and just like that……..

“And just like that, we’re on our way to everywhere.”

Emery Lord

I have a confession to make. I am an English History nut, a British Medieval crazy and totally in love with the UK, and I have only seen a minute part of it. I have no English heritage that I know of, but at times I fancy that perhaps I once lived in a grand Georgian Manor House in England, or a fortified Castle in Scotland or perhaps in 1800 century London. What if I lived in Wales before the Norman conquest or what if I inhabited Roman Britain or even attended Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation (THE 1^st!). All these things are wonderful to imagine, but I suppose I am just a romantic for history, all things Royal and for chocolate box cottages.

I have travelled to Britain 3 times. Once in 2013, with my then 15-year-old daughter, Kate. We visited new friends, Haunted Castles, Bond Street (many times), beautiful medieval villages such as Bibury and Lincoln. In fact, Lincoln was originally a Celtic settlement dating back to 1BC before the Romans settled there in 1AD. After one week exploring the beautiful country of England, we flew over to Italy to continue our journey.

The next time I travelled to Britain was with my husband in 2016. Both big Doc Martin fans, we drove over to Cornwall, then over to beautiful Yorkshire, visited friends in Durham, over to the Scottish Borders, which we both adored, and finished with friends once again in Manchester before flying over to Venice for a few days of R&R. And believe me, after experiencing one of my full-to-the-brink travel itineraries, we (mainly my hubby) needed this.

After this I caught the travel (to the UK) bug. I then embarked on my own solo trip in 2018. Some people may have thought this crazy. A middle-aged woman travelling on her own and driving all over the UK, on her own. To me, it was as natural as driving 12 hours to Brisbane on a regular basis. With my full packed itinerary in my carry on, I boarded a plane to London from Brisbane.

First port of call, London for a few days exploring everything British, from Buckingham Palace, to Liberty’s, to a night in West End and The Phantom of the Opera. The concierge at my hotel exclaimed how he would never have thought of visiting a show on his own. My response, “try it!”.

Several days in, I once again collected my hire car and took off to Kent to visit Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. After exploring the area over numerous days, I ventured to Battle where the Battle of Hastings occurred that ended in the defeat of Harold II of England by William, duke of Normandy, (the Conqueror) and established the Normans as the rulers of England.

Later I took to Bath, in my opinion, one of the most gorgeous cities in Somerset. The Roman Ruins are resplendent as is the impressive Thermae Bath Spa, Britain’s only day spa that features Bath’s natural thermal waters. I did a lot more travelling around England, visiting friends, new sites, such as the Lake District and some of my favourite ones as well. I then set off on the drive to Inverness as I really wanted to visit the battle site of Culloden. I understand that for many locals, an 8 hour drive into the Highlands should be a deterrent, but I did cut it by staying overnight in the Scottish midlands.

Inverness did not disappoint. Its people are hospitable, warm-hearted, and very proud. I loved every local I met there. I stayed in a lovely hotel which in my opinion had an otherworldly visitor. Lights turned on and off and doors appeared open after I distinctly closed them. Not for I moment did I feel threatened. On the contrary, I felt privileged that someone was trying to make themselves known. Whatever was in that room felt friendly.

Culloden was so surreal. It felt as though the world had stopped, the birds had stopped chirping and all noise vanished. It was eerily beautiful and if you ever get the chance to visit, do yourselves a favour. After several days in Inverness, I left my hire car at the train station and boarded the 10 hour train ride back to London. I looked forward to viewing the Scottish and English countryside on a well-earned train trip. Relaxing with a drink in hand, perhaps a lovely pastry as well. One thing I did learn, is that when booking a train trip in the UK, book first class. Let’s say, it wasn’t the most comfortable of journeys, but that was entirely my fault. I will plan a train trip one day, but for the time being, I will drive myself.

My plan was to return in 2022, but Covid had other ideas and now for the last 12 months, I have finally been planning another trip, returning in 2024. This time I am travelling with my good friend, Rosemary who has pretty much given me carte blanche where the itinerary is concerned. Of course, aside from the main attractions, we are visiting a few new places and embarking on a few different adventures, including many which are aimed at her likes.

For one, we are staying overnight in a Haunted Castle! We are sharing a room there of course, but throughout most of the trip, we have our own bedrooms. Years of snoring and many more from experience has made us decide that at our age, we can afford to do it. We have splurged in London, however and are sharing there, but wait until you see the hotel…..

We are also taking in a couple of whisky distilleries on the Scottish Borders and planning to send quite a few bottles back to Australia. My husband, Mick and son in law, Connor will be very pleased with me. In York, we are taking a day to do a Haunted Pub Crawl, but either way, we will be seeing “spirits” of some kind.

This time, Rosemary and I will cover everything from Kent to Somerset. The Cotswolds to Wales. The Scottish Borders to Yorkshire. Of course, we will be absorbing London to its fullest including a couple of West End Shows.

Rosemary and I will be sharing tips, ideas, suggestions, recommendations, lots of photographs of food, PUBS and cemeteries and many hijinks along the way. Stay in touch by following me on Instagram and Facebook.

Happy Travelling!

Gabi xxx