Summer 2009...

It's that time of year again, when I start dreaming about floating in a pool somewhere, surrounded by beautiful countryside and bathed in glorious sunshine. Might seem a bit silly, because of course I can do that here in the south of France, but no matter how many times the Duke says 'every day here is a holiday', I'm still not convinced.

We didn't take a summer holiday last year, and even though we went to the beach loads and spent our fair share of time floating in pools, I now realize that it is the act of removing myself from my usual habitat and going somewhere new that really constitutes a holiday for me. So the search has begun to find that perfect summer holiday for us this year.

We went to Corsica in 2007 (photo above), which was magical and beautiful. We've spent a couple of summer holidays in Italy, one in Umbria and the other at Lake Bracciano, near Rome. This year I'm thinking Spain, and in particular, the Costa Brava, near the medieval town of Begur. It's only about a 2 hour drive for us, but the difference in the landscape, language and food will make it feel like we are further from home.

You'd think with the Duke running a villa rental agency, I'd be a pro at choosing a holiday home off the internet. But the fact that we must be able to take our dogs, be within 30 minutes of the sea, have a private pool and internet access (it certainly isn't me who needs this last one, let me assure you) means the choices on offer are a little limited.

So, night after night, my eyes go square as I frantically search for our perfect family holiday. Oh, the pressure. I'll need a holiday just from looking for one.