August - the holiday month
7/28/20267 min read
August – the Holiday Month!
August, the holiday month! Not the only holiday month, I know, but it’s a common one for many, and it’s the month when France, Italy and Spain tend to shut up shop and send out out-of-office replies announcing that the office will be closed for most of the month. I’m so jealous of that!
The long-awaited break that everything has been leading up to. As that’s the case, I like to stretch it out for as long as possible. You can lengthen your enjoyment of your holiday before you even go by anticipating it. Once all the practical things have been ticked off – the booking and the paying – you can simply enjoy dreaming about it and getting into the holiday vibe.
That can be very different depending on where you’re going – thinking about hot, relaxed days in Greece: sun, sea and sand, calamari, beer and gyros; or sun, sea and sand Irish style: bracing breezes, wetsuits, Guinness, chowder and soda bread slathered with butter; the beauty and invigorating air of an Alpine hiking holiday; or markets and siestas in the French countryside.
My holidays are usually Europe-based and not that far afield, but if your special break is to South-East Asia or South America, there’s even more to get excited about. This year, for me, it’s nearby Normandy and camping on the North Devon coast, so I’m dreaming of lush French countryside vibes mixed with bracing beach time.
I’m thinking about lazy mornings with croissants and coffee, spending hours reading in a beautiful garden, extended lunches with wine and gorgeous Normandy cheeses, seaside lunches of moules frites, and platters of fruits de mer at the end of the day. For the camping portion: the unspoilt Devon coast, waking up (hopefully!) to sea views, the bracing Atlantic, fish and chips, cream teas and chilling around a campfire.
Needless to say, I focus massively on the food of the region I’m going to. For me, in France, that means pinning down the dates of the local markets so I can browse the local specialities and fresh produce. In Normandy I’ll be seeking out Andouille de Vire, boudin noir with Normandy’s famous apples, the wonderful cheeses – Camembert, Livarot, Neufchâtel and Pont-l’Évêque – and, oh yes, good old Tripes à la mode de Caen, as well as all the beautiful seafood the region has to offer. I hope I’m there long enough to eat EVERYTHING! Normandy isn’t known for wine, so we’ll be looking for some traditional cidre instead.
As well as dreaming about what I’m going to eat, I like to plan my reading. Enjoying uninterrupted reading on holiday is one of life’s great pleasures. I usually have a TBR list as long as my arm, so I have no shortage of things to choose from, but there are some criteria I use to ensure a diverse spread.
French language: It’s usually on holiday that I remember to read something in French to keep my language skills up. This year I’m going for a couple of titles that have recently been recommended to me: Clara lit Proust (Clara Reads Proust) by Stéphane Carlier and Les Yeux de Mona (Mona’s Eyes) by Thomas Schlesser – both available in English too.
Personal development: I love a bit of neuroscience or mindset reading, and I’m taking Mind Your Mindset by Michael and Megan Hyatt.
Otherwise, I’m following my interest in the writer George Sand and have bought the recent biography Becoming George Sand by Fiona Sampson.
And, of course, our book club choice: Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene.
As well as thinking and dreaming about the holiday, I enjoy the practical side of getting ready for it.
I always pack a few days ahead so I can spot if anything is missing. I’ve finally settled on trying to take everything I need with me. It’s not absolutely necessary because chances are you’re not going somewhere completely remote and you can usually pick things up when you arrive. Until you can’t!
I’ve decided I don’t want to spend the start of my holiday hunting for whatever I forgot to pack. There’s the hassle of finding the right pharmacy or shop and figuring out the local equivalent. It all came to a head when I went on a yoga retreat in Provence. I realised I didn’t have much contact lens solution but thought, “No worries, I’ll pick some up at the airport.” There wasn’t any. “No worries, I’m going to France! Their pharmacies are excellent.”
So, when I got there, instead of relaxing and savouring straight away, my focus was on tracking down contact lens solution, which I eventually found after trying several opticians. But I hadn’t gone there to buy contact lens solution! I’d gone there to relax and recharge. I did, eventually, but I could have done without the contact lens solution quest.
I want to be able to sink straight into my holiday rather than worry about topping up on cotton wool or toiletries. Another thing about buying everyday items abroad is that they’re often surprisingly expensive. Sun cream in Greece? More expensive than you’d expect. Paracetamol that costs pennies in your weekly supermarket shop? You’ll pay considerably more abroad. I remember paying €18 for insect bite cream in Spain when I know it would have cost £5 or £6 at Boots or Superdrug.
