We weren’t planning to visit Italy this year. Last year’s trip was on such a scale and the credit card bills were so large that we were genuinely planning a “stay at home” year.

But last year, on a whim, we had pencil booked a two week stay at Casetta Arienzo in Positano for August this year.

We ignored the time late last year when we usually book the early bird flights to Europe. We were mentally not going, we had checked out, so to speak.

Until an email arrived in May from the lovely people at Eden Roc Hotel asking us to confirm or cancel the booking for Casetta Arienzo. That changed things.

Or more accurately, we came to our senses.

Within a fortnight in May we arranged everything – flights (thank you Petra our lovely travel agent of 25 years), hotels (some old favourites and some new experiences), train trips, rental cars in Italy and all that goes along with a holiday.

We are going for a month, staying in Positano for two weeks, spending a week or so catching up with friends in Tuscany and making up the remaining time in Rome.

Time has flown and it’s now mid August and we’re flying out in a couple of days. We can’t wait.