I’ve always found that travelling offers so many opportunities to reflect, to re-evaluate the direction of my life. Unlike the routine churn of home life, travelling allows time and space, a new angle from which to view the world, new experiences to teach you, and different challenges to remind you that there is always moreContinue reading “Reflections: A 2012 Travel Photo Essay”
Tag Archives: UK
How to travel the UK & Ireland in a campervan: lessons from 1 month on the road
Driving through the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland in a campervan is one of those classic adventures that offers more delights than you bargained for. You expect the charming thatched-roof cottages of the English Cotswolds, but not the scores of swooning swans on the glassy Avon. You’ve heard about the mysterious lochs and mist-shrouded peaksContinue reading “How to travel the UK & Ireland in a campervan: lessons from 1 month on the road”
Driving the Causeway Coast: from Belfast to Derry, Northern Ireland
Winding along pebbled beaches, through cliff-side tunnels, past castles and natural wonders, it’s hard to believe that Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coastal Route was not designed especially for a tourism brochure. From Belfast, we took two laid-back days to drive the 120 mile coastline in our Wicked camper, finding plenty of delights along the way, andContinue reading “Driving the Causeway Coast: from Belfast to Derry, Northern Ireland”
The road to Glasgow, Scotland: the Highlands, Ben Nevis and Loch Lomond
When you look at the squiggly black line on a map, it’s hard to know what is in store for you on the road ahead. That 3cm patch of green ‘vegetation’ never quite translates to those tumbling fields of pastel green, the scraggly woodland thickets or proud lines of Scottish pines; that blob of blueContinue reading “The road to Glasgow, Scotland: the Highlands, Ben Nevis and Loch Lomond”
8 Essential Experiences in Edinburgh, Scotland
Crawling with history, wholesomely creative and full of personality, Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh, is my latest destination crush. In fact, I will go as far as saying that, so far, Edinburgh is the highlight of my Wicked Campers road trip and one of the best cities of my 2012 European travel adventure. After three daysContinue reading “8 Essential Experiences in Edinburgh, Scotland”
A day along Hadrian’s Wall, England
Ever since Mr Jones, my ear-pierced, leather-jacketed Ancient History teacher, explained the marvel of Hadrian’s Wall, I have wanted to see it with my own eyes. So when we drove the length of it in our Wicked campervan the other day, I was quite an excited little traveller. Stretching 73 miles across the northern peninsulaContinue reading “A day along Hadrian’s Wall, England”
Driving through the Peaks District to York, England
Complete with ancient Roman walls, a piano-serenaded cathedral and a castle tower encircled with daffodils, the city of York in England was another delightful find on my Wicked road trip around the UK and Ireland. After wild camping at the Buxton Traveller’s Rest in our Wicked campervan, we drove the 84 miles (134 kms) northContinue reading “Driving through the Peaks District to York, England”
Wide angle: a photo walk through Stratford-Upon-Avon, England
Weaving under wise old trees and past mossy stones, the walk along the Avon in Stratford is one of the most peaceful I’ve done. The sun came out for us after a slow, foggy start to the morning, making our Stratford experience truly warming. I was a little snap-happy along the way and just hadContinue reading “Wide angle: a photo walk through Stratford-Upon-Avon, England”
First two days in a campervan: London, Oxford, Stratford-Upon-Avon & the English shires
Sitting in our Wicked campervan atop a night-shrouded hill somewhere in Derbyshire, England, it is hard to believe we have seen so much in the first two days of road trip. London Within minutes of being handed the keys to our Wicked campervan, ‘Kamikaze Panda’, (a.k.a. Panda) in London’s Waterloo, Dave and I were thumbingContinue reading “First two days in a campervan: London, Oxford, Stratford-Upon-Avon & the English shires”
My Wicked Campers road trip begins: UK & Ireland here I come
Do you ever feel like you just need to get into a car and go… explore…get lost? I’m now two adventure-packed months into a nine month European trip and am craving a different pace of travel. We’ve been city-hopping, backpacking, couch-surfing, weekender-ing and ski-tripping, so now it’s time to try something new. Today Dave andContinue reading “My Wicked Campers road trip begins: UK & Ireland here I come”
Glimpses of Wales: Cardiff, Swansea, Mumbles & Rhossili
The wintery coast of Wales can have a very calming affect on the weary traveller. Wind-battered headlands, rocky cliffs, pebble-strewn beaches and soggy green fields along the Gower Peninsula are the stuff of paintings and poems; dramatically beautiful, mysterious and thought-provoking. Our recent four-day trip to Wales was exactly what Dave and I needed afterContinue reading “Glimpses of Wales: Cardiff, Swansea, Mumbles & Rhossili”
How to be impressed by Bristol, UK: art, food & views of the river
I recently visited a spunky place called Bristol, in the south-west of England, and was wildly impressed with what I found. A city of about 440,000 people, Bristol boasts an active cultural scene, a dramatic suspension bridge, plenty of cider, lovely manners and a laid-back charm… all things that make me smile. Known for beingContinue reading “How to be impressed by Bristol, UK: art, food & views of the river”
The Travellers’ Introduction to London: 6 mini itineraries to get you started
Nervous excitement fluttered in my belly as our plane soared over the green patchwork surrounding London. After a lifetime of media impressions, hours of reading about the sights and lots of tips from ex-pat friends, I was keen to get out there and explore. But deciding where to start was a bit of a pickle.Continue reading “The Travellers’ Introduction to London: 6 mini itineraries to get you started”
One month travelled, eight to go.
My understanding of one month seems to have adjusted a little since starting this adventure on 1 January. Instead of one hour, one day or one month, I now seem to think in units of one country, one city, one tube station. Memories of one month ago seem like snippets from another world, where IContinue reading “One month travelled, eight to go.”
Nic Freeman 