The Rising’s Growing Together Podcast - Husband Thought He Was Going To Die On a Swing 100m Above Amsterdam

Episode Date: June 9, 2026

Our Amsterdam Mini-Moon was NOT what we expected! From a surprise Akon & Ne-Yo concert to facing our biggest fears on a 100m high swing, we’re breaking down everything from our recent trip.In this episode of The Rising, we dive deep into:• The incredible wedding gift that landed us at an Akon & Ne-Yo concert in Amsterdam.• Why biking like a local is the ONLY way to see the city (and why it's dangerous!).• The "Adam Lookout" experience that left one of us shaking.• The great debate: Is a cruise actually a good family holiday or just for "old people"?• How to travel authentically and avoid the tourist traps.

Hi guys. Welcome back to another episode of The Rising's Growing Together with me, Billy and me Charlotte. Yeah, so I've been busy. You've been off on your mini moon. I have. I've been aware. Jump straight in. Tell us all about it. So my mother and father-in-law and my sister and brother-in-law gifted us. Actually, they give it to us at Christmas. A mini-moon to Amsterdam. So we were going for a long weekend, Friday to Monday.

four four days. And it was coming up to be a month after we got married. Yeah. Because you know what it's like? You get married. Well, I've seen a lot of other people do it anyway. They're so thing about the wedding and everything like that.

They've got no money for the life. They get married and then they've got no money. Or they just can't be bothered to saw it out because it's another. So much planning for the first one. Yeah. So that was really nice that it was kind of in and done. So that was lovely. We were gifted that to go to Amsterdam.

Yeah, because I think we, We got married in the, well, we did the Gibraltar a bit, which wasn't our main thing. Yeah. In like the November. Then we got married in the following September. And I think we went on our honeymoon in like the November. So we waited a couple of months after because we got a cruise. But that's normal.

So it's that time. But at the minute. Some people go the day after. Yeah, which is great. But and all, depending on the time of year and where they're going, they might have to wait. Well, that's it. Ours was a specific cruise. Yeah.

So we couldn't change the dates. But me and Mitch don't even still now, don't know where we're going to go, when we're going to go. How long we're going to go? You know, like, so you know what, me and Mitch would have been two years ahead down the line? I would have this honeymoon. We would never have done it. So at least you've done something little to be able to celebrate it. And then with that, you were going to watch Acon and Neo in London and said about it.

And I was like, oh, well, we're probably not the best time for us, you know, financially and I'm going to say no. And then I'd seen that they was in. Touring around Europe. Yeah, they were in Amsterdam. on the weekend that we were there. That's just weird, isn't it? And I was just like, oh my God, I've got a bucket, got to book it. But Mitch wasn't so like, yeah, at first.

And then when I actually explained who it was, he's like, yeah, I'll watch that. I was like, what do you mean? So I can book tickets. Yeah, like, so I can book tickets. And then, so when he was like, right, okay, he actually does want to do it. Because I wouldn't want to go and he's not enjoying it. No, and it's not cheap. Yeah, exactly.

Concerts are not cheap people. No, they're not. And so then, so I was looking at booking them and da-da-da-da. And he went, well, before you book them, remember that Liam said about, you know, he might be able to get some tickets and just ask. So I was like, right, well, they're there, they're ready to click go, da-da-da. So Mitch had spoke with Liam about, anyway, Liam wasn't able to get the tickets. I think because it was in a different country.

He's used to go into the O2 or wherever you should go to, don't you? And I was like, oh, it's all right, I've booked it anyway, because I was a bit scared that the tickets weren't going to go left with it. as that. And and then we booked it, I don't know, a day or two later, I don't look at my phone, my phone clicked up that I've been sent money and I was like, why have I been sent money?

So I've gone on it, clicked on it, and it's only you, isn't it? Who sent me the amount that were the tickets for AECON and Neo, and that was our wedding present from you and Liam. And it was just, one, it was just amazing anyway because the concert was just fab, but two, coming from you,

Do you know what I mean? We would have done it together if we couldn't. So having that gift from you was just so special. Yeah. And that's nice because sometimes, like, you just don't know what to get people. Yeah. So, like, because I was like, well, we're going. Yeah.

I know that is definitely like our thing as well. So it was like, yeah. Then I know that it's something that is nice to get rather than just in a couple of months time going in just to the shop to find something just for the sake of it. Exactly. And it was. It was such a good gift. It was such a good experience.

as well because not only were they just good performers, they interacted so well with the audience. And there wasn't a break because there was the two of them, they just backed each other up. So there was no waiting around or having another artist that you don't know. I absolutely loved it. It was so good. Probably up there of one of the best concerts.

I agree. And even Mitch said it. So I don't really go to concerts with Mitch. It's something that I'd always do with my friends. Or the last one I did with him was with Mason for 50 cents. He wasn't really interested at all. I think the amount of times he went to the best of, bar or the toilet, you know what I mean?

