Back from holidays - my family, friends & the World Cup Eventing Final in Strzegom, Poland

If I was religious I would say: "God forbid I should go to any heaven where there is no family, friends and horses"......slightly amended by Me but originally by R.B. Cunningham Graham

There is so much to tell I almost don't know where to start. For some, holidays are to lie down on the beach and read a book. For others it's a search for a thrill.

For me, at this moment in time, holidays are about seeing my beloved family and treat myself to the rare time when we can all just spend some time together. It's great to keep busy, great to go for adventure trips but there is a certain art to being with people you can just be still with. When there is no effort involved in keeping the holiday going, when you can chat or just sit together and yet it feels right.

The last week was exactly that. Quality time.

I invited a very special friend of mine to come along and we had so much fun. I did a lot of translating which left me mixing the two languages completely. As a result I would speak to my parents in English and my friend in Polish ;) I think we managed somehow just fine and I hope she enjoyed the whole trip as much as I did.

After a day at my parents' house we set off to Strzegom which is a good 4 hours drive away. My brother, his girlfriend and Poker the dog joined us on the second day. There was a bit of a dilemma as to what to do with Poker as we stayed at a 3* hotel rather than a B&B but that was sorted...by smuggling Poker into the hotel room!

Pic.: View from our hotel room

We wondered whether we would be discovered as there was apparently a CCTV in the hotel but all went smoothly. The ideas of how to get the dog out of the hotel the next morning (ranging from creating a sling from bed sheets to descent him out of the window, packing him into the biggest suitcase to plainly advising anybody who enquired that the dog had only came in to use a toilet) provided us with an hour of uncontrollable laughter

Here is a PART 1 of a picture story of those several days with some very important people in my life.

MORE SOON!

I've been putting away writing this post because I always feel so incredibly emotional just after coming back, this time especially so, and I had such fantastic time that I didn't want to sound grim.

It's doubly emotional for two reasons. My granddad was told he either has an operation or he is being given a year to live. The problem is he has had two strokes already and sedating him is not a very real option...he's awaiting more tests.

Then there is Poker whom I found on the street as a few weeks old puppy in 1997 and had him for a couple of years before giving him to my brother when I left home to go to Uni. My brother is crazy about this dog. And Poker is ill. They got diagnosis today after doing x-rays. He's got cancer which has already spread to multiple organs and the newest growth is very close to his lungs.

Many people would say, hey it's just a dog, but you know what, it's not only that. In this fury creature there are 12 years of family life. The laughter, the joys, the tears. Memories.

It's just heartbreaking to know I'm not very likely to cuddle his cheeky face ever again.

But don't get me wrong. It was a fabulous week. It's only emotional because it was so special. And because I miss them all so much.