FOR
1. neither forest kindergarten nor Steiner school (and certainly not the army) prepare children for the vagaries of life in the same comprehensive way as a family vacation at the campsite…
2.…where the animation team’s free babysitters keep mom and dad free for romantic togetherness.
3. snuggling up in your sleeping bag to the chirping of crickets and waking up kissed by the sun – the only thing so naturally protected is a fetus snoozing in the womb.
4. the neighbors. Mostly.
5th summer vacation in France: the swaying of the pine trees, the roar of the Atlantic, hair caressed by a gentle breeze, swirling a not-so-chilled white wine in a cup, watching the sun sink from the dune.
AGAINST
1 . as weatherproof as some survival wigwams may be, none are soundproof. Which can be quite embarrassing for certain activities under certain circumstances.
2 . stumble in the middle of the night through a maze of rootstocks and/or tent strings to the communal or natural toilets, which are light years away? A real feeling of elation!
3 . have you ever brushed your teeth with sun cream because you mixed up the tubes in the dark of the tent?
4. the neighbors. Sometimes.
5th summer vacation in Cornwall: Squeezed in like sardines in a can, the wind slaps the wet inner tent against your cheek, which feels like someone is slapping you with a dead fish.