Holidays
Hi everyone,
Well, I'm back from both my holidays now - yes that's right both: I actually went on holiday twice! Last time I teased you with a couple of photos and asked where you thought I'd been: there were a lot of good guesses: Ana Paula was close when she guessed a zoo, but Hania, Anita and Rabail were spot on (oh, and of course James, who guessed "on the earth"!). Actually, I never left England: I drove to Dorset, which is a county in the south west of England. On the way I took the scenic route via Longleat and visited the safari park there. Back in 1966 it opened as a drive-through safari park: it was the first one of its kind in the world (outside Africa), where the animals roamed free and the visitors were in cages (cars!!). Lord Bath, who owned Longleat House had already opened the house to the public, but he needed to raise more money, so decided to introduce lions to the English countryside. Of course, they do not roam completely free, but are in large enclosures. I wonder what the locals thought back then, when they heard there would be lions living on their doorstep? Nowadays you can see not just lions, but tigers, rhinos,
giraffes, wolves
and monkeys. Apparently the lions are very adaptable and have no problem living in England! What do you think about zoos and safari parks? Do you think it's right to take animals away from their natural habitat?
Back to the subject of holidays! So, for my first holiday, I took my Mum with me and we had a lovely time exploring the countryside and being real "grockles". Here we are at a beauty spot called the Blue Pool.
We stayed in a self-catering cottage. British people have plenty of choices when they go on holiday here: hotels, guest houses, B&B, camping, a caravan or holiday camp. Personally, I prefer self-catering : it gives you the freedom to come and go whenever you like: to eat when and where you want to and gives you a lot more space to call your own! Where do you stay when you go on holiday?
Talking of beauty spots (can you talk in a blog or should it be "writing"?): for my second holiday I spent 5 days in Cornwall. Lovely weather and nice long walks, which are a good time to think about what to write in the blog! Actually, I was also thinking about what subject to choose for the crossword next week. Someone suggested "holidays", so if you look here on Friday 12 June, you should see a crossword about the language of holidays! * I was trying to decide which words to include in the crossword and "beauty spot" seemed like a good one - it came to me when I was sitting here eating my lunch....I wonder why? ;-)
Looking forward to hearing about your favourite beauty spot and where you go on holiday!
Take care
Carrie
spot on: absolutely right; correct
scenic route: to take the pretty, quiet, back roads to get somewhere. You can also make a joke if you get lost: "Of course I know where I'm going - I'm just taking the scenic route!"
safari park: a park where wild animals are allowed to roam free and visitors can see them from their cars
locals: people who live somewhere that tourists visit (a "local" is also another name for a pub)
grockle: a word from the south and south-west of England used by locals to mean a tourist or holidaymaker. It's not particularly polite!
beauty spot: a very pretty place. It can also mean a dark spot or mole on a woman's face
self-catering: accommodation where you cook and clean for yourself
B&B: short for "Bed and Breakfast": a guest house that provides a bedroom and breakfast each morning. Full board means that all the meals are provided.
holiday camp: very British! This is a resort for families that includes accommodation, entertainment and other facilities. Visitors stay in chalets or caravans.
it came to me: I had an idea
*if you have any suggestions for subjects for the crossword, please send them in: there's a link on the front page of each crossword.
