My one serious resolution this year is to take a proper holiday for me. In previous years time off work was used for gigging / touring which isn’t exactly a stress-free holiday, however, now I have hung up my headphones and put the synthisisers into retirement I need a few proper days off. And im looking for some ideas as to where I can go and what I can do when I get there.
There are a few problems:
Money – I don’t have very much of it. so curses and stuff like that are right out.
Flying – for a whole sack-load of reasons, I don’t fly, so its boats and trains.
Lonely – I don’t do well on my own, so something where I can meet other people.
Crowdey – im not sure I like big cities and their crowdeyness.
Whot id like to do on my holiday:
Relax – doing nothing needs to be an option
Music – I would like to take a big crate of instruments and use some of them
Outdoors – not essential, but something near or in some nice forrest/coast would be ace.
Not Cook – not essential, but I would like to be fed without worrying about ingreadients or washing up.
Sailing – not essential, it has been ages since I was last in a proper boat, I miss it.
Europe’s gone flippin’ expensive, Chris. We went to Cyprus in 2004, 2007 and 2009. It went from being a rollicking good-value place to go in 2004, with cheap food and accommodation, to being a rip-off by our last trip in October. I hear that much of the rest of Europe is the same. Stung, we were. We did enjoy the laid-back atmosphere of scruffy but endearing northern Cyprus, though, and it’s a bit cheaper (it ain’t exacty a cinch to get from one side to the other, as they don’t get on…) and you can rely on the weather (boiling in July and August though). I think we’ll be doing short breaks in the UK this year at least until the pound catches up with the euro again. Cornwall’s a nice place!
im not planning on heading anywhere further then the top left of europe tbh, and even if i did i would most likley try to stay with freinds to reduce costs.
i have had a look at some ‘day skipper’ qualification cources on the irish coast but its 450 euros for the cource alone which is a bit too dear. Its a similar price at the english ports
and the crusing sailing thing was just one of my personal ideas, quashed by the iron boot of expence unfortunitly.
I also looked at the CAT (center for alternative technologies) they do weekend cources on intresting practical skills aswell for about £250 (a price which didnt scare the pants off me and may be a good indicator of future cost ballparks). However, if i did a cource i would like somthing official i can use on a CV (CAT specilise in renewable installations, permiculture and other craftey skills which are for the most part nt officially recognised qualifications) - unless the subject matter really intrestes me… (and to be fair, most of the things which really intrest me either have qualifications attached or are folk music.)
and i have alredy fallen into the trap of immidiatly earmarking the holiday for some sort of usuful education, which while usuful may not be the stress free retreat i was hoping for… humpf
im not hugley intrested in sea kayaking; if im on the water im under sail, on a ferry, or if pressed on a boat with an ‘eng-ine’ thing.
i mean it does sound fun, just not as much fun as going like the clappers under sail.
I will do you a curse for a rock-bottom price. But wait, if you send money today, I will give you the second curse absolutely free. Now where did I put my robe and black hat?
FLYING POLICY
If you are travelling from overseas, please bear in mind that we do not accept visitors who have come on an aeroplane.
The environmental cost of flying far out weighs the benefit of your stay. For details of our reasons, see > this page about flying> .
good shout! I was thinking about contacting the eco village communities, i didnt know they actually wanted help. That said, it would require hard work which may be contry to good relaxation.
yes i was planning to make a transatlantic freight crossing to tour my band on the east cost up to chicargo (via train) unfortunitly, i retired the band and i no longer spin in those circles, thus i dont really have a reason to make the two week voyage.
maby if i pick up some more cash form somwhere ill take the Queen Mary across and back with a few days in the middle (you can do single ‘traveller’ cruses)… but thats £1400 just for the travell! and i still dont really have any objectives to fulfill when i arrive there… and i would have to book a month more or less off work!
hence im limiting myself to places i can reach by train… which, to be fair, is still most of Europe.
The American Sailing Association! 
On a serious note have you ever had an interest in or tried sea kayaking?