So, plan ahead. The obvious solution is to keep a holiday checklist.
Packing
I don’t stress about packing because I have a simple formula made up of everyday wear and specialist gear.
Everyday wear
I choose three bottoms and three tops, all of which coordinate, giving me nine outfit combinations. Add a layer and a dress and you have more than enough for a week’s holiday.
If you’re going away for longer and staying somewhere with a washing machine, simply wash everything after a week and voilà – your second week’s wardrobe is sorted. If you’re staying in a hotel for longer than a week, you’ll probably need a few extra pieces unless you’re happy to pay for laundry.
What you take obviously depends on where you’re going. If it’s sunny Greece then a pair of shorts, a cotton or linen skirt and some lightweight trousers, with three short-sleeved tops, will probably suffice. If you’re going to Ireland, then all your bottoms are likely to be full length, with long-sleeved cotton or linen tops. Linen feels especially appropriate given Ireland’s long history of linen production. But, of course, always check the weather forecast!
I’m going to Normandy, whose climate isn’t too dissimilar to the UK, so I’m taking denim shorts, a cotton skirt and linen trousers, together with a short-sleeved top, a T-shirt and a navy-and-cream marinière for the coastal vibe. My extra layer is a linen shirt, which works over any of those outfits and provides another top, making three more combinations.
Two pairs of shoes usually suffice. I’m taking a pair of elevated flip-flops and a pair of comfortable strappy sandals.
Then there’s my travel outfit. I think about that differently depending on whether I’m flying or driving. For this holiday it’ll be relaxed jeans, a T-shirt, my linen shirt as a layer and the flip-flops.
Specialist gear
This is where I think about what activities I’ll actually be doing. If it’s a hiking holiday, then walking boots, comfortable technical layers and a hat. If it’s a beach holiday, then swimwear and a beach cover-up. I often find that a swimsuit can double up as a top and the cover-up can become another useful layer. Two or more cossies are useful for a beach holiday where you'll spend a lot of time in water.
If you’re planning a particularly glamorous evening, factor that in too. Holidays for me are generally very relaxed, so I’m happy wearing my everyday clothes for evenings out.
I’ll be taking beachwear for Normandy, but I’m also going to throw in my raincoat and a pair of trainers, just to have some closed shoes if it rains. Rain isn’t forecast, but it’s north-west France and the weather can be changeable. That’s one of the advantages of driving.
Talking of the journey, that’s something I’ve really worked on over the years: enjoy the journey. Travel can be one of life’s greatest stressors, so I consciously set out to enjoy it as much as I can. That’s partly about mindset and partly about preparation.
Being as comfortable as possible is key. For me that means relaxed clothing, no contact lenses and no make-up. Whether you’re on a plane or in an air-conditioned car, it’s a very drying environment, so I always have moisturiser, lip balm, hand cream, facial spray and eye drops with me.
I love creating little rituals around air travel: browsing the duty-free perfume section, whether or not I intend to buy anything, relaxing with a coffee, making sure I have plenty of time so I’m never rushing, and ensuring my reading and listening material is ready. Once I’m on the plane, I like to listen to a guided meditation before moisturising, spritzing my face and settling down with my book of choice. I relish that rare opportunity simply to be still and rest.
When we drive on holiday, I love an early start – really early, like 4 a.m. It feels wonderfully adventurous, even if we’re only heading for the Eurotunnel. The children are usually asleep or plugged into their devices, while Tom and I put on a history audiobook. If we can make it about the history of the place we’re visiting, so much the better.
Long drives are also brilliant for life admin and those bigger conversations: “Where do we see ourselves in five years’ time?” We often end up doing quite a bit of financial planning as well as discussing future holiday ideas!
Enjoy the journey. That’s one of the best metaphors for life, isn’t it? Rather than living from one milestone to the next and feeling a little flat in between, make the most of every day. There is the most wonderful blog about this, how to cultivate a life of contentment (rather than chasing happiness): The Simply Luxurious Life. It’s packed full of content about making the most of life and well worth a visit
So there you are – a two-week holiday can be extended by several more weeks simply by dreaming about it beforehand and preparing for it with pleasure.
However you’re spending your August – by the sea, in the countryside, in the mountains or at home enjoying a staycation – I hope you have a wonderful time! See you on the other side!