And I think that's probably what he was worried, but yeah, thinking it was going to be. Like, oh, I like a few songs. Yeah. You forget how many songs. They dominated are like teens and 20s. Like, even when it come up, I was like, oh, well, me and Liam actually watched Neo in concert

like 10 years ago. And like, obviously, I knew that he had quite a lot of songs that I liked because I've had his album and stuff. But I remember going to him like, oh, A, he's only got a few songs. See, I was, I used to... And then I've remembered, oh, and that one, and that one, I used to have Acon's album on repeat I did, so that was one for me.

I forgot how many tunes. And I don't know if they did, I'm presuming they did the same. They did a segment bit where they played the songs that they wrote. How cool was that? That was so good that they wrote or produced. Yeah, so the one that sticks in, oh, they did a few Beyonce, they wrote a few Beyonce songs, that stuck in like, because that was a bit of a joke they made.

Because they were like trying to do each other over, yeah, yeah. It was the titanium. one from Acon for me that I can't get out my head. I had no idea. Because that's quite new, isn't it, from what I remember anyway? Yeah, yeah. So that was quite a good little segment in it. What did make me laugh in that concert anyway was I felt like Neo was really trying to be serious, not serious, but a bit more professional and D-D-D-D-D.

And Aiken was like the little kid just jumping around everywhere, making the most of it. You know, like I've already done this before. I'm just enjoying it this time, sort of thing. No, I think that definitely comes across that energy. Yeah. You've got someone who's really trying to like. show you the vocals and the songs, then you've got someone else who's just throwing the energy.

It was... They matched perfectly, I thought. When I heard it, I was like, that's a bit of an odd pair. Yeah. But actually, they so went to... I agree. So went well together. Yeah, I agree.

Because you had the, like, the love songs, then you had, like, the dance tunes. And even, I think we spoke about this. I was actually at one point watching the dancers rather than them singing at some point. It's because they was up in the air with no... Well, they had them, like, flitting around.

Yeah, them like... Drop poles. Material things, yeah, and the palms and stuff. And when they like unravel themselves and it's like you're watching like, oh. In full on like. Yeah. Huge heels. Yeah.

Crazy. So that was amazing in itself. Yeah. You know? That probably like you say cherry on top of the trip. Honestly, it was amazing. And then around that we had Amsterdam. Yeah.

So we've been Amsterdam before. We went about 10 years ago. And we did a lot. We did so much the first time. We did all the museums that you said. you know, like everywhere, the ice bar, you know, all that kind of thing. Yeah. And I was like, I want to do the same again, but in a different way.

You know, I want to kind of discover Amsterdam, but obviously not the main thing. Exactly, not the real common. Exactly. Like a local. Exactly that. So, we rented bikes. Oh, Bill. I thought I was going to die, to be fair, but it was amazing.

Is it quite dangerous? It's scary. So, this is something that Mitch came home and obviously really was excited. tell the children because I jumped a red light on my bicycle. You know what I mean? Because I'm quite strict and stuff like that now. So yeah, so it's all like, designed and made, or whatever you want to call it.

Four bicycles. You know what I mean? It's very, I think if you got in a car, it would take you longer to get wherever you want to go because of the way the roots are. So you're walking or you're cycling. And yeah, we absolutely love it. I felt like a local.

I felt like I lived there. I was smashing it by the end. Don't get me wrong, their legs must be absolutely pubbed because sometimes Mitch was like, you're all right, I was like, yeah, he's like, you know, you can't change the gears. I thought, I have. I'm just not fit. And they're not like, you know, up to date the new tech bikes.

These are like old school with your basket on the front bike. Like, but it was wicked. Like, we had such an experience that way. Yeah, well, I think I said it to you. you that something that reminds me of that is when me and Liam were on a cruise, whichever one it was, it stopped in the Bahamas. And yeah, we just straight out of like the port bit was, you got a motorbike, moped hires. So we were like, oh, let's just do that. So we did. We just moped around, just like sightseeing. And so we did that. So we got to where we wanted to go sort

of thing. Then we would leave them. Yeah. Do you know how hard it is to try and park a fucking bicycle in Amsterdam as well. Seriously. Why? Because the scale of them is huge. They are everywhere. There's like to park a car in the city centre of London. Oh, so you mean just like no space? There's no space.

But you can't then just go, oh, there's a lampo so I'm going to park it there. The gruer, the bike gruer, whatever you want to call it. I don't know what that called. We'll come and literally just pick them up, angle grind their locks off and we've watched it and just put them on the truck. So you have to park it in a parking spot. Like it's really like, yeah, that's, that's, That was probably my own biggest headache.

Yeah. We did a lot of different. We did like a windmill trip. We went to a place called Zarns where it's like a windmill village. And we did the gowder cheese making. We did the clog making, which is their, you know, their shoe that they have. So you watch it or you were doing it? We both.

