Well my friends, I have to admit that I am becoming rather excited about next week. We have rented a villa in southern Portugal and we are flying out there on Saturday from John Lennon Airport in the suburbs of Liverpool. In fact, the villa is the very one shown in the two photos that accompany this blogpost.
When I say "we", I mean all nine of us - Shirley and I, Frances, Stewart, Phoebe and Margot, Ian, Sarah and Zachary. We have pushed the boat out on this private rental. It gets excellent reviews. We wanted the family holiday to be something really special to mark Ian's forthcoming fortieth birthday with a nod back to my seventieth birthday last October.
You never know what might lie ahead. Sometimes you have got to seize the moment and I have a feeling that this holiday will be one we will always remember for good reasons - when the babies were young and we were all in good health. I remember these lines from Bob Dylan's musical ode to his former wife, Sara. He recalled happy family holidays with their four children:-
Sleepin' in the woods by a fire in the night
Drinkin' white rum in a Portugal bar
Them playin' leapfrog and hearin' about Snow White
You in the marketplace in Savanna-la-Mar...
By the way, I realise that Savanna-la-Mar is in Jamaica and not Portugal.
Because of the trip to Portugal, I will not be able to blog in my now customary daily manner. However, taking a leaf out of Travel Penguin's book, I want to make some use of the "scheduling" facility in "Blogger". In fact I have already scheduled a new "Quiztime" blogpost for Sunday night. If I can simply find the time there may be other posts too.
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LATER: I have now pre-prepared more scheduled posts for next week. Each one is a poem I created along with a picture that I snapped some time in the past. Please note I won't be replying to any comments until I get back home.
Enjoy. Having the family all in one place is always such a joy.
ReplyDeleteIt's going to happen but who knows if it will ever happen again.
DeleteHave a great get together with your family. With globalization many families are not able to get together.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point Red. Many families are widely scattered.
DeleteWhat a wonderful family event this is going to be! Enjoy every moment. xx
ReplyDeleteI don't anticipate there will be any significant falling out.
DeleteThat looks like heaven. Have a wonderful time!
ReplyDeleteA luxurious place away from daily realities.
DeleteWow, looks like a great place for y'all to have a good time! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteYou could do one of your architectural posts on the villa Bob!
DeleteThe house and locale look like an idyllic spot where you will make the best of family memories. That's what it's all about!
ReplyDelete"DAD! YOU BURNT THE SAUSAGES!"
DeleteThe Villa looks fabulous! I hope you all have a wonderful time making happy memories.
ReplyDeleteFabulous yes! Like a fable or from a lifestyle magazine.
DeleteA villa in Spain! Do you have a cook and cleaner? I'm sure you are very much looking forward to a large family holiday in the sunshine. Mass family gatherings are so rare now, so treasure the experience.
ReplyDeleteNot Spain Andrew... That's next door.
DeleteI hope you all have a wonderful time and make some special memories!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kylie.
DeleteVery nice! I am sure you will all have a great holiday.
ReplyDeleteWe will try... and probably succeed.
DeleteIt looks idyllic, and what a view. Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThere#' a lighthouse just fifty metres away.
DeleteHow exciting, Portugal is on my need to see list, we will be in France next week
ReplyDeleteHave fun in southern France David!
DeleteHope you have a marvellous family holiday.
ReplyDeleteShame you can't join us Thelma.
DeleteHaving the entire family together is such a precious time. Enjoy your time together and all the beautiful moments and memories.
ReplyDeleteWe will follow your instruction Diaday.
DeleteFaro here you come. Hope you get lots of sunshine and drink plenty of Super Bock.
ReplyDeleteI drink Tetley's Dave. None of that foreign stuff.
DeleteThis sounds like a dream. I am so glad you're doing it.
ReplyDeleteI guess it was Ian's idea in the first place and what a good idea it was too.
DeleteWhat a posh looking place. I'm not sure how anyone could expect to have a good time in a place like that.
ReplyDeleteAll my posts are scheduled, sometimes up to two weeks in advance. I like having some time to think about things and weed out the weaker posts before they get published. It also takes the pressure off of writing them.
I wanted a beach hut made from driftwood but the others said No!
DeleteWonderful, stupendous, outstanding, lovely, heart-warming, .......
ReplyDeleteOne day I won't be here for the little ones but right now I am.
DeleteOh my goodness, Neil, doesn't that look fabulous! I sure hope it is and you all have a wonderful time and beautiful weather.
ReplyDeleteSorry I missed yesterday's post and just caught up now. What a sweet photo of Phoebe!
Thank you Ellen. It does indeed look fabulous.
DeleteHope you all have a wonderful week. The villa looks great. I'm not much of a traveller myself but for some reason I keep watching lots of episodes of the British TV show 'A Place in the Sun'. This place looks like the luxury properties only the hosts of the show usally get to have a peek at! (rather than the property hunters with a limited budget...)
ReplyDeleteWe could certainly have rented a much cheaper, less spacious property hemmed in by other villas.
DeleteBoa Viagem.
ReplyDeleteIs that a kind of snake?
DeleteHave a great time
ReplyDeleteYah Commandant!
DeleteHow exciting! I hope y'all have a wonderful time and please bring home lots of stories and photos to share.
ReplyDeleteThe main thing is I don't want any disasters or crises.
DeleteI have scheduled my answers to the quiz.
ReplyDelete