Sezincote: India in the Cotswolds

I first heard of Sezincote completely by accident late last year, when my boyfriend Claudio was staying with me and my parents. I'd been looking up places for us to visit in our local area, and obviously my Google account was aware of this, as an article popped up on my newsfeed suggesting Sezincote as a local travel destination. (It's located in the north of Gloucestershire, just a short distance away from Batsford Arboretum.) I was amazed by the picture, which showed a beautiful Indian-style palace with statues of elephants in front of it. It was hard to believe it was really in England! Unfortunately, Covid restrictions meant that I couldn't go with Claudio last year, but this week I finally had the chance to visit with my parents.

Even though the weather was very cold and rainy during our visit, it still felt like we had stepped into a different part of the world. Shortly after passing through the entrance to the garden, we found ourselves on the Indian Bridge, a bridge featuring statues of sacred cows, with views across to a temple and the Snake Pool (more on those later).

We made our way over to the house, where we found this cute wedding car, which even had Indian upholstery! The estate is a very popular place for weddings, as it's such a beautiful setting.

Then we walked round to the front of the house, which really was incredible to see. It was built in the Neo-Mughal architectural style inspired by the state of Rajasthan in northern India, and includes a big green onion dome and a long, curving orangery. In fact, it was the inspiration for the Brighton Pavilion, a palace that Claudio and I were able to visit last year. However, I would say that Sezincote was possibly even more impressive to see than the Pavilion, even though it's not as big. I think that is partly because of the garden in front of it, which is designed in a Persian style, and the elephant statues just above the garden, which really add to the exotic atmosphere of the place.

We climbed up the hill behind the elephants to see some other parts of the estate, including the Head Gardener's Cottage and Old Dairy (which also has Indian design features), the Tennis Pavilion and the Dionysus Urn (a classical monument that's reminiscent of more typical English country gardens).

By this point, it was definitely time for tea! Sezincote's tearoom is located in the orangery, a really special setting with lots of plants, including palm trees and orange trees, as well as various pretty decorations. There wasn't any vegan milk for my tea, but on the positive side, there was a very tasty vegan coffee and walnut cake!

After our tea and cake, we explored some more of the grounds, starting with the Tent Room round the back of the house.

The next thing we saw was the Temple to Surya (the Hindu sun god), which we'd seen from the bridge earlier. Aside from the house itself, this was my favourite part of the whole trip. The temple is very beautiful and peaceful, and there are palm trees next to it. It almost made me feel like I was actually in India.

Then we crossed over to the other side of the Indian Bridge to see the Snake Pool, a statue of two snakes wrapped around a tree in the middle of the water. We also took a closer look underneath the bridge.

The final thing we went to see was the Island Pool. What I really liked about this part of the grounds was that there were two swings attached to a tree! Of course I had to have a go on one!

All in all, it was a great day out. I really enjoyed discovering Sezincote, and I'd love to go back in the future, hopefully when the weather's sunnier and when Claudio's in England again! 

Another Day in Cheltenham

This Thursday my parents and I returned to a town we last visited in August: Cheltenham. Our last visit there was an incredibly rainy one, and after getting soaked to the skin, I eventually had to admit defeat and give up on sightseeing. Despite that, I still really enjoyed the trip and wanted to return as soon as possible. Luckily, this time there was only a small amount of rain, so I was able to see a lot more of the town and take some less dreary-looking pictures. 

After we arrived, my parents went off to do some shopping, and I started my walking tour of the town. The first important site I passed by was the Promenade, which is probably Cheltenham's most famous street. It's a long avenue with a pretty garden, grand Regency buildings, and plenty of shops. To me, it's a bit like a small, English version of the Champs-Élysées.

The next place I wanted to see was the Royal Crescent. I'd only found out that it existed fairly recently, and I was interested in seeing how it compared to the street of the same name in Bath. It's not anywhere near as big or impressive as its Bath equivalent, but it's still very elegant and definitely worth taking a look at.

After walking along the crescent, I came back round to the other end of the Promenade and found my favourite sight in the entire town: the Neptune Fountain. Last time I was in Cheltenham, I only took a quick look at it because of the heavy rain, but this time I took a few minutes to enjoy contemplating it. Inspired by Rome's Trevi fountain, it really does make you feel like you're on holiday in Italy.