So you watch them how you make and then you help and then you walk around the windmills. Oh, cool. There was one where you walk in and it's only a stupid thing, but you make your own chocolate going around. and I'm trying to think what else we did because we did so much touristy stuff like away from the centre kind of thing but we had so much fun

I have to admit the first day I got a bit scared because we woke up in a like Airbnb and the room was beautiful it was so nice it was real like Amsterdamy that's not a word but it really was you know not like a hotel or anything like it was proper little Amsterdam

little room, you know, and when you come up and you're literally on the canal. But we woke up in the morning and where we was, imagine not having a room on top. And that's what I was woken up by. So it just wound me up. And the thing is, we'd had like an early flight from 2 o'clock in the morning. So we hadn't actually slept. We'd only had 2 hours sleep in like 2 days. So everything was just heightened.

Do you know what I mean? So I'm just lying there. And you had the opportunity to lie. The lying. That was the only day that we really was. Otherwise, we was up and out every day. You know, trying to see everything and do everything. So that was the one day, the day after we arrived sort of thing

where I was like, right, we're just going to chill. And then you hear bang, bang, bang, bang, and all these noises from a water pump or whatever it was in the room. And I think me and Mitch just wanted to scream and just like get us to fuck out of here, get us home. Like, what are we doing? Do you know what I mean? But then after like the next sleep, you know what I mean?

Yeah. Yeah, it really wasn't so bad. Again, it was annoying. Don't get me right. It was really annoying when you want to have a lion. But we just didn't lay in. in so much. Do you know what I mean?

We just got up and went out. Yeah. So that was part, you know, when you start at your holiday, you think, this is all rubbish. What is all this? A whole trip is ruined. Yeah, this is a load of shit, you know what I mean? It's just fucking go sit in a corner and cry.

But it really wasn't. I was just, I was exaggerating that from because of my tiredness. Yeah. But yeah, it was brilliant. And as much as we did so much, and I feel like there's not much more, oh, we could do, I would go back again. We're like, oh, it's because I did do something. something else. We went to the top of a building. It's called the Adam Lookout Building. We had to get a

little ferry over the river or whatever to get to it. And you go up in a lift. And when you go up in the lift, they do a light show in the lift. I know that sounds really sad, but it's really cool, right? But you're not expecting it. It's really cool. So do a light show in this lift. So you get to the top and you can eat up there, which we did. We had lunch and that was beautiful. And then you have the opportunity if you want to to, to go on this swing. So, you can, you can, It's this swing that hangs over the edge of this tower. Oh, okay. Right?

Well, I was just like, oh, okay, let's do it. Let's go. I thought you'd be a bit nervous for it. No, no, let's just go through it. You're a bit like scared in your old age. Yeah, but it's weird. So I'd go on like a roller coaster and stuff like that, but I wouldn't go to another country that scares me.

It's weird, isn't it? It's weird. Yeah. So, so we went up, wait. And you're like strapped in? No, you're not strapped in. It's just like a bar, just a very thin bar. that just comes down.

And you go off the edge? You're off the edge. So imagine like a swing. Yeah. Yeah? So it's like a metal thing, obviously by a mechanical thing or whatever you want to call it.

Oh, so not like a loose swing. Not a real swing, yeah. Right, okay. Because you wouldn't have control of it, would you? That's what I'm saying. Yeah, no. We didn't have control of it anyway. Yeah.

So you wait your turn and you get on and it starts going and it's quite slow. Just do do like this. You know what I mean? but you are a little bit off the edge of the building, you know? Yeah. Then it starts going a bit quicker and a bit more like this. You're really out of the tower thing.

And I was, I don't know what, I was a bit nervous, do you know what? So I'm holding on. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Then literally I've looked to Mitch like this and he's just like, I don't think I'm a roller coaster guy. Well, I've just lost myself then because I just didn't think he'd be feeling like that. So I've just gone, hold on China. Hold on.

That's okay. I was like, just so you know it's not a roller coaster, it's a swing. Yeah. But he just can't move. He's hands holding on that tight is white. You know, his whole thing's white. He's just like, pretending. It's okay.

He's okay. I'm not a roller coaster guy. So, but all it was was one minute. I think that one minute for him felt like about 10, honestly. Because he went, I think he was waiting for me to go, do you want it to get off? Yeah. Because I was just like, you know, just being stupid. So by the time I tell him that would be over.

So then we got off and he was like, I'm never doing that again. I'm going to have to be the dad. I'm going to be the boring dad who holds the bags. And then, yeah, so he's realised that he did actually... But he went on the big rides in Madrid when we were with the kids. Yeah, yeah, but clearly... And Mason went on like ones that none of us went on.

Yeah, clearly he doesn't like he. He just pushes himself to do it. Maybe. That was, what, a year ago, two years ago now? Well, it was before I found out I was pregnant with Hayden. I was pregnant, but I found out like the week after. So there you go there. Two years.

Yeah. So it needs two years. Well, no, nearly three because I would have been pregnant. Yeah, exactly. So, yeah. So I wouldn't have thought that would be here. Neither would I. And I'm, you know, we'll all get a bit nervous, obviously.

Yeah, yeah. It's just normal. Is that adrenaline that comes up doing everything? I think that probably would be a bit more nervous than a roller coaster because like you're strapped in. Like, there isn't much you can do about it and you just go. Whereas that is a little bit like, hmm, I could slip off the seat. I'm not.

