Cleveland Lakes Nature Reserve

So this week's trip was to Cleveland Lakes Nature Reserve. 

The name of the destination may make it sound like I've left the country and gone to Cleveland, Ohio in the United States, but in fact the nature reserve is another one of those places just down the road which we'd never got round to visiting before!

However, like many of the other places in the Cotswold Water Park, it has scenery that, to me, is very reminiscent of the lakes you'd find in the U.S. or Canada.

I had read on the Cotswold Water Park website that otters live in the Cleveland Lakes, and I was really hoping to see one. Unfortunately, they seemed to be hiding yesterday, but we did see a beautiful swan!

After our walk by the lakes, we went to the nearby Jennie's Kitchen café, which I've previously written about on this blog. Sadly, the alpaca pictured with me outside the café in my Cotswold Water Park post has been moved to a different field, so I couldn't say hello to him this time. But it was still really nice to go there again for the first time since March, look at the flowers in the garden, and enjoy a vegan chocolate cheesecake!

All in all, it was a lovely morning. Even though I wish I was living in Chile right now, visiting places like these makes me appreciate my local area a lot more.

Cotswold Lavender: A Little Bit of Provence in England

This week's trip was to Cotswold Lavender in the north of Gloucestershire. It's a field of lavender, which as the title of this post suggests, is very reminiscent of the famous lavender fields of the south of France. So it's one of those pseudo-foreign destinations in the UK that are nice alternatives to destinations abroad, especially now at this time when taking a flight or staying in a hotel can feel a little risky.

But to be honest, even visiting Cotswold Lavender felt slightly risky. It was surprisingly busy, even though we arrived there at opening time on a weekday morning and the weather was bad. (I guess that's one area in which England can't really compete with Provence!) And I often felt like my parents and I were having to be extra vigilant about social distancing, as many other people seemed to be totally unaware that it's still something we all must do...

However, it was still a really nice place to visit. The field was beautiful to see; there were several different types of lavender of various shapes and colours, as well as a section filled with chamomile flowers. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't ideal for taking photos, but that didn't stop me from snapping away with my phone!

I think Cotswold Lavender would be a better place to visit in non-pandemic times, when the distillery, shop and café are open again, and visitors can make more of a proper day out of a visit there. Right now, there's only a kiosk open to buy some gifts and drinks, and as there was already a queue building up outside it by the time we finished our visit, we decided to go and have a coffee somewhere else.

We ended up stopping off at the Cotswold Food Store in Longborough and going to the café there. The only vegan cake available was a fruit cake (which wouldn't be my first choice!) but it was very tasty, as was my soya latte.

In summary, it was a really nice morning and I enjoyed the experience of feeling like I was in France whilst still being in the UK!

Lydiard Park

This week I returned to yet another place that I hadn't visited since my childhood: Lydiard Park. It's a huge country park near Swindon featuring a grand manor house, an 18th century walled garden, a parish church and a lake. I actually think it's been my favourite lockdown outing so far; it's just a really scenic place and so spacious. It felt like a very safe destination to visit during this current period, where travel is tricky to say the least.

The first part of the park we saw was the Ice House. When I read those two words on the direction sign, I was pretty excited. My mind was conjuring up images of a building akin to Elsa's ice palace in Frozen. However, when we arrived in the corner of the woods where the Ice House was located, this is what we found:

Not quite what I'd been hoping for! It turned out to be a building where ice is stored, as opposed to a building made out of ice. Maybe "The Ice Storage House" would be a better name for it...

But the rest of the park was definitely not disappointing, as there's so much nature to see there. I really liked seeing all the towering trees, which were so much bigger than most of the trees in England.

Next we saw Saint Mary's church, a typical English country church, which has origins in the 13th century.

We had a look through the gates of the 18th century walled garden. Unfortunately it's closed at the moment, probably because it wouldn't be easy to socially distance on its narrow paths. But it's still a pretty place to see from outside.

Then we walked over to a field full of beautiful ponies. (Okay, so this might be the main reason why Lydiard Park has been my favourite lockdown outing so far!)

