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…)