He's got more to look at around, to be fair. I was a bit like that at first. Just swinging, oh, God, I went, because I even went, oh, it's going a bit fast, yeah, like just like that. And then after a bit, I kind of looked. I was just like, oh, babe, I'm sorry, I'm always going to be fun. I know you're going to enjoy it.

Scarred him for life. I know. So that was a little giggle we had. Yeah. And just experiencing just a little bit more like a local, you know. So having the bikes, learned that they have this 24-hour underground free parking that we used when we went to the concert because we took the bikes to the 24-hour underground, check them in, lock them up,

got on the metro, got on the metro to where the concert was, which at the same day, Harry Stiles was in the other concert, so can you imagine? Oh, the people. So, right, we were on the train, and Mitch is like, oh, there is obviously coming to the concert. And in my head, I've stayed quiet and I thought, this is dressed like it. Yeah. So this was me. They're in sequins. They're in like feather bowers. That's not that. That's not Acon. Because when I was in the O2, we went to Nando's and the restaurants and stuff outside before it started like a couple hours before.

And you could see the people turning up for the concert and like they were all decked out in like, yeah, that kind of era. Exactly. So. Not feather bows and sequins. No. So I was thinking in my head. I don't think they've seen Neo and Acon. And if they are, what the fuck are they wearing? And then as, I think I looked it up, I looked it up on my phone what the arena was it and who was it and it was Harry Stiles. I was like, that makes complete sense. Yeah. Now I get it. Exactly that. So all that experience of getting the metro and da-da-da.

And then I've even got a video on my phone actually where I did a video and Mitch was like, it's like Crocodile Dundee. You know, I don't know if you've ever watched that film. It's a very, very old film. Yeah. And there's a bit where he goes or she goes to the train station to find him, like kind of thing. and they have to like talk across people and then talk back and it was a little bit like that as we videoed through. So yeah, it was a really cool weekend actually.

We did a lot of stuff. And most of the stuff you can't do with kids. No. So that's why I like when you're on your own, I like to do those things and travel like on the metros and do the bikes and stuff because you can't do that when you've got the kids with you. Not so much, not so much. You're a bit older.

Yeah, mine are a bit different size. but also Amsterdam's different. Yeah, it's not a kid environment. I don't think so. Not where we were. They probably wouldn't have found half of what you'd done even interested in. No, they wouldn't have.

And obviously we went to a few coffee shops. Yeah. So that's the difference in Amsterdam. Yeah. A coffee shop and a cafe. Okay. I think that's the difference. So a coffee shop doesn't sell coffee.

Or it does, but it will weed, won't it? Oh. You know what I mean? I think that's the difference of people looking for a cafe. and a coffee shop, you know what I mean? Okay. So we did go and visit a few that, you know, that I looked up that was supposed to be really good

and what they offered and why they offered it because actually the history of, because people got, oh, coffee shop, you know, smoking a joint or whatever. But it's actually quite interesting of how it came about and what it, you know, what it's about and why the government allow it and certain things like that. One more thing, because I will finish with my four day. That's all it was four days. It was really good. I got a new drink when I was in there.

And it was a mint tea. So I had problems with my belly, don't I? And I see loads of people with this mint, like fresh mint in a cup. So imagine just picking your mint, sticking it in the car and put some hot ore on it, right? That's a bit rank. This is in my head at first. That looks a bit rank. I don't think I could have that.

And I looked at it anyway. This mint tea is supposed to help with belly. I was like, let's try one. Fuck it, let's try it. Do you know what I mean? So I said, can I have a mint tea? And they always come with two sachets of honey. So I was like, I don't really know what I'm doing,

but I'm just thinking I know what I'm doing. I'll let it go down and mix the honey in. And then I'll try it. And it's really nice. I really enjoyed it. And it's really good for you. Because I used to do honey and lemon, didn't I? Yeah.

That was my drink. I have got a coffee by the way. It's not mint too. Yeah, straight from work. Well, even I the other day, not the other day, probably a month ago. It was in Al Campo just getting a few shots. and things and I saw, and it was called digestive tea.

Yeah. So I bought it. I haven't had one. You haven't had one. I get freaked out, you know, like about the tea bags and, you know, when you start overthinking things. That's what I'm going to go into a hole. Yes, I know, people might call me crazy. But I was just thinking this way of doing it, it's literally grow my own mint, take it, wash it, stick it in my cut.

I've got my honey that I get from the shop and I'm away. Like, I thought it was a really, not that I've done it, because I've got my coffee. But like I say, it's a good alternative, isn't it? Yeah. So, yeah, it was a real fun adult weekend. Love it. I'm going to say adult because it was adult, do you know what I mean? So, yeah, it was really, and you need it sometimes.

