In Paris with two boys, one our cheerful seven-year-old, the other our stroppy 15-year-old "Little Englander" who was determined to be unimpressed by anything French (it was just a phase - he is now studying international relations at Bradford University's Department of Peace Studies). The Eiffel Tower was "OK", the Pompidou Centre was "torture". Paris in the company of a teenage grump was turning out to have been the trip from hell when we saw the posters for tours of Le Stade de France. Ok, about the last place I would choose out of all the many places and sights in Paris which I may never see, but hey, this was supposed to be a treat for all of us.

We found our way to Le Stade in an uninspiring suburb. It was a comprehensive tour, taking in changing rooms, stands, pitch and presidential box and loads more. It felt like we got to look in every storeroom.

Most of it bored me silly but it was worth every minute to see the transformation in the boy. He was so appreciative that his uplifted mood lasted for the rest of the trip. That afternoon, he sat patiently watching his little brother playing for two hours and more in the childrens' playground in the Luxembourg Gardens. Later on we wandered round the local streets and found a great pizza restaurant. And so home to hotel, all of us content and well fed. It was a special day.

www.stadedefrance.fr

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I was in Harrogate for work; my son had started at Bradford University the week earlier. We met up for me to hand over his new laptop which had arrived the day after he left for uni. I offered him lunch at Bettys, where we had last eaten when he was still in a high chair, but the queue out the door was too daunting.

Then that evening he just missed one train back and had a long wait so, rather than dive into the nearest pub, he opted to try Bettys again and we found it still bustling at 8 o'clock in the evening but with the teeniest of queues.

Greeted with heartwarmingly friendly service and the tinkly tink of the pianist who plays every evening, we each demolished a brown bread ice cream sundae before he dashed for the next return train back to student land and I headed back to my hotel.

www.bettys.co.uk

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An idyllic little spot tucked away in a beautiful part of England on the Welsh border. This is the hotel Al Gore stayed at when he was at the Hay Festival last year. As well as the hotel, though, there are also two comfortable and stylish self-catering apartments in an old threshing barn, on one side of the hotel's courtyard garden (sleeps two or three). We stayed there with our 10-year-old son last year - it's very special place.

A meal at Daphne Lambert's Award-winning Penrhos organic restaurant was our treat of the year. A welcome organic goodies pack was good, too. We had a week of magnificent countryside, on-top of-the-world views, hidden valleys, picnics by streams, great walking, castles, sunken lanes... it is truly glorious but this part of the world remains a closed book to most British holidaymakers. When we told people we were going to Herefordshire for a holiday, several of them asked where it was!

www.penrhos.co.uk

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The Coasthopper bus service (between Sheringham and Hunstanton and on some journeys, Kings Lynn) makes the north Norfolk coast very accessible if leaving your car at home.

We stayed at Salthouse, travelling by train from Woking to London, then Norwich, then to Sheringham. Quick shopping trip to stock up on groceries and then on to the bus to holiday cottage. We did beg lifts at the start and end of the holiday between home and station and took a taxi once during the holiday late at night.

Otherwise we walked or took the bus... very reliable and always on time when we wanted it. Compared to travelling by car in this area in the past, we found that the elevated view from the bus gave us a whole new panoramic perspective on surrounding cliffs and fields. And it was so wonderful not to have to worry about finding a parking space when we arrived at places.

Salthouse is home to Rick Stein food hero Cookies Crab Shop and the annual Salthouse art exhibition in the church which overlooks the village and salt marshes. Salthouse 07 is from July 5th to August 5th.

www.norfolkgreen.co.uk
01553 776980
www.cookies.shopkeepers.co.uk
www.northnorfolk.org/salthouseartandevents/

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