Monday 29 September 2008

Credit Where It's Due

I feel I must start by thanking you most sincerely if you are still with me after the endless moaning rant I've been indulging in about the holiday. Sorry. It's been a marathon drone even by my standards. I like to think that getting it out in the open has helped me deal with the sheer bloody annoyance of wasting a huge amount of dosh and annual leave on an experience I wouldn't have wanted if they'd paid me to go. But still. Enough already. We did have some nice times too, but what's the fun in telling you about those? So I've decided that from now on I can let the whole sorry episode wash over me, learn from it and move on.

Or so I thought until the post came this morning.

Got the credit card bill today. There it was in black and white (soon to be red I fear), the whole sorry catalogue of disaster documented in pounds and euros from start to finish. The Travel Agent's rip-off con trick. The hire car which somehow magically appears to have cost many, many more Euros than we were quoted. That first night meal which had me puking for England, literally, (didn't tell you about that, too much detail). Even the eighteen quid bottle of bog cleaner masquerading as white wine, it was all there as evidence of a bad time had by all.

And there was the bill for the umbrella, purchased in a "raindrops keep falling on my head" moment in an attempt to make things more bearable with a bit of retail therapy, that was there too. Sheltering underneath it in the pouring rain, dodging heaps of Day-glo dog-poo, we dashed through the city streets looking for shelter and warmth.

"Let's start again," suggests husband, "let's try and make the most of it, even though it's not really our scene" he says as we wait to cross the road.

"OK," I say, "it hasn't all been bad, we're having some nice times too I suppose. Looking on the bright side, at least I've gone a trendy new umbrella."

"Let's treat it like a bit of a watershed then" he says, laughing.

He can be such a witty bugger at times, thank goodness.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh that credit card moment - and tell me. why is the hire car always more, and the duty free bill a shock.did I really buy all that perfume.
I resolved last year not to use the cards on holidays and its worked lol ,this year we aint had a holiday - yet!!!!!

Unknown said...

Glad you're laughing now.

I have to admit I chuckled a bit during your rant. x

travelling, but not in love said...

I hate that post holiday credit card bill. Yuk!

I too enjoyed your rant. But I wish you'd had better holidays. Nothing worse than a crap holiday...

DogLover said...

I believe the Italian Lakes have had some super weather in the last fortnight ... !

Irene said...

As the Americans say, "That was a real bummer!" You certainly did vividly describe the misery that was your holiday and scared all of us away from that place forever. I can only imagine your extreme disappointment when you realized where you had actually ended up and knew you had to stay there for 6 more days. How awful! I hope you never get that desperate for a holiday again.

Irene said...

I've got an award for you. Please come and get it.

James Higham said...

This is what puts me completely off travelling - its designed to fleece you rather than support you.

Frankofile said...

there's a token of appreciation for you over on my blog. And I think it's one you haven't already got!

Swearing Mother said...

Hi Valleys Mam. The moment of truth isn't it?

KP, glad someone was laughing. All OK now though.

Travelling, I suppose it had to happen sometime. We had a few good days thank goodness. Lovely Italian waiters by the way.

D.L. you are one mean doglover.

Hello Irene, don't let me put you off Corsica, I hear it's lovely. Just not the bit I was in.

Hi James. I really thought they were on my side too. Now I realise we were just filling someone's quota.

Thanks Frankofile, will be over ASAP.

Cath said...

Watershed?
I am so glad HE could laugh. I would be like you SM. Dodging dog muck on a rainy day is what we do in ENGLAND, not on holiday!

Not sure how I missed this post, but I'm here now. Do you know what they invented just for the credit card bill?

Shredders! Mwah-ha-hah-hah-haaaaa!
(At least you won't have to LOOK at it then!)

Swearing Mother said...

Ha! Cath you are a delight.

Mean Mom said...

It's the first holiday flop you've ever had? You've been luckier than me, then!

Sorry this one didn't work out. Why not start planning next year's - that's if you ever manage to pay for this one, of course!!

Gone Back South said...

Oh poor you. But you're all the richer now in terms of experience!

That wasn't at all helpful, was it?

Swearing Mother said...

Mean Mom, hi. Thinking of giving holiday planning a bit of a wide berth, unless of course we go on a cruise, then it'll be tiny.

No GBS, but you meant well. :o)

Daisy said...

Oh no no no! Just read the whole holiday saga and it's so sad, I really feel for you. There's nothing worse than coming back from holiday really really feeling you need another one pronto. We came back fro Morocco in the summer with WORMS!!! (ok not me actually, just the Colonel) and our digestive system still reminds us of that trip everyday!! Euuw, sorry for the overshare, anyway, I feel your pain and hope you can plan something for your next holiday very soon.

Swearing Mother said...

Daisy! Worms?? And I thought my flea bites were bad enough. But that's another saga.

wakeupandsmellthecoffee said...

Well, you'll know next time, won't you. And I bet it made you appreciate little old England a bit more too.

Maggie May said...

Well you sound as though you did enjoy some of it then. And you have a lovely umbrella to remind you of the holiday! Pity about the credit card though.......
Our weather has been excellent this week. Just get the deck chair out, I would & open up a bottle of wine, close your eyes & imagine where you want to be..........

Mimi said...

Are youworking a load of overtime to pay off that credit card bill, or just plain fed up of posting? Miss you, mimi

Swearing Mother said...

Wakeup, you are right. There's definitely no place like home.

Hi Maggie May, been out in the lovely sunshine today, absolutely lovely!

Mimi, hello. Just thought I'd give everyone a rest from me for a few days, will be back soon.

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The Draughtsman said...

Sorry, but I missed all your posts about Corsica. I've been in Cyprus and still am. I daren't tell you about the high thirties temeratures and wall-to-wall sunshine. It has rained a little and only at night.

Actually there are quite a few now who by pass the travel agents and simply book a flight and fix up an appartment. Er, fix up the accomodation BEFORE you go.

Sounds like it was an 'orrible 'olliday.

Swearing Mother said...

Norman, it was hell. Not Corsica's fault really, which I understand is beautiful if you go to the right bit. We didn't, unfortunately, for which I blame the travel agent and the fact she was just filling a quota with us I guess. Usually we do our own thing and book via the internet or just ring somewhere up, but this time we thought we'd let someone else do the work for us.

Big mistake.

Glad to hear Cyprus is lovely, wished we'd gone there. Maybe next time.

Whispering Walls said...

Bit of a b****r to say the least SM - must have been Napoleon's revenge!

merry weather said...

Oh Bastia! Poor Jane! Having read that I shall never, ever go to Corsica.

You did make it sound funny... But clearly, having read the entire rant the whole experience was C-R-A-P! Grr! How bloody annoying!

Still, next time I'm parked in some hideous damp forest lodge at a family adventure park with gritted teeth and good intentions I shall remember this post and know that rubbish holidays happen to the best of us. Sigh!

Swearing Mother said...

Winchester W, you are so right.

Merry, don't let me put you off Corsica entirely, I'm sure it's lovely if you know where to go. Unfortunately our travel agent didn't.

Mimi said...

Oi, Swearing Mother, where the hell are you!! I've just come from WITN and saw your comment,miss you, mimi