I know it was that for our mini moon, but I really believe that sometimes, you know, when you took your trip to, I know you went to work and then Liam met you there, but even for that for the concert, yeah. I just think it's really important just to be able to take that time out for yourself. I think we do a good job of having our time.

trips to ourselves. I think so. Yeah. I think so. I think I'm definitely better at it now. I never, I used to get like this guilt thing like, you know, like, oh, you know, but I can only, I think we've only realised we can only do it short periods though. Yeah. So talking about our honeymoon, not mini, like our actual honeymoon, we think we would have to do it with the kids, which I've always said, oh, you can't have a honeymoon with kids, haven't I? I haven't I, I always said that. But it's not really about, because me and Mitch would probably do short weekend things or short couple of days things here and there. Yeah.

But if we were going to do a honeymoon, we'd want to go for like two, three weeks. If you want to do a big one, yeah. Yeah. And I couldn't leave the kids that long, which is really sad. I mean, we might not get it done until they're older, so who knows. But if we are going to get it done within the next few months or whatever, or within the year. See, me and Liam have done a few longer holidays without the kids. I'm just trying to think, like, the longest, probably two weeks. Because we've gone to America once or twice.

This is it. And where we would want to go... I wouldn't go to Ibiza for two kids without them. No, no, no, no, no. And the shorter trips are easier. This is what I mean. I do like here and theirs. Yeah.

But if I... Because I think we wouldn't want to stay in one place. I think what we've realised, years ago, we was all for the Maldives. Don't know why. I remember that's always been... It was just one of those things, right? I mean, it could change. It might not be the same as, you know, I've heard.

But we think we might get bored in somewhere like that. We even might think we might get bored in the same area for two weeks. So actually we might have to stay somewhere for like four days, four days, four days. Do you know what I mean? Because that's just what we're like. Well, me and Liam kind of do that because any time we've gone away for a long period of time is normally a cruise. Yeah. Or we've gone to, yeah, two places or three places.

So a cruise, you're not staying in one place. The cruise, I wish I'd done years ago because now with my problem of like panicking, I've now panicked in the middle. I'll panic in the middle of the sea. I think that's what happened. 100% you won't. And actually, was it yesterday or the day before? I think it was two days ago.

We booked a cruise. Have you? Have you? I went out after work. I went and met someone and then Liam and Kaysen stayed up late. And when I got back, they were like, got our holiday. It's like, we're booking it. They needed something from my emails from my like cruise registration number

so that like you get bonus points and you get kickbacks and things. when you book so they had to wait for me to get back to book it but yeah we've booked one for the four of you for the four of us because it's the it's raw Caribbean which is like the main cruise liner that we like you've always said that yeah but it's like american like the service the shows the food we love it and we've done a few of them now and um Liam found one where it's full price for one adult 60% off for the second adult and children go free and Oh, so you literally, you're a child up to what age? I don't know.

We only pay 200 quid each for them for taxes or whatever it is. But the discounts were ridiculous. That's brilliant. Like, it's literally half to the price of the holiday. So that's the only thing that I'm going to push you to do one. Try to because I feel like as I'm getting older, I'm getting more of a scaredy cat. And what was I like back in the day? No, honestly, the thought of a cruise, like, how the hell is it afloat?

Like, what if it tips over? It's not that. It's for me, I can't get off. Yeah. So you know what? So press the button. Where's the fucking button? No.

But they're that big. You one forget you're even on a boat because they're that bloody huge. Yeah. And the one that we're going on is from Barcelona around to like, I think New Yorker, some places in Italy and back. I think you're at sea for one of the days or two of the days. The rest of the days, by the time you've woken up, you're at port, you've got the whole day in a place. You come back. then you're going, like, travelling while you're, like, eating,

you have your dinner, you do the shows in the evening, and you go to sleep, and then you're in another place. Yeah, get what you're saying. And I'm telling my that's this, by the way. And we're not actually that far. So most of the time, usually dependent, most of the time you can see the land because you're not actually that far away. Probably couldn't, but you'd be absolutely fine.

That would make me feel very much. The thought of it is, like I say, the old, like 10, 15 years ago, it was what old people did. But now it's so geared towards families. There's water slides, the shows in the evening. They flew in like acts that performed in Vegas to the boat and stuff. You want you to honestly, this is why I want to do it. Well, I'm just going to book it and you got no choice.

But at the same time, you know, like, I think me and Mitch spoke about it on the way back. Like, yeah, I think, why did we, I don't know why we said it now. But I think I'm more nervous at flying now. Like, I'll fly. No questions, I'm nervous. But like, just the thought of it and the thing. You know, like, I definitely get more nervous now. I had it on the plane.

Then I, because if I start getting myself into that thought, I'm going to just go crazy. And I am going to look like a bit of a psycho. So I started thinking, where do I get out? Yeah. That was my thing then. So that's this, so it's obviously, I don't know, it's not a claustophobia.

I don't know what it is. No, I suppose it probably is a little bit, even though you're not in a really tight space, you just know you can't get off. You can't get out. And when I start realising. There's linked cluster focus. I do it at home.

Yeah. So if my, you know, like in Spain, a lot, you haven't got it, it's a soon, it doesn't it. In Spain, a lot of the houses have grills on and then they have the grill door to shut over your door. So if that shut, oh God, no.

