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Greetings!
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Welcome to the December 2010 (issue #68) Home Swappers Newsletter. Published 12 times a year, Home Swappers provides information and advice on arranging home exchange vacations. |
Home exchanging experiences of an Englishwoman living in Greece
 "Every summer Philip and I set off on a series of back to back exchanges with the sense of adventure that comes from venturing into exciting unknown territory. That little bit of a nervous thrill at possible hazards is soon overcome by an overwhelming certainty that we are about to experience a unique - and often extraordinarily comfortable - six weeks, living in the homes of generous and warm-hearted fellow exchangers.
Home-exchanging is a very intimate kind of sharing. We all open our lives to complete strangers. And yet we are not strangers. We recognise in each other so many qualities that give us immediate rapport. We are naturally trusting and friendly; we have integrity; we love meeting people; we have a sense of adventure; we love inviting people into our homes and making new friends - and we have nearly all made those homes welcoming and homely.
Whether it was Vancouver Island or Tallinn, Stirling or Oban, Brittany or Bristol, Helston or Inverness, the people whose homes we have stayed in have all been extremely warm-hearted. We have stayed in houses where deer roamed the garden, where the QE2 passed the bedroom window at night fully lit-up, in a delightful vicarage where parishioners turned up for help, in houses with libraries in three languages, gardens full of ripe raspberries, outhouses full of cuddly cats and newborn kittens.
What I love about it all is the homeliness; being able to browse bookshelves full of books I would never otherwise read; to listen to music or watch films I would never normally come across; to meet friendly neighbours who are happy to take us around and tell us their story - and then often offer to take us to the station.
I love the spontaneity. We once had a couple from England staying in our home who 'disappeared' on the first day. I kept phoning to see if they had arrived. No answer. It turned out our neighbour had swept them up and taken them to the Peloponisus to pick oranges from his orange grove and have lunch in a taverna. The next day he took them to the coast to eat fish. It was three days before we found them." - Sue
The above post was sent to us by Home Base Holidays member, Sue Camarados. See Sue's lovely home exchange offer in Athens, Greece...
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25% OFF
 To celebrate the festive holidays we are giving you 25% OFF our (already low!) membership price.To take advantage:
- Go to the Home Base Holidays site - Enter XMAS25 in the Promotional Code
Note: existing members already receive a special renewal discount. Promotion valid until 5th Jan 2011 |
Featured Home Swap
Castle Douglas, Scotland
 Built around 1840, this beautiful Georgian house is secluded within a mature wooded estate on the banks of beautiful Loch Ken.
Exchange Request: USA, Edinburgh, Scottish Islands, Highlands, Open to offers View this home exchange offer... |
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Featured Home Swap
Rhone Alps, France
 Accommodation for up to 6 people in this lovely apartment that overlooks the beautiful town of Morzine in the French Alps. Ski lifts just 10 minutes walk away.
Exchange Request: Open to offers View this home exchange offer... |
Exchanged Homes?
We want to hear!
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The Early Bird Catches the Worm...
this is especially true with home exchange
2011 (that royal wedding in April!) and 2012 (the Olympics, Queen's diamond jubilee) are already attracting much interest in exchanges to the UK, London in particular. Join Home Base Holidays now if you would like to arrange a swap to take in any of these special events (or are a Londoner who wants to escape the city).
Browse listings on Home Base Holidays... |
"We love your website and have had 3 wonderful exchanges so far. Looking forward to many more!"
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Further Info
Newsletter
Contributions: We are always pleased to hear from members and subscribers and
to receive contributions for the newsletter and blog - short reports on your
exchange experiences, tips you feel would be useful to those new to the idea of
home swapping and any questions you have on home exchange.
Be Alert: The Home Base Holidays
private member area is for one-to-one exchange offers between members only, not
for any other purpose. Please let us know if you receive any other type of
message via your member area. Never respond to unsolicited messages from
unknown sources. Copyright:
All Home Swappers content is copyright and cannot be used in any form without
written permission from Home Base Holidays. However, please
feel free to forward the newsletter (in full) to friends and colleagues who may
be interested in home exchange (use the Forward Email link below the
newsletter). |
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Happy Home Swapping!
Lois & Mark
Home Base Holidays
email: info@homebase-hols.com
phone: +44(0)20 8886 8752
web: http://www.homebase-hols.com |
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