Category: Blog

Travel itinerary in January 2018

Back on the old continent for the end of the year, I decided this year to mainly explore the European continent, returning to places I already knew or discovering new ones. Who knows, maybe I’ll discover my little piece of paradise one day?

• France –  5 days
• York, England – 24 days
• Whitby –  2 days
  

My favorite place in January

Yorkshire is a beautiful part of England, but I was stuck by the picturesque Whitby and its ruined abbey. The walks along the coast, the surrounding villages and the nearby national park make it truly a unique place to discover. I hope I can come back for a longer time someday.

Back at home…

There are places in the world where you feel great, like at home. Sometimes it’s because the family lives there, because we left all our friends there, because it’s the perfect country for us, because we’ve lived there for a long time or because of an “I do not know what “inexplicable. I lived in London for three years and I always felt good in the UK. I return at least once a year to London, but since my departure around the world , even if I felt comfortable in the country, I did not feel really in my place, I m ‘felt disconnected.

Something changed because I felt at home as soon as I took the train from Gatwick Airport to Victoria Bus Station. The United Kingdom and Argentina , although diametrically opposed, are my two home, two countries where I would always feel comfortable. It was on these good bases that I took a night bus that took me from London to York.

Visit Hampton Court Palace

The old part of the castle

Fan of history, Tudors or large gardens, Hampton Court Palace is the place for you! Forty minutes by train from the center of London , Kingston-on-Thames, a town in Greater London, this palace opens its doors from Monday to Sunday from 10am to 18h in summer and 16h30 in winter. And believe me you will not have too much of a day to explore this palace!

Its construction began in 1514 and was first the residence of Cardinal Thomas Wolsley before being requisitioned as a main residence by Henry VIII. This palace will be used for more than 200 years by the Court, before being opened to the public in 1838 by Queen Victoria.

For William III’s private dinners

To be interested in the history in a playful way, it is definitely what proposes the visit of this palace. Audio-guides for the most knowledge-hungry, modern museography, reconstructions of the different rooms of life in the time of Henry VIII and William III, historical reenactments with actors throughout the day, employees ready to answer all your questions, explanatory panels clear and precise … In short, everything is designed for you to spend an educational and exciting day. Without failing to explore the grandiose gardens, get lost in the oldest labyrinth of England and enjoy some of the banks of the Thames.

The palace offers punctual events such as vintage cooking workshops or concerts.

The Hampton Court experience , you have to live it … dress like you did at the time, attend the life of the Court, take a trip to the kitchens for a quick snack and enjoy the different apartments of the castle, the austere apartments from Henry VIII to the luxurious apartments of William III. And if you meet Henry VIII or Catherine Howard maybe they are impostors … or maybe the ghosts of an exciting past …

The distance from this road trip is short, but the roads are small and winding and you will want to stop everywhere. Some do it in one day, others in two, but if you have the time, do not hesitate to spend as much time as possible on this beautiful part of the country to really enjoy the places and the atmosphere, visit different sites and test different activities. I did this trip in two full days, but the pace was very intense, from 9am to 8pm, without really taking a break. If you only have two days, I advise you to choose a few places you want to see and not scatter everywhere (in short, do not like me!), But four days seem much more reasonable.

Depending on the season, you may not need to book your accommodations in advance for a little more flexibility. Despite the beautiful weather, I was there in the low season and it was quite possible to advance without reservation. Find out in advance, as this trip has become very popular in recent years.

Once again, depending on the season, leave early and return late, to enjoy the beautiful light and the lack of tourists. Lunch time can also be conducive to avoid organized tours.

Do not forget that you’ll be in some fairly remote areas, so plan for gas, snacks and picnics and some cash just in case. There is no telephone signal everywhere, but you do not have to travel many miles to find it again.

I am preparing a full article on a solo road trip in Northern Ireland, where you will have more practical details to prepare your trip.

It’s on this picture that I started my one-week trip to Northern Ireland and my road trip on the Causeway Coastal Route. It was absolutely splendid weather, the azure sky mingled with the turquoise sea, while touches of green and yellow tried to catch my attention in the corners of my eyes. The hot wind ruffled my hair, some tourists and locals picnicked peacefully on this Monday holiday of May and I had a haste: get off the car, run in all directions, climb rocks and try to photograph the beauty the spectacle of nature that presented itself to me. For the first time in a long time, I had tears in my eyes of wonder.

The scenery was so beautiful, nature was so spectacular and enchanting, Ireland offered me so generously that I was ready to cry. It had been several months since I had felt the intense happiness,the pure freedom of solo travel , discovering the wonders of this world and that day, and the following days in Northern Ireland, I realized how lucky I was to live this life. The burnout of the trip seemed a long way off and I was ready for an extraordinary adventure in Northern Ireland. Starting with the legendary Causeway Coastal Route.

