h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

.. well, I might or might not get to Worthing, which I associate with the above slogan, but at least I now have the basic itinerary sorted out for this year's summer holiday.

Which starts the day after tomorrow.

My husband has just this minute got in from a cycling weekend, and we planned to stay at home tomorrow (Monday) to deal with washing, packing and generally getting into the mood for going away again. Tuesday: drive to Calais, overnight in Calais, morning ferry to Dover. Wednesday night in Brighton, Thursday, have a look at Brighton and visit my aunt who lives near Tunbridge Wells - should be less than an hour's drive. Lots more to do around Brighton - we'll play that by ear but except for one absolute must-see which is Fishbourne Palace.

Thence to Bournemouth (I hope to persuade hubby to come back again to do the Isle of Bluebottle), again to see stuff and do stuff and hopefully to get some proper holidaying in - i.e. reading blockbusters on the beach.

The following week - on to Devon where another cousin lives. Two nights there - rest on beach, or walk on Dartmoor and see interesting things. Plymouth would be nice, Exeter also has memories. Eden Project was another must-see, but there won't be time to do it justice, so that is shelved till next time.

After that the longest haul to my other cousin in Newbury. That'll be the worst journey. Any tips as to how to avoid the Stonehenge bottleneck? (Google says take the M4 and the M5 via Bristol, to avoid the A303) Hope to be in Newbury for lunch that day - will stay as long as my cousin can stand us, then up to Newmarket to be at my mother's for the evening. Shall probably take a route avoiding the M25, but it seems all routes are plagued with road works.

A couple of days at my mother's and then it's back to Dover and home the next day.

It's not been easy, balancing family, culture and holidaying in those 10 days, but I hope that we'll manage to make something of it, and not just spend the whole time in the car. I haven't driven a left-hand drive on the left-hand-side for at least 25 years. I suppose it'll be OK.

Happy holidays!

'Isle of Bluebottle'
Sounds like you'll have a good time to me.

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We're part of the way through now. Lots of driving, as I feared. Exacerbated by traffic jams (Brussels I'm looking at you). But good weather until an hour ago.

Great fun with my cousin yesterday. We're packing everything in that we planned. Fishbourne was really fun, and informative. And quite enigmatic.

We're home now. It really was a lot of driving, but I am glad I got to see quite a few of my relatives, who are spread all over the place. Most of my family, on both sides, are amazingly fit for their ages. My cousins on my father's side are in their mid-70s and it was really nice to see them. There's no knowing if and when I'll be able to see them again.

On my mother's side, the cousins are slightly younger and we spent a lovely afternoon with one family of that strain. The other cousin lives in Vancouver. Maybe one day...

Because of the long distances and the relative-visiting, we didn't fit in a lot of holidaying or sightseeing, but we made the most of what we did do and see, and were very lucky with the weather, so we even have seaside sun-tans!

Glad the weather was good to you TC. I am glad that all your relatives were in good health and you guys enjoyed yourself. Make sure your husband isn't too much under your feet now that he's retired. Keep him busy so he doesn't get bored.

A friend was recently singing the merits of getting retired men interested in model railways. Apparently it works wonders.

Oh, he has plenty to do. Funnily enough, we just moved the model railway (packed away in its box) as we are having upstairs re-carpeted in the coming weeks. We would never give it away or sell it. Maybe when the grandchildren are 7 or so, we can set it up again......

My 6 year old's been playing with my father-in-law's railway today...

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The 4 year old Fearghal has recently been playing with the dolls house my father made for his granny when I was 4 (67 years ago)

What exactly did he have the dolls and their house do? (Probably not the vacuuming?!?!?)