Tag: travel

Summer sunrise on the Thames

When the alarm sounded at 3:30am this morning I cursed our need to try something new. My mind, the night before, decided that 9:30pm was not an appropriate time to try and sleep and therefore played hopscotch with every thought I’d had for the past six months for two hours. Then the neighbour’s dog decided to add its voice into the mix and falling asleep before midnight became impossible. So yes, when the alarm sounded, I wondered what on earth we were doing. Grabbing the pre-packed backpack from the night before and throwing on my comfiest clothes, I stumbled down the stairs, out the front door and into the car. 

The roads were quiet and the skies pitch black. Mr W consulted the maps in his head and drove the roads for London. There were just a few cars on the roads and I guessed that most of them were cabs, owing to this our journey was exceptionally fast and smooth. 40 minutes after leaving home we pulled up at the north end of Brick Lane. A house party broke the silence of the night and we saw a straggly fox wander through a fence. 

We head out for the short walk ahead. Pausing to pick up salt beef bagels and drinks, we made our way through Spitalfields and were lucky enough to see its latest art installation called ‘The Herd of Hope’. The bronze, lifesize elephants are strewn around the market and absolutely stunning. Only there until the end of this summer we are exceptionally lucky to have seen them. From here we trekked our way past Liverpool Street Station and Heron Tower. The night was calm save for a few revellers dotted here and there. I noticed there were a lot of clouds above us and hoped it would clear soon.

We soon found ourselves on London Bridge, but wanting to watch the colours of the sky change behind Tower Bridge we stayed on the north bank of the Thames and walked east.

Realising quickly that I had misjudged the need to be on the Southbank to be at the correct angle to see the sun rise properly we sped up our pace. We walked past the old Billingsgate market and around the Tower of London. The light was trickling into the sky and our stroll had turned into a march. Missing this was not an option. 

As we walked over Tower Bridge I caught a sniff of the filled bagels in my bag and for a second I think it pushed me on faster. Walking alongside the Thames on the Queens walk at Potters Field Park we tried to find the perfect spot to sit and drink in our surroundings. A few revellers were still dancing on the large grassy steps and I was absolutely stunned at the litter left from the night before. Mr W walked ahead slightly and found a raised area with large benches. 

Perspiring and hungry, we were thankful for the respite on the cool stone plinth. The salt beef bagels were still warm and so juicy and tender that we sat in a happy state of silence eating. Below us the river danced with light as it flowed east. From between the clouds on the horizon we saw yellows and reds ignite in the sky. The lights that had adorned the bridge flickered off as night faded away. 

I alternated between resting and getting up to take photos as the sky changed rapidly. I said to Mr W how amazing it was to witness our capital city like this. How we were having the most delicious breakfast in the sleepy city and how it felt like we were the only people around for miles. 

A lot of people will and have asked why we got up so early and the answer is: space. Well, that and experiencing something new. The space we had to ourselves this morning was so special. If we had left home an hour later, there would have been people passing by on their way to work and joggers and dog walkers galore. By getting there so early we felt like London was our own playground. Like the sun was rising just for us. This isn’t our first sunrise we’ve gotten up ridiculously early to see but it was the first time witnessing the colours of the Thames change. It was the first time we were watching the buildings that make up Fenchurch street transform from night to day. 

I reminded myself then and there that waking up at 3:30am is a small sacrifice to pay to do something out of the ordinary. There will be mornings of plentitude that we’ll be waking at 7/8am. Why not try something new once in a while? 

A small smattering of rain fell from the sky above us and I found myself unbothered. Let it come, I thought, I’m not moving. Finishing my breakfast of champions and taking picture number 326 of the scene before me we decided on the route ahead… 

Why?

Why do we travel?

We spend so much time planning, paying towards and dreaming about the next trip that I sometimes wonder if we have ever stopped to ask why. If anyone grew up travelling they were and are exceptionally lucky, but in my younger years it became ‘normal’ to have at least one trip abroad per year. Is the time we spend travelling worthy of the minutes of our life if we take it for granted? I know for a fact, that money aside, I greatly appreciate travelling now because it is not a given anymore. Covid saw to that. Having different responsibilities as an adult will show you how very lucky you were to travel when your parents were in control. How my parents were able to plan and afford our big family holidays for 3 kids once a year is astonishing. If anything, travelling isn’t a given now nor was it 20/30 years ago, catering towards your children is both a beautiful and difficult affliction of being a parent. I have a friend that says she feels like she is depriving her child of something should she not take him abroad. It would stem from these actions the very thought that travel is an entitlement. So is that where the travel bug came from, the delusion that travel is a right? 

Both of my parents have travelled extensively and spending summers with them abroad and in turn watching them travel to lands afar has left an imprint of a similar nature on me. Nowadays our travels are vastly different, but the idea and first learnings of travel is something that came from them. I would say that is something that most people would agree with. We become accustomed to a certain lifestyle because we grew up within it. And yet, on my mothers side, my grandparents did not leave the UK, they would travel the seasides of Great Britain and occasionally venture to the Isle of Wight. I never knew why, it is a shame, it would have been a wonderful little tidbit to include here, but it does beg the question that if they never travelled, how did my mother get the travel ‘bug’? Is it a case of wanting something you never had? Seeing a plane in the sky and wondering… 

I sometimes wonder about people who don’t feel the urge to travel. Or do they not feel the need to explore? Is it fear? Or are they just happy? Are they simply happy with their lot? How fantastic it must feel not to run or need more. To feel joy and peace keeping your feet still. This theory is in relation to my grandparents, who if they wanted to could have found themselves in Europe without too many worries about money, but it goes without saying there are people out there who would love to travel and can’t due to shortage of funds. This doesn’t answer the question of not feeling the urge to travel, the urge is there, but the facilities aren’t.

So if travel is something to appease our inner explorer it would seem we have answered the very question posed at the top of this piece. But then, what if we don’t give a hoot about where we travel, we don’t plan, we just book and go. What then?

