We can do it all!

Claire Bottone on 14 August 2014
So we all know how the 'Holiday' conversation starts at the dinner table .. 'So where shall we go for our holiday next year kids?'

Having spent the last few years at a luxury All Inclusive hotel in Turkey that really did tick all of the boxes , I had braced myself for ' Lets go back' But it never came. Instead an array of requests started to emerge from my children's mouths and soon my husband joined in :

*I want to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower *I fancy somewhere simple on the beach - Greece maybe, with restaurants to walk out to of an evening *I want to go to Disneyland ! *Italy - Tuscany really, those rolling hills and vineyards *I have always wanted to go to Florence *Rome , Definitely Rome - We could see where the gladiators fought !

Now in an average household this may have erupted into a major family argument with each member defending their suggestion. But in this case I found myself literally straightening in the chair as if to physically rise to the challenge.

'No problem' I said 'We can do that - We can do them all!'

And we did! And what a marvelous time we had!

Firstly we took the morning Eurostar to Paris linked onto the metro to our wonderful hotel for a 2 nights stay in Notre Dame Des Champs. We ate lunch on the first floor of the Eiffel tower and explored Paris by open air bus, looked for Quasimodo at Notre Dame and tied a lock to the bridge at Ponts Des Arts. Watched the world go by in a Parisian square and found the best 'Pommes Frites' in the world apparently (According to my youngest son)

The next day we took the RER to Marne La Vallee for Disneyland - A very simple trip that took just over an hour. We ate at Chez Remys, took in the parades and shows and rollercoasters and all that is the wonder of Disneyland.

We flew to Bologna the morning after. A small town in northern Italy famed for its Bolognese sauce. We certainly acclimatized ourselves quickly enough with the Italian food and a couple of relaxing days with long lunches and exploring the churches and squares this charming town has to offer was a welcome wind down.

We wish we had stayed longer in Florence our next stop, we took the train from Bologna and we were there for lunch. Our simple but central hotel was perfect. The kids loved climbing the Duomo, and we went through the Tuscan hillsides to a Vineyard for lunch. We visited the magical town of Siena and stopped by the Leaning Tower of Pisa where everyone filled their social media pages with the tower in their pocket, in an ice cream cone, pushing it over etc.

From Florence to Rome, again by train, again simple fast and punctual. And Rome was amazing for us all! The icing on the cake was the VIP tour of the Colosseum with access to the third tier and underground tunnels all that was missing was Russell Crowe (Or maybe that was just me?)

After 10 days of excitement it was time to hit the beach and we were all ready for some real relaxation. Our early flight to Santorini was forgiven as soon as we arrived at our hotel by the sea, where Yiannis the owner offered us a very cold Mythos beer and a swim in the inviting pool. Santorini is a place everybody should visit and will remain very special I think in all of our family's hearts. There are not many places left where you can wander out of an evening to a wealth of restaurants serving traditional Greek food that still retain the laid back atmosphere of simple Greece. The trip to Fira and the Caldera offered us views that are beyond words and the boat trip to the centre of the volcano and a swim in the hot springs will never be forgotten.

It was with sad faces that we left Santorini after a week of blissful family time. The holiday was simply perfect. I had pre booked all of our excursions, our transfers, our train tickets, I had made dinner reservations where possible - especially for Eiffel Tower and in Rome and Florence which meant that everything went smoothly and our holiday was exactly that - A holiday .. as the planning had all been done.

So if your family holiday conversation goes something like mine did - Then give me a call - You actually can 'Do it all'

Happy Holidays!