A visit to the Old New Forest

We were lucky to be given a voucher for a two night stay in the Forest Park Hotel in Brockenhurst by my wifes’ parents as a gift. I immediately went on-line to check out the reviews of the hotel and was disconcerted to see it was numbered in the bottom three of twelve hotels. It was with some trepidation we booked a weekend and set off from Hove to the town of Brockenhurst by train.

New Forest in Winter

We went in the winter, but that didn’t take away from the natural beauty of this area.

What is the New Forest?

The New Forest is not really new it has been around for thousands of years and was first established by William 1 in 1079 as a place for the royals to hunt deer. In order to create the park the King evicted inhabitants from 30 parishes. The park became a bit of a curse for the family with two of the kings sons meeting their untimely death’s in hunting accidents.

The New Forest is 300 square kilometres in size and located in Hampshire in the South East of England. The forest area is made up heathland, grassland and some lovely forests. It is the largest park in England and a great place to visit for cycling, walking, bird watching and exploring the small towns located within the park. One huge feature of the part is the ponies! They wander free through out and are looked after by local residents. So lovely to be around and enjoy!

New Forest Hotel

Our room at the Park Forest Hotel

The hotel was a short walk from the train station. The first thing we noticed was the very warming log fire in the lobby. My wife loved it, as she hails from Canada, where this is a more regular occurance. Check in went well and although the room had seen better days for a three star hotel it was perfectly acceptable. We got Room 22 with a great view of the gardens that were bordered by some lovely trees.

View from our room and comfy chairs

There were some comfy chairs to sit in to look out the window and enjoy the view. The bed was comfortable with a firm mattress. The shower could have done with more pressure.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/133740174@N07/21132663216/in/album-72157658186459732/

The food was surprisingly good and they even catered for my wife’s dairy free requirements. We had a great full English breakfast each morning and I even tried a Kipper or fish which was delicious. The receptionist gave us a route guide to enjoy a two-hour walk which was lovely. All in all I was pleasantly surprised with our stay at the hotel and was a bit surprised at the hotels standing in trip advisor. They are also doing some major renovations which will only improve anyone’s stay here.

An interesting bit of history about the hotel is documented by photos on the walls where during WW I, the hotel was a hospital and operated by New Zealanders. Being a kiwi, I found this interesting. It was nice to relax in their small bar in front of the fire after a long days walking.

What we did in the New Forest?

Walking, lots of walking. There also are places in Brockenhurst you can hire bikes or, next door, you can hire horses by the hour. On our first visit we just wanted to walk and explore the area in which we were not disappointed. We saw lots of the wild ponies, great views across the Heathland and found some lovely pubs to enjoy a beverage or two.

Dispite the rain and the short days that we had at this time of year, the weekend away was a real treat and worth a visit, as a typical area to see some of the beautiful countryside of the South of England. Nothing was too far to get to from the hotel.

Perfect cafe we found to have a Hot Chocolate

What hotels have you found in England through the winter which are worth exploring? or do you know other winter retreats that are full of lovely surprises?

Debbie BridgeSeptember 8, 2015March 10, 2018 England, Europe, New Forest, Travel, United Kingdom 7 Comments

London a City of Style

Thames River Walk

New York is the city that never sleeps and London a city of style where no one can tire of exploring and experiencing. To paraphrase, the famous Londoner Samuel Pep’s “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. Whether it is your first or twentieth visit, there is always something to do, see or experience in London. The history or artwork in a museum, toe tapping West End musicals, visiting the famous Tower of London or a relaxing walk along the Thames past famous landmarks such as the Globe where Shakespeare plays are still performed today.

Getting Around

As we live in Brighton, when we go to London for the day we just get an off peak London travel card, with our train ticket, which allows use on the buses, metro and trains within the six zones of London. The Off peak travel card that is valid after 9.30am and every day costs £8.90. If you are coming from out of London, combine a train ticket with a travel card it will always cost less. There are many different combinations you can do and you can explore at the Visit Britain website which also has lots of other discounted tickets and tips for exploring London.

My Favourite three places to visit

1. The Tower of London is a unique attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage site and is where Kings and Queens lived and died.

First off, the tower is not really a tower it is a castle. The Tower was a jail for the stars for hundreds of years and the home of the Crown Jewels. Murders, tortures and robbery took place within the walls of the castle.

It is open on Tuesday till Saturday and from 9.am till 17.30 during the summer and closes one hour earlier during winter. On Sunday and Monday it opens an hour later at 10am.

