Since my Facebook was hacked and deleted (long, boring and annoying story), I’ve been procrastinating to edit my holiday photos as I had no where to share them. And then I realised that I could just write a blog and share them here with you!

There was a particular sweetness to this holiday as we hadn’t been abroad as a family since before COVID. I had forgotten the simple joy of being in a different culture and being submerged in a different language - I love daydreaming and imagining how other people live and what my life would be like if I lived there. It was the perfect holiday of adventuring and total reset and relaxation. I know it will sustain me throughout the year when the days are hauntingly and lingeringly grey, wet and cold.

a note on kit

A photographer doesn’t want to feel like they are working whilst on holiday so I wanted to enjoy taking some family memories without any pressure. I also wanted to travel light. So I opted for my 35mm Canon AE1 camera with my favourite lens - 50mm of course. Then I took my professional camera - my Leica SL2 - but limited myself to only two small lenses. This flat lens that mimics a disposable camera (ironic as my 8-year-old actually had a disposable camera with him!) and a vintage Leica lens. It’s hard work as you have to manually focus but I like some of the softness on the images below.

The itinerary

We set off through the Channel Tunnel to visit Omaha Beach and Mont St Michel in Normandy, then travelled all the way to Toulouse to visit the grandparents who live near there and then on through the Pyrenees to Platja D’aro in the Costa Brava. The latter we randomly plucked out of booking.com as it looked drivable from France!

Normandy

We opted to spend the day at Omaha Beach rather than Dunkirk since we had never been and my son has recently studied WW2 at school. We traversed the landscape in the order of the D-day landings - from the beach, across the sand and then up through the hedges and trees to the German lookout points.

We ended the day at the American Cemetery which was a very moving and humbling experience. Then of course we watched Saving Private Ryan when we got back which of course remind us of the horror and trauma of war. Heartbreakingly, humans haven’t seen to learn much from history…

MONT SAINT MICHEL

We drove west to here to look at the epic castle which is like a place from your dreams. It was a lot bigger than I had ever imagined! With more time we’d have gone inside and had a look around. Lots of excitement seeing this as it was featured on the new Walking Dead series with Darryl. Also next time I really want to explore Saint-Malo.

We used this Capanile in Rennes as a base to travel in this area. I LOVE the cheap and cheerful motorway stops in France. Especially when all you’re doing is sleeping in the room. We did arrive extremely late at about 1:30am and struggled to get into the car park. But all’s well that ends well! 😂

Family in Haute-Garonne

Three nights here with family was just beautiful. I wish we’d had longer. A few more days by the pool would have been 👌

We took the grandparents out on a day trip to one of our favourite places in the region - Donjon des Aigles - with a picnic by the river on the way.

Driving thought the Pyrenees

We opted for the scenic drive through the mountains instead of the water motorways. WOW! The ever-changing scenery and the excitement of reaching Spain kept us occupied for hours.

Spain

The Costa Brava… Although I have been to Barcelona a few times I have never explored the wider area. We all fell in love with this region. For those who know me will know my pure love for Spanish culture (particularly in Latin America where I learn to speak Spanish) but to my dismay a DNA test revelled absolutely no Spanish blood. Anyway, basically we were too relaxed to take many photos here (sign of a good time!) and spent each day deliberating whether to go to the pool or the secret beach and read two books in 4 days. Bliss!

So, there you have it. A little insight into our recent holiday that had the perfect balance of rest and relaxation. I think since travelling Route 66 I have been converted a road trip being the holiday. Next up is a trip to Texas at Christmas so watch this space…

Donna x

P.S. Here are my 35mm film shots…