You'd think that three weeks is a long time. To answer my own question somewhat pedantically, I'd say that it depends on what you are referring to. Three weeks would seem like an age if you had a crippling headache the whole time (more on this later; it is relevant I promise you!). But a three week holiday feels like no time at all. It is however enough time to let my brain turn to mush and to become unbearably lazy; in which case I would say that the whole experience has been a success. I met some new people, some of whom I genuinely liked and I got to know some family friends a little better. Although I was worried about the first week with my brother not being there, it turned out to be the best (I haven't learnt anything from this though!). I found a new favourite Weissbier: Fransiskaner Dunkel. I've grown a beard I (I am still considering whether or not to get rid of it). I read a ton of books, finally catching up on a lot of science fiction that I have been meaning to read all year. Those are the good things to come out of this holiday. The bad thing is that somehow I have developed a sinus infection and have had to go on antibiotics as soon as I got bad (that was the source of the three week headache).
However even that could not detract from the experience and I would say that this year was better than last. Coming back on the plane experienced a moments utter serenity as I gazed at the sight of the setting sun over the Mediterranean Sea, the glowing reflection that it cast along the rivers of Aquitaine and Poitou-Charentes and finally the delicate silver clouds floating lazily over the night-time landscape of Britain. Moments of peace such as these do not come along very often for me, be when they do I allow myself to be fully absorbed by them. I guess that since they are so rare, I feel them more than I should. Still, now that I am back in the real world I really need to get my body and mind back up to speed, which means working out to get fit and catching up on some of the latest developments in my SI's and drinking large quantities of caffeine... again.
