My Wonderful?? Welsh Holiday.

Morning everyone, hope you are all well.

Hope you don’t mind me sharing this holiday saga with you as I am still chuckling to myself
Get yourself a cuppa and I won’t blame you if you nod off. .

HWMO and I have just arrived back home after spending 6 days at a holiday bungalow in Anglesey. It was meant to be 7 days but they had forecast horrific stormy weather for today so decided to come back a day early.

The day before the holiday, I was humming and haa-ing trying to think what to pack. (as you do). I know how flat and completely surrounded by the sea Anglesey is, so when the sun is not out, a jumper is definitely in order. So, to be on the safe side I put two warm jumpers in the case as well as a warm pair of cord trousers, my sturdy walking boots and a hooded jacket, just in case of rain when walking the dogs. But the rest of my clothes were flimsy summery clothes as I am ever the optimist!! After all, its flaming June! I certainly made sure we took our two phones, one laptop, one tablet, plus chargers.

Well, we arrived at the nearest resort from the property about 3 pm - it’s about a mile from the property (check-in not until 4.30pm) so took the dogs for a run on their beautiful beach. It was a lovely day, the sun was shining, the wind bracing, all was good with the world, my hair was making me look like medusa but I just didn’t care! we completed our walk and sat in the car with a lovely cup of Costa latte until it was time to go and greet our lovely holiday Bungalow.
We usually book the same cottage in Anglesey but this was a new adventure in a newly chosen property.

I had printed off the typed instructions on how to reach it (thank goodness) and after driving around 20 hairpin bends in a lane, we finally arrived at the lane that reached the property. (two large gates that had to be kept closed at all time according to the instructions), which meant HWMO had to get out of the car, open both gates, drive forward and get out again to close them again (hmm, that didn’t do his gammy knee much good as the stoppers for both gates to remain open were both at the bottom of these large wide gates). Never mind, we then saw the really pretty white Bungalow with its lovely seating areas outside the front of it, on beautifully manicured lawns (one seating area was under a porch). Great, I thought, just the place to read those brand new books I had brought with me.

According to the instructions, the key to the property would be found under the wheelie bin at the side of the property. But Eeek! There was no key! A quick phone call to the owners on the contact number should do the trick. But another Eeek! no signal from either of our phones! on our screens were just a forlorn little circle with a bar through it showing. OMG, no phone calls, no texts. So, off we set again in the car, trying frantically to find a phone signal, two huge gates to open and close again with HWMO now wincing as he bent to open the gates AGAIN! Drove through that bloomin lane to the main road, with me craning my neck every right hand sharp bend to see nothing was coming towards us. What a pallava! It wasn’t until we actually spotted the sea three-quarters of a mile down the road that we managed to get a signal on our phones.Thankyou EE!

Once we got through to the owner, she apologised profusely and told us that she had been trying to reach us on our contact number (Hello! no bloomin signal I wanted to shout at her) She then said that her property manager was en route to us with the keys as the cleaner had forgotten to put the keys under the bin!. Of course, I laughed with her, told her no problem, it could happen to anyone etc etc, (really I wanted to say “what sort of idiots are you employing?) my excuse being that I was rather tired by then, dying to get settled in and put the kettle on!

Anyhow, we drove back, went through the palava with the gates and sat waiting in the car for a further twenty minutes for the guy in a wax jacket and wellies to appear, which he did.

Once in, was very pleased with everything, Beautiful property with excellent furnishings. Milk, Tea, Coffee, Choc biscuits, bottle of Wine as a greeting. Very nice gesture. After two cups of tea, a brought from home Lemon Muffin and a chocolate biscuit from the greeting basket, I felt human again,and quite the pretend lady of the manor!

The weather wasn’t looking too bad, doggies were happily chasing a tennis ball thrown by HWMO on the lawn outside, the property also owned the field next door plus its own woodland, Not another house or person in sight or sound, Perfect escape from the world…..too much escape! I turned my laptop on to catch up with you fellow posters, only to see that there was no wifi. SOB! Same with the tablet. So there we were, no mobiles, no wifi, not even a landline with a payphone. God help us if either was taken ill. But I wasn’t going to worry about it. A few days without contact wouldn’t hurt us………..or would it!

I had, a couple of weeks earlier, cleverly arranged with Tesco to home deliver my usual weekly shop to the holiday property for the day after our arrival. The delivery was arranged between 1pm and 2pm. Of course, I had ordered lots of lovely goodies for our holiday so had only brought enough with us for two days at the most. Fortunately, we decided to pop into the resort on the morning of the day of delivery and able to get a phone signal, to suddenly receive a text from the Tesco delivery driver to apologise and say that he was running late and delivery would now be between 1pm and 4.20pm. Was a bit vexed about that as we had made plans to visit somewhere after the original delivery hour, but hey ho, not the end of the world. So we waited, and waited - 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 5pm 6pm, no Delivery! Even worse, no way of contacting them to enquire about the delay, and we didn't dare leave the property to find a signal in the resort in case the delivery driver turned up!

By 10pm we had completely given up. The next morning we drove into the resort in order to get a signal, no text or voicemail from Tesco for the non-delivery. I phoned Tesco to be informed that the driver had given up because he just couldn’t find the property. (I could understand that) but the cheeky beggars then wanted to know why it had taken us until the following morning to contact them! (I did give him a piece of my mind!)

Anyway, it ended up with us doing a shop in the local Asda supermarket and lugging it back with us.

