Not in front of the children, but in my defence I was just smoking the pipes of peace in Turkey.
The Son and Heir was full of awe and anticipation, which gladly has never left him, when we enjoyed a lads day on a family holiday in Bodrum in Turkiye.
While Herself and the Daughterie hit the hammam we headed for the marketplace.
Where He had made his mark on the first day when we turned around to see him lifted aloft because the locals took him as one of their own.
On account of his abbreviated name Ally, for Alasdair.
By Hookah by crook
Now following the mantra of When In Rome I jumped in for a Hookah pipe in the cafe.
And crossed my legs and my fingers as my previous experience of smoking foreign objects abroad had ended badly.
When I took a ‘whitey’ and had to bolt for the toilet door in the Amsterdam brown cafe.
Which for reasons best known only to the proprietor only he could release, with a button under the counter.
There are no such fears with a Hookah pipe.
Although there are the same warnings that go with cigarette smoking.
Holy smoke
Being a non-smoker I would like to think the very rare dabble when I’m in Arabic countries won’t damage this temple I call a body permanently.
And you do feel like a local sucking on the pipe and maybe playing backgammon with the locals as I did too in Jordan.
All of which reminisces came to mind as my old go-to holiday providers loveholidays put out their €500 off selected holidays.
To hundreds of destinations, until July 6, stretching from Spain to Turkiye to Miami and Thailand.
And to sweeten the deal, those who take advantage of the sale will be entered into a draw to win back the value of their holiday.
And they’ll also receive a €50 voucher to redeem against their next great getaway.
Which can go to your next trip out to the land of the whirling dervish to smoke the pipes of peace in Turkey.