Recession hits NW8

As Sonia and I share a dismal glance across the laptop. We've already curtailed our May bank holiday plans to either Ciaro, Giza and Sharm el Sheikh, or a cruise down the Nile. Now we deliberate just Sharm el Sheikh and the dreaded word 'resort'. Ready, willing and able turning into ready, willing and less able minus that damn bonus! Christmas in Chile for 2 weeks will require the sale of a couple of family members, and now it seems 9 days in Egypt will really deplete the next guest list at a Guha wedding.... I'm no longer hungry and our elaborate dinner plan (this is the house of tart tartin!) dissolves into reheated kadi and chawal, and a second papad does nothing to lift the clouds of doom. Plan B. Attack the atlas. Norway. St. Petersburg, Portugal, the other half of Iceland, Mexico.... ok, so desperation had set in along with the absence of AOL. Sean's determined efforts to cheer us up by offering two weeks to Goa along with a side trip to Daulatganj and free advice from Dadaji for under 300 quid fails to amuse us. Sonia's done her sleepless night, and I'm answering calls at 9 am on a Sunday after a scant 4 hours of sleep. Recession calling, otherwise known as Sonia..... hmmmm, 560 quid for two to St. Petersburg...... inshallah!! Nope, Allah isn't insh. The short one thwarts my mounting excitement. Apparently, summer solstice is the time to visit..... Food. That's what I need.