to want to make england feel like “abroad”

[Pukepukepuke]

For a variety of reasons I can’t go on holiday to Europe but have managed to find a great deal somewhere in England. I’m mournfully sad about missing that amazing feeling when you know you’re on holiday abroad but I can’t put my finger on what it is... hopefully someone will know what I mean.........

I was debating how to make it feel like I’m abroad and all I’ve come up with so far is drinking nesquick because I’m not very imaginative.

There's a Turkish supermarket near us that does Lays. Sadly Obviously they're Turkish Lays not Spanish Lays that we're used to so DPs favourite green Lays are a different flavour to the ones he likes.

And of course both Turkey and Spain get better flavoured crisps than the UK.

I'm bringing some green Spanish Lays to London tomorrow for my dad! They're his favourite! (Campesina flavour)

All you really need is an open air pool. If you can go someone you've never been before in the UK, that also helps. And, if you can find a buffet breakfast somewhere, you might as well never leave the country.

I had a whiff of Hawaiian Tropic in Boots at the weekend to get Some holiday vibes.

I never take heavy perfume on holiday, I like eau Dynamiste so a squirt of that makes me feel holiday-ish.

Agree self catering is rubbish, it's not really a holiday if you're using your Clubcard. Great idea to buy unusual deli stuff and as we don't have Lidl locally, gong there would be like a foreign supermarket.

Lemon Fanta, suntan lotion and cricket noises on the phone 😂😂

There was a hilarious thread on this last year. I think the advice was to wander into Aldi in a bikini, sarong and flip flops and marvel at the 'foreign food' 😂

Please explain the nesquick thing. I've never heard of anyone associating that with holidays abroad. What am I missing?

Go to the Lake District (properly right the way into it), it'll set you up with holiday feeling for life - every time you open the door after a downpour in summer it'll feel like you're on holiday 😊 the scenery can't be beaten - so far removed from everyday life and seriously beautiful, and they even have their own delicacies to feast on - plum bread, Westmoreland parkin, cartmell sticky toffee pudding and (of course) mint cake.

Unless you're from the lakes of course, in which case go to London!

Lays are just Walkers Crisps with a different name and no cheese and onion, salt and vinegar or smoky bacon flavours. I have to go back to UK to get those...I am sick of paprika flavour crisps.

I go back to the UK to wander round Waitrose and Sainsbury and drool at the yoghurt aisles. The choice in a Brit supermarket is so much wider. Eating out abroad gets samey as well, and there are times when only a good curry will do. Not many curry houses in Belgium!!

Please explain the nesquick thing. I've never heard of anyone associating that with holidays abroad. What am I missing

Could it be that people only 'allow' themselves to drink it on holiday, or there are more/different flavours available?

Similarly, any time we are self catering abroad (for the last few years we've always gone to Spain (plus Canaries/Mallorca) or Malta/Gozo, if it matters, although we're thinking of branching out to Portugal or Cyprus and if we are self catering, when we go out and do the 'big shop' which seems to consist entirely of beer, water, crisps bread and bacon for breakfast DP always gets himself a box of Coco Pops.

He never shows any interest in Coco Pops at home, but to him, part of a self catering holiday in Spain is a starter breakfast to his bacon baguette of a bowl of Coco Pops.

Or it could be that people are using it to make La Mumbas (recipe: chocolate milkshake plus brandy).

One of the most 'holidayish' holidays I remember is when DH and I took a house in a Welsh seaside village in 2012 while the Olympics were on in London. We watched the Olympics all day, mainly events we'd normally have no interest in, and did things that were available in the village like a pub lunch, local fish and chips etc. Friend and I still did shopping trips to Tesco, but combined them with popping into local events like craft fairs that were on in the summer to entertain tourists.

I'm not sure how this translates to anyone else's holiday, but I think wewere mainly doing things that we'd not have been doing at home.

(Meant to say DH and I went with my friend! Should have previewed!)

Put one of those braidy things in your hair?

Yes braids. Goes off to google the cocktail....