In my gap year, I spent weekends working my part time job and weekdays gathering up all the overtime I could to turn the money into plane tickets. I spent the better part of that year travelling. I left the country 7 or 8 times. That is what a gap year is for right? I went to Dublin, Spain, New York, to name a few and I’d love to say it was to explore and get a feel of the world. I realise now that with University looming and my choice to go confusing me, I felt the need to run away from the very impending reality of further education. I believe that year was spent running away from adulthood and travel being about escaping rather than exploring. 

However now, with no reason to run, my need to travel comes from a very real place of being the best version of myself. When I am out in the world, following the map in my head and immersing myself in the pictures I have only till then seen in magazines, I feel a sense of absolute joy. I know I am the best ‘me’ when I am out there. Seeking, finding, experiencing. It would seem that selfishly, I yearn to travel for selfish reasons. It seems almost narcissistic to travel the world to fulfil my potential as a ‘nice’ human being. I am nice at home, that is without question. I’ll be the first to point out that I am a nice person almost as a default, I do not know how to act any other way, so it isn’t a case of travel making me nice in relation to others. Travel gives me such a confidence that makes me feel good just for me. I feel happy being me. It gives me the leeway to be nice to myself. Which at home is often not the case. In layman’s terms, I am kinder to myself when travelling. My mental health is of a gold standard. I guess in this case, when I travel now, I am running towards something. The version of myself I like.

So, there we have it an assorted and topsy turvy answer without any straightforward conclusion. Other than this. 

For whatever reason we travel, we need to have respect for the opportunities and the freedom we have to do so. It is not a given and most certainly is not an entitlement. It is an absolute privilege. 

Final frolics in Florence

A solo tour through anxiety

There have been many times in the past when Mr W has needed to travel for work. North Wales, Hexham, Latvia, Malaga… and I’ve not been able to attend. In February of this year he mentioned that he may have to go up to Birmingham for a trade show and asked if I would like to join him. 

At first I wondered what I’d do for 3 days alone. Mr W would be gone from 8am till 6pm. After two failed attempts at going to Birmingham in 2020 I started to think this would be another missed opportunity.

Throwing caution to the wind, we booked the train tickets. The plan was simple. Spend 2.5 of the 3 days in bed, watching trash tv and napping. A little pamper here. A little shopping there. In fact the biggest draw was the world’s biggest Primark. I wouldn’t have to worry about dragging Mr W around and could go at my own pace. The spark of excitement was beginning. 

As the date for the trip approached I started looking at Birmingham as a new place to explore and found some areas of interest for my daytime walks. Our hotel was right next to Birmingham New Street station so was in the middle of a hub of restaurants, shops and a stone’s throw away from the old town. What could go wrong?

Anxiety. To be exact, an anxiety attack. So spiteful, it left me crumbled as soon as we reached our hotel. After a rather smooth train journey from Euston I started to feel the creeping fear of being in a new place hitting me. Normally travelling does not affect me and I realised it was down to the fact I would be on my own for the first time in years. I realise now that the anxiety started its creep long before we even jumped on the train. It was when we sat waiting for our train in Euston station that I was very aware of the amount of people in the immediate vicinity. It was the first time in two years I’d been in a place so big, crowded and loud. Thanks covid! Emerging from the train to a new and hectic train station did not help and by the time we reached the hotel room I felt sick. I couldn’t do this. How could I even think of doing this alone?

By the time we sat down for dinner that night Mr W knew something was wrong. And there it all spilled out. The fear. The very real fear I had of being alone in a new place. How different I felt about being in cities after the lockdowns of 20/21 and my fear of being around so many people. I sat in that restaurant going to pieces. It was deserted which is probably why I was able to let all those feelings out at once. We sat and talked for hours about how life had changed so slightly and so massively all at once. I decided to not put any pressure on myself to stick to my 3 day plan and see how I felt in the mornings. 

By giving myself the time to adjust the following morning I was able to think of the day ahead with a clearer head. I had an exceptionally long shower and washed the previous 12 hours of fear down the drain. The fact I slept over 10 hours went a long way to reiterate that my mental health had physically exhausted me. Sipping a cup of tea while slowly getting ready and making a simple plan meant that I felt much less nervous about setting out into the city. The day’s plan was clear. 

Shopping. 

I wandered aimlessly around shops and found that nothing took my fancy. It is always the way, money to burn and yet nothing found to buy. The Primark was enormous and yet I realised early on that being with another person would make the experience that much better. The Disney cafe looked great and yet I wanted someone sitting with me. Otherwise it felt like any other store. After leaving I felt a little boost in going alone. Go me!

Not wanting to push my luck with my anxiety I head back to the hotel. Dinner that night was a much calmer experience and I wondered what the next day would bring.

After another soothing lay-in and pamper, I head in the opposite direction of the shopping centre. Birmingham’s old town was calling. I spent some time in the shadow of St Philips Cathedral before winding my way through the streets. I strolled past the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and Town Hall, both so beautiful that my intrigue calmed my nerves. My next destination called to me like a beacon. Birmingham library. Was this nerd going to a library? Yes. Was it to see books? Nope!

Birmingham library has a rooftop garden which is free to enter and it may have been the sole reason I had ventured out that day. There is something about an urban rooftop garden’s juxtaposition that I enjoy very much. The paths on the roof wound around pockets of planting that despite the chilly March weather brought the space to life. Semi-circular benches framed the flower beds and I spent a lingering moment sitting in the sunshine. From here I wandered over to the canal that made its way through Gas Street Basin. 

The calming nature of water washed over me as I walked along the bricked bank of the canal and started to thoroughly enjoy myself. Barges were moored up one by one and the restaurants and pubs that lined the walkways were quietly waiting for their first customers of the day.  I walked around the buildings of Brindleyplace and found corners of greenery in the vast expanses of stone and tarmac. 

Arriving back at the hotel I found I felt more relaxed than I had for days. Estimating the time Mr W would disembark his train, I walked to the train station and looked for him coming through the turnstiles. Unable to see me through the crowds I was able to follow him as he headed to where he thought I would be waiting. I was able to follow him straight into the hotel foyer where he turned wondering who was behind him. It took him at least 3 seconds to recognise me and I laughed freely at the ruse. 

