lillyanginger

lanes

cubed

Dolly

Lines

>:D

karts

stink

warts

pints

stylo

Really good news!

EDmummy, I agree with you. We usually managed to find something affordable early in the season. After Christmas the only places left were too expensive. I also have a number of someone near Arezzo who rents out 3 large houses and if she rents them out without the agency, you may still get a discount. PM me if you want me to look fro the number. Also, Umbria is cheaper than Tuscany...and so is Lazio...and some parts in Northern Italy. We went to Liguria in a 'condominio complex' - basically lots of small flats with a shared (MASSIVE!) pool. That was also ok and not too expensive. You have to look for bedroom numbers though and not 'people', we have been to places where there were sofa(beds) in the kitchen and living room...not acceptable for what we wanted it for but perfectly normal in Italy. I am sooo jealous!!! Must start thinking about our summer soon...

EDmummy, Italy all the way!!! Start looking right now for lovely large houses slightly off the beaten track, fly into Rome, drive the rest of the way (very easy as Rome quite central). We love the area around Arezzo. Not terribly touristy we (and several friends) hire a (different) house with pool every summer and it has been lovely every time. We have booked through 'inter chalet.co.uk and tuscanynow.co.uk. We found the largest choice of affordable property before Christmas. Italy is a lovely location with (or without) kids.

Hi Polly, I am so pleased to hear the nursery is still lovely and going strong. Both my sons went there...a long time ago. But they both remember the nursery and the lovely time they had there.

Can we 're-activate' this thread...any new suggestions would be very welcome in my house!

In previous years we have tried to visit a Christmas market in the run up to Christmas. They have usually been abroad...This year we would like to stay in the Uk, any suggestions of nice markets?

Has anyone ever stayed in an apartment for a week in New York? We are also a family of four and planning to go at Easter. The kids will be 10 and 14 and are NOT keen to share a room with us...Having looked at your hotel suggestions, they all seem very expensive for a week of what I hope will be a lot of sightseeing and fun but not too much time in the hotel. Any other suggestions very very welcome.

'The Slap' was terrible, really irritating! I did like 'One Day', 'Freedom' and 'Kite Runner, A thousand spending suns'. I quite like Italo crime - try Donna Leon for easy, pleasant reading. How about an old classic, something you haven't read in a while...'the handmaids tale' or Harper Lee's 'to kill a mockingbird'?

I find parking sensors really irritating, seem to be the only one though. I hate the noise they make when parking - it irritates me and I get parking wrong!!! When really, I am pretty good at parking, even if I say so myself.

Minitoots, how about a flight to Munich and time around the truly beautiful lakes and castles in Southern Bavaria. Or holiday around the Mondsee in Austria, near Salzburg. Even though...by now you are hopefully already somewhere lovely. But maybe for next time... We visited Bern (Switzerland) and while I can understand people suggesting it, we found it SERIOUSLY expensive. Lovely, but far too much money for what I consider very average 'goods'.

Tommy, we have had the Passat Estate for 4 years now and are delighted. It is very reliable, lovely and easy to drive. We had the Volvo V70 before and again, fab car. Slightly bigger and we felt we were (kind of) able to downsize a bit. It had seats in the back which was useful but our children are too big to make use of those now (9 and 13). Also, we had serious issues with Volvo and would not buy another car from them.

My thoughts are with the families and all their friends. What a terrible terrible accident!

Sillywoman, don't frighten me!!! Am I currently just kidding myself? Boys are 9 and 13...

Guys, you have just made my day!!!! I laughed soooo much...remembering it only too well. Hang on in there, there is light at the end of the tunnel...or is that grapejuice at wine o'clock?

Why not ask the school directly?