Ticket prices are exorbitant at £24.50 per adult and you can save a pound by booking online at the Tower of London official website at

The website also has information on other palaces and ticket prices. If you are staying for a period of time in London, think about getting the unlimited entry annual pass. The single pass costs £47 and a couple pass costs £71. The pass gives you unlimited access to the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Banqueting House and Kew Palace.

A further option to save money is to use Attractiontix website. There are lists of other attractions in London at discounted prices and you can pay £18.41 for an adult ticket. They are discounted by 24 percent off the normal price of £24.50.

Try to get to the Tower of London as early as possible. It is always crowded. The nearest tube station is Tower Hill on the circle or district metro lines. The 45 minute Yeoman tours are good value and fun to do albeit they can be very crowded.

To see something different and if it’s your first time to London then try to reserve a ticket for the 700 year old Ceremony of the Keys held every night at 21:30 for just over half an hour. To attend you must reserve tickets on line. It costs £1 cost and the tickets can be reserved.

2. National Gallery is brilliant and it is free. Pick up an audio guide to see the highlights. I, particularly, like Constable and Hogarth with his satirical pictures of London society. There are master pieces from Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Turner and a multitude of other dead artists.

3. The British Museum is a wonderful collection of national treasures to what the British managed to collect by looting and pillaging their Empire. The Elgin Marbles, Rosetta stone to the Egyptian mummies. It is free to view the general collection which includes all of the above and more.

Top Tip

Do not bother getting a London Pass. In the end, to get value for money for the pass you would have to do a whirlwind trip around London and it takes time to get to places. You can easily spend hours at the Tower of London, British Museum and National Gallery, of which the latter two are free.

Where to stay?

If you have looked at hotel websites and booking sites you will see how expensive it is to stay a few nights in London. I am simply going to say that the best deal you will get is staying with Airbnb. It is important to look in advance and read the reviews of the accommodation and where the house or apartment is located. Be careful as some may turn out to be just glorified Bed and Breakfasts.

Where are your top places to go in London?

(Date of writing August 2015 – check websites to make sure of current costs!)

Debbie BridgeSeptember 1, 2015November 15, 2024 England, Europe, London, Travel, United Kingdom 3 Comments

How to Keep Costs Down and Not Throw in the Kitchen Sink!

How to Keep Costs Down and Not Throw in the Kitchen Sink

This is 1 of the most asked questions about keeping my costs down on travel: How can I afford it?

I say, travel doesn’t have to be expensive, but it does depend on how you define travel and where.

Currencies

4 different ideas are outlined below:

Home Holiday

This is the cheapest and least expensive form of travel, so I wonder why more people don’t take advantage of this! Yes, people take time off to stay at home, but quite often, this is due to illness or doing some: much-needed, DIY. These are not holidays!

I have found that when I put strict boundaries around this ‘home holiday’ idea I’ve had some of my most relaxed and least stressful trips. For example: no DIY or fix anything in the house, but do go out and see things in your local area you’ve never seen before or haven’t seen in a long time.

Also, just sit and read – preferably in the garden.

1 of my secret tips is – don’t tell anyone you are staying at home, just say you are going on holiday, then no one will bother you.

Just Down the Road Holiday

This 1 is often done where people go camping or somewhere that is not far away and still in their home county, state, province, whatever. This can be more stressful and expensive, but if you look at places like Air BnB or house swapping or camping, you can find a much cheaper way to do it and still get a great place to enjoy.

The added bonus with this 1 is there are no borders to cross and it’s only a few hours away, but you feel you’ve ‘gone away.’

Home Country Holiday

View from Hotel Room from hotel just outside Bath

This is where you go out of county, state, province, etc., but be careful, this can be more expensive, than going overseas, especially if you are Europe based!

I have found this to be the case in the UK, that going to Spain or Greece or, even, France, can end up being cheaper than staying within the UK.

Things to look out for are groupon deals or bus trips in your local newspaper. While these maybe less glamorous, they don’t have to be.

I had a 4 star weekend away in Bath, England and it was half the price because of a coupon which my Mom in Canada bought for us for Christmas – we lived in the UK at the time of writing this!

So deals can be found, just have to do a bit more digging. This is especially true for out of season.

Snoop around on your favourite local hotel sites, they are likely to have deals at some point in the year, so snap them up!

Just Over the Border

As mentioned above, going over the border into a neighboring country can be cheaper than staying in your own country, so check around, especially, out of season, you can get some good packages to go elsewhere when it’s their off-season period.