The next day was our last in Birmingham and he had to work. I had over five hours to lose while waiting for our train departure. So for the first time in my life I went to the cinema on my own. I wondered if people would think I was weird. I wondered about a lot of things. In total, there were 5 people in that screening and after the film I realised being alone isn’t something to be scared of. 

I took the train to meet Mr W so we could head home. Meeting him on that platform I felt a wave of calm wash over me and I sat in quiet contemplation for the first hour of our journey home. I started forgiving myself for the times in the last 3 days that I had beaten myself up. 

The last two years have been hard for everyone in multiple ways and when it came to being kind to ourselves I fell short of doing so. 

So what if it took me all morning to leave the hotel to go shopping.

So what if I needed to take refuge from a new city in the shadows.

And so what if I cried at the thought of being alone. 

The pandemic pushed us so far out of our comfort zones that it will take time to repair our mental health. All at once is not going to work. In fact, as I found out on that first evening in Birmingham, jumping in at the deep end was such a shock to the system that I just crashed and shut down. That anxiety attack was the biggest indicator of how the pandemic affected my mental health. 

I’ve learned a lot since then. I’m able to vocalise when my anxiety is starting to take over. And even though I may not know why I feel so bad, I give myself the time to pass through it rather than try and skirt around the issue. Being kind to ourselves doesn’t necessarily mean solving a problem to continue on with our day but giving ourselves the same comfort as others we would stop and help. To listen rather than give answers and advice. To guide through and know there is another side to the story. Though the path may be dark, if we continue to move forward we’ll find the light along the way. 

Itinerary: 3 days in Venice

Now, I don’t like to blow my own horn. But, this itinerary was just everything in Venice. It gave us enough timing to get to places and it packed just enough in that we felt relaxed but accomplished in what we had seen. As it was our first time in Venice, and it being in September 2020, I felt we needed lots of outdoor activities and lots of guidance. 

I can tell you now, it worked like a charm, and as we tacked it on to the end of the trip to Florence, some sort of ‘we may as well, seeing as we are so close’, it was simply amazing. Would I go back to Florence? Yeah, sure. Would I go back to Venice, in a freaking heartbeat! This place transformed my whole perception. Is it a tourist trap? Yes, but does that make it any less fabulous? Absolutely not. I cannot imagine my life without returning to Venice. 

Top tip – I was really nervous about getting around the city. So many people online will tell you the joy of this place is getting lost and enjoying it all the more. The truth is, on our next visit, I’d like to do this, because every building, bridge and street is just beautiful. But on this trip, we had timed entrances and the need to see as much as possible. Early on we found google maps to be the very best app to use to navigate, it got it right at every step and Mr W made the perfect leader.

We took the train from Florence, Santa Maria Novella Station to Venice, Santa Lucia Station. It is the last stop on the line and takes your right into the lagoon across the Ponte delle Libertà. Rumoured to be one of the most beautiful train journeys in ITaly, we found it a very fog-filled morning and left quite unenthused. 

Should you be arriving into Venice from the airport there are a range of transport options. You can pre-book a coach which takes you to Piazzale Roma which is a short walk from Fondamenta Santa Maria where you can jump on a Vaporetto. I’ll link the timetables and routes for the Vaporetto below. This is by far the most budget friendly route into the city. 

Then there is the Alilaguna, the water airport coach to the city. We didn’t have the pleasure, but I know it takes up to 70 minutes and again is a budget option of transport. 

Lastly, there are the private transfers which can cost upwards of £50 per person. Some of these companies will pick you up at your hotel so are more accommodating luggage wise, however glamorous this option is, price wise I find it absolutely insane. For the sake of you being able to tell your friends and family that you did it I’m not sure it’s worth the cost. However, I am a big believer in doing what you want on your travels to make that trip amazing and if this is how you’ve always dreamed of arriving into the city and it won’t break the bank I say go for it. Please do not feel the pressure of ticking off every box when you travel and putting yourself into debt. Travel is so much more than how much money you spend, it is how it makes you feel. 

We were exceptionally lucky to check into our hotel 2 hours before check in so after alighting at San Zacharia, we threw our bags into our room and headed back into the city. We backpacked throughout this whole trip so it wouldn’t have been an issue if we hadn’t been able to check in. The itinerary makes the most of time between check in and out and transport/flight times so if you have luggage and don’t fancy wheeling it around all day you  may want to adjust activities or ask your hotel to secure it while you are out. The many, many bridges of Venice may give you more trouble rolling suitcases around!

Below is our exact itinerary. 

Links:

https://gb.trenitalia.it-inter.com/

If you choose to travel to Venice from within Italy from another city, this is the website I used for our train tickets. It was definitely cheaper than trainline.com. Sometimes there isn’t a big difference in price. Sometimes it’s the admin fee on trainline as they buy their tickets from these guys. So it’s definitely worth checking out both. 

https://www.getyourguide.com/venice-l35/actv-ticket-public-transportation-in-venice-t64625/?partner=tr

This is the website I used for our vaporetto tickets. It was super easy to navigate and had lots of different options for duration etc. You can download the voucher to your phone, so it is sustainable!

https://www.dfs.com/t-fondaco/rooftop-terrace-booking/booking/terrace_venice_en.html

Book here for one of the very best views of the Grand canal. It’s free but imperative to pre-book. Slots fill up fast!

https://www.venetoinside.com/attraction-tickets-in-veneto/tickets/scala-contarini-del-bovolo/

Not to be missed, this was the friendliest company to deal with and the website was easy peasey!

https://www.venetoinside.com/attraction-tickets-in-veneto/tickets/st-marks-bell-tower-skip-the-line-entry/

Absolutely ESSENTIAL visit while in Venice. The famous St Mark’s bell tower. Book your tickets for opening for a very quiet time at the top of this world renowned attraction.

