Travel advice

The best thing you can do when travelling is pack a thermos flask.

The worst thing you can do when travelling is forget to pack your thermos flask.

You see, having a thermos flask means cold drinks at all times. Cold drinks in places where drinks are not for sale, or cold drinks in places where there comes a point where there are only so many expensive cocktails you can buy. I like to decant cold wine into a thermos. And to fill one with pre mixed gin and tonic on ice.

I forgot to bring our thermos to Malta.

But, not all is lost. I have just got back to the beach from our hotel room with a container of ice and wedges of lemon, a glass of bottle of tonic, a bottle opener, some gin decanted into a plastic water bottle, and two small glasses, which I wrapped in my linen beach shirt for safety. I have just made our drinks on the beach. A German couple looked at me a little disapprovingly despite having snuck in a pizza in a box from the beach bar next door for lunch. Italians seemed impressed.

As I said to Phil, even without my thermos flask, I am a Girl Scout. Gin edition.

NB: Have consumed food and drink from the hotel bar today. I don't have any interest in ripping people off. Sometimes I just like to make gin and tonic the way I like it.