Oh God, no, that's my sweat thinking about it. I'd have to wake in the night and just breathe some air in just to know that I can actually get, it's so weird, isn't it? It's like I've been like suffocated or say it as a child. But it's just, I know as I'm getting older, we discuss something. on the way back about, you know,

honeymoons and where. And we sort of said, maybe we'd have to check the children. Don't think I could do a cruise and we'd just think, where the fuck are we going to go? Camping. Yeah. We did.

Oh, they did. We did. We did. No, but I'm talking about it for your honeymoon. You're going to end up going camping with the kids. I know. But don't get me wrong, we put camping when we got back. And, oh, it was such a good weekend.

But all of us were just like, we don't want to go. I know it sounds sad. I know. are the same. My sister-in, exactly. You think you'd be bored of the place by now. Not necessarily the camping holiday, but, like, because you go back to the same place all the time. Yeah.

You think you'd be bored of the place. Especially because we don't like going back to the same. This is, me and Mitch don't like this. You know, like when I was just saying, I don't think I'll be able to stay in a hotel for two weeks. The Salem hotel for two weeks. Yeah, because I want to change. Camping.

It's just a happy place. Yeah. It's like my second home, really. The thought, the feeling I get, I know this sounds really sad because there's people we're going to be like, what the fuck? When I wake up and I'm in the tent, I just love it.

I get it's long when you have to walk, to go to a toilet and all that, but I just love it. I absolutely love it. I think because... I could live there. Some trips, like when you... It's probably why people have holiday homes,

because some trips, when you know, I know the places, I know where I'm going to eat, I know, like, where I'm staying, like, it's easy. I don't have to make loads of decisions. It's not... It's an actual time to really switch off. Whereas some holidays, by the time you get back, like, oh fuck, I need another holiday.

Because you've had to make loads of decisions, you've had to book loads of things, you've had to get from one place to another at certain times of the day. So even though you love it and it's a great holiday and you've had a great experience, they're tiring holidays rather than camping just a chill holiday.

It's like, say, Disney Florida or something like that, isn't it? That is not a holiday. Oh, no, no. That is not a fucking holiday, you know? It's definitely a memory. Yeah. But a different time of holiday. But you needed a holiday to get over that trip.

Well, see if I can convince you to come on a cruise. I know. It's got me and me, too, that's the problem. I say it to everyone. Everyone's like, cruise. No, I wanted to. I understand. I have been, it's not even that anymore.

It's not convincing me to do it. I believe you now. I do believe that they are brilliant. It sounds free of that all of a sudden got. You're going to be worried wherever you go because you know you want to have a long holiday. You're not going to go long haul because you don't like faraway countries. I know. So actually, get on a boat from Barcelona and visit all the places on the coastline of Spain.

Well, that was in one. We wanted the next one. wanted to do like a little trip is Italy because that was one Mitch first ever booked on his own, you know, like went off on his own to, he didn't do it on his own actually. He went to a travel action. But he did it on his own. So he had his initiative. He did it on his own. And he booked to go to Italy for me and him for like a long weekend and then COVID hit. So we had to cancel it. So we never went. I don't remember you going to it. No, no. So he said that's somewhere I just really, really want to go and see. I was like, I don't think that's a one. Well, Italy's a trip.

Please never really appealed, but I've done a couple spots in Italy on cruise ships where we've got off and we've wandered round. Nothing appeals to me of walking around with loads of other million tourists. Well, that's why you have to be careful what you book because like even when I went on one, I think I was 18, my mum had booked it and we got on it from America and we went, I think it was like a week or 10 days. And you can book the trips through the cruise line as well. So luckily my mum didn't book any of that and we were just getting off at the point. walking in and then just booking on the spot. I remember you telling me this as well. Or she Googled it and she was booking things that she knew was nearby,

but not through them. Yeah. And one of the days we got off and they squeezed probably about 100 people onto this tiny little boat. It was boiling hot. They had a tiny little thin, you know, like canopy over the top of them. It was like sardines squished onto this boat. And for pretty much the same price, we wore, we got, took on a like a little mini-box.

last two minutes up the road and we all had like individual little jet skis. It just shows, didn't it? The difference. So you have to be careful what you booked because otherwise, yeah. But I do remember somewhere in Italy, I don't know if it was Rome.

Might have been Rome. Because me and Lee did actually do Milan. My mum had booked us flights to Milan. So we did that as an actual like weekend holiday. That's quite a city place, is it? Yeah, yeah. But I just want to go on a guantola. Yeah.

I'm not going to that. But we actually did get the hop-on, hop-off red bus thing that they do. They're all over the world, aren't they? Yeah, they're all over the world. And a lot of the main places. So we did that. You pay like one price and then you just jump on and off it all day.

We've done that in Malaga, because we go Bella Medina, don't we? Yeah. And there was one in Amsterdam, actually. And we see it in London. The red, the red hop-on, hop-off sightseeing bus thing. That's funny. So, yeah. But no, you need to do it.