Comments
Hello Carrie, Thanks for your wonderful report about your holiday. I was especially interested in the Safari Park. My husband and I came just back from Africa where we went on a safari in Botswana. We like animals and we often go to the zoo in the city where we live or where we are on holiday. We know the zoo in London, too. But it is a big difference to see the wild animals in a zoo and to observe them in their natural surrounding. This time we stayed in tented camps in the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta. When you go on a safari you can be absolutely sure to have a day full of surprises, fun, action and great moments. The morning safari usually started very early, at about 6.15. So we were lucky enough to see the night-active animals like lions with their kill or hyenas coming back from their hunting tour. It is so great to observe the animals and their body language. In the Kalahari we discovered the Kalahari lion with its typical black mane. My husband has taken wonderful photos. Another very moving experience was a four-hour-"Walking tour with three elephants". You should know elephants are my absolute favourites. I admire them because of the high developed social structures they live in. Two of the elephants were orphaned in Krüger National Park culling operation. Doug Groves and his wife Sandi adapted them as emotionally traumatized and insecure two-year-old calves in 1988. Since then they live together with the elephants and use them as ambassadors to realize harmonious relations between elephants and people. After our safari we travelled to Zambia where we stayed for two days to see the Victoria Falls, another great moment in our life. I could write and write and write .... Felicitas
Hi Carrie, So I was wrong in my guessing. From my point of view, I prefer safari parks rather than zoos. Here in Buenos Aires there are a Zoo and a Safari Park. The first time I've been to a Zoo I got totally depressed. I can't bear seeing wild animals in a cage. Just by looking at their eyes you realize that they're not happy. By the way, you had a good idea to take your mum on holidays. She looks cool :-). The pictures are amazing. When we go on holidays we prefer to stay in an appart-hotel. It's an appartment (and they are big) where you cook and can move freely as if you were in your flat. Cleaning and breakfast are included. They also bring your breakfast in a tray to your place. We try to go to different spots every year. My favourite is St. Barths island in the Caribbean where we went in 1997 and we couldn't come back again. Best wishes, Cris
Hi Carrie, Last year, I alongwith my wife and 6 year daughter, visited Zoo spreaded in many kilometers. My daughter really enjoyed. Child was not ready to leave Zoo. It was really a good day. Keeping the wild animals in Zoo is definiately against the nature but in this age man is enough able to provide them comfort living almost like their natural habitants. Limit of nos of zoo must be observed by respective country governements. Thanks for un-earthing many new words which I stored in my mind. Have a good day.
Hi Carrie! I love the view from the coastline on the wather. I couldn´t think first the person you are with is your mum but the gesture speak for the great relationship and the fun you´ve had. A few days only, walking in a spa park here I met the female deer among trees very near. After an eye-exchage she left me pass along without a move and then if you were accommodated in a spa hotel you might observe her at eating there. Did you know Slovakia is a region in Europa where wild wolves still live? Lots of fun for you wherever!
Hi Carrie.Tehe Fotos are great. In the citie were I live (Straubing Bavaria) wie have a Zoo to and I was in the Zoo from München and Nürnberg.Imean Zoo is very good why not every people afford a Safary.So I'm.Have a good day
Hello Carrie I read your report.Thanks for all I's good for people like me to see the picture of animal. I can't afford me a safari
Hi Carrie, thanks for your wonderful shots. You and your mum make an idylic view. She should be proud of you, and you make her happy. Speaking about kinds of acommodation, I like to go to apartments with kitchen because you can go at your own rythm and finally you can save some money cooking for yourself. My favorite place to go on holidays is Scotland. I liked a lot to visit Edinburgh, more than London. Now I'm dealing with my family for going to Ireland. I hope to explain you my trip next september. See you, Toni.
Hi Carrie! Oooh... shame on me. Can you imagine Carrie that I´ve never been to the São Paulo zoo? I need to find some time to go there. My friends tell me that the zoo is wonderful and I must go there. Good bye, Ana Paula.
Hi Carrie! How good of you to have taken your mum with you on your holidy. I'd like to say hello to your mum. I've been wondering where we take my cousin's family when they come over from Korea in this summer.And I think the Sapari Park is the ideal place for my cousin's son and my son who are 8 and 7.personally.I am personally not really keen on the idea keeping wild animals in enclosed area, but from educational view, people from the young to the old certainly get benefit of looking them in their own eyes or studying them closely as long as the animals are looked afreter very well.Thank for the share of your fantastic holiday's pics and the beauty spot with us, and looking forward to hearing from you again.xx
Hi Carrie, Neither have I left my country. However, I love traveling and I promise to myself that I'll visit the world someday. I have just come back from my 2nd honeymoon in Dalat, one of the most beautiful and ideal place in my country for going on vacation. There are flowers, lakes, hills, mountains, waterfalls, etc., and the weather is so fine that my husband and I have decided to live there when we're old and retired. I like the picture of the rhino and the Blue Pool. To me, a perfect nature scene is one that has both trees and water. I don't like going to zoos where they keep the animals in cages. I feel guilty about them. It always should be us to be in cages to be able to watch them (as in the safari park).
Hello Carrie! As usual, fab pics. When we used to go to the seaside we rented a flat whereas when I get a chance to visit a new city I usually go to a B&B. By the way, I completely agree with you. Have a great week ahead!!
