Holidays (or vacations)

Last night talk turned to holidays and where we are planning on going this Summer. J said that she would like to go to Scotland as she hasn't really seen much of it. Another option was North Wales because Snowdonia and the North Wales coast are my favourite bits of the British Isles. We didn't resolve anything, but this got me to thinking about past holidays. So here is my rundown or racent favourites:

South Africa
I've been to South Africa twice - in 97 and 99. It is a stunningly beautiful country. On my first trip I drove round the country from Johannesburg down through the Zulu War battlefields (Rorke's Drift and Isandhlwana) to Durban. In Durban I stayed with John and Hillary and their family (friends of my cousin). From Durban I drove along the South Coast to Grahamstown where I met up with a pen friend. Then I continued along the Garden Route to cape Town. I have to say that Cape Town is my favourite city. I love the place and could quite happily live there. A short stay in the winelands of Stellenbosch and Franschoek were a prelude to a drive through the Karoo desert to Kimberley and its Great Hole. Then from Kimberley it was back to Pretoria and Jo'burg.

On my second trip I spent less time in the car. I started off in Cape Town staying with my friends Antony and Tina. Then I went to Stellenbosch for a few days before heading to Durban. With John, Hillary and some friends we went camping in a game reserve in Zululand. Having met up with my cousin, he and I headed to the Mkuzi and Kruger game reserves and saw wonderful animals in their natural habitats. Lions, zebras, rhinos, elephants. The list goes on.

I would recommend South Africa to anyone. Just do your research, don't take unnecessary risks and you'll have a great time.

Rome & Pompeii
I've been to Rome 3 times now, twice with J. It's a great city for someone who loves history. Each time I've discouvered wonderful new treasures. A personal favourite is Nero's Golden House (Domus Aurea)which is currently closed due to water damage. Nonetheless this buried palace is a fantastic insight into the life of Nero.

Pompeii is just incredible. In Britain our Roman remains are usually a line of bricks on the ground marking where walls used to be. The baths in Bath and Hadrians Wall are as good as it gets. Yet Pompeii actually feels like a city. You don't need much imagination because it is all there, complete with graphiti and lewd brothel paintings. The plastercasts of dead inhabitants are incredibly moving and all in all it is the sort of place that you need days to explore, rather than the 2 hours we had.

Crete
This was the first holiday that J and I had together. we stayed in Agios Nicolios (forgive my spelling). This is a lovely quiet town, away from the clubbers and ravers. The highlight of the trip was a hike through the 18km Samaria Gorge. Plunging into the sea at the end of that was the very definition of the word "aaaahhhhhhh".