Beavan road trip 2012...why we are definatly not taking a 'staycation'!

Packing the car in France last year on the first leg of the trip.

Much has been written recently about the 'Joys' of the 'staycation' i.e. staying at home for the holidays instead of travelling abroad.

We try, wherever possible, to take the children abroad each summer.

This does not cost as much as you may think, and ironically it is cheaper (sometimes by half!) for us to put our 12 man tent up in France as it is here, in the UK.

Now run that one by me......

A wet rainy field in the UK is twice as expensive as a lovely hot campsite with a swimming pool  in France.

Yes, actually.

Hmmm, now where I am going to choose?

I would hazard a guess that if you gave the average family in the UK £2,000 and asked where they were going on holiday, they would say over seas! After the dreadful summer we have endured so far, I do not blame them!

Prague 2004-This verses.....  

North Wales Summer 2012.........or this!

So there's the stark comparison.

Call me unpatriotic if you wish, but we are off to the continent again, as fortunately we have the choice!

We always drive now, since the days of budget airlines (where we paid £30 each for the children to fly to Prague!!!) are well and truly over.

Petrol is cheaper in Europe, I can really bore you and tell you exactly where too (we have it all marked on our faithful map).

We used to drive through the night and sleep in the car, but age has caught up with us now , so we pay to stay in the budget hotels that have thankfully sprung up for overnight travellers. Glamourous they are not, but they serve the purpose and give us some rest.

Having lots of friends across Europe helps as well. Last summer we broke up our journey by staying with friends in Germany and Switzerland, which was great, and wonderful to catch up with them all again.

Having lived and worked in Prague for five years we took the opportunity to travel everywhere. Thus, we have built up a wealth of places to stay with a larger than average family size that do not cost the earth! In fact some are still amazingly cheap. Thankfully!

The last hot summer 2003, ironically the year I was expecting Joshua .

The last really hot summer we had, was nine years ago. The year I was sadly expecting Joshua. I tried to enjoy it for the children's sake, but it was hard, knowing what we were all about to face. The children had a wonderful time at home. They played in the garden, made dens and carts, went in the swimming pool and made up endless games, went on picnics everywhere, to the beach and parks, up in the mountains and on cycle rides and had a wonderful time. We live in an amazingly beautiful place, and when we have good weather there is so much to do.

When...........

When we stayed at home 4 years ago, it rained, and rained ALL summer.

I consider myself a creative person, but by the end of six weeks I was loosing the will to live, as where the children. I taught them to paint on silk, to make pots out of clay and basic Calligraphy. Each year we have a summer project where I try and instil a new skill. As they have got older the groans have got louder, sometimes, depending on what this is!

We went out to as many indoor things as we could.

We ended up spending quite a bit of money, as not everything is free!

We all had a good summer, but it wasn't exactly a summer break.

Assisi, Italy, summer 2011

As the children have got older we have realised how much we need a break where we can take them away each year. Their lives are incredibly full with school, activities and friends and often we find we need to go away to all 'touch base' again with each other, where there are no distractions and we can really spend quality time with each other on a daily basis without the hassles of everyday life and all it involves.

I am also aware as each year passes, another child is no longer present in the holiday photos. I am sure, if we paid for them, they would all come along, and now and again we have managed to do so, but as their own families start to grow, I know this will be harder to do. We have some close friends who had six children, they now have 33 grandchildren! Every few years they all hire a beach house and come from all over America to stay, together for a week. This is what I hope we will eventually do!

So I want to take the children away to enjoy what time we have left with them. Susie is coming this year for half the holiday, and flying back to work for the rest as she cannot take so much time off. Luke and Bella have just two years until University and I am not sure they will want to come away then, and may well be doing other things, Martha has four years. It sounds a lot, but I know how fast time passes.

So for us, it is essential now that we go away.

Other things go on hold.

We have been without an oven for 7 months! It is amazing what you can cook with four gas rings when you need to!

We also work extra jobs.

This year I have not managed to do my examining work, as we had Abie's wedding during the period I am most needed and I knew it would be impossible to do anything. Simon has continued to lecture one evening.

For us, it is worth the costs, which as I said we keep as minimal as possible.

I will begin to write more as we start to prepare for this holiday in case you are wondering what it's like to get ready and any hints and tips I may have.