Hi Carrie The pictures are absolutely amazing, particularly the one with you and your mum. It is so nice of you to take your mum for holidays. It looks like you and your mum had lots of fun there. The beauty spots are also wonderful. Have you ever visited Ireland. There are many beautiful places you can visit. To answer your question: In my opinion animals shouldn’t be taken away from their natural habitat and kept in cages or restricted areas. It is like punishment for them. Children can learn about animals in books and watch a lot about animals on tv. There is no need for keeping them in cages. I love going for holidays but it is very expensive to go away especially when you have children. However, whenever I go for holidays, I prefer staying in a hotel. I just like the atmosphere there. Sometimes I would stay in B & B but I don’t like it that much. It just looks like moving from my house to another house. I don’t have any experience of self-catering but from reading your description about self-catering I can imagine it to be interesting. I must try it next time I go away for holidays. My favourite beauty spot in Ireland is Giants Causeway. I am going to go to France or Switzerland whenever I plan to go away. I don’t know why but for some reason I would like to visit these places. I guess this enough for today. Take care Rabail UK
Hello Carrie, your report about yor holiday is wonderful, you really enjoy the life!!!Last year I went to a safari park with my family, it really enjoyed me. I was particularly interested in lions and zebras. But to be honest, I don't bear seeing animals suffering in a limited area, they need to live in their natural setting. Looking forward to hearing from you, Miky
Hi!! So lovely pictures to share! I like most the one in which you are with your mum. I usually travel with my mum too =) Every year we visit our relatives in Uruguay. I'd like to go this year but we won't be able to afford the cost of the tickets as everything is getting so expensive in this country. I've never heard from self-catering. This is a new word for me. I read the second comment from cristina, she is also from Argentina, and I think that the compound word is quite similar to "apart-hotel" because this also refers to cook and move freely as if you were at home. I'd like to go around London someday. Here in Argentina you'll find such beautiful and gorgeous places that you'll surely get astonished.I haven't travelled a lot yet but think I'll find my beauty spot somewhere in England =) Have a nice week! Gime.
It is the 1st time I've accessed this website.And how wonderful your trip story was!I hope one day I can take a short trip with my Mum. Surely, she will smile like you!
It is the 1st time I've accessed this website.And how wonderful your trip story was!I hope one day I can take a short trip with my Mum. Surely, she will smile like you!
hello Carrie... waoo it sounds a lot of fun in your holyday. Thanks for sharing with us... the way you describe it, makes it easy to learn the new vocabulary. :-)
Thank you fo this crossword and this lovely "diary" ! My favorite beauty spot is .. The Giant's Causeway in Ireland ! <3 Read you soon : )
Hi Carrie! Massive apologies for not getting this posted sooner – I had intended to do it but I have recently been quite busy. Well, I am glad to read that my guess was correct. :) The last time I went to the zoo was many years ago, when my children were small. I remember having a ball that day. My children enjoyed looking at animals, feeding and giving some of them a stroke too. What I do not like is watching the trained animals' performance in the circus ring. Do not you think that they suffer there? As for the holidays, we prefer staying in a hotel and having half- board. It saves my time and effort and make my trip more enjoyable. You know, I usually cook every day, honestly I do, and while I am on holiday I want to do something else than cooking. We like taking the scenic route wherever we are on holiday and discover beauty spots there. Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Take care,
Good to hear the wonderful holidays you had. It's my first time browsing your blog on BBC Learning English. And I find it interesting to learn some British vocabulary here.
I love learning new vocabulary. When I found this page I was surprised about all the new words that I had never read before... besides, It was very interesting to do the puzzles. I hope you will keep posting things like this!!!
I wish i were English expert as soon as possible but it's really hard to me.. so i decided hang out with BBC Learning English haha.. Have an awesome day
Hello Carrie! I reckon you and the other members of the BBC LE staff might be quite busy because we´re not having the pleasure to read your wonderful blogs. Hope hear from you soon. Best wishes, Ana Paula.
Hi. This is fist time that I see a website for improve my English. I hope I have enough English to explain my feeling now. Thanks you and hope to give your help.
In 8 weeks time, finally I will have my vacation and I am planning to spend my short leave with my relatives back home. Definitely, I will be with my twin girls. Their dad and I are planning to go the one of the nice beach which is 30 minutes from our house. The place is called the Hundred Islands, wherein you will experience the spectacular view of the sea as you ride the boat going to one of the island. In their, you will see the breathtaking scenery of the ocean, the cool fresh air and the stunning white sand. I'm crossing my fingers when I'll get there.
