We lost no time after the start of the New Year taking down the holiday decorations and getting on with things.  I love the holidays, but i think I like it even more when they are over.  It’s refreshing to start anew and think of what you want to do with all that fresh time laying out before you.

This always seems to be the time of year we start planning our travels, and top on the list this year is England.  The phone has already started ringing with calls from My Beloved Brit’s mates (admittedly most often from a pub where a group of them are in deep discussion on the year’s sailing strategy) trying to talk him in to joining this boat or that on a very important race coming up in 2012.  Of course he’d love to do them all, but he also has family and my art sojourns to consider. If all problems were this easy!

So we start making our lists of all the things we want to see and do.  This is a part of my life that I am so thankful for every day. I love to travel, and England is special.

So we have the joy of spending hours over the next few months pouring over maps and brochures and internet sites, deciding on the itinerary.

We want to see bits of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebration, and old favorite sites as well as new discoveries. He wants to sail.  I want to tromp through the woods on the bank of a tiny lake. He wants fish ‘n’ chips and cornish ice cream.  I want to see the exhibit of the year at the Tate Modern and have lunch at Fortnum & Mason. Oh, the joy of planning a holiday in England!