Cappuccino and brioche: Holidays that Heal

Thursday 30 July 2015

Holidays that Heal

Now is the time of year when many people will be taking a holiday. Schools are closed and shops and businesses slowing down so their staff can enjoy a break. Holidays are hugely beneficial for putting you back on track. They are a chance for couples to restore their intimacy, for families to have fun and see each other in a happy relaxed light without the hectic time table of everyday life.
Everybody from Winnie-the-Pooh to Wordsworth knows the importance of taking time off, to recharge your batteries and put your mind and body back in balance and harmony.
Back in the sixties Cliff Richard made a film about travelling from Britain to Greece in a double decker bus and the theme song of the film I'm sure will make you want to plan a holiday immediately, even if it is a bit cheesy now.

Choose your holiday carefully, it should be an enriching experience. If you have a staycation, get to know your town or village and invite your neighbours round for a drink.
If you have small children there is nothing better than a 'Bucket and Spade' holiday. Dad lying down in the sand and being covered with mud pies, Mum being given a mermaid's tail, frolicking in the waves, getting down on your hands and knees with the kids, nothing is better than this. I've even read somewhere that playing with water, sand and mud is actually good for your soul, makes you a kinder person.
Today someone told me she was going to Las Vegas to repeat her wedding vows after twenty-five years of marriage. The whole family are going. We chatted about the way travel can enrich you, broaden your mind, open up your heart to other people, teach you about different customs. She is afraid she won't want to come home after seeing the amazing USA.

You might be able to tell that I haven't prepared this post at all, it's a lot of waffle isn't it?
What I really wanted to say is that holidays are important and make the best of the time you will have with your family, make precious memories to carry you through the winter. Find places that give you solace, that become places of tranquil restoration and have fun.

Here is a verse from William Wordsworth (1770-1850) which is an ode to the restorative powers of nature. He wrote it after visiting the Wye valley in Wales.

In darkness and amid the many shapes
Of joyless daylights; when the fretful stir
Unprofitable, and the fever of the world,
Have hung upon the beatings of my heart,
How oft, in spirit, have I turned to thee
O sylvan Wye1 Thou wanderer through the woods,
How often has my spirit turned to thee!