https://www.getyourguide.co.uk/venice-l35/atvo-express-bus-marco-polo-airport-venice-ple-roma-t72728/?partner_id=C2O0ZY3&cmp=venmittebusneuen&utm_force=0

Should you get the bus to the airport, this is where we got our tickets. The coach itself had about 8 people on it, so felt great in a time of panic during covid 2020. It was really comfortable and so much faster than I originally thought it would be. 

www.booking.com

Accommodation in Venice is really easy to find but so hard to know where to stay. We stayed at the Hotel Commercio & Pellegrino. It was a very short 5 minute walk to St Mark’s Square and is found just off of the Riva Degli Schiavoni, one of the most famous promenades in the city. None of the links I provide in this piece are sponsored or an ad, I just believe my research and time can help others and I recommend this place based on location, beautiful traditionally furnished rooms, their really tasty continental breakfast and wonderfully friendly staff. We had to re-book our trip due to covid and this could not have been handled better by Valentina. We spoke numerous times on the phone and just for that fact I would go back here again to stay. I truly believe we found a gem here, being budget conscious I really hunted around for the best price and it turns out this place was second to none for location too! 

So there is Venice. Again, I’ve tweaked it slightly from our itinerary because we had some visits that are personal to us and would not make much sense to others. 

As promised I’ll soon add our Venice itinerary. That one did not change much at all. The links below are for the blogs where I discuss the trip to Venice in full detail. There are other blogs on our trip to Florence linked below too should you wish to extend your trip. Take note, the train journey was so easy and even though we’d never done anything like that before it has definitely made me realise that staying in one location is overrated! Get out there and explore!

Ciao!

Stories of Venice – Part one
Stories of Venice – Part two
Stories of Venice part three
A piece of Pisa
Faith in Florence
Food and fretting in Florence
Hot chocolate in the clouds
Final frolics in Florence
Itinerary: A long weekend in Florence

Itinerary: A long weekend in Florence

It’s been a while since our trip to Italy, but I’m feeling the massive need to travel at the moment. However with our pending trip to Scotland growing ever closer and ya know… Covid, money, flight chaos in Europe and time, we won’t be on a plane anytime soon. I do miss it, I even miss the little tour of the airport you do before boarding! The completely pointless purchases and of course the 6am breakfast at wetherspoons, just because.

So check out my mini itinerary below for a weekend trip to Florence. I’ll do an add on itinerary for Venice should you want to extend your stay or just visit one day!

All links to the websites I used can be found at the bottom of the page.

Links:

https://www.thetrainline.com/

You will be able to find the train from Pisa to Florence on this website. Top tip – you can see who the carrier is when finding the train, check their website to see if they are offering the same train at a cheaper price! You can also download your ticket to your phone to make it easier and more sustainable.

http://ticketsmuseums.comune.fi.it/1_museo-di-palazzo-vecchio/

Be careful which ticket you choose. You want the Torre di Arnolfo. 

https://www.hop-on-hop-off-bus.com/florence/hop-on-hop-off-tour-of-florence_5151

Choose the ticket that suits you best, there are 24/48/72 hour options, which means less walking and maximum time at each location. I could not recommend doing a bus tour more in a new city! There is also an option to have your tickets on your phone. 

https://webshop.b-ticket.com/webshop/webticket/eventlist

This is the link for the Boboli Gardens. Tickets must be picked up on site. Allow for plenty of time so you don’t feel rushed as the time slots are quite small for entry. 

www.booking.com

We stayed in the Martelli Apartments and I found the room to be large in comparison to the European standard. The bathroom was absolutely great and the apartment is right on top of the Piazza della Repubblica. There are a variety of restaurants right outside that bring the night-time to life and yet the apartment was quiet for a great night’s sleep. The reception is a short walk away which makes for an easy pick up for your key.

So there it is. I’ve tweaked it slightly from our itinerary because we had some visits that are personal to us and would not make much sense to others. I’ve also been able to review how long everything takes. Take this guide as one that will tire you but not exhaust you!

As promised I’ll soon add our Venice itinerary. That one did not change much at all. The link below is for the blogs where I discuss the trip to Florence in full detail. Maybe it’ll convince you all the more to book those tickets?

Ciao!

A piece of Pisa
Faith in Florence
Food and fretting in Florence
Hot chocolate in the clouds
Final frolics in Florence

Northumberland in 4 days

So, as you may have seen, we’ve been in Northumberland on a little holiday recently and I thought I’d share my initial itinerary with you. So that’s below, in its most basic forms…

After the first itinerary I’m going to tell you all about the changes I would make and then create a brand new itinerary for you to follow should you ever want to visit one of the Uk’s most magical areas!

.

.

.

Edits:

DAY ONE.

Arriving into Alnwick as early as possible would be great for the sake of seeing the gardens to their full extent. The poison garden is absolutely awesome and even though I’m not a tour type of person, it is a must as there are government regulations concerning the Class A, B and C drug plants they have on site. The central fountain and serpentine interactive fountains are just so much fun. The ornamental garden at the top of the site is just absolutely stunning, I recommend taking a book and a sandwich so after you wander you can find a bench and enjoy the tranquil sounds of the streams of water bubbling over their pebbly paths. There are some huge shaded tunnels which are perfect to hide away from the midday sun and yet enjoy the views over the gardens. If you choose to go to the gardens I think you should give a good four to five hours to immerse yourself completely. When buying a ticket for the gardens you can use the Pavilion restaurant which has a beautiful outdoor seating area. The food and drink on offer is tasty enough but light, so as we planned to have dinner here, I now know this is not possible. Also, if you choose to visit Alnwick Castle and not the gardens you cannot go into the Pavilion restaurant, however The Bakery located just outside the entrance to the Alnwick Gardens serves the same food. So don’t despair too much! Should you choose to go into the Castle I believe you only need two or so hours. Which means you can start your day later or spend more time in the town!

After leaving your entrance of choice, I recommend a visit to Barter books, if you choose to use the car park I mention, it’s not too far a walk. The car park closes for new cars at 4/5pm, but they leave the exit open so you can park all day without a worry. It is £3 for the whole day which I think is really reasonable.