All the ideas above can apply for ‘Over the Border’ travel.

What have you done to save on your travel? Have you been successful at a ‘home holiday’? What did that look like?

We love to hear from you, so please share comments below:

Debbie BridgeAugust 28, 2015October 22, 2018 Travel, Travel Tips 1 Comment

How to save money on your next cruise

Norwegian Sun

How to save money on your next cruise

Why do Americans and Canadians get cheaper cruises? The simple answer is, we don’t know and we don’t like it, but here is one way we got around it….

I managed to find a way around the dual pricing by booking on an American website and then contacting the company explaining I had done this. They eventually allowed the booking to stand in the US dollars.

If you can find a way to book a cruise through Canada or the US, then you can save yourself up to a third or more on the actual cruise cost.

Recently, I did a search and looked at the same cruise through a UK and US website then priced them just to make sure that all this is still the case.

At random: (Holland America) on January 2 2016 for seven nights, East Caribbean cruise
Cost £548.28 – US Cost $699 or £446 = £102.28 potential savings. This isn’t just in the UK, it is pretty much anywhere outside North America that there is a huge price difference, so check it out from your own country, if not based in North America.

This was done with an Orbitz search. Orbitz, also, included a special US$500 onboard credit, unlike the UK. If you take in the on-board credit, then your cruise could cost you £128.

That’s a huge potential savings!

Never book a tour on the cruise ship

Before you leave for your cruise organise your land tours independently. We did for Mexico, Honduras and Belize. The tours were all brilliant and half the price of cruise ship tours. All our tours had great guides. I have been on one organised tour with a cruise in Tunisia and it was below par and not well organised. We got an uncomfortable bus and felt rushed wherever we went. The cruise ship tours can be avoided. If your concerned about being back to the ship in time, do not worry, we were always back with plenty of time and these tours survive because of the cruise ships. I recommend checking tripadvisor and finding tours at your port of call or organise it yourself.

What are your experiences of costing cruises from where you are? Share below:

Debbie BridgeAugust 27, 2015October 6, 2015 Cruise, Travel, Travel Tips No Comments

Vietnam and some Top Travel Tips

Hanoi, Vietnam – pineapple seller

Vietnam and some top travel tips

Vietnam is a land of many faces and places. I say this because it was a huge surprise to me how big it was and how much it changed over our month of travel there.

Our itinerary was as follows:

Hanoi – Halong Bay – Hanoi – Hue – Da Nang – Hoi An – Nha Trang – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Now you can do this route, like us, from North to South or from South to North.

The first thing that hit me in Hanoi was the incredible movement of this city – we stayed in the old quarter and just dealing with the ‘how to cross the street’ was a steep learning curve. The traffic and, especially, all the scooters is a bit daunting at first, but there is a method to the madness. I liked to time my crossing of the road with another Vietnamese pedestrian and follow their lead or to just go boldly forward albeit slowly and not stopping.

Currency

You pay everything in Vietnamese Dong, but, often, you will find things priced in US dollars and they will take them as well. I suggest you use the local currency when you can and for those Aussies and Kiwi with ANZ bank accounts, there are lots of bank machines in Hanoi and Saigon where you can withdraw money out with no ATM fees except of course the bank haircut with the exchange rate! (warning: check this before you go, as things can change with banks at any time!)

Safety

I never felt unsafe in Vietnam during our trip and, of course, you take the usual precautions: do not leave phones anywhere or bags unattended. Keep your bag close to your body when walking around or strapped in front as I did, as it was a small back pack style bag.

How I carried my small back pack purse.

Transport

In Saigon, we found that Vinasun taxis were the best to use. Never had a problem with meters being turned on at a higher rate than was legal or being taken to any back streets or shady destinations and the drivers were all polite. Between Hue and Hoi An, I hired a private car and Cong, our driver was terrific and he charged US$69 for a leisurely drive to Hoi An. We stopped at several sites along the way, which included the new Dragon Bridge in Da Nang which breathes real fire and water.

Dragon Bridge in Da Nang – it breathes fire and water

Relaxing on the train to Hoi An

We used trains for our journey between Hanoi and Saigon. I booked all of them via the hotels we stayed. You pay a small commission but, we got a soft sleeper, air-conditioned and bottom bunk in a four bunk cabin. Some people book the entire cabin. We did not and ended up meeting some lovely Vietnamese people including two guides on their way to Hue.

