A severe case of travel-itis

It's late. The Kooks just played Jimmy Kimmel. I do like their new disc. It's good.

But it's not the TV that is distracting me. I'm in planning mode. When I lived in London some years ago, my roommates and I used to spend many hours in the University of Westminster's many computer labs. We'd play this game of who can get the best deal - flights, hotels, hostels, secret beaches, wonderful diversions in Europe. It's how I ended up going to Carnival in Venice, so it's a pretty wonderful game! You can allow yourself to play in Europe because London is a gateway city and in mere minutes and hours, for rather little money, you can hop over to a brand new and equally seductive European destination.

My family is meeting in Montpellier for a barging trip in July. While I'm excited about this idea - truth be told, I've had fanciful ideas about a trip like this for years - I do wonder if it will result in family members being tossed overboard. I haven't lived with them in over 11 years, so how will a week on a barge in France work out? And we will be 7 of us, which includes one of my Grans. Anyway, worries aside, I'm looking at destinations to hit after I de-boat. (I've always loved the term de-plane but its boating equivalent doesn't really work as well, does it?!)

I was temped to re-visit Portugal - perhaps go to Lagos in the Algarve. I have done some of the Algarve, but didn't quite make it to Lagos - although the Australian surfer Su and I rescued spent two months there, so I assume it's an ok place. I then ended up looking at Valencia, or even one of the Balearic islands. Will I be ready to dance my French frustrations away in Ibiza or will I want to be on the highly rated topless island beaches of Formentera? Or what if I looked to the Amalfi Coast and vacationed on the island of Capri? More fashionable? Then I happened upon the info that there is an air ticket from Montpellier direct to Casablanca. I've never been to Africa, and even just a taste of the north could be something different.

Hmmm. Will decide soon.