Next I went to the Imperial Gardens around the back of the Town Hall. I only got to see them from the car last time, so it was nice to walk around them this time. In the gardens, there are many pretty flowers, a statue of the composer Gustav Holst (who was born in Cheltenham), and a signpost which shows all the places around the world that Cheltenham is twinned with, which include Annecy in France, Sochi in Russia, and another town called Cheltenham in the United States, as well as towns in Germany, the Netherlands, China and Kenya.

On my way to the next stop on my tour, I came across a hidden treasure in the corner of a building. From reading the plaque in front of it, I discovered that it is known as the Imperial Fountain and is originally from Italy! It was looted by the French in 1800 and then captured by the English. Eventually, it ended up in Cheltenham and is still there to this day. The little fountain is very elaborate, and really adds to the overall European vibe that the town has.

A short walk later I arrived at Montpellier Gardens, a well-known park in the Montpellier district. I was interested to see what it was like, partly because of the fact that it shares its name with one of my favourite cities! It's quite a big space with an art gallery, a café and one of England's oldest bandstands.

Finally, I made my way back to the centre of the town, seeing the Town Hall on my way.

I always enjoy visiting Cheltenham; it's a very elegant town and is also great for shopping. And one thing I like about it is that there's something about the shape and colour of the buildings that reminds me of Paris, so going there feels like a bit of an escape during these times in which travelling abroad is nigh-on impossible.

There are a couple more places around the town that I'm interested in seeing - especially Pitville Park - so I hope I'll be able to revisit not too far in the future!

Bourton-on-the-Water: The Venice of the Cotswolds

This week's outdoor outing was to a village that's been on my local travel list since last year: Bourton-on-the-Water. I'd say it's one of the top three most picturesque villages in the Cotswolds, along with Bibury and Castle Combe. As I've already blogged about Bibury (twice actually!) and Castle Combe, it seemed only right to complete the set by blogging about Bourton-on-the-Water. I've actually been there before several times in the past, but not for many years, so I almost felt like I was discovering a new place on this trip.

As the title of this post makes clear, Bourton-on-the-Water is known as the Venice of the Cotswolds. This is due to the fact that it is built over water (in this case, the River Windrush) and has several bridges dating back hundreds of years.

At one point I was standing on one of the bridges and got dive-bombed by ducks, which potentially could have been disastrous! Luckily I didn't fall into the river, and it made for a funny photo!

Bourton-on-the-Water has a few interesting museums, including the Model Village, a miniature recreation of the village. There's also a motoring museum, which is home to Brum, from the TV series of the same name! It's closed at the moment, but you can see an interesting grass-covered old car just outside.

Overall, the whole village has a very quaint, retro vibe, and is a great place to walk around.

I even noticed a small reminder of Chile while we were wandering about!

It was lovely to explore this very pretty part of the world, and then to sit outside of one of its many cafés, in the sun with a coffee. I'm really enjoying these little escapes that I'm going on with my parents every week or so; it's a great way to forget about the worries caused by Covid and life in general for a little while. 

Next week, we plan to go on another mini adventure - not quite sure where yet, but I'll be sure to write about it here shortly afterwards!

Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Beaches

This week I had a very nice trip out with my parents to Dyrham Park, and enjoyed seeing the spring flowers there and saying hello to two lovely cats! But as I've blogged about Dyrham twice before, I decided it was time to write another Travel Tips article, this time about my favourite beaches.

I've always had a real love for the ocean, swimming, and warm, sunny weather, so it goes without saying that beaches are one of my favourite types of destination to visit. There is something very special about looking out to sea or being in the sea and remembering that the ocean stretches out across the whole planet; it is something that makes us feel connected to the rest of the world, wherever we are. So I try to visit beaches as often as I can.

Here are the ten most memorable ones I've been to so far!

Algarrobo, Chile

This seaside resort in the Valparaíso region of central Chile is a really popular holiday destination amongst santiaguinos, as it has several beautiful beaches including El Canelillo, which is surrounded by a pine forest. I first went to Algarrobo in April 2018 during my Year Abroad, but my most memorable trip there was in January 2019 with my boyfriend Claudio. We went on a boat trip round a little island just off the coast, where we saw lots of Humboldt penguins!