You can take some snacks and water with you on the train or there are food trolleys. I ate the food and didn’t get ill. My husband had a coffee and he liked it.

There are Western and Asian toilets as well as a wash up area in each carriage with running water. All of the trains are slowly being refurbished. We got old ones but they were perfectly fine. To give you an idea of cost our two tickets for a night train from Hanoi to Hue was US$90. We did get one upper bunk for the train from Nha Trang to Saigon during the day which was comfortable and near the air-conditioning. Our entire train costs to Saigon were less than US$200 for both of us including two overnight trains.

Be polite

We hardly got troubled by pushy sellers or beggars at all. When people did approach us, a polite no thank you, keep walking on and a smile always worked. We, also, learned a few Vietnamese phrases such as ‘Hello’ and ‘thank you’ which, always, went over well even with our terrible pronunciation. This is a general rule of thumb throughout all of South East Asia, being loud and having arguments in public is not the done thing and considered very rude. Please do not confuse South East Asia with mannerisms that maybe more typical of other parts of Asia.

King and Queen Banquet meal

Food and drink

The food is wonderful and we ate at street stalls through to restaurants. In the restaurants, they always put ice in your water and we never got ill once. Sometimes we would ask where the water came from and the answer was filtered. We, also, carried a small disinfectant bottle for our hands when there was nowhere to wash our hands.

Beer is cheap in Vietnam and they have excellent fruit juices. Also, a tip, drink fresh coconut water from the coconuts themselves – this is the best way to rehydrate and replenish lots of fluids, even better than drinking water. Motto: a coconut a day will help keep the dehydration away!

Depending on where we ate, the meals can range from a few US dollars up to $30. We ate at several restaurants recommended on trip advisor and it was a good way to find a place to eat if you did not want to get food from a stall off the street.

Below are links to some of my favourite restaurants on our journey beginning in Hanoi and ending in Saigon. My favourite was Noir, in Saigon, where you eat in complete darkness and the waiters are blind or visually disabled. The food was great and the cause brilliant.

Cau go Vietnamese Restaurant – Hanoi restaurant we loved
Cherish Hotel Hue restaurant where we got to dress up as King and Queen
Samari Kitchen Hoi An restaurant
Coffee CongVien Hon Chong Nha Trang cafe – we liked to sit and watch the beach
Saigon restaurant where the waiters are blind

Tours we loved doing

There were three tours that stood out during our trip to Vietnam. Halong Bay, Hanoi Kids and the XO Scooter tour through the streets of Saigon. In the height of the travel season book all these tours in advance, otherwise you may miss out!

Halong Bay Cruise

There are a multitude of companies selling cruises to Halong Bay. We went up market and did the 2 night and 3 day cruise with Viola Cruises booked through our hotel. I would recommend to do the 3 day trip and not the one night trip as it gives you more time to enjoy the scenery, swim and kayak. Plus, it makes the four-hour drive each way to Halong Bay and back worth the narrow seats and rather uncomfortable ride.

Hanoi Kids

Hanoi kids is a charity where young university students who are learning or improving their English take you on a guided tour around Hanoi. They tailor the day to what you want to do and see. It is great to have a resident guide, as they take you to some of their favourite places which may not be on any tourist tour and it is free, yes free! At the end of the day you can make a donation to the charity which we did and you pay for taxis, lunch and entrances for your guide. We really enjoyed our tour and would recommend it to first time visitors to Hanoi.

XO Scooter tours in Saigon

My husband was a bit wary of this tour which I had booked, he quickly changed his mind. It was a great morning, whizzing around Saigon, seeing the sights and I never felt unsafe. It cost us each US$40 for over three hours and included a few snacks and drinks along the way.

Good luck on your trip to Vietnam!

Any questions, please submit through the comment form below and I will do my best to get back to you within 72 hours of posting!

Debbie BridgeAugust 26, 2015January 3, 2016 South East Asia, Travel, Vietnam No Comments

Murder, Mayhem and Mrs Christie on the English Riviera

Bust of Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie Festival

Not many of you may know, but I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie. She got me hooked on the genre and a few years back, I went to a festival which is devoted to her, her writing and her home in Torquay on the English Riviera. Just pulling into the station feels like you are in another world.