Barter books is a used book shop housed in an old train station and it is phenomenal! Nothing about the actual building has changed and everything feels so traditional and unchanged, mainly because it is!

There is a tearoom in the old waiting room, and even on our second visit to this place we have missed its opening hours. So, another itinerary edit is to make sure you get there before it’s 6pm closing time! After this you have an hour to look around the building and make sure to look UP in the second room as you enter. It is an absolutely stunning building and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back when in the area! 

DAY TWO

Honestly, when I say have a big breakfast I mean it. The weather changes rapidly in Northumberland and if it’s raining your body is going to need the pep up to keep you moving. IF it’s sunny, you are going to sweat! So good food and slot of fluids! We take our metal drinks bottles or a 2L reusable bottle on our trips and refill them regularly from a 5 litre bottle we keep in the car. Keep hydrated!

We stay in Bellingham when we are in the National Park, it works nicely with visiting Kielder, accessing the petrol station in the village and is only 25 minutes from the A1. There are lots of areas to stay in the National Park and each have their own merits. Most will be self catering so check out the locations for shops for supplies. On this trip we had a lodge in Bellingham and took all of our own food as the hotel shop nearby is a Co-op and they can be pricey at the best of times.

To get the best out of the Hareshaw Linn walk, start early to avoid the majority of all the visitors. Take a long pause at the end of the trail before making your return. There is a cave to sit in, stop and just listen to the waterfall. We allowed 4 hours for this walk, but I’d say it’s easy enough to finish with lots of breaks in 3 hours. These breaks are for the amazing scenes on each of the 6 bridges and the carefully selected locations for the benches. Make sure to keep an eye out for the elusive red squirrel. On both of our visits to this spot we have spotted squirrels and this time even saw a full size deer! Take your time and enjoy!

After your walk, take a short drive down to the amazing Tea on the Train experience to enjoy the home-made sandwiches, cakes and treas on offer. You will not regret it!

Now here is where things got extremely tight on time. The Kielder reservoir is enormous! and the Lakeside way walk is 26 miles long. With multiple art installations it is hard to just pick one. This was our second attempt to walk to the Silvalis Capitalis site and we were thwarted again. In order to do most of the walks in Kielder you need to buy a £5 car park ticket. The walks are long, rewarding but long! So bare this in mind. Buying a £5 all day parking ticket means you can use any of the Kielder car parks so moving around is easier for you should you want to have little wanders rather than do huge hikes.

Here I have changed the afternoon to include a smaller walk along the bottom of the Kielder reservoir. This will take in the Mirage deck installation, the minigolf at the Waterside Visitor Centre and a short 20 minute walk to Freya’s Hut. Give your 4 hours. It is a beautiful area. Keep a look out for wildlife. We saw chaffinches, sparrows and rabbits!

DAY THREE

This is a big choice of options. Option A will be a huge undertaking. 20 miles is a big deal and should not be taken lightly. You will need plenty of water, food, layers of clothing and perseverance. You’ll see slot of the Kielder installations and you will be tired! We will be undertaking this on our next visit and I will link my story back to this blog when we do!

Option B is going to be a lot easier and so much less daunting. The Minotaur maze is found at the Kielder Castle visitor centre. Something fun to get you alive and kicking for the day. There is a toilet block on site.

From here you can join the Forest Drive toll road. The toll is £3 and gives you permission to drive the 12 mile road that takes you through a dense working forest. Prepare to reach the 1500 metres at its highest point and make sure you stop at ‘The Nick’ to admire the views and the wind chill!

This is a simple day, but with so many pleasures. Visit Hindhope Linn, before exiting the toll road and make the very short 15 minute detour up to the Scottish border. To say you popped over to Scotland for an hour is something not many people can say. 15 minutes from the border is Jedburgh which gives you the perfect chance to stretch your legs before heading back to Northumberland. Use my tips for the most beautiful drive and scenic views. With a much smaller and intimate border crossing you’ll feel like you are sneaking back into England!

DAY FOUR

This really all depends on where you are driving home to. We live in Essex and found it to be a nice plan to break up the day. I’ve not changed any of this day as it worked out nicely. Dress up warm for Sycamore Gap as you will be battered by the elements! This walk is less about staircases and more about shingle slopes. It is strenuous but one of the more milder walks in the National Park. A fairly moderate stroll will have you complete the journey from the car park in 40-50 minutes.

Now check out the itinerary below for your final plan!

.

Frame of mind

Over dinner, I told Mr W how I had entered a competition to win £300,000. And as you can probably guess, the talk soon turned into what we would do with the money should we win. 

Him: We’d buy that van we want and do it up.

Me: The first thing I’d do is book an all inclusive holiday. Somewhere hot, with a pool and a beach. 

How different are those answers? Seriously. And yet my answer changes from day to day where Mr W’s doesn’t. The last year and a half has changed so much in the terms of us travelling that it’s hard to think of how to revert back. Travel has become so much about being budget conscious, thinking sustainably and staying in the UK. It’s definitely a question nowadays as to whether we could sit by a pool and stay still. 

On our first holiday together we booked the very typical beach/pool/all inclusive deal. Having become accustomed to those types of trips during my childhood I was looking forward to leaving my brain at the office and watching my freckles connect. Even in October the heat in Tunisia was perfect and I looked forward to the sunlit days and warm evenings. Mr W had other ideas. He did not do well at sitting still. In fact on one of the few days we did sit poolside I could feel his eyes bore into me from his lounger. We soon jumped on a train to the next town to explore. I could see future trips being a wee bit tricky. I had found a balance between beach holidays where I did nothing and city breaks where I left no stone unturned. But there we were on a beach holiday in completely different frames of mind. 

We have since been to many beautiful places around the world. Barcelona, it rained for a whole week. New York at Christmas. The Maldives for our honeymoon. Iceland. Paris. Italy. The list goes on. However, other than an afternoon on the beach in Barcelona, we are yet to sit still. The only reason we actually sat still on that occasion was due to the sun showing its face after 6 days of rain. I believe we needed drying off. 

