Bodfish Vacation Formula

Vacation perfection is not all that difficult to come by. It requires travel away from here...we live in a vacation wonderland but still, it's great to get away. Bicycles are most often part of the formula, yet, hiking boots are an acceptable substitute. Driving a car, taking a train or a jet are ok...however, biking or hiking from our front door is a great way to begin an adventure. A majority of outdoor time is a definite requirement. At least two hours of 'sweat on the brow' exercise makes us happiest. Bodfish vacations also include a couple of hours luxuriating in the "s's", the daily rituals of swimming, showering and sunning or sauna.

Cold fronts can change everything, and have been known to cramp our camping style. We don't embark on Snow Vacations...snow is for shoveling or taking the dog on a run while on cross country skis or snowshoes. We seek warmth, but we are adamant about avoiding crowds...we avoid "snowbird" destinations like "the plague". There are rumblings in my family about a Hawaii vacation in our near future...hmmm, can you still get remote in Hawaii?

I'm looking forward to another month long adventure in Europe...sometime before Obama loses the Presidency...the Euros love Obama, or any American with a "social agenda". They can teach us a thing or two about taking care of each other...and about being totally comfortable in our skin, on a beach, in a pool, sauna or spa... uninhibited, always willing to share wine and soap. What's up with those outdoor Europeans?...Lovin' life, willing to converse, willing to break bread. Don't they fear a future of austerity, a future that includes ten Euro a gallon petrol prices? No, I don't think they do...they'll ride their bicycles and tend their gardens like they always have and toast you, and your adventure, each evening with their favorite local wine.

We may spend a bundle of money on a train or plane ticket yet, we are downright frugal about buying entertainment while traveling. The best quality food is seldom expensive and the evening wine always seems like a bargain. We don't always sleep in a tent, on occasion we find a cabin or a Gites if it is safer or drier than our camping dome. Heck, we buy mustard that comes in wine glasses so that we can use these nearly unbreakable units for the remainder of the trip.

Traveling companions with the same attitude or style would be hard to come by, we think about that on every adventure..."who could possibly travel with us for a month and not get freaked out about the details?" Our plans change every other day or so, depending on so many factors. In the half-abandoned Autumn campgrounds of France or Italy we often find other couples using our same techniques of vacationing. They are usually from Germany or Holland or Denmark, we connect, go on a bike ride or to the beach, bathe together and share a glass of vino, but then, after sharing addresses...Poof!, we go our own ways and promise to get in touch again someday.