What I Read in May

Woo-hoo! I read four books this month. This is still woeful compared to the number I used to read, but it’s better than I’ve done during most months recently. Read on to find out what I read in May. Continue reading “What I Read in May”

Reflections on 50 – life goals

As it gets closer to my BIG birthday I’m reflecting on life before 50 and wondering what life after 50 will be like.

In a few short months I’ll be turning 50.

I haven’t got used to the idea of being 40 yet, so 50 seems like something that isn’t really happening to me – it’s happening to some other version of myself in a parallel universe.

When I read an article in a newspaper for example, and it says something like, ‘Jane Brown, 43, did blah blah blah’, my first thought will often be, Continue reading “Reflections on 50 – life goals”

Cardiff Castle – In Photos

Out of all the castles I’ve seen recently, Cardiff Castle is by far the best. It packs in more WOW! factor than all the rest combined.

My A49 road trip had quickly turned into a castle themed road trip and the castle theme continued as I headed into Wales and made my way down to Cardiff. It turned out I’d saved the best till last as Cardiff Castle was the most magnificent of the lot. Continue reading “Cardiff Castle – In Photos”

What I Read in April

I felt like April started so well as I read two books quite quickly and got started on a couple more. Then life got busy again and I didn’t finish them. Read on to find out what I read in April.

I had a bit more time to read during the first half of this month as I had a week of holiday at home followed by a week of sleeping alone in my van each night. Then it all got busy again and my reading went to pot. Here’s my recap of what I read in April. Continue reading “What I Read in April”

Traverse 17 – My First Travel Blogging Conference

Last weekend I attended my first travel blogging conference. This is what it was like.

There are a lot of travel blogging conferences around such as TBEX and WITS. I see a lot about them online and they seem like they’d be both good fun and a good opportunity for learning and networking. I’ve quite fancied the idea of going to one for a while now, but various things have held me back.

They’re too far away, too expensive, not at the right time, my blog isn’t big enough and I won’t be able to take advantage of all the opportunities on offer …

All good reasons, but even so they’re holding me back. Continue reading “Traverse 17 – My First Travel Blogging Conference”

Brecon by Boat

An afternoon spent relaxing on a Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal boat trip got a bit more exciting when the boat I was on went on a rescue mission.

Brecon is somewhere I’ve visited before and used as a base for walking. This time I was passing through on my way to Cardiff and didn’t have time to get out in the hills.

Instead I had a wander round town and found myself by the new arts centre on the banks of the canal. Boat trips were leaving from just outside and the thought of spending a couple of hours floating down the canal and seeing the countryside from the comfort of a barge was really appealing. Continue reading “Brecon by Boat”

Hay-on-Wye – Britain’s Book Town

I was a little underwhelmed by Hay-on-Wye, probably because I was there on an ordinary day.

It’s a pretty town with a river and some nice buildings and quite a few bookshops and a lovely cafe where I had the best fried egg roll ever for breakfast. Sounds like my ideal place? It was and if it had been any other town I would have been impressed and declared it a lovely little place. Continue reading “Hay-on-Wye – Britain’s Book Town”

Is Craven Arms Shropshire’s Best Kept Secret?

A sign about mammoths lured me into this little town I’d never heard of.

Why have I never heard of this town before?

I had no intention of going there (obviously, as I’d never heard of it), but ended up spending two nights. Continue reading “Is Craven Arms Shropshire’s Best Kept Secret?”

Ludlow in a Day

From eggs to aliens – my day in the Shropshire town of Ludlow.

Ludlow is known as a foodie destination. I wasn’t that impressed with the food side of things, but did find plenty to keep me interested on the day I spent there as part of my A49 road trip.

First up was the Ludlow Food Centre. This is slightly outside Ludlow itself along the A49 in Bromfield. Continue reading “Ludlow in a Day”

A Castle Themed Road Trip

My recent road trip took me down the A49 and into Wales. I saw a lot of castles.

Look at a map showing the route the A49 takes through the county of Shropshire and you’ll spot a whole lot of castle symbols. The county is absolutely packed to the brim with castles.

The Shropshire tourism website claims the county has 32 castles plus 25 hillforts and quite a few abbeys and monasteries. Continue reading “A Castle Themed Road Trip”