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The travel stories that don’t get shared

The travel stories that don’t get shared

Just over a year ago I wrote a post on places which are disappointing to visit and it ended up being one of my most viewed blog posts of the year, as well as sparking quite a bit of conversation on Twitter. It made me realise that there’s an appetite out there for sharing the less than perfect experiences that most of us have whilst travelling. I’ve been lucky that I’ve not come to any serious harm or danger whilst travelling, but I’ve still had some experiences which I don’t really talk about. At the time they might have been stressful and I didn’t want to worry anyone, or the anecdotes might not have fit with the rest of the tales I had to share from my trip.

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Cooking fresh meals with Schwartz dried herbs

Cooking fresh meals with Schwartz dried herbs

I first discovered my enjoyment for cooking as a student, when I was living independently for the first time. I found it a really good way to relax after a busy day and also found that I enjoyed cooking for other people. Before too long, and like many of my friends, I dreamed of having my own spice rack, filled with different spices and dried herbs to enable me to add a mix of flavours to my cooking. I am now slowly building that collection and was really pleased when Schwartz asked me to review one of their dried herbs – basil.

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Travelling whilst fear of Coronavirus takes over

Travelling whilst fear of Coronavirus takes over

I’ve recently come back from a long weekend in Madeira and in many ways the entire trip was overshadowed by Coronavirus despite us having no issues on our trip. This post isn’t about how to travel whilst there’s a global pandemic, but is just to share some of my personal experiences in what has become a very strange time for many of us. Our trip was booked back in 2019, well before the virus had spread worldwide and it had been deemed a pandemic. It was only in the week before we flew that I imagined we might have any problems at all. Italy had closed down, more countries were closing borders and there was widespread criticism of the UK’s approach. However I knew we were travelling to somewhere with no confirmed cases, nobody I was travelling with was displaying any symptoms and there wasn’t anything at the airport (other…

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New Year on the Isle of Bute

New Year on the Isle of Bute

I am very lucky to have a friend who has a cottage on the Isle of Bute. In fact, it’s the highest cottage on the island which means that when it’s clear you can see some fabulous views. My friends had been encouraging James and I to visit for a while and at New Year we decided it was the perfect time. The island that had cast my friends under its spell did the same to us, and I definitely think we’ll be back again some day.

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A few things I’d like to get out of 2020…

A few things I’d like to get out of 2020…

In addition to what I’ve learned from the previous year, it’s time for my short round-up of hopes and aims for the year ahead. 2020 is already shaping up to be a busy and life-changing year. They say you’re meant to live your life to the full in your twenties, and if this year is anything like the last year has been then I can continue to be confident in saying I am.

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