In no way am I complaining, our trips have been magical and whetted our appetites to further explore the countries of this world. Our next trip is the absolute definition of exploration. 15 jam packed days of adventure travel and I am totally here for it. I think in a way covid has made us push even harder to squeeze the minutes out of the hours of the days when we are out and about. It’s been 2.5 years of living that way and where I have loved it, I’m starting to miss the feeling of nothing. Of just being in a place. And I believe it’s to do with my frame of mind. 

I do not understand how the heat in the UK feels so different to the heat abroad. People say the houses are built differently. Okay, so why when I sit outside do I feel like I might burst into flames? When abroad it barely affects me. I can also proudly say that having finally experienced our teeny pool that it did help but why then does walking around Barcelona or Egypt and experiencing the heat full on, and without said help from dunking myself in water, not present the same problems as being here? So just what is it?  

As a result of these thoughts, I have spent my days daydreaming of the lazy holidays once more. And I think it goes deeper than just the difference in temperate climates. It’s being comfortable enough mentally to be able to stop. On our recent trip to Northumberland I pondered this while I sat in a cave next to a waterfall. We had lunch reservations at 2pm and yet had over two hours until then. The walk to the car from where we were would only take an hour and I sat in quiet thought trying to think of something to fill the time. It was only when I realised that having free time didn’t necessarily mean it had to be filled that I granted myself the permission to park my arse and be still. And so for an hour, we sat in the cave, with our snacks and watched the water cascade into the pool below. In that hour many other hikers arrived, most with dogs. The dogs practically leapt from the rocky ledge into the water and entertained all that had stopped. 

It reminded me of our walk to Sycamore Gap and how for me time stood still. It is unlike the walks you’ll find to the waterfalls of Hindhope and Hareshaw Linn. They are hidden amongst the trees and rolling hills of the Northumbrian landscape. The walk to Sycamore Gap is up and over the rolling hills. The landscape is all shingle, coarse grass and barren. You pass through a few gates where old walls break up your journey but ultimately it is unchallenging. It is only when you arrive at the most famous tree in the UK that you realise this walk wasn’t about the journey. It is about the destination. So many times do you hear in life that the journey is as important as the destination and in some cases the journey becomes more important altogether. Essentially the journey is longer than the time we spend at the destination and should therefore be enjoyed in order to feel more fulfilling. The tree sits upon Hadrian’s wall and is an iconic image known to everyone. Without even knowing its name or location, show the person next to you the image at the top of this blog and I guarantee nine out of ten people will recognise it. 

Upon our arrival to the tree, we waited patiently for our chance to photograph it without the intrusion of other hikers. Photos taken, I took a moment to climb the hill directly opposite the tree and sat for a while. The wind whistled in my ears and violently forced my hair to take flight. Above me the clouds threatened rain. Below me on the sides of the hill purple heather revealed its colour to roaming eyes. The tree was static in response to the wind. As the light from the cloud dotted sky changed the backdrop of the scene each moment felt like a picture perfect postcard. 

It was just me, sitting, watching and forgetting time. This is what I miss. The ability to take everything in and appreciate it without rushing off to the next thing to see. Covid has changed so much for this world. It has changed the world en masse and singularly. I’d like to think that at some point we will find a balance between sitting and running. Until then I will remember how blessed we are to be free enough to roam the world. 

Michaelmas Cay

Michaelmas Cay can be found just off the coast of Cairns, Australia. It forms part of the Michaelmas Reef in the much larger Great Barrier Reef of which I am sure you have heard of. When I think of paradise I often think of this place in particular. In all of my travels I am yet to find a whiter sand and a bluer sea. I guess I will have to keep trying!

Our time in Cairns was much like a love story. Everything felt so perfect. From the hotel you could see the man made lagoon in which you could relax and cool off from the humidity of the day. Beyond that there was the Coral Sea with all its beauty and danger. The beauty, again I’m sure, does not need explaining. But the danger, well, you wouldn’t like to go swimming in it. The mangroves of the surrounding marshes are the perfect habitat for Australia’s creatures. They buffer the waves of the sea and make it a safer place to live. The roots of the mangroves arc and twist their way into the waters and from the surface look like nests. A perfect hiding place for the animals that call it home. Crocodiles and jellyfish come and go easily between the sea and marshes and swimming in both is strictly prohibited. Hence the man-made lagoon. I did not have to be told twice!

On one particular trip we jumped aboard a catamaran, ‘Ocean Spirit Cruise’, to be exact and headed out into the unknown. The water we were gliding on was the deepest blue I’ve ever seen and yet so light in the sun that it felt only metres deep. I have often tried to explain the colour to people and fall short, but just now, it has hit me. The water was like a sapphire. A sapphire that had caught the light. Glistening and all so encapsulating. Looking down into the water, my stomach dropped as I saw a white plastic bag floating in the waters. We were then alerted by the captain to all the jellyfish that were alongside us in the waves. Ah, so not plastic, just a terrifying floating death machine. Okie dokie. There were hundreds of them. Not huge in size, but large in numbers. Did I really want to go into the water today?

The wind whipped my hair around my face as the sun rose in the sky and I thought about our destination. A small sandy island from which to swim. Wetsuits and flippers on, we stepped from the sand into the shallow waters. The scene was crystal clear as we swam over the white sands of the seabed. Ahead there were small schools of fish. Shaped like Angel fish and pearlescent my eye was drawn to their beauty until their flittish nature made them dart away. I remember swimming lazily in the cool waters long enough that I wondered how far I had drifted. Righting myself, I gazed around to find myself only 30 metres or so from the island. The water hadn’t got much deeper and yet a turtle found it necessary to check out the commotion. He was fast. Much faster than I and once I spotted a jellyfish I knew it was time to take a breather. Swimming back to the shore was very lazy indeed and when I felt the seabed brush against my stomach I realised it was shallow enough to stand. 

