You might think I’ve only been at this travel-writing lark for a few years but take a look at this scanned page from an exercise book and you’ll see that in October 1976, aged 12, I wrote a travel diary of our family trip to Italy.
Mum was fond of booking trips organised by our local Newcastle newspaper, the Evening Chronicle. I have great memories of visits to Norway and Denmark but the group trip to Rome and Sorrento was the only time I managed to complete a holiday diary. I came across it at the weekend and thought I should share it with you even though it does make me cringe and laugh in equal measure.
Here are a couple of entries from our time in Sorrento. I won’t change any incorrect spellings, grammar or odd adjectives and adverbs, I promise. And no laughing at the back, please!
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October 29th, Friday
After breakfast we took a masaides Taxi down to the harbour to catch the Ferry across to the Isle of Capri. It was a picturesque little island and the crossing was very smooth. When we landed our family took a fernicula (little railway) to the higher parts of Capri then we stopped to look around the shops. At 12.00 we stopped at a cafe for ravioli, piazza and cannelloni. Finished, we caught a bus for Anacapri which winded swiftly through the mountains until it arrived. We then walked to a special chair lift which would take us to the top of the mountains. The chairs were steel and wooden and we were chucked in, bar put down then pushed away up across the fauna of trees, plants, forests until we reached the top. After looking around we came back down using the same transport as before. It really was a terrific ride, with a beautiful view to be seen. We then took the bus back and the fernicula railway back to the harbour. It was here we saw the back of Max Bygraves walking by. At 3.15 the ferry left over the choppy Mediterranean until we reached land.
October 30th, Saturday
After a 7.30am call we went down to breakfast ready to go to Pompeii and Vesuvius. It was a very windy day and cloudy too. We boarded the coach and soon arrived at our first stop, Pompeii. We entered the famous city and were astounded by the marvellous structure and plan of the place. Although the Sirocco winds were blowing, it was a great trip. We visited the House of the Vettii Brothers who were the richest family in the town and when entering we saw the rude picture explaining that this Roman man was worth his weight in gold. We saw the rooms of the house including the atrium, peristyle, triclinium, impluvium and bedrooms. We also visited the House of Faun where in the large garden the lucky, dancing faun statue stood. This faun was half man and half animal. It is also lucky to touch his tail and have a photograph taken of this movement. The whole trip was extremely fascinating but the most impressive part of it was to realise how the town must have looked before the eruption. One other thing we saw were the baths which were marvellous and also bodies of people living at that time in plaster casts. When we finished our party were taken for a meal which is too revolting to write about. Vesuvius was the next visit but there was fog at the top so we could not travel to the crater. What we did observe was terrific and for a momento we took some lava home in a polythene bag. We dismounted from the bus at the Piazza (square) and bought a musical sewing table, a gondola music box for me and an ordinary music box for grandma. That night they put on a party with a raffle and dancing and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Maureen and Joan’s table won all the prizes so it was a fabulous night for them.
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Aww how sweet, I especially like 'winded swiftly through the mountains until we arrived'.
Oh and Max Bygraves? Really?
It's all so earnest, isn't. Trying hard to put big words in when they don't quite work.
Yup, Max Bygraves. No idea why I said, 'from the back' as it must have been from the front too or we'd never have recognised him…unless he had a very recognisable rear end, or funny walk?
*it* arrived even…. lack of sleep.
Doesn't make a huge difference to the winded journey either way!
Love that the meal was too revolting to write about. Talk about leaving your readers wanting more.
I have a jotter from when I was about 8 and we were on holiday – in Bournemouth. Every holiday we went on, we were given new jotters to write in. Another family trait?
I'll have to ask Mum about the meal. I remember the restaurant was dirty so maybe we didn't eat anything at all!
I insist you show us your Bournemouth jotter!
Keep these safe… they will be treasures for your grandchildren.
Like you, Steve, I'm becoming much more aware of keeping things that will interest generations to come so yes, I'll make sure I keep this.
Thank you so much for posting this, it is amazing!! The meal too revolting to write about leaves me wanting to know exactly what it was, and I love how you had the precise time jotted down for everything! I am also so pleased for Maureen and Joan – what did they win??? 🙂
It's funny isn't it. All that detail, times, food eaten, including the 'piazza'.