The Causeway Coastal Route road trip in Northern Ireland has been nominated by National Geographic and many other publications, as one of the most beautiful road trips in the world and we understand very quickly why by taking this route . The road trip will take you from the capital Belfast to the city of Derry (or vice versa) and stretches for about 200 kilometers. It is possible to take scenic detours and join other legendary routes, such as the Wild Atlantic Way or the Morne Scenic Route. Between fields, wild beaches, nature in its pure state, history, picturesque villages, gastronomy, UNESCO site, sports activities and much more, roadtrip lovers will be able to have fun and enjoy some great adventures.

Cycling in Northern Ireland is an excellent way to discover the country and soak up your soul while adopting the slow travel mode par excellence, resting and enjoying active holidays. In Northern Ireland, you will find signs on the roads showing the paths for bicycles. However, these roads are quite old and have not been recently redone and they often go through major national roads, frequented by cars and trucks that run at full speed.

But to get around this and reintroduce cycle tourism safely and quietly in the Sperrin region, Lorcan has created a nature, historical and gourmet discovery trail of Northern Ireland and the Sperrins region by bike with Far and Wild. The Sperrins region is the mountainous region of Northern Ireland, at 638m above sea level, but it’s still quite feasible, even by non-sports people, like me. It is an area rich in heritage, culture and history, a region still unknown, which is really worth a visit.

The concept is really very interesting, since the idea is to put cycling tourism in the spotlight, but also to put forward the slow travel , promoting an unknown destination, putting forward a healthy and ecological way of travel and in promoting local addresses, whether through places to sleep, places to eat or local farms and artisans to visit. “Sleeping local, eating healthy and active getaway” to the program. Guided or not, a day of cycling or more, and up to four days, the route is flexible and flexible according to your desires, your timing and your sports abilities. For my part,

I tested a few hours in the vicinity of Park, to the cheese dairy Dart Mountain Cheese. There were some hills, but I got out and the ride was very nice and soothing in pretty typical Irish landscapes, between farms, sheep and gorse. I talked a lot and “philsophé” with Lorcan, burnout, nature, nomadism, homecoming and it was exciting and inspiring.

Recharge your batteries while traveling: a need

If you follow me these last months on the blog, you must have noticed my great need to rest and to relax, after more than three years of nomadism to travel the roads of the world. After my burnout of the trip , I did not know how to get out of this negative pass, find myself and refocus. Relaxing on a trip is not easy at all, especially when you are constantly on the move, trying to manage both a professional career and a nomadic life. So much so that I had reached an impasse and even though today I still have a long way to go, I was able to see and find a solution during my trip to Northern Ireland.

It all started when I came back to France from Japan and started walking a minimum of 10 kilometers a day in my city park for a month. I walked, I thought, I listened to Hello Planet and in doing so, I was better, much better. I found great strength in nature and in walking, both become a kind of engine, a kind of natural antidepressant, a daily need. And then, there was  inspiration from the Travel Bloggers Lounge who invigorated me. And then, when the time came to go to London, I was exhausted, unmotivated and I did not want to go. For the first time in my life, I did not want to go on a trip. I forced myself and once there, I was delighted, but I felt that I was exhausted. Add to that the fraud of my bank card, my worries of health knocking on the door again, the loss of my transport card … this trip to London was punctuated by misfortunes. It was with relief that I left London, cold and rain. I, the great city dweller, the one who had always dreamed of living in Paris, London, New York and Tokyo, needed pure air and nature. But I did not know it yet …

A saving trip to Northern Ireland

I landed in Belfast safely and took the road directly to the coast, to start my road trip on the mythical Causeway Coastal Route. When I took my first steps outside, along the sea, under a bright sun, facing a nature so generous and fulfilled, it’s as if the weight that had held me back for months had gone and that of new wings pushed me. A great inspiration, a smile, tears in my eyes in front of so much beauty and I knew then that Northern Ireland would be the perfect place to relax, to rest and to take a breath of fresh air, the time of one week. The magic of the country, the incredible beauty of its landscapes, the kindness of its people, the warmth of this culture make Northern Ireland a very special place and in a way, I felt like a saving power in everything what surrounded me. I felt the inspiration invade me, I felt the nature heal me and the sun give me a smile. This week was exhausting in the light of my busy schedule, but I left feeling completely refreshed, rejuvenated, happy, motivated and with a huge desire to keep on chewing the world. And I’m not sure any destination could have accomplished this little miracle … Anyway, much of the credit goes to nature and sport.