I’m feeling jolly pleased with myself this week. We hadn’t been abroad since 2017 when we went to Florence for the 25th wedding anniversary of my partner’s cousin. Travelling abroad had become difficult and stressful, Brexit notwithstanding. (Apologies for using the B word!) Insurance for two people with existing medical conditions is outrageous, and waiting for ‘assisted travel’ at airports somewhat like being in a holding pen with no idea when you’ll escape.

We decided to take our holidays in the UK, covering the South West of England to The Highlands of Scotland. We’ve had some amazing times with no regrets but, having had some challenging times in 2025, we decided to try a coach holiday to Belgium; a place we’d never been.

It’s been wonderful, such a beautiful country. Bruges is vibrant and pretty. We also visited Ghent, Ostend and hopped over the border to Sluis in The Netherlands, which was a delight. We’d settled on a five-day break to see how it went and it all went well. So … where next?