The Bear Minimum

A colleague of mine is breaking our long-standing tradition of looking dour in the office because he’s so excited about his new holiday house. Of course there’s no actual tradition, and we’re not really that dour.

He’s an older fellow, getting very close to retiring I’d say as he turned sixty-seven last year. He’s always had a love for far off places, and recently he’s been trying to decide whether or not to purchase a holiday home in the Philippines; a country he’s long had affection for after visiting there a long time ago.

His office is decorated with beautiful photographs of the bright blue seas surrounding the tiny island nation, the great Philippine Eagle. The man is a long time ornithology enthusiast, and his favourite species of bird is the Eagle, and he says the Philippine Eagle is a particularly beautiful bird. I must say, a quick Google search of the bird and I have to agree, it is a mighty looking predator!

Combine these two factors and his being informed by a friend of an opportunity for overseas property investment in Philippines real estate and you’ve got a recipe for a very happy psychiatrist with a new holiday home!

My wife and I would much rather holiday closer to home on a frequent basis. Oh sure we like to skip across to the Continent every so often, but that’s something rarer for us, and we actually take great pleasure from discovering all the amazing places right here in the UK. Next year we’re considering going to Wales and spending some time exploring the castles of that region. Many of them are ruins, but they’re still so vast that it’s very enjoyable to explore.

I think one of the things I like most about holidaying in Great Britain is the potential for coming across ancient history. All across our green landscape are reminders of just how long we’ve been living in this part of the world, and the vast and varied history England has had.