Autumn Holiday Part Four - Heading North East & Shocking News From Israel & Gaza

 The day after my virtual interview, we continued with our holiday and along with Rob, headed north east. Being a southerner, it's always a frightening prospect heading north! You never know what sort of accent they will have and what they will call a bread roll the further north you go in England.

We stayed on a caravan/lodge park just outside of Skegness. It felt like it took forever to get to, I'm sure we have driven to York faster than that! But we stayed in a nice lodge in the Addlethorpe Country Park, which was situated on a golf course. Aside from the paper thin mattresses, it was very comfortable and gave us enough space for the three of us to spend some alone time if we wanted to. There was also fantastic views across the golf course and of the sunsets in the evenings (in between the clouds!). If a lodge (or glorified caravan) is your thing, have a look at their website hoseasons.co.uk/addlethorpe-country-park

We spent a couple of hours in Skegness, and it was, well a bit of a dive. I don't understand why everyone talks so fondly about it. It felt run down, tired and without charm, and I started to question why we had come. We spent some time on the pier and between us won just over a thousand tickets, enough to get a couple of small toys for my friends kids to have when we returned home. But other than that, there didn't feel a like a lot to do, and it certainly wasn't a place I would return to again. It was a little frustrating, because places like Blackpool & Scarborough have that similar worn out seaside resort feel, but at least they feel busy & alive, with things to do. Skegness felt like it had been abandoned a long time ago. Still at least I can tick it off the list of places I've been to.

The next day, we went to Boston for a look around and to grab a little bit of shopping. It was a nice little place to wander around in, although there wasn't much really to see or do. But it had a little market where we stocked up on some veggies and bits for dinner. Being in self catering accommodation can be really economic. You have the option to cook for yourself, which we did most nights, and it can really make a difference to you budget for your holiday. Often self catering is the same amount or less than a hotel, and although hotels are lovely, they can be a little stifling sometimes if you're there for a long time. We also bring things from home from us, some tinned/dried food, herbs & spices, and then we just grab the fresh stuff. And then whatever we don't use, we just bring back with us! It often means that doing it that way I can afford an extra night somewhere. Unfortunately I don't have an unlimited travel & exploring fund (but if you'd like to send me money, you're more than welcome to!) so the funds that I do have, I've got to make the most of. But also, don't get me wrong, if something is expensive but I want to do it, then I will just do it. I make sure to factor in a little extra spending money for the unexpected costs, both good & bad! 

The town museum was closed when we visited which was a shame, but I did get a couple of nice pics, mainly of the river with St Botolph's Church behind. I would have liked to go in, but there was a private event on inside and we didn't want to intrude. No one wants a bunch of strangers coming in and looking around while you're trying to get married. If you're in the area or you have been, feel free to share some of your pictures in the comments below, I imagine it looks beautiful inside! 

James then took us to "We'll Meet Again", a World War Two Museum which documents the lives of ordinary people & civilians in the UK during the war. It was small but fairly interesting, with some helpful guides in period clothing to answer any questions we had. It also had a large collection of foodstuffs, and I spent some time looking through to see which ones we still have today! 

There was also a recreated police station & Anderson Shelter, showing you what it would have been like to hide inside one. Everything was very faithfully done, and while James wasn't too interested (he prefers the military aspect of WW2) it was nice place to visit. There's a small tearoom to grab a cuppa in, and for £8, I thought it was quite reasonable. If you're not interested in the war, then it's probably not for you, but it is nice to have a wander around.

We then headed to a local garden centre, and I couldn't resist taking a picture of their miniature pumpkin display, it was glorious, and must have taken someone ages to do!

It was then as we sat down to have a late afternoon toastie that I saw the news of the attacks in Israel that had begun this morning. Details & reports were still very sketchy, but it seemed that Hamas had launched a colossal invasion into Israel, and at this point, hundreds had been killed, many more kidnapped, and it seemed the Israeli nation had been caught off guard. 

Writing about this over two years later, the situation has changed considerably. I think first of all, and I can't believe I am saying this, but the attack on Israel was cowardly, attacking undefended homes, music festivals, killing innocent people, with many others kidnapped or taken back to Gaza, as well as many survivors having been raped & sexually assaulted. 

But I have to rebuttal myself in two ways. The first being that actually, years of tensions & military excursions into Gaza and the Palestinian territories has gradually eroded the ability for negotiation and peace talks to continue. Israel has a right to exist, but it does not have the right to wipe Palestine & the Palestinian people from the map. It seems almost ironic, that over 80 years after WW2, and the damage inflicted on the Jewish people during the Holocaust, that they are now inflicting it on another people.

