Writing for life

Published in the WOW! supplement of the Evening Echo 21/02/2007

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I don’t know about you, but when I think about going on holiday in February my imagination conjures up swaying palm trees, long white beaches and the clear azure waters of some tropical ocean.

My imagination is in for a rude awakening. Next week we pack our bags and head off to Sweden for a fortnight!

That’s right, Sweden – snow drifts the size of houses and temperatures that would freeze the testicles off a yak. I just got off the phone with my uncle, who passed on the jolly news that it was only minus fourteen there today. Great!

It all started last summer, when the aforementioned uncle visited Ireland with his Swedish partner. They stayed with us during their trip, and while they were here they invited us over to Sweden . True to form we’re taking them up on the offer. The flights are booked, we have the train tickets and we’re ready to roll.

It’s going to be quite a trip. First we drive to Dublin, then we fly to Stockholm – or at least what Ryan Air deems to be Stockholm, which means that once we land we have an hour-and-a-half bus ride before we reach the city. Then we catch a train north to Sundsvall. The girls are fascinated by the fact that we’ll be travelling by car, plane, bus and train to reach our destination.

They’re also thrilled at the prospect of taking a bit of time off school. We’ve timed our trip to coincide with the mid-term break, but they will miss a week or so. On the radio the other day a panel was debating the wisdom of taking kids out of school – but to be honest I’m convinced the twins will learn more out of two weeks in Sweden than they would out of the same period in school.

The main attraction of course is the snow. Just over a year ago my Mum took us on a whirlwind trip to Lapland. We were only there one night, and while the children enjoyed doing the Santa thing, what made a lasting impression on them was all the snow. It was the whole winter wonderland thing: tobogganing, building snowmen, getting wrapped up in snow suits and pelting Mum and Dad with snowballs. Now they’ll have two whole weeks of it!

Getting organised for any trip with the children is manic at best. As well as the usual routines of work, school and generally keeping the kids on an even keel, we have to get ourselves organised. Because we’re flying Ryan Air the packing has to be managed with clinical precision. As much as an ounce over the stingy baggage allowance and we’ll be landed with hefty excess baggage charges at the airport. So we’re travelling light, and that’s no mean feat when you’re taking a family of five to the Baltic coast in February!

This will also be our first time travelling by air since the introduction of the draconian new hand baggage restrictions. We won’t even be able to take so much as a bottle of water through the security checkpoint. In other European airports they’ve started handing out complimentary water once you reach the departure lounge. In Dublin, no doubt, we’ll be forced to pay inflated airport prices.

For me the best part about it is that we won’t be staying in a resort with loads of other tourists. We’ll be in a Swedish house, eating Swedish food and doing what Swedish people do. It will be a great adventure, and I plan to immerse myself in it wholeheartedly – except, that is, for the part where they cut a hole in the ice and jump in for a swim…. “SkÃ¥l!”

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