Busy August

I’ve just come home from my third holiday this month – I’ve rarely taken so many in one year let alone in one month! Blame Covid for one of the three, namely five days in Essaouira, Morocco, with a group of friends, long delayed from 2020, then Croatia because I always wanted to go there and followed by my annual trip to the Edinburgh Festival. I’ve read that international tourism doubled in the 20 years leading up to Covid and is now only at 63% of pre-Covid levels but you wouldn’t guess that from the airports and stations I was using over the past few weeks. I also shared in the human traffic jam that is August in the medieval city centres of both Dubrovnik and Split – extraordinary and wonderful places but really too hot, hectic and crowded to be able to appreciate genuine atmosphere. When tourists over-tour residents in one place then you know you’re adding to the problem. Having said that, the narrow, winding alley ways and pavements of Old Town Essaouira were equally noisy and crowded but with locals and Moroccan holiday-makers making the whole experience of strolling about, eating out and shopping an exotic adventure with no hassle, no pushing and courtesy all round.  I’ve loved being away from all that is Hanwell and London but am equally happy to now be back home this week when it’s still quiet around here, before school terms start again and I can re-introduce myself slowly back to real life.