We've just come back from the Cotswolds, staying in a yurt. It was quite funny beforehand seeing people's reactions when I told them that was what we were doing for our summer holiday, and just reinforced to me all I've written about elsewhere in 'Oh to be a hippy': some just laughed; on FB I had comments about nude dancing and was I mad?! It honestly really took me by surprise! Actually, it was definitely more along the lines of 'glamping' (glamorous camping, for the uninitiated) than any sort of hippy activity: proper double bed for Greg and me, sheepskin rugs on the floor, comfortable seating, inside woodburning stove and all linen and kitchen things provided. There was even a compost toilet!
Our yurt was beautiful: set in a little woodland glen, surrounded by wildflower meadows, with loads of butterflies, and a robin and squirrel who would come onto our decking area and eat the scraps we left out for them. One afternoon as Greg was sitting out on the decking, the squirrel shinned up the pole next to him, along to the frying pan that Greg had used earlier to fry some eggs in, and began licking out all the butter at the bottom! There was a tree house and swings in the woods which the kids enjoyed, and we all tucked up in our beds together in the evenings with the log burner and candles burning and I'd read to them.
What was interesting was being away for five days with no electricity, which of course meant no computer and no television. It would be fair to say that there were a couple of points when the kids missed being able to flop in front of the TV and it was intrigued to watch them cope with it and have to find other quiet things to do. For me, it was bliss, and I found it really intrusive once we were home and the TV was on again. Thinking about it, the only thing I missed was running hot water for the washing up. It made me realise how little we really need to be complete.
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