I like to think of myself as quite an adventurous person. I try new things, visit new places whenever I can; compared to my youth I am far more adventurous with food than I ever was before. We turn everything into an adventure. Even a trip to the supermarket becomes one, when we take side trips to DIY, furniture and electronic stores along the way.
I think my love of adventures grew from an early age, as we had to drive 6 hours to visit my Gran, and as we always went at Christmas, you can imagine how exciting that was for me. So exciting, in fact, that I threw up on almost every journey, which can be an adventure in itself; getting changed into clean clothing on the hard shoulder of a busy motorway while my parents hastily cleaned the back seat of the car.
My first ever proper holiday was to Snowdonia, North Wales. We stayed in a static caravan, where I had to share a cupboard-like bedroom with my older brother. I remember getting the train up Snowdon, and having lunch in the cafe at the mountain’s summit. Waiting for Dad, who’d walked up, and all four of us walking down the mountain together. The day we visited Gelert’s grave, it rained.
My parents took me to France a lot. It was our favourite (only) holiday destination. The first time we went, I was 8 years old. It was gloriously hot and sunny for the entire fortnight, and I we spent the majority of the trip visiting fabulous castles and abbeys. I saw Leonardo da Vinci’s house, visited the Abbey of Fontevraud and saw the tomb of Richard the Lionheart. I have a scrap book that I made of this trip, filled with ticket stubs, postcards, restaurant bills and the receipt for the new exhaust we had to have fitted to the car when ours fell off driving down a French country road. Our later holidays would carry similar themes (minus the emergency car repairs, although one year we did have to buy Dad a new pair of sandals when he broke his only pair walking around the ruins of the Roman town of Alesia).
 |
Statue of Vercingetorix at Alesia
Image courtesy of Wikipedia |
I wish I had scanned copies of the photos from these holidays on my computer, as we visited some amazing places. I am determined to hermit in my Dad’s study at some point with all the photo albums, a scanner and my laptop!
In more recent years, I have been on several adventures of my own. Most notable would be my first ever proper holiday abroad without my parents, when Jamie and I went to Rome in 2006.
 |
| The Colosseum |
 |
| The Pantheon |
 |
The Vatican (that's me in the pink vest!). In order to see it without crowds
we took this photo at about 6am. It was already over 25°C |
It was incredibly hot, as it was July, but an amazing few days nonetheless.
Our more recent adventures have been closer to home:
 |
| Longleat House (as seen from the lake) |
 |
| This ostrich nearly stuck its head through my window! |
 |
| Snow Leopard at Twycross Zoo - highlight of the day! |
 |
| Gorgeous Amur Leopard at Twycross Zoo |
 |
The top end of the Pyg/Miners track viewed from the summit
of Snowdon, climbed in April 2010 |
 |
| Brighton |
 |
| Bishop's Palace, York |
 |
| York Minster, viewed from the roof halfway up the tower climb |
 |
| Waterfall in Penllergaer Woods |
 |
| Druidstone Beach |
 |
St Justinian's Lifeboat Station, taken while walking
the Pembrokeshire Coast Path |
Your post has made Europe sound even more amazing then I imagine it is. I have to go now. Time to dig out my study abroad application.
ReplyDeleteI am completely envious of all the places your adventures have taken you. Thanks for sharing these beautiful pictures.
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures! We lost an exhaust in France too and had to have it wired back on... Another year the car blew up entirely near Orléans. I do love France though.
ReplyDeleteWhat amazing pictures! Thank you for sharing. :)
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are really good - makes me want to be on holiday now!!!
ReplyDelete