Sue's Blog - Some assembly required.

Carry On Up The Dells....Day 1

Arrived at The Shamrock Motel around 2.30pm.
We loved the rooms.  It was like a little apartment with two bedrooms.   We were upstairs and a balcony ran the whole length of the building.
There were chairs outside each door.
People were sitting outside their doors, having a chat and a beer.  I loved it.  It reminded me of Maplin's in Hi De Hi.
We used to have a week in a holiday camp every summer when I was a kid.
I used to think it was magic.  For a London kid, going to the seaside then was a great adventure.
This arrangement of the rooms, with chairs outside seemed to make the people friendlier.  If I sat outside, everyone who went by passed the time of day and finished up asking where I was from etc.
Far better than the isolated hotel rooms we are used to.
I think my crowd of camping chums would like something like this.

There was an indoor pool as well as an outdoor one.  I like to swim so while Philip was having a snooze and Lauren was catching up with all the goings on in the world of 'Green Day', I pootled off for a swim.
I tried the indoor one first.   It looked so inviting.  It was bloody freezing.
A couple passed me, coming out as I was going in.  I wondered why they looked dry.
Ok...off to the outdoor one then.  This must be warmer as it has the sun on it all day.

It was worse.
Like ice.
But, I am made of pretty stern stuff, and I toughed it out and got in.  Chuffing hell.......I have never, ever been in such a cold pool.
The couple I had met at the indoor one were sitting by this outdoor pool.  The man decided to stick a toe in the water....."Gott im Himel".....he yelled.
They were Germans.
Now I do speak German, but it never truly flows, is never truly fluent, unless I have had several vodkas washed down with the odd brandy or three.
Since this was the afternoon and I was in an American motel..........I hadn't even been able to have a cup of tea.
Fortunately, my exclamation of "The water's bloody freezing isn't it !!!", translated rather well.
Give him his due, he did get in but didn't linger long.
I on the other hand, having got into the blooming pool was certainly going to get my two penn'orth  worth.  So I stayed as long as I could before rigor set in.
I knew I wouldn't be doing this again in a hurry.

posted by Sue Banks @ 1:55 PM