And if you're thinking of doing it with the kids, that is a proper, easy but fun holiday. because you're in different locations most days. You've got all your buffet and everything there, so it caters to everybody. They've got the pools, the slides. Every evening there's a really great show in their proper show theatre.

I think they've even got Charlie in the Chocolate Factory, like a proper theatre production. And then other days they've got singers and bands and comedians or illusionists and things. So it's a really good holiday. I'm sold on that part. It's just, I don't know why this fears come from. hotel on a boat and you get to go to different places.

And I like that idea. One question though actually that I want to ask as a non-cruiser who's never, never, never, never cruising my life. What's it like? Because you know what I'm like with clock watching, it drives me and, you know, even booking stuff. I don't even, if you're going away, I don't know, I might tomorrow, I might not. Yeah.

And then that's just how I am. Yeah. Would, is it, is it a lot or is it, do you just become kind of like? So. Do you get what I mean? Does it become a stress? No. No.

No. No. Not at all. So they used to do like pieces of paper on your bed every day With the whole day's itinerary But most of it's now on your phone Okay So you get the it it's put it up

And it tells you everything that's happening All across the boat In all different places From like nine in the morning Until like midnight So even if you don't want to get off At that certain start You don't even have to get off

Like so like say If you've done a few cruises And you've been to all them places Like my mum and dad A few times gone on one And they just Oh we've been there Not bothering

Yeah So you just stay on the boat Which is like chilling around a pool Isn't it? Loads people get off and it's quite empty for the day and you can chill and do what you want. Which is like having an empty hotel in a way. Exactly. So you can either get off the boat and you can get off the boat.

This coffee is always making me sweat, but I'm going to drink it anyway. You can get off the boat at whatever time you want. As long as you're back on obviously by the time that they tell you, you can get off at any point. So you can get off for an hour. You can get off all day. So it's completely freedom to do what you want. You can stay on it.

You don't even have to get off if you don't want to. And then you've got the itinerary and you can pick and choose what you want. So there's things, all different stuff, caters to all different ages and stuff. We tend to not do a huge amount in the day, but sometimes they've got like a DJ by the pool deck. So then we'll like hang out and listen to like the music and stuff. Most of the stuff that we like to do is normally from like early evening down. So like quizzes and game shows and theatre shows and those kind of thing.

But like they'll have bingo on and stuff and most of it's all still included. Bingo normally you have to pay extra for. but everything else is normally like included. And yeah. So when you get off, so when say you, let's say you stop at Italy somewhere and it's 8 o'clock in the morning,

I'm presumably, let's just say, you stopped. You've then got the option you can go into it to have your breakfast. You can obviously go into the cruise to have you and normally how long does it give you? Were they leave by like 2? Is it like 8 o'clock at night? Or are they all different? It's all different.

Okay, okay. Most of the time you're docked by the time you wake up. So normally from like seven, six, seven in the morning, you're there. So you can get up and go. Usually it's from like then until about five. Okay. Most of the time. Especially if you're going around the Mediterranean because it's not too far

so they can get there by five o'clock by the next morning. I see what you mean, yeah. But if you're going to like one that's a little bit further away, then either you'll be at sea for a day or they might, it might be like two, three o'clock. Mm-hmm. So usually minimum you have probably five, six hours. So the only thing, thing that you would have to maybe be more in preparation for is if there's something

on a certain stop you want to see. Yeah. Just to know you've got that timing to be able to get there and do it. But then that could be like that with anything. Yeah. And most of the time you have a long day. Yeah. So it's like first in the morning until five, six o'clock in the evening.

So you normally have plenty of time. So so many stops, we've not booked anything. We've just got off. We've had a wander around. Seeing the place. Maybe had a drink. had food and if not we just wander around and get back on. Yeah, yeah.

When we did the one in February last year with like the Caribbean and stuff, like my mum had organised one or two of the day. So we went to Jamaica. We got picked up by like a mini bus. We got took to. There's like a waterfalls that everybody knows. So everybody goes to that one. But there's actually one that is less known.

We went to that one. So we went to like waterfalls for a couple of hours. And the guy was a driver that we'd pay. for like the day so they took like my they took the boys my nana graded my mom and dad back um and then they dropped us at like this little place that had like um different shops and spices so we went and we yeah bought all the spices and stuff then they come back for us then they took us to like a proper Jamaican place for food because we wanted to get you know proper good food and then they dropped us back so it's not usually a stress because that that's it as well i was going to as you said that about the

Waterful thing. It's okay experiencing something, isn't it? If you have a good experience. Do you get what I mean? It's all right going. Oh, yeah, I've been there. But was it good? Did you enjoy it? Are you just saying it? Do you know what I mean? So I would prefer to go to the quieter waterfall. Even though it's not the same name or can't be tagged on Instagram, for example, let's just say.