After saying hello to the lovely horses, we went to see the house, which is a very impressive building.

Near the house, there's a small lake inhabited by many ducks, swans and other birds. It was very peaceful to watch them swimming around.

All in all, it was a great morning out, and I'm sure we'll go back in the future.

It's good to know that even during this pandemic, there are still various travelling experiences we can enjoy. However, I have to admit that I can't wait for travel to return to normal again. Well, maybe not quite normal again; there are changes that should be made in terms of sustainability and mass tourism. But I am missing the freedom we had before, and I'm dreaming of exploring new places and of course, starting my new life in Chile...

The world is opening up again now, and that's both exciting and worrying. While I'm of the opinion that we can't feasibly stay stuck at home forever, and that safe travel can be possible if done very very cautiously, sadly a lot of people don't seem to want to follow the rules. Just look at what happened in Bournemouth the other week! I had no idea when we went there last year that it would be the must-visit destination for summer 2020...

Despite my concerns, I have planned a short-haul break away in September, but I'm holding off on actually booking anything until I feel more confident about travelling again.

It's a good thing that there are still several more local places that I've yet to tick off on my lockdown travel list! Next week, we're planning to go to a destination that I've never been to before and which I'm very excited to see. It's only about an hour away in the car, but judging from the pictures on its website, it looks like it could be somewhere much further afield...

Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Cities

It's been a while since I last wrote a Travel Tips article, and as I won't be going on another outing until later this week and therefore have no new place to write about, I thought it was a good idea to use the spare time I've got today to write a little piece about my favourite cities. Besides, in recent weeks this blog has been filled with images of little towns and villages in the West Country, so now seems like a good moment to shake up its aesthetic a bit!

Visiting new cities is something I find really exciting. They all have their own personality; some are old-fashioned and charming, while others are shiny and modern. Some are situated by beautiful beaches, others are surrounded by mountain landscapes. And they all have their famous landmarks that tourists flock to, as well as their lesser-known gems which are harder to find.

I have been lucky enough to have visited many amazing cities across Europe, South America and Canada, and all of them have left some kind of impression on me. However, for this article I have narrowed my list down to just ten of my favourites as well as some honourable mentions.

I hope you enjoy reading my list!

10) Vaduz, Liechtenstein

A European capital city quite unlike the rest is Vaduz. I visited this tiny city within a tiny country during my Year Abroad, and found it to be a fascinating place. With its mountaintop castle, it really is like something out of a fairytale. Additionally, it has two brilliant museums: Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein (Liechtenstein Museum of Fine Arts) and the Liechtenstein National Museum.

Read more about Vaduz here!

9) Lisbon, Portugal

Last year, I ended up taking a spontaneous trip to Madrid and Lisbon, and while I liked Madrid, I really loved Lisbon. It's such a beautiful and colourful city, with amazing viewpoints from its many hills. My personal highlights were Castelo de São Jorge, Torre de Belém, Jardim Vasco da Gama and the botanical garden.

Read more about Lisbon here!

8) Kraków, Poland

Having visited several Eastern European cities, I have to say Kraków is my favourite. I went there last year when I took part in the Angloville volunteer programme teaching English in Poland, and I was so impressed by its magnificent architecture. Highlights include Wawel Castle and Rynek Główny, the city's main square, where you can find St Mary's Basilica (pictured above). 

Read more about Kraków here!

7) Valparaíso, Chile

Moving across to South America, the next item on my list is the amazing Chilean port city of Valparaíso, which is the capital of the region of the same name. Like Lisbon, Valparaíso is built on a series of hills and features many colourful buildings. It is also very famous for its vibrant street art which covers its walls and staircases (I particularly liked the one pictured above), and its funicular railways. The city has a very lively, Bohemian vibe, and I absolutely loved spending a day there during my semester in Chile.

Read more about Valparaíso here!

