My first Portugal Solos Holiday, June 2023. What it meant to me, by Coral Douglas-French

Nov 20

In 2023 I took a big leap of faith and booked Diva Destinations hosted Lesbian Group Solos Holiday Vacation to Portugal. I had been thinking about booking for a long time and eventually decided to take the plunge. And boy, am I glad I did! The trip changed my life. Firstly Jen and Caron from Diva Destinations made the whole booking process so easy from start to finish that as soon as I booked, I knew I had done the right thing.

During my week away, I stayed in the beautiful Silver Seahorse Hotel, run by two gay women and located on Portugal’s Silver Coastline We explored some fantastic places, sampled some delicious homemade Portuguese food and made some wonderful new friends, who I am still in contact with AND we have already booked our places on Diva Destinations trip to Puglia, Italy in 2024.

The women I shared my week with were amazing. It made me feel so safe being in a group of like-minded women who you could be yourself with, chat to, eat with and have a whole lot of fun with. It made my stay even more special. It also inspired me to write 2 short stories which I shared with the group during my stay. And now I would like to share them with you. In these stories I wanted to convey just how it felt being on this special holiday and how much it meant to me spending the week with such a fantastic group of women. I hope you enjoy reading them and I hope too, that they will give you the confidence to take a leap of faith, just as I did in June.

Our wonderful group on our Portugal Solos Holiday Vacation 2023

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I found myself single again in 2021; I didn’t want to be, but that’s where I was. At sixty-three, subconsciously singing The Beatles “When I’m sixty-four”, I found that, although I still had my hair, and was able to mend a fuse, she didn’t need me anymore.

A break-up, at any age, is hard to swallow; age sixty-three, it felt catastrophic. Lurching from one bad decision to another; good days and not so good days, I wondered when I would be back to my old self. I went on a couple of solo holidays. I cried, felt sorry for myself, put on a brave face, and I lied to friends. You know, “had a great time”, “wish you were here” “WISH I’D NEVER GONE”!

I yearned for a holiday. I wanted to do my own thing, meet interesting women, make new connections and feel safe.

“WANTED! LESBIANS TO JOIN ME ON HOLIDAY”

I googled “lesbian holidays”. Scrolling down, one ad caught my eye. “Diva Destinations” Interested, I tapped in.

“Experience the world through a new lens” “Join Diva Destinations today” Browsing through their on-line brochure, looking at photos of real people from my community, I thought “nothing ventured, nothing gained”. I signed up.

“Portugal, June 2023.

So here I am in my hotel room; I’m now sixty-four, still got my hair, able to mend a fuse, and it doesn’t matter that she doesn’t need me anymore. I’ve made new friends, listened to amazing stories and danced the night away; even celebrated birthdays.

Many happy returns!

Portugal Solos Holiday Vacation 2023. Lucky to be here!

The heat of the summer's day lay on my back soothing the aches and pains of a life well lived. Lying there, eyes shut, thinking of nothing in particular, and listening to the sounds of a Portuguese lazy day.

When I came down to the pool, I had one other for company; we chatted for a while before opening our respective books. I drifted into the storyteller's life, and thought of that time, October 1984, having just celebrated my 26th birthday. As I continued to read, a couple more of the holiday group came over to join us poolside; still reading, I could hear the sound of scraping sun loungers being dragged across the ground as their owners searched for that elusive spot right under the sun on this cloudless day.

Although not paying attention, I could hear pockets of conversation in the background, laughter, the soft splash as someone dives into the pool, the rippling sound of the water the only aftershock of the swimmer's entry.

More people arrived, and polite greetings were exchanged. We were all happy, in our own places, but togetherness shone as bright as the sun above our heads.

"Can you please put some sun lotion on my back?" I obliged, careful not to get any on her swimsuit; the whiteness of the cream blended into her already tanned skin. I rubbed the excess into my hands, smelling the lotion, reminders of a childhood holiday when mum would vigorously splash sunscreen all over my body to avoid being burnt by the heat of the day.

Jill and Di grapple with a parasol; it was hot, so hot, even the trees were looking for shade. Beads of sweat resting on my body, time for a swim. Walking into the clear, blue water, arms outstretched in readiness. With the grace of a walrus and the eagerness of my five year old self, I dived into the abyss; the burning heat of the day disappearing, coolness taking over. I didn't stay in for long, just enough to feel refreshed and invigorated. For what? The continued laziness of the day?

Drying myself off, I settled back down onto my sunbed. I feel so lucky, lucky to have made it through these last two years, lucky to be here with this group of women. Just lucky.

I didn't notice Sam joining us. I was, by now, snoozing, hoping not to snore or to dribble from the side of my mouth.

Drifting off to some far-off land, I could hear the gentle sound of a ukulele being strummed, that mellow, hollow tone. I was in Hawaii; Sam's sweet voice caressing the riffs of her instrument, I smiled.

The last morning of my holiday, I've been awake since five, reliving my week.

Not for the first time....