Changes

Our train driver to Torquay

Now, I said that things are changing on the blog and this is the start to part of that change. I thought I would share more of my travel stories and this is one that came up recently, when I was having one of my ever endearing teas

My Christie themed tea with a friend – John loves Poirot – wants to get a cane like his!

with a friend who had just been there, so we got to talking… and, to be honest, I just love Agatha – she’s great. I’ve read her autobiography and the book ‘Secret Notebooks’ by John Curran – this book is about trying to translate her notes on what she was writing or planning to write. We, even got to meet the author of this momentous task and he signed our book. She wrote her ideas in her own shorthand which only she could read, not even her family was able to read these famous notebooks. Plus, I’ve now go a big photo of her on my wall to inspire me – you see, Agatha was not properly schooled like we are today, so her achievements as a writer are even more remarkable to me!

Torquay

list of some of the Agatha Christie books

Back to Torquay and the English Riviera. This is a beautiful seaside English Town and I can really see why it’s called the English Riviera because when the weather is nice, it’s truly the English seaside at its best. Even in dull and rain, it’s still beautiful, but it really shines when the sun comes out. As I said we went for the festival, but that doesn’t mean there is not lots to do without it, it was just our main push. The highlight for me was going on a special, behind the scenes tour of her house – Greenway.

Greenway

Greenway coaster

When we went, the National Trust (the National Trust is a protection society for old properties of significant British heritage) had just finished getting the house ready for the public, as it’s not been accessible for long – she has a grandson who owns the inheritance on her estate. So he finally has set the house up as a museum and what a museum, it’s like you are going to see her come around a corner at any moment. It feels so lived in and alive.

They even have all her cloths that she wore on display – what a magical tour. It is said that when she was a young girl growing up in Torquay, she went by this house, on the waterway in front of the house, and had said how much she had always wanted to live there, but she never knew much about the house. Then she left Torquay as an adult with no intentions to return, but when she started making money with her writing, she found out the house was for sale and bought it and it’s estate. One of my secret desires in to play Miss Marple when I get older – just putting it out there! Ya never know! At least for now, I’ve done a few murder mystery gigs, which I just love.

Events

Torquay Museum

We went to various events at the local museum, all with the Agatha Christie themes running through them.

Green Bus Tour to Greenway

A highlight was going on a tour on an old green bus with a tour guide that had never read her books, but seemed to know a lot about her life and times in the area – very odd combination, but still very informative – he said he loved history, not murder mysteries!

Walk in Torquay

There was a gorgeous walk along the coast, past a very famous hotel – The Imperial Hotel – we had some tea here overlooking the water – beautiful – where we got sun and soaked in the same 10 minutes – ah, the English weather – a favourite topic here. It’s all about layers! Still, this was a great way to see parts of the town and see how much there is to see and do.

Shopping

There’s some great shopping at the local market, we got our lovely bed spread at the market. It’s a great place to go, if you get one of those crazy English rainy days. Also in the area are some great artisan shops where we found all sorts of lovely little items and beautiful gold rings – wear them everyday!

Food

Artisan shops in old stables – get all sorts from goldsmiths, metal work, clothing to hand-made chocolates.

The Elephant Restaurant – Michelin Star

Food is stellar, there was a Michelin star restaurant – The Elephant which we had a fabulous lunch.

Burgh Island

We loved Torquay and I would definitely go again, even if the festival isn’t on – I, sooooo want to go back and get to the famous hotel – Burgh Island, where some of her books have been set….but for this one, you must have it set up well in advance and have your pennies in a row – it’s quite expensive, but so want to give myself that treat or, they, can always have me stay and I’ll write-up a blog on my experience of this incredible island hotel with a murdering past! Anyone got any contacts for me?! Do they need a singer to perform? I’m available!

Place to Stay

Just to note, we stayed at the Elmdene BnB – apparently, it’s won awards since we’ve stayed!

Do you have a favourite place in England you’ve been to? Love to hear about it! Any ideas for future topics you’d like to hear about, let me know and I’ll see if I can do a future blog on it, just comment below!

Debx

Debbie BridgeAugust 3, 2015November 2, 2024 England, Europe, Torquay, Travel, United Kingdom 1 Comment

Hanoi Kids tour

What to do in Hanoi?

Hanoi was one of my favourite cities we visited in Vietnam. The food, people and with plenty of things to do it is a city you will not get bored in. We also used it as our jump off point to visit Halong Bay. We spent over a week there exploring the Old Quarter, museums and watching a couple of Water Puppet shows. During out stay there I had one of the most memorable days we had while travelling in Vietnam. It was my wifes idea to book a Hanoi Kids tour.