I suppose that's the problem with trauma. Trauma makes you go one of two ways. The first, is that you become compassionate, and you do everything you can to prevent it from happening again. The second, is that you realise most people don't care, and will do little, if nothing to prevent you from being traumatised and destroyed. And I think that's the way the Israeli nation thinks. It saw that little was done to stop the Holocaust, one of the largest genocides in history from happening, and they realise that actually, no one will stop this this on the Palestinian people. We need to have understanding and compassion to both sides, Israeli & Palestinian, because both have suffered and continue to suffer. But right now, two years on, we hear that over 75,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, with many more wounded, traumatised & defenceless. Right now, they need our help, and Israel is blocking the world from knowing just what is happening, much the same way the Nazi's did to the Jews. During the invasion of Ukraine, there seemed to be a much more unified approach (with some exceptions) in the worlds response, with most of the Western world condemning and working together to try and do something about it, whether that was sanctions, weapons or aid deliveries. But the invasion of Ukraine was much more clear cut, it was a clear invasion by an aggressive state. But the war in Gaza is different, because there has been years of aggression, from both sides, but more so from the Israeli side, and it has slowly consolidated areas of Palestine, and turned it into Israeli territory. It has been slow, and at times quiet, and now it has become difficult to know where Israel ends, and the Palestinian territories began. Where has the border line gone?

The other point I want to make, and even today I have so many questions about it. Why was Israel so unprepared, and how did this become the largest terrorist attack in Israeli history. You don't have to know much about Israel, to know it is a military state. When we visited earlier in 2023, we were surprised by how many people carried guns in army & police clothing there were, everywhere you went, your bags were x-rayed, you were asked questions. There was so much security everywhere that you felt safe. If something was to happen, it would be neutralised quickly. Yes that was in Tel Aviv, a cosmopolitan city, but that was the vibe that we got. But how could Hamas have launched it's biggest invasion, with thousands of fighters, armed with gliders & weapons, while rockets fired over head. It happened so quickly there was no time to react, the checkpoints & army camps around Gaza were instantly overrun. Israel has one of the most intelligent security services in the world. Mossad, an organisation that can assassinate anyone, can blow up thousands of pagers simultaneously in Lebanon & Syria (this felt like something out of an espionage novel), but yet, couldn't see this attack coming.

The answer came to me one day, as I was reading about the Yom Kippur War. I was trying to educate myself and understand more about what happened then, so I could understand what was happening today. And I found a quote, so interesting and revelationary, that I realised why they hadn't known or tried to stop the attack before it began. Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel during the Yom Kippur War, was advised of the Arab forces building along the Golan Heights and in Egypt. She turned to her advisors and told them that she would not order a pre emptive strike, which could have neutralised the forces. If Israel had started the war, they wouldn't have received any help, something which US president Henry Kissinger later confirmed, saying had Israel struck first, they wouldn't have been given anything "not even so much as a nail".

Perhaps this is why there was no pre-emptive strike, no instant return of fire. Israel wanted support from the globe, and initially it was received. However, as the conflict has dragged on, and increasing numbers of Palestinians have been killed, mostly women & children, public perception has changed. Israel no longer has a worldwide mandate to continue. Opposition is growing.

The most awful thing about this, is the suffering of the children of Gaza. In every conflict, it is the children that suffer the most. They are least resilient to dwindling supplies, infection diseases and both physical & mental trauma. At some point the war will end physically, but for many children the suffering will continue. 

Both sides needs guarantees of safety, and a place at the negotiation table. Both states need to give and take a little. Both states deserve to exist. But right now, it's the Palestinian people that need help. With the blocades of aid, the situation is already desperate, and will only continue to worsen. There are multitudes of charities trying to help, but are being blocked at every turn. 

There seems to be no end to the suffering in Gaza at the moment, and I fear there will be an apocalypse for the Palestinian people. If I am brutally honest, I don't know what the answer is, I don't know how to fix what's happening, how to create peace and allow both sides to recover. Every country has different charities to support, and anything that can be given to the Palestinian people will be gratefully received.

 We just have to hope that there will be anyone left in Gaza to receive it.

We had a little walk around the golf course, I was deep in thought about the events going on in Israel & Gaza, so much so that I almost walked into a Swan. It was James nudging me and the hissing that alerted me to the fact that was a group of them sat by the lake. I immediately moved back to give them some space, before admiring them from a little way away.

There was also some oriental ducks at the end of the cabin, who I sat and watched while reading a book. They seemed to be looking for a place to roost. I was tempted to let them in, but I imagine we would have been hit with a large cleaning fee when we checked out! Duck's have a habit of pooping wherever they are and then wandering away without cleaning it up!