Center Parcs...

I digress a bit here (and it's only my second post... :-) but I thought I'd write about our Center Parcs break. I had always wanted to go, but the consensus seemed to be that people either love or hate it. I had fairly low expectations and feared it would be crowded, that I would feel compelled to take part in various activities and ripped off every time I had to buy something. But... I loved it, and so did my family.

Our cottage was a new style one, and it was modern and comfortable, and only a 5 minute walk to the main Plaza. Within hours, we had ducks, birds and squirrels literally knocking at the door and we felt very cut out, despite being 30 minutes from home and having all the facilities on our door step.

There is loads to do there, but no pressure to take part in anything. J and I went tree trekking whilst Mamie and Papy babysat and it was fab! We went for nice long and relaxed walks, we went swimming (no pictures as these were taken with an old fashioned disposable camera) and chilled out in the cottage, knitting, reading and catching up.

The facilities are great, and I can see why this is a favourite with young families. We went during term time, so it was fairly quiet but I can imagine the place feeling a bit claustrophobic in the summer months. Activities can be expensive, but the pool is free and there is plenty of outdoor space to explore. Prices at the shops were very close to high street prices and the restaurants charged the same they would outside Center Parcs.

We had a great time, it was nice to have my parents visiting and doing something a bit different with them as we have pretty much exhausted all touristy things around where we live. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to catch up with family and friends, do their own things and don't mind babies!