The rest of the week went fine, which is more than the weather was! We had one single day of lovely sunshine, the rest of the time it was high winds, pouring rain and cold!. Even the seat outside with its lovely porch got soaked when it rained so we were stuck inside most of the time, (Lord, I missed the wifi then). Stir crazy doesn’t begin to describe it, I actually began to miss home! So when the weather forecast winds of up to 50 mph with driving rain, we decided to head back home a day early. Do you know what, it really felt nice to be back home, to sit in my lovely small garden admiring my newly planted summer plants.

So here I am fellow posters, happily ensconced on the sofa, happily whinging about my long looked forward to British holiday now over, and vowing to not go away on holiday next year as nothing ever goes right (well, until about March or so).

Do you suppose it's just me that has mishaps on holiday? Have you had any disasters on your holiday?

Re: My Wonderful?? Welsh Holiday.

It's nice to have you back Shrops. Sometimes it's just not worth it is it. Well at least that's what I am beginning to think these days. You are better off staying in Shropshire, it's a beautiful county, I was there last week to see for myself.

Re: My Wonderful?? Welsh Holiday.

Thanks LD,Shropshire really is beautiful. I am inclined to agree with you about British holiday escapes these days. It's only that we looked forward to being by the coast and escaping the everyday normality.
We seem to have more enjoyment going on day trips in our little campervan than paying a lot of money to stay in one place. so that will probably be on the cards next year, God Willing!

As I say, one couldn't fault the holiday accommodation itself. It was first class, its the flippin no signal, no wifi (described as a bit hit and miss in the brochure) No it wasn't! it was non-existent!

Re: My Wonderful?? Welsh Holiday.

Oh heck Shrops, what a fiasco! I hope Tesco refunded your money, at least. I was enjoying my caravan holiday in Suffolk but came home a day early because (a) sis didn’t seem to want to see me anymore, (though she has since visited me on a short trip back here), (b) the dark poorly lit caravan site, and (c) to get home because Holly had an upset tum and her medicine was at home.

Brother and I both felt the same, the relief at getting home. He just phoned and said when his wife’s sis had spoken of wanting to pop round, her face had fallen at the thought of visitors! They look upon their little flat as a sanctuary, their nest, and feel intruded if people call round. I tend to feel the same.

Slightly off topic, I know, but it’s the feeling that home is best. Everything you want is there. Well in my case, not a garden, but I’m working on that.

Re: My Wonderful?? Welsh Holiday.

oh dear SG the bit about the phone signal made me think of going to Wales with my son.
The week before we went to stay in a remote cottage on a walking holiday he met a new girlfriend (who went on to be his wife) and I seemed to spend a lot of time driving up the Preseli Mountains to get a signal on his phone so he could speak to her.

Re: My Wonderful?? Welsh Holiday.

...same holiday as above, on the first night Amy my dog developed a severe allergic reaction to something and her head swelled up . I sat up all night applying cold compresses until the morning when I drove into the nearest town to find a vet.
I then developed a chest infection and was ill all holiday.

Re: My Wonderful?? Welsh Holiday.

Must admit, was open-mouthed when checked my delivery account to see that Tesco had it down as "delivered", but a quick check on my email confirmed that they had given a full refund for the shop.

Know exactly how you feel Jazzi. Home is definitely our sanctuary, especially as one gets older. HWMO is convinced I am getting more paranoid as I age. He laughed when I told him to keep an eye on our little white dogs whilst we were on holiday. I kept thinking of the picture I witnessed in the paper a week or so ago, of that bird of prey that the Authorities have released into the wilds of Scotland, (can't remember whether it was an eagle or some type of hawk) and which one of them picked up and carried off a little lamb in its talons. I kept envisioning the same happening to either of my two similar lamb sized doggies in the wilds of Wales!!!

Here at home I leave the back door always ajar so they can scamper about on their own in the garden (I know exactly where to look for their doings) I never worry as long as I can see them from the kitchen window. But I was always worrying at the holiday property, It was vast and I kept thinking could they escape through one of the hedges, Are there birds of prey around? I spent more time worrying about them than relaxing with a book!

I seem to have too much time to worry these days, but I still can't get that picture of that tiny little innocent lamb being carried off by that bird of prey and then looking at my two and thinking how easy it would be to do the same with them. Sigh!

Oh well, never mind Jazzi, like me, you're home now. I'm sorry your holiday wasn't all you expected. These things happen, certainly not your fault.

Big hug from me.

Re: My Wonderful?? Welsh Holiday.

Shropshire Girl, when on holiday I never have i pad or phone for internet, I read a book. Daughter has both the former. We tend to do things like wander around town centres & shop.

One year we went to Winchester, it's a lovely city, but, we didn't stay long as the whole place was plagued by flying ants swarming in their thousands, it was horrible. I had never seen so many all at once. I have never been back there.

Re: My Wonderful?? Welsh Holiday.

Yes, that would irritate us too. A couple of years ago, we rented a holiday cottage in The Trossachs. Wonderful. Everything just worked. WiFi, phone coverage, big garden....
Ideal with lots of places to walk with the hairy hound.

Re: My Wonderful?? Welsh Holiday.

Meg, you poor love, and your poor little dog! You went through much much worse than us by the sounds of it. You must have felt so isolated and cut off from help for both of you. Thank goodness all turned out okay. Nothing could be worse than falling ill on holiday. There is always something that you badly need that is sitting at home, but unless you empty house and home to take on holiday with you, one can guarantee the one thing you badly need is the one thing you didn't take with you!.

If we do go on holiday for a week again, I'm insisting we head South where phone signal and wifi are definitely part of the package!