Never before had I been in such dire need of a break. Avid readers will have heard me bang on about my desperation to go on holiday many times, this year, but somehow – what with work commitments and baby stuff and Mr AMR never being free at the right moment – time for a holiday has failed to miraculously materialise.
(I’m learning, though, that the right time for a holiday will never miraculously materialise: you have to book it, pay for it and stick to it. Which is precisely what I’m going to do next year!)
Anyway, last week my planets must have suddenly aligned because two very fortuitous things happened: firstly, my sister-in-law reminded me that she had offered to baby-and-dog-sit for two nights and asked if we would be taking her up on her offer any time soon, and secondly, the very kind people at Pai Skincare said they could help to arrange a stay at the amazing Lime Wood Hotel* in the New Forest.
Now – in all truthfulness – I would have been happy sitting very quietly in a hole in the woods, completely on my own, with perhaps a book and a knapsack filled with bags of Haribo and sandwiches from the local 24 hour garage, but a break at the sort of luxury hotel that has award-winning food, a state-of-the-art spa and rooms you never want to leave sounded much better. I even decided to let Mr AMR come along with me.
When you’re finished with my words, I would highly recommend having a little whizz about the Lime Wood Hote...