Snapd
ragon
THE P RTAL
July 2015
Page 5
When in Rome
do as the Romans do
Snapdragon breathes life into an old saying
The countdown
to my annual family holiday is underway. Truth is, I enjoy
preparing for a holiday almost as much as the holiday itself. There’s something deeply
satisfying about laying out all the necessary maps on the living room carpet and getting to
grips with one’s destination weeks before setting off.
The hours that others spend
preparing for their trip shopping and
in hair and tanning salons I spend
genning up on my destination of choice, so guidebooks
arrive with me on holiday already well-thumbed and
falling open at the pages and places that have piqued
my interest most. The idea of showing up in a place
utterly ignorant of its geography, its history (and its
good restaurants) is just unthinkable.
Most of my holiday destinations are European,
but even within Europe there are cultural differences
that is pays to be familiar with. Little things, like the
Italians not sharing our compulsion to do ever ][