The Golden Oldies

There are about 3 days left until the end of January 2013 and I have only just realised, that I haven’t actually made any New Years resolutions. Now I don’t normally make any serious resolutions such as learn fluent French / read a novel a week / go to the gym 5x a week. It’s usually more along the lines of ‘try and be a nice person’… However this year I don’t even seem to have got round to thinking about that! So I instead I decided that I’ll think of something I’d genuinely quite like to do at some point. Perhaps not this year, perhaps not even next year, but something that I want to do and hopefully will do!

I have no idea whatsoever why this is the idea that sprung to mind… Why not plan a holiday with my paternal grandparents?

Before you quote me as mad, hear me out. My grandparents (i.e. my dear daddy’s parents) are divorced. Both are remarried. As the word ‘grandparent’ insinuates, both are retired. Therefore they have a lot of time on their hands. Both are for me an embodiment of cultural citizens; something to aspire to. She attends book clubs, sings in a choir, regularly plays in concerts on grand pianos, is a regular at art galleries and even took up the violin. He is an avid reader, foodie and lecturer. Not of the university variety, but of the kinsfolk kind – the slightest reference to politics and we’re off… Nonetheless it is without a shadow of a doubt that I feel that both of them see travelling as their ultimate hobby.  

Of course they’ve both done the obligatory retirement cruise round the Med, but what impresses me a whole lot more are their respective destinations within the last 5 years: Europe, North America, South America, Thailand, Japan, the Antarctic, Australia…  However both have a distinctly different travelling appetite.

Granny dear is a wild one. She’ll go and befriend the outback Koalas and chase some penguins around the South Pole. I reckon she can show me some riveting places and spaces. The Grandfather on the other hand travels differently. The hotels are exquisite and the service benign. Russian heiresses descend to brunch in their Louboutins and the food is divine!

Granny and Gramps don’t go to the ‘in’ places, but simply where they absolutely want to and more importantly how they want to, each loyal to their style. Both of which I want to experience… and who better to show me the world than my cultured grandparents?!

(Obviously I’m also hoping they’ll cover my costs, but whatevs…)