There are actual stop lights

Being the sceptical, cynical bloke that I am when my wife said there is a tour where university students take you around Hanoi for free. My response was what’s the catch. There was none.

What is Hanoi Kids?

Hanoi Kids tour is a student run English voluntary club. The students all speak English and want to show you around their beautiful city and improve their English. Our guide on the day was a lovely woman who tailored the day to what we wanted. We visited several sites including the One Pillar Pagoda and several museums. She also was able to explain the history of different spots we visited. She, also, took us to a lovely restaurant for lunch.

We paid for her lunch, the taxi rides and gave a donation at the end of the tour to the organisation that runs Hanoi Kids, but you are under no obligation to do this.

If you’re in Hanoi then contact Hanoi Kids. There are good reasons that they consistently get five-star reviews on trip advisor and are No 1 in things to do in Hanoi with trip advisor. Check out my review of Hanoi Kids and other reviews of our time in Vietnam at kiwiinbrighton or specifically for Hanoi Kids.

: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

: Our Hanoi Kids tour guide she was brilliant

: 40 Year anniversary of the end of the war

: White van drivers Hanoi style

Debbie BridgeAugust 3, 2015December 8, 2018 South East Asia, Vietnam 2 Comments

Video Blog of a visit to India and Dubai

A video of the last leg of our trip around the world. Enjoyed a camel trek in Rajasthan, musical interlude in Udaipur and a village tour in Rajasthan as well as quite a few visits to temples. Lots of animals especialy cows and some colourful clothes everywhere. Even saw Octupussy in Udaipur with a view of the location.

Then on to Dubai for a night time desert safari and a visit to a mosque.

Below is a video blog on our travels round the world on you tube from July 2015 – this is the last in this series, but there will be more, so do stay tuned….

Debbie BridgeAugust 2, 2015December 19, 2015 Travel, Video Blogs No Comments

Vietnam ATM tip for Australians and New Zealanders

One major bugbear I have when travelling overseas is how banks and credit card companies hit you up with ATM charges. I was pleasantly surprised in Vietnam to find that my ANZ card actually did not charge me at ATMs.

If you are from NZ or Australia and have an ANZ bank account you’re in luck! Vietnam in major cities has ANZ ATMs. I found in Hanoi and Saigon ANZ ATM’s where all withdrawals were free. That’s right you can take out millions of Dong without paying a the pesky overseas bankers bonus fee.

: 40 Year anniversary of the end of the war

: White van drivers Hanoi style

Another way to save money at ATMs in Vietnam if you do not have an ANZ account is to take the maximum amount of Dong you can each time you make a withdrawal. Most of the ATM’s allow up to 5 million Dong withdrawals which is still a saving with many ATM’s having limits of 3 million or less. Whatever you withdraw you still pay the same ATM fee.

One suggestion is to check the ATM before making a withdrawal I found a few dodgy ones and if there are people hanging around do not bother making a withdrawal. I also always had my wife behind me to ensure that no-one can shoulder surf the pin number. In the end we travelled throughout Vietnam with no problems and I never touched my US cash.

Debbie BridgeAugust 2, 2015October 19, 2015 South East Asia, Vietnam No Comments

Crash Landings – Return Entry into Hove, England

The English summer is a bit colder than I like!

Now I know none of you are going to feel sorry for me after this years travel. Still the return to ‘home’ hasn’t been easy. Mainly because neither of us know what our next permanent move will be? Will we stay here? Will we move somewhere else? Seems we have too many choices and not enough weeding out the possibilities.

So…what have I been doing this first week? Well, slowly getting boxes out of our attic and rebuilding our house. Dealing with the utility bills reconnection. Picking up keys and a year’s worth of mail – always fun to sort! We got about six personal items in the bag, but mostly stuff for the recycle – not bad really after a year away.

Our post/mail for a year!

We met with friends and had a catch up at an English summer BBQ which included the traditional English summer drink of PIMMS!

BBQ with the boys

I’ve even started my lovely speed walks along the beach – always a great place to be!

Speed Walking on Hove Beach Front

I think I’m getting my non-traveling legs again and have started teaching a few acting classes to help cover for a friend.

Our Air BnB is starting to get booked up with guests again and I’m getting to work on my new small business in travel blogging. So my website could be changing in the near future and the plans to continue the travel writing are all go, so watch this space….!

My back at home travel feet!

What new adventures are you up to?

Debbie BridgeJuly 29, 2015September 19, 2022 Brighton, England, Europe, Travel, United Kingdom 2 Comments