And enjoy it and really enjoy it. But that's where like even the guy who drove us, he's like, yeah, this is the one that I go to. Like if I have a day off because it's less known and it's less busy. And that's what I think we were trying to do with, with Amprenu. You know, try and get a little bit more local and really see the country because as sad as it is, there's like a, it's like a, it's like a private route, isn't it, for tourists today? You know, so they only see what tourists see and we don't end up seeing the real. The back bit. Yeah, the country.

It's sometimes less spoiled sometimes. Yeah, it is. And some of the tourist things that you do, you know, you can't help it because it's like a proper iconic place and you want to see that place. Yeah, of course. You know, like when I went to New York, the Empire State Building. I'm going to do the typical stuff. But a lot of the things, like you say, waterfalls are waterfall. This one is just as pretty, just as nice, just as big, if not better, and there's less people.

If you want to experience it, do it in that way, surely. Exactly. And even when we went to Dubai, we've been once and we went with friends of ours who have family there that have been there loads of times. And they took us to like, yeah, the proper authentic back streets and like, you know, traditional tea rooms and, you know, all this that and the other. I think that's how I'd want to experience. places to be honest. Yeah. Which a lot of the time you can when you go on a cruise

because you just rock up and like you say, grab a bike, grab a moped, but you know like here, you can kind of see from a while off the people who are on holiday all have just moved here. Yeah.

I don't want to be that person when I'm getting off somewhere because I don't want to be treated like, you know what I want to be... You've got some people that they want to find an Irish pub go for an English breakfast

no matter what country they're in, you know? So it depends on what you want from your holiday. We like to see the proper stuff and see different ways of doing things in the culture and hear the stories and the history and stuff. So you can make that happen or you can go and find an Irish truck. I think we're just more aware as well. I think of living in an area where, you know, we get holiday makers of that barter and that, you know what I mean? A prize for a local price.

We know what it's like, you know. So I think that experience helps a little bit. And even if you go to a restaurant on the beach front, it's one price, you go two, three streets back and it's half the price. And it's usually better. Yeah. You know, it is. Exactly.

It definitely is. Because they get that money regardless, you know, whether people enjoy it or not because it's on the front and it's got a view. Yeah. So the people, a few streets back, have to work hard to do a really good meal. Yeah. So, yeah, no, it's, I love it. I think it's a great way to see places.

Yeah, you don't have a huge amount of time in a certain place, but normally it's enough. But then I suppose, I think this is what I was saying about them, that if you did like somewhere so much, then you could go back, couldn't you, solely to that place? Why go to Jamaica for a week, two week holiday, if you've never been there before,

if you don't know you're going to like it, you do a stop, love it, going to go back on a holiday. And you know what's weird, when you start mentioning things, for me, for example, in work, when I start mentioning different countries and different places,

do you know how many different opinions people have of these places? And they're all different. Yeah. You know, so that's quite, Because at the end of the day, everyone's got their own opinion on play. And what they actually enjoy. Like you say, some people... Some people like camping and some people like, don't.

Exactly. And like some people like to go away and not eat the low culture food. And some people want to find, you know, more international food. And some people like trips. Some people don't like trips. Like it's... You can kind of listen to some people's things and get some recommendations. But again, it's all personal preference.

I think we've definitely... works out that we're not like sit around a pool for two weeks oh yeah we're not inclusive hotel we can't we just can't we we we not just that not because we can't sit still but also because we want to discover where we are why would you waste that yeah you know what I mean

and I know it sounds a bit you know whatever but really at the end of the day a hotel can be in any bloody country exactly so you might as well just go to a hotel here because if you sat around a pool what's the difference no matter what country you're in and yeah it's nice to do to that sometimes and I've seen some beautiful hotels that are on my list that I really want to go see.

Oh yeah, which. But they have so many facilities and things inside and you can get a bit of that culture even in it. And then you're free to explore outside of the hotel as well. Yeah, yeah. For me, I find it a waste going, travelling to where you're going and they're not really moving from where you're moving. You know what I mean? Unless that's the only way you'd get a break and not, you know what I mean, and actually rest. Yeah.

Fine. And sometimes that kind of holiday is needed. Yeah. Like we're going to Ibiza on Sunday And we've got a villa And there's quite a lot of our family That are going in the end now And my plan is to

Most of the time Chill in the villa Chill by the pool Play games Play, you know With the kids Talk to you know My family and have more of a chilled

Kind of vibe Yeah Yeah maybe go off into the town A few of the day It's different It's a different It's an Ibiza I've been there

I've done that You've done that island we're kind of similar to where we are in the culture. I don't need to see it, yeah. So that is going to be that time, which is different. Yeah, I get that. Exactly. So that's been my week in about five million words.

Sorry, that was supposed to be a quick one there. No, I think, I think that's a rounded of the episode. I haven't even talked. I haven't actually said much about it. I was really actually content, but it was a good time. And now I've just learned that you've put a crew. Yeah, so we'll see if you'll tag along. Yeah, exactly.

This will cause a few conversations. But thanks for joining us for another week. Don't forget to like and subscribe. It helps grow the channel. And yeah, we'll obviously keep bringing you more. We will. We'll see you soon. Take care.

Bye.