 we travelled to Rome, taking with us our nephew who is just 3 months older. It was their first trip together as adults and since they were both keen history students, Rome seemed a good choice. As we have an only child we have taken his cousin away with us many times, they get on so well together and have always kept company for each other. We chose a relatively cheap, but comfortable hotel in the centre of the city near the Colosseum. Just right for wandering the historic sites, and generally looking around. None of us were disappointed by the beauty of the place, nor by the food - contrary to what you read, it is possible to find good food without breaking the bank. What is more we also had some good wine. We were awed by the Colosseum and Palatine, and amazed by the Vatican. We walked to the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. They went off on their own, to a bar after dinner of an evening and we went to somewhere quieter. Even though it was February it was surprisingly warm. The perfect treat for an 18th birthday i'd say (and they did).

The other best place for me was our trip to Northern California. Again this was a birthday trip, this time for hubby's 50th birthday (Also just over 4 years ago), we had been due to travel with my parents, but just a few days before, my mum had her second stroke and wasn't allowed to travel. I have never forgotten my dad's selflessness as he drove us to the airport for what was meant to have been his trip of a life time to see the Redwoods of California.

The trip was in 3 parts, firstly to San Francisco, then on to Vegas and finally a house overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Bodega Bay. All of the trip was wonderful, but it was the last part of the trip that was the most memorable. We spent a week, with glorious hot October sun, exploring the area and sitting on our lovely deck watching the sea. We walked along the amazing beaches and along the rugged cliff tops. We drove along highway 1 stopping to look at views. Hubby was in his element in his convertible Sebring. We visited the redwoods and knew my dad would have just loved to have been there.

We ate local seafood, we read our books, we sat on our deck drinking Californian wine, we relaxed in our hot tub late into the evening....

Both were wonderful holidays, they conjure up the most wonderful memories.

Memories to hold on to

All photos are from my own album