6) Bath, England, UK

Bath is the first of two British cities in my list, and it happens to be in my home region, the southwest of England. Many would consider Oxford to be the most beautiful city in England, but I would personally put Bath at the top of that list. In addition to its picturesque architecture, it also has a fascinating Roman and literary history; the Roman Baths and the Jane Austen museum are both must-see attractions. One thing I really like about Bath is that it feels like a truly European city, where different cultures are appreciated and signs are written in French! It was even used as a stand in for Paris in the 2012 Les Misérables movie, and Pulteney Bridge (pictured above) was the setting for Javert's final song.

Previously on this blog, I wrote about The American Museum in Bath, which is actually located quite far outside of the city. I plan on writing a post about the city centre soon.

Edit: I finally wrote a post about Bath in December 2020! Check it out here!

5) Montpellier, France

I spent a few weeks studying at a language school in Montpellier in the summer of 2017, which was definitely the best bit of the French part of my Year Abroad. Located in the Occitanie region in the south of France, Montpellier is an amazing city with beautiful architecture, plenty of green spaces, great weather and a nearby beach! I would really like to go back there at some point in the future.

Read more about Montpellier here!

4) London, England, UK

I'll round off my list with four great capital cities, starting with London. Although London is not far away from me, it's such a different place to Wiltshire (where I'm from), and I always find it so exciting to spend a day there. Throughout the city, you can really see the influence of different cultures from all around the world, which I find fascinating. Last time I was there, I visited Chinatown (pictured above), a really interesting area to see. Walking around there was like being transported to China, which for me was great, as I haven't been to Asia yet. (But I'll definitely go in the future!)

Read more about London here!

3) Paris, France

As much as I love London, Paris has to be my favourite European capital city. There's something just so magical about exploring its streets, parks and museums. My favourite parts are the Montmartre district (where you can find the Moulin Rouge club and the Sacré Cœur basilica), le Jardin du Luxembourg, the Tuileries Garden, and of course, the Eiffel Tower! I don't think I could ever get bored of being in Paris, and I hope I can go back there in the future with my boyfriend.

Read more about Paris here!

2) Buenos Aires, Argentina

Back to South America, and the incredible city of Buenos Aires. I went there in February this year and had an amazing time. (I can't believe how much things have changed in the world since then...) My favourite part was La Boca district (pictured above) with its colourful buildings and tango dancers. I also loved Casa Rosada, Puente de la Mujer, Ecoparque BA, and the Japanese garden. I would 100 percent go back in the future, as there's just so much to see there.

Read more about Buenos Aires here!

1) Santiago, Chile

And finally, the award for my favourite city goes to Santiago. Okay, maybe I'm a little biased, as this is the city where I used to live, where I met my boyfriend, and where I will be moving back to as soon as it's possible to do so. But objectively speaking, it really is a fantastic city to visit. Here you can find many examples of amazing architecture, such as the Costanera Centre (pictured above), beautiful green spaces like Parque Metropolitano (where I took this picture), as well as the impressive Andes mountains surrounding the city. I can't wait to move back there again!

Read more about Santiago here and here!

Well, I've had a lot of fun compiling that list, and I hope it can serve as travel inspiration for when the world starts opening up again!

By the way, my honourable mentions of other cities I've loved visiting are as follows: Udine, Italy; Vienna, Austria; Bratislava, Slovakia; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bruges, Belgium; York, England, UK; Cardiff, Wales, UK; and Montréal, Québec, Canada.

I also have a long list of cities I would love to go to in the future, including: Brighton (Edit: I made it there in December 2020!), Edinburgh, Amsterdam (Edit: Made it there in December 2023!), Copenhagen, Tallinn, Riga, St Petersburg, Moscow, Barcelona, Granada, Rome (Edit: Made it there in March 2024!), Athens, Istanbul, Singapore, Sydney, Casablanca, New York, Miami, Havana, Cartagena and Rio de Janeiro (Edit: Made in there in December 2022!). Let's just say I'm not short of travel inspiration!

My next blog post will most likely be about the trip I'll be going on with my parents later this week, but I plan to write more Travel Tips articles in the near future...

Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here!