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14 February 2016

A Fabulous French Getaway #SummerLove

For the past five years we have holidayed in France, we love the sites, food and lifestyle and a big bonus is that we can drive there. I have a fear of flying and with the channel tunnel providing quick and easy access to France, it makes this a great alternative. However, this year I have decided I need to face my fear, I have spoken to a hypnotherapist and we are going to work on it together, even as I write this though, the thought of flying makes me feel slightly ill.

Our French holidays have always been in gîtes, these are holiday rentals, usually rural but sometimes in the middle of towns. This gives us our own space, where we can do what we want, when we want, make our own food and have plenty of room to play and relax together. This has always made our holidays special, spending time with just the four of us, enjoying something different to home.


Our favourite holiday memory is of a place that we loved so much, we went back the next year, the garden at our sprawling gîte in the middle of nowhere was the perfect place for us to let off some steam. Having a huge garden means the children can play together and have enough room to run around and do what they do best, be silly.


Having a country park complete with lake and beach nearby was the icing on the cake. It was the perfect place for the children to build sandcastles and have a paddle and for mum and dad to spend some time relaxing time in the water and sunshine.



The picnics on the beach were a perfect opportunity for us all to snuggle under towels and eat slightly sandy baguettes while mum and dad sipped on some local cider. Being on holiday and experiencing new things is always the highlight of our year. Looking back, one of our fondest memories on this holiday was heading back to the lake later on in the day to celebrate a French bank holiday, with fireworks, live music and some lovely French cuisine it was a great way to immerse ourselves in the local community and culture.

This year though I would love to spread our family's wings and take the children on a plane for the first time. It would be amazing to return to a place I fell in love with when I was about 13, Menorca is a beautiful island and I'm sure the children would enjoy it there, visiting the beaches and water parks and maybe even taking a glass bottom boat trip to see some barracuda. The prospect of a gin distillery and vineyards also sounds good for the adults. Having a villa to ourselves and being able to lie in the sun undisturbed would be such fun, but being a short walk away from amazing food and beaches would be equally as welcome.


Life as two hard working parents is always busy, so having some space to just chill out and relax is our idea of heaven. We would most definitely hire a car to help us explore as much of the island as possible, picking up fabulous new memories on the way.

NB: This is my entry to the James Villa Holiday #SummerLove competition, all words and pictures are my own.

16 comments :

  1. Looks absolutely idyllic! What a fab family getaway!

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  2. Good luck in facing your fear of flying and also with the competition!

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  3. I hope you get over your fear of flying and get to Menorca. Good luck Ellie.

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  4. Menorca is a beautiful holiday destinatio... we took our daughters there for their first trip abroard and it was perfect.
    Good luck with conquering your fear of flying x

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  5. Love your pictures and how you clearly so much enjoy spending time together. Totally agree about being able to relax and have space around you too. Good luck with the comp!

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  6. Good luck with your entry lovely, we love France and are quite lucky at my MIL lives in Brittany so we always have somewhere to stay. xx

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  7. France has many lovely places to visit and the added bonus is its not too far to travel.

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  8. Good luck on that fear of flying - I am sure you can deal with it. We love France and are going there in May

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  9. I love your photo's -we are in a French Gite at the moment, although a visit to the beach yesterday was freezing, so no pictures of the kids in their swimming gear LOL

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  10. It looks beautiful! Good luck with the competition (the gin distillery sold me!! ;) ) I love villa holidays, they are perfect for families!

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  11. Looks like a perfect family holiday to me! Lots of happy smiles!

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  12. Good luck getting over your fear of flying - it'll be well worth it when you get there x

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  13. I love France too!! If I had to choose one country to go on holidays for the rest of my life, France would be it. Beautiful pics - how fantastic, to be beside the seaside.

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  14. Good luck with your hypnotherapy, I hope it works and you can go on your dream holiday!

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  15. Good luck with the flight, my brother has something to take the edge off from the doctor when he flies, but maybe he should try that instead, your holiday pictures look lovely x

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  16. Oh Ellie what wonderful memories! Sounds like you always have the best time and I do hope you can brave that fear, would be amazing to see even more of the world. Best of luck with the competition x

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