For my recent holiday . . .

• I texted my credit card company to alert them to my spending, and my ‘phone provider to say I’d be roaming; while I was away, I Tweeted, WordPressed, Linkedined, Googled, What’sApped and TripAdvised; I checked the weather, the news and emails, and posted scheduled Blogs; I went online to confirm transfer pick-up times and airport valet parking and booked tickets for a concert and a river cruise.; I downloaded an e-book, last week’s omnibus of a radio programme, and, daily, used my new camera’s Wi-Fi setting to upload my photos to The Cloud; I rang home, learnt (from a very patient mobile network salesman at the airport) how to type the “+” symbol for a phone number (don’t laugh), and I charged my technology overnight via good old hotel-room voltage, or while out and about using my new 4-charge charger.

The power of technology meant that I did all this effortlessly, in a few simple minutes, sometimes seconds, each day.

And to capture all this, and other holiday experiences, for austerity (yes, I always write a holiday journal)?

A trusty pen and notebook.

I LOVE technology with a passion; but I never underestimate the power of the personal touch (pen mightier than the sword stuff) and was reminded of this just before I left for my vacation.

A colleague showed me a beautiful, hand-written note of thanks sent to them by a senior manager. The beam on their face said it all.

Sometimes the oldies are the goldies.