As to Maureen and Joan's prizes, that's something else I must ask Mum.
I love 'the people who were living at that time in plaster casts'… And of course, the revolting meal — perhaps it was snails or offal or something that didn't appeal to pre-teen you?
What a wonderful memento and memory! I'm sure that reading it brought back a flood of memories — not only of the trip itself, but of your self, how you perceived things and expressed them in a wider sense. Great find and family keepsake 🙂
A well-positioned comma would have saved that sentence!
Reading it back, I have the impression that my English teacher, at that time a formidable nun, Sister Wright, would have been urging us not to use the word 'nice', hence my desperate attempts to find alternatives. I would never have used the word 'terrific' in normal conversation.
This is great, and I'm glad you survived being chucked in a chairlift. My Mum gave each of us 3 children an exercise book to write a holiday diary every summer, and I think she still has some of them.
I had to laugh at 'chucked' too: just doesn't fit with the rest of the description, although maybe we were manhandled?
I dare you to hunt yours out too. Share the embarrassment!
It's so funny to read stuff written as a child. I still have some of my holiday diaries and daily diaries (with lots of 'got up, went to school, came home… etc.).
I think my normal daily diaries were pretty dull too. I get the impression I was making a big effort here: swallowed a bit too much dictionary pudding (where on earth did that remembered phrase come from!?)
Hi Trish the reason we didn't eat or stay for the meal was the place was plagued with huge horrible flies !!! I complained and was told the flies were caused by the Volcano and the ash Ah happy days love xxx
Thanks Mum!
I had a feeling it was something to do with the restaurant rather than the food itself. What a ridiculous excuse, the ash causing the flies!
Apart from that it was a wonderful holiday. Xxxx
They have got those flexi-buses in London now.
Bet you never thought you'd be a famous travel blogger when you were 12 years old?
Took me 30 years to write another travel diary. Probably just as well.
Famous? Pah!
Not to be pervy, but now I'm wondering what that rude pic of that rich guy looked like. Oh no, don't put that picture in my mind, a naked latter day Donald Trump no doubt…Even at an early age, great writer with good penmanship
It was a fresco of the god Priapus, weighing his member on a set of scales! If you google him and House of Vettii I'm sure you can get a closer look, Jody. It's stuck with me for many years 😉
Blimey it's rather mature for a 12 year old. Mine would be more 'can't believe mum made me wear this crappy t-shirt' sort of stuff. You never fail to impress me.
I know what you mean, it's all very serious, as if I were writing for an exam. Trying to be a smart-arse methinks 😉
So you found your vocation in life quite early on?! I love the bit where you took some lava home in a "polythene bag". Nobody uses that term any more….
Ha, you're right, you would say plastic. It's all in the detail. And I'm chuffed I spelled it correctly, unlike masaides taxi…took me ages to realise it must be Mercedes!!
The back of Max Bygraves…….what a hoot! You are/were observant and your love of travel started early then.
I laughed out loud at that too. I wonder why I didn't write about other holidays though?
You know I've been up to my ears in providing meals for teens, so I'm just now getting around to reading this, although I've been dying to read it since I first saw the title on FaceBook! My teacher's eye immediately got "Mercedes" and 'funicular' – spelled like it sounded, no problem! Loved the meal that was too revolting to describe, but I think the line that I loved best was when the ferry left over the 'choppy Mediterranean' – such a perfect adjective! It's clear to see that you were born with your gift, and the whole Priapus thing was clearly a foreshadowing of your trip to the Penis Museum in Iceland….oops, I apologize in advance for any naughty spam you may get because of me!
Seems me and penises go hand in hand when on holiday.
That sounds very wrong.
Thank you so much for posting this, it nice post!I know what you mean, it's all very serious, as if I were writing for an exam
Thank you so much for posting this, it is amazing! Love that the meal was too revolting to write about.
This is great, and I'm glad you survived being chucked in a chairlift
I laughed out loud at that too. I wonder why I didn't write about other travel story ?