Read more here and here!

Brighton, England, UK

Given that Brighton's beach is both located in the UK and is made up mostly of pebbles rather than sand, it's not the best for relaxing and sunbathing. But what makes it special is that there are various interesting attractions located along its shoreline, including the iconic Palace Pier (pictured above), the British Airways i360 Viewing Tower and the Upside Down House. Claudio and I visited the vibrant city for the first time in December last year, and had a great time.

Read more here and here!

La Serena, Chile

In 2019 we went on a road trip to the Coquimbo region in the north of Chile, where we stayed in the city of La Serena. It's one of the largest cities in the country and has many interesting architectural features such as the Monumental Lighthouse, which is located on its long stretch of beach. Because of its northern location, the beach is quite a bit sunnier and warmer than the beaches near Santiago, which is a definite plus point!

Read more here!

Cannes, France

The glamorous city of Cannes in the south of France is known for its prestigious film festival. (There's a red carpet out all year round where you can take photos!) But it also has a beautiful sandy beach with warm Mediterranean water to swim in and lots of great restaurants. And when you're swimming in the sea, you have great views of the city's elaborate buildings, such as the Carlton Hotel.

Read more here!

Reñaca, Chile

This town just to the north of Viña del Mar has one of the most attractive and popular beaches in Chile. It's well known as a great destination for surfing, but it's also perfect for swimming in the sea or simply relaxing on the sand under the palm trees. 

Read more here!

Cap d'Agde, France

Cap d'Agde is another seaside resort in the south of France, but it's a lot smaller and quieter than Cannes. It's known for the natural beauty of Plage de la Grande Conque (the volcanic black sand beach pictured above) and it also has other beaches with golden sand. Be aware that part of the town is a nudist village, but the beach above and others nearby are normal beaches!

Read more here!

Bournemouth, England, UK

Bournemouth is just a couple of hours away from my home in Wiltshire, but when I went there with my parents in 2019, it felt like we were in a foreign country. The weather was hot, the sea was bright blue and warm enough to swim in, and the beach had golden sand and palm trees. Maybe we were just lucky to be there at the right moment - I'm sure it's not like that most of the year - but it definitely felt like a great alternative to taking a flight to another country.

Read more here and here!

Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

Most of the beaches on this list are by the sea, but of course beaches can also be by a lake or a river. One place with several beautiful river beaches is Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay, located on Río de la Plata, opposite Buenos Aires. It's a very idyllic place with amazing architecture, palm trees and great weather. In fact, its mix of architectural styles have earned it a place as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Read more here!

Navagio Beach, Greece

Image by Pixabay from pexels.com

When I was little, my family and I went on a couple of summer holidays to the Greek island of Zakynthos. One time we went on a boat trip to see Navagio Beach, also known as Shipwreck Beach or Smugglers Cove. The plan was that we would swim from the boat to the beach, but unfortunately the weather had other ideas. In the end, we ended up just seeing the beach from the boat while clutching onto sick bags! But I have to say it was one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen, and I can understand why travel experts have voted it as the world's best beach.

Slano, Croatia

Image by Rachel Claire from pexels.com

One of my favourite family holidays was when we went to Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina in 2012. We stayed in Slano, a village in the south of Croatia located in a bay. The hotel had a private beach which was surrounded by mountains, and I remember the views being amazing. Back then I didn't have a phone with a camera, so sadly I have no pictures of it! The photo above is of the incredible walled city of Dubrovnik, another place we visited during the holiday.

It's been really nice to compile this list of my favourite beaches, as beaches and swimming in the sea are things I've been missing recently! I can't wait until I can finally move back to Chile and visit some of the beaches there with Claudio. On my list are Zapallar (Edit: Made it there in July 2022!), Bahía Inglesa, Iquique (Edit: Made it there in April 2022!) and Arica (Edit: Made it there in June 2022!), and it would also be amazing to visit the beaches in Cartagena, Colombia and Rio, Brazil (Edit: Made it there in December 2022!) while I'm in South America. Other cities around the world with beaches I'd love to visit include Barcelona, Miami, Havana and Sydney. Hopefully soon I'll have the chance to explore another great beach, whether that's in the UK or further afield!

Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here!

Also check out my 2023 follow-up to this post here!