On the beach, the sand was as cool to the touch as the sea was. The wind was carrying away the heat of the day and I wondered what my face would look like later on. Sunkissed or cousin to a beetroot. As tranquil as the waters were is how deafening the beach was. The island is a major nesting sight for a variety of terns and at my best guess I would say there were over 2000 birds. They lined up along the sands like soldiers. The beach rose from the waves for about 4 metres until a rope drew the line between us and them. We were guests. They were home. I found that it did not detract from the day. It only made it all the more tangible. It felt as if we had been plonked into a storyline of this country. Between the water, the waves and the nature we had one of the most beautiful snapshots to take home. The atmosphere was electric with life. 

To prove that all life was here a tern found its way to our shadows on the sand. It was not scared. It did not want to move away. As this was a nature reserve we knew it would be wrong to touch it. For the briefest of moments, we acknowledged that the bird was probably ill. And so we left it alone in our shadows. It had found peace and when we left, the on-site ranger took it from the sand and placed it beyond the rope. To this day I remember the life and death cycle of that island and how much it taught me to be in the moment. That we are all linked. It was a very humbling experience and it felt like time had slowed down. The white noise of the squawking birds and the breaking waves became a dome around us and our thoughts. I did not feel sad or happy, but a realisation of how much we can experience in such a short amount of time. 

Back on the boat, we waved goodbye to the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea. It would be the last time we would see its waters. As the boat pulled away from the Cay, its small stature disappeared as the waves rose above it and the horizon pulled it from view. 

To divert attention away from our last night in Queensland, we visited the lagoon to cool off. It was busy and we found ourselves sitting and sharing the silence of our thoughts. Not too long after arrival the clouds sent down a heavy rain and the lagoon’s occupants raced for the shelter of the trees. I remember wondering why they were avoiding the rain whilst swimming in a lagoon. Wet is wet right? 

Suitably cool enough, we turned our backs on the two waters of Cairns and headed to our hotel to pack. The day had left us with a lot of love for Australia and its inhabitants. A lot of love, awe and true humility. 

Feel the fear

I GOT IN THE POOL!

It was cloudy and windy but I got in the pool! I managed 40 minutes before I got bored and got out. I am well chuffed! The sun came out for about 5 minutes but it felt so great to cool down. I even laid down. The pool is just big enough for me to lie down diagonally. My body cooled right down and I didn’t feel the heat of the day for several hours. So that has made my week! Tomorrow we are going to be hunting for the puncture, so let’s hope we find it.

Mr W and I have spent the last two nights catching up on some of our Youtube favourites. We literally watch one profile and are addicted. I’m popping the link below to their profile, but I’m also adding the link to their vlog of when they visited the Morocco Animal Aid shelter. It’s a difficult watch if you are an animal lover and yet lovely at the same time. By using their platform Craig and Amiee raised EUR8000 in a week for the shelter and I think that is just phenomenal! And Aimee is right, volunteering really makes a difference. It might not change the world, but you could change the world for another being on this planet and I think that is a win-win situation. 

https://www.youtube.com/c/kingingit365

Craig and Aimee travel the world and basically vlog about it so we at home can sit in quiet jealousy. They show the gritty, glamorous and funny sides of travel and watching them always puts a smile on my face. 

Something Aimee said on the vlog we watched tonight was, ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway.’ Which made me realise that the less time I spend planning for the NC500 the more time fear has to creep into my mind. And the fear is getting bigger as the planning comes to a very close end. My anxiety over the big trip is definitely creeping in. There are a few challenges I have set myself, and Mr W, that I am cacking my pants over.

So, I thought I’d share them with you! It’s about time you get to hear about some of the trip. Not a lot, just a few bits and you get to read about it while we are on the road. Yes, that’s right, as well as all of our daily activities I’ll be writing everyday. I set myself a challenge to write every day for a year and as this is consecutive blog number 91 I dont think its going too badly. So if you want to check out how the NC500 treats us head on over to this blog’s main page and subscribe! It’s not long now.

I’ve even got the link for you here:

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/

I’m going to keep this bit pretty straight forward. 

Cold water and wild swimming – 

If I have learned anything in recent years, I cannot stand the heat. I used to do so well when going to places like the Caribbean, Egypt and Spain, but something about being in the UK and its heat waves with no way of cooling myself down has made me fall out of love with it big time. This is why I have tried to think outside the box to keep cool. I have stared at the fishing lake near our house and dreamed of how fresh it would feel on my skin. And yet the crowds and the fact it is not for swimming is a big deterrent. Other places are obviously more suitable. When we went to Northumberland for the first time in August 2021, I came face to face with an absolutely stunning waterfall, Crammel Linn, (blog link below) and instantly regretted not wearing my swimming costume. We were totally alone and I wanted to jump right in. 

There were several waterfalls in Australia that I could have swam in and my anxiety stopped me. It is something I regret even now. 9 years of regret!

I didn’t jump into the waters of Crammel Linn, I honestly could not see a safe way into the water from the river bank and decided on that day that when the next opportunity arose I’d do it. Since then we have been to other waterfalls in Northumberland and it’s not happened. I kind of feel that I’m waiting for Scotland. It feels to me like more of an adventure holiday. 

The fear is definitely creeping in and I’m yet to sort out one which ones are safe out of the very many we are visiting but I think doing my research will definitely help me conquer the anxiety. Some of the waterfalls I think will be okay are the Fairy pools in the Isle of Skye and Plodda Falls near Inverness.

There’s also the absolutely freezing waters of the North sea and the Hebrides Sea Shelf to contend with. We’ll have so many chances to swim in the sea along the way. On the east coast there is Chanonry Point and the area surrounding the Tarbat Ness Lighthouse. And on the west there is Red Point beach, Talisker Bay beach and the very wild Sandwood Bay. Sandwood Bay is a 8 mile round trip hike that we are hoping to pull off in the first week of our trip. It is said to be completely untouched due to how off the beaten track it is. Although if anyone fancies building a temporary beach bar on the day we arrive, that would be fab! My anxiety here is just how cold it’ll be but I think that’s the novelty of it all, so there is definitely less anxiety about that part. 

