The best holiday moments #SummerLove

Both myself and ‘the POD Father’ were well traveled before we met. I spent two years living and working in Australia while back-packed around SE Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji around the same time. As a couple our summer holidays mostly involved exploration of some kind whether in Europe or destinations further afield such as Tahiti, Canada and Antigua.

South America was on our bucket list for some time before our trip to Venezuela. We got to see the magnificent Angel Falls, sleep in the jungle and walk behind Sapo Falls – the waterfall rumoured to have featured in the film Last of the Mohicans. In New Zealand, we trekked the World-renowned Tongariro Crossing. Heralded as one of the top ten single day treks in the World, the 19.4 km trail is a landscape of craters, scattered pumice, active volcanoes, mountain springs, old lava flows, emerald lakes, piles of scoria and statue-like mounds of volcanic desert.

As you’d expect holidays have changed a great deal since ‘POD’ arrived on Christmas Day 2010. Her first experience abroad was to Kalkan in Turkey. For two weeks we had the most fabulous hilltop villa with a pool and stunning views across the Mediterranean. We had a car too which meant we reach the local amenities quickly and explore sought after destinations further afield.

Last year saw us take several family holidays, bringing with them superb memories. Favourites included Greece where we saw our tennis mojo return having not played regularly since before POD was born. The POD Father tried his hand at sailing as well. Meanwhile POD loved her mornings in Mini Club as she got to find superheroes, race boats and sail. She also tried tennis for the first time too.

Exploring the Côte d’Opale by car was just wonderful. We took in historic sights at Cap Blanc Nez and Cape Gris Nez and discovered the likes of Wissant, Ambleteuse, Audresselles & Wimereaux along the way. In Boulogne-sur-Mer, we were able to squeeze in a visit to the incredible aquarium NAUSICAA. It was a holiday that saw POD try moules-frites and she loved them – the chips and the mussels!

We love seeking out unspoilt beauty spots and the idyllic Cervione was certainly one of those with its stone houses, cobbled alleyways and staggering views. Cascade de L’Ucelluline was also an experience not to be forgotten especially standing beneath a waterfall. Corsica saw us enjoy more tennis and an array of watersports – this photograph showing the POD Father and POD sailing on the calmest of days. I’d followed in a safety boat so I could capture the action and photograph the resort from a different perspective. POD tried windsurfing and kayaking too.

Probably the most memorable moment last year however was in Corsica when POD swam on her own, something she’d not done before. She was wearing armbands but to go from the middle of a pool to the side with no help (other than yells of encouragement!) was something else. She was so pleased with herself. Luckily, as I almost always have a camera in hand, that joyous expression was captured. Although I did record a little clip at the time, we have a GoPro now as we love the photograph video combo in posts. POD recently started swimming lessons and she’s doing brilliantly already, she loves the water!

This year the Doves would love to visit Menorca with James Villa Holidays. They have a superb collection of villas which have their own private pool. We had an awesome time on our last villa holiday and now POD is five, there’s even more fun to be had. As well as making the most of the villa itself, there’s much to discover in Menorca from archaeological remains and ancient sites to the Unesco Biosphere Reserve and boat trips. A carajillo and some tapas in Plaça des Born, Ciutadella might not go amiss either!