Postcards from Claire

A wonderfully diverse country. We really wanted to tour around Morocco, as there is so much to see and do. We started in Marrakech – what a city! Our kids first visit to Africa and so culturally different to anything they have experience before. I loved the vibrancy, sounds and tastes. We stayed at a riad in the medina and everyone was so welcoming and helpful (the hand-drawn map from our riad manager was the only way we found our way back!) Next we went to the foothills of the Atlas Mountains to go horse-riding and zip-wiring at Terres d’Amanar. There are so many activities there you could stay a lot longer, but after 2 days we were off to the coast to the lagoon town of Oualidia. It is a beautiful place and we had a very relaxing stay at La Diouana where we were very well looked after by Abdillah and Fatima who cooked for us even though our French only stretched to basis requests. The lagoon and beaches keep us happy for the whole week.

Amazing place – and the Volcano! We were aiming for something for everyone so we spent a week near Cefalu enjoying a family resort on the beach. The kids absolutely loved the huge pool and the evening entertainment. Then we spent a few days in Taormina so us adults could see some sights. And what a sight – the view from our hotel room was of Mount Etna which was erupting while we were there. It was mesmerizing to watch the lava flow down the hillside in the evenings. We stayed at the Hotel Villa Sonia which was a great location, not just for the views, but also because we could walk to the village of Castelmola, but were also only a few minutes drive from lively Taormina. All of the landscape around Taormina has been influenced by the volcano, which I found fascinating and was even educational for the children!

A great place for a family reunion. We meet up with my brother and sister and their families who all live in North America so just being together and letting the kids enjoy themselves was the main priority. The Florida keys are amazing islands spanning over 100 miles between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico and the sea life is abundant and impressive. We stayed at Hawks Cay which is on an island of it’s own about halfway down the keys. It was easy to stay in the resort enjoying the pools, Jacuzzis, watersports, kids club and lovely restaurants, but it was just as good to get out an explore more of the keys. Visiting the Dolphin Research Center and getting to hold “fins” with them was one of the highlights of our trip.

Perfect for a relaxing break. We stayed at the Columbia Beach Resort for a week with our 2 young children and didn’t leave Pissouri Bay all week. We were happy to spend all day at the pool or on the beach. The kids made new friends at the kids club (which gave me a chance for a massage – what a treat!). In the evenings we either ate at the lovely restaurant at the hotel or strolled into the village for dinner and one of the several tavernas. It was all very relaxing and we’ll definitely go back.

My first trip to Scandinavia and what a beautiful place! Stockholm was very refreshing (and clean!) – there was even someone standing in the river and fishing as we crossed by on a bridge. When we were on the green island of Djurdarden it didn’t feel like a city at all and it was all very child-friendly. After Stockholm we travelled to the archipelago island of Orno via Dalarno. It was all such beautiful countryside and it was a truly relaxing week spent canoeing, walking, paddling out from a small beach and picking wild blueberries in the woods near our house. You really feel away from it all and back to nature which made for a great holiday.