Feeling the fear a bit on this one but absolutely planning to do it anyway. 

A hop, skip and a fracture.

BIG hikes – 

Mr W and I have definitely been doing more big walks in the last year. Owing to the fact we aren’t quite ready to travel abroad just yet, (thanks covid, price rises and chaos at airports) we are checking out the UK like never before. And a lot of things in the UK require walking. A lot of walking. It would be quite simple to head to the coast and walk along a promenade with an ice cream but crowds at the moment are a hard challenge for me. Covid has definitely presented my anxiety with some hurdles. Mr W just doesn’t like people. I joke. Sort of. Mostly. 

When we went to Northumberland, we tackled some pretty amazing hikes which pushed our lockdown frozen limbs to wake up. The fact that we started, finished and enjoyed this all new experience was simply amazing and it’s definitely a bug that we have caught and continued to profess our love for. With that in mind we are tackling some pretty hefty walks on this trip and even though I know we are determined and stubborn enough to do them, I’m quite unsure on just how much our bodies are going to take. We will be travelling every single day of the 15 day trip. From dawn till dusk we’ll be exploring, driving, walking and at some points scrambling. I’m starting to wonder just how many days in it’ll be that the fatigue finds us. We have one day where a train will take over the work of our feet and it’ll feel more like a vacation and quite frankly a day to repair. And then there are other days when it’s going to be hard. There are two walks in particular that stand out to me. I point blank refuse to delete them from the trip, but the anxiety is becoming real. 

The Sandwood Bay walk isn’t necessarily hard, it is just long! 4 miles out and 4 miles back. There are sandy areas which means my ankles will take a battering and the weather could potentially play havoc. If the weather in Scotland is anything similar to Northumberland, we could have wind, rain, blinding sunshine and muggy weather all in one day. It worries me that it could drain us of the little energy reserve we will have. The only thing getting me through this stage of anxiety is repeating to myself constantly: ‘you can’t control the weather’. I just have to prepare for it. Personally I believe I could change my middle name to organised and no one would question it. 

Another challenge is our very last walk of the trip. The Catbells walk in the Lake District. It is 3-4 hours of moderate hiking. So it is nowhere near as long as the other walk, but it is taking us to heights of 1481 feet and this is something I have never done. Nothing I’ve done comes close. Eep! I chose it because it interested me the most out of all the hikes in the area but still, this is a biggy. I’m trying to remind myself that if I try to live up to someone else’s pace I’ve already lost. I have to go at my speed, my ability and live for me. Who knows where we’ll be heading next year. This might be one of our last hikes for a while. Maybe, just maybe, that’ll make it that much more special. 

There we have it. A small insight into our trip and a big insight into the anxieties travelling can present. I do know that just trying to do these walks and swims will give me a boost rather than regret at not. I know that the feeling at the end of these experiences will heavily outweigh the fear I feel at the beginning. Maybe fear is the untapped resource we should all tap into once in a while. 

Comfort Zone

Today I saw my friend who is visiting the UK from New Zealand. 

We met in school over 20 years ago. I remember him from school. I don’t know how close we were. But reconnecting on facebook a number of years later led to very long conversations on summer nights in the garden. We spoke of our time in University and how life had changed or stayed just the same. We spoke so freely and unlike any other way I’d encountered until that point and when he left to go home I remember sitting and replaying the evening over and over. It fascinated me. 

Soon after he left the UK and travelled. I maintained my habit of working to pay for my travelling and then upon my return from Australia in 2013 my life changed drastically. Me became a we and I became an us. We would be travelling to Spain. Both of us made choices in our lives. As life does, time moved on and before long those chats with my friend seemed a distant memory. If it wasn’t for social media and emailing, the friendship would have struggled. 

It was in 2016 that we reconnected while he popped back to the UK and then flitted away again. And yet our emails remain to this very day. We are both married and settled. I was lucky enough to watch his wedding over zoom last August and was grateful to be one of the few who graced that group. Our emails now speak of how life is treating us and the next big goal we each have. 

He flew into the UK last week and his parents held a garden party today for family and friends to see him and his new wife. It seems I am the last friend to stay in contact with him, he points out that he also lost contact with others, taking ownership of his actions as usual. I felt extremely appreciative to be included. Mr W was there, naturally, but I felt extremely nervous to be surrounded by people I did not know. This was cushioned by the fact that after 6 long years I was seeing my friend again.

I was being flung between the zones of comfort and excitement. Something that took me by surprise was just how ‘known’ I was. His parents and sister all knew more about me than I expected and I felt like it acknowledged this friendship we had all the more. After 5 hours of talking and laughing with strangers I felt almost confident to step outside the comfort zone. To talk freely about nothing particularly important but let it bolster my nervousness and say ‘hey, this is how you grow.’ Would I see these strangers again, possibly not. But does that mean you don’t bother engaging with them? No. I think it goes a long way to have a voice no matter where you are. Or who you are with. I know that this time last year talking to strangers was really difficult for me. I felt I needed to be asked questions or find an instant common ground. But now, today especially, it felt great to just talk as if I’d known people for years because that’s when the ‘I’ comes out in me. How interesting it is for the other person I’ll never know, but it goes a long way down the path of self-awareness and acceptance. 

The biggest example of this dare I say ‘progression’ is discussed in ‘Coffee for four’ (link below). The best way I can describe it is feeling as comfortable talking to strangers about nothing in particular as talking to a loved one about something deeply personal. It resonates on a different level, from a different zone but gives you that same feeling of warmth and acceptance. I’d like to think it opens me up to new ideas and opinions. Which ultimately is what we seek in travel. To have our eyes opened to new cultures and places. So embracing that ideal in our home lives can’t be a bad thing. I think it’s just something that’s more accepted when you travel. As if your brain is ready for the onslaught of everything new, shiny and exciting. When you are at home it’s almost as if you don’t need to try. You are comfortable. 

Fundamentally, this is a question of confidence. It reminds me that somewhere inside still exists the girl who chases horizons and finds joy outside the comfort zone.

Coffee for four