Top 18 Travel Experiences of 2018

Oh 2019, you came around so quickly… I don’t know where the end of 2018 disappeared to and now its half way through January! It does mean one thing however: it’s time to look back at what I’ve been up to throughout the year. This time last year I wrote about my Top 17 Travel Experiences of 2017. So this year I’m carrying on in the same vein with my top 18 travel experiences of 2018! If I’m still going in another 20 years, this blog post will end up extremely long indeed!

So without further ado, here are all the best bits about my 2018 travels; not in any particular order, but with my two foreign trips first. As it was such a big deal to finally be able to travel by plane again, (following a long period of illness) these were two massive highlights of 2018 for me!

1. Lanzarote

In November I spent a wonderful 9 days in Lanzarote: my first ever trip to the Canary Islands. I’d been so entranced by photos of other-worldly landscapes that I’d been boring my family with constant protestations that I needed to go to Lanzarote. Well, I’ve finally been and I loved it! From the moon-like Marsian appearance of Timanfaya National Park and the Fire Mountains to the fascinating dimpled black patchwork of La Geria’s vineyards, it’s certainly a landscape that will remain etched in my memory.

This trip was all about exploring the weird and wonderful volcanic landscapes; however, I cannot wait to return to discover more of the Island’s unique art and culture established by Cezar Manrique. I got a small taster, but I now want more. Lanzarote: you’ll be seeing me soon!

2. Hamburg City Break

I resumed my foreign city break trips with a 3 night sojourn to Hamburg. My favourite travelling partner, my Mum accompanied me, (ssshh, don’t tell Mr TJG – he’s my other favourite.) Knowing little about the city before going, Hamburg was a huge surprise to me. I did not realise there was so much water there. It has the largest number of bridges than anywhere else in Europe (yes, it even beats Amsterdam and Venice.) We walked our socks off exploring the UNESCO Spiecherstadt warehouse district, the Elbe River and extensive docks, the main city centre and all the parks that thread from the river up to the Alster Lake.

The best views of the city were from the top of St Michael’s Church Tower. However, the plaza level of the fabulous new Elbphilharmonie building which commands an envious position on the river also gave top-notch views. Oh and let me not forget Miniatur Wunderland where we spent a whole evening being wowed by the biggest, most intricate and let’s face it, most amazing model railway IN. THE. WORLD!

3. Exploring More of Nottingham over Several Trips

Despite visiting Nottingham a number of times in the past, I returned a further 3 times in 2018. There’s just something about the city that draws me back again and again. My first trip was to follow the Hoodwinked 2018 sculpture trail. 33 hand-painted oversized robins took to the streets to raise money for charity with the aim of getting you out exploring the city. I discovered so many new places on this trip; however it was only when I returned that I got to do lots of cultural things I hadn’t done before.

I toured the National Justice Museum, joined the fascinating ‘City of Caves’ tour and got my art fix at Nottingham Contemporary. I also discovered the joy of Ludorati Gaming Cafe as I’m a huge board game fanatic. This place will almost certainly feature on all subsequent trips to Nottingham.

4. My Week in the Lake District

My latest trip to the wonderful English Lake District could not have been more varied in content. Not just plenty of walking involved, but as I was staying in one of the main tourist centres: Windermere – there was a great deal of shopping on the agenda, as well as a delightful afternoon tea and many other tea shop stops. I also got my cultural fix with a visit to nearby Blackwell: the arts and crafts house. Here I saw the Time Mirror installation by Di Mainstone. This was part of the Lakes Ignite Festival that celebrated the Lake District attaining UNESCO World Heritage status.

The big highlight of the week though was an exhilarating walk over Lingmoor Fell. We had fabulous weather that day which made the views absolutely spectacular.

5. Exploring the Eden Valley

One of my many summer trips was to the Eden Valley, a lesser visited area of Cumbria. The Eden Valley is often overlooked by people heading to the Lake District. I explored the towns of Kirby Stephen, Appleby and Penrith and discovered the castles of Brough, Brougham, Augill and Pendragon. I also sought out the pinfolds of my artistic idol Andy Goldsworthy. Pinfolds are sheepfolds built on the edge of a village to house sheep that escaped locally. Andy Goldsworthy took inspiration from the cairns on nearby ‘Nine Standards Rigg’ and built a cairn in the centre of each pinfold.

I spent a great day driving round the 6 villages where the pinfolds are located. It was like a treasure hunt as some were a lot more difficult to spot than others. I enjoyed the week so much I’ve already booked 2 further weeks in the Eden Valley in 2019 where I’m hoping to do a lot more walking as part of my #walk1000miles challenge.

6. A Week in Shropshire

My dad’s 70^th birthday celebrations took me on a week’s holiday to the Shropshire Hills A.O.N.B. My Dad is a keen walker but the Shropshire Hills is an area he’d never walked in before. As a result, a week in this area of the country seemed like a great present. Finally I got to see the Stiperstones for real – such fabulous rock formations along a Shropshire ridge. The views from here were superb! I visited the towns of Bishop’s Castle, Much Wenlock and Church Stretton; toured Stokesay Castle, Wenlock Priory, Buildwas Abbey and Wroxeter Roman City and explored the National Trust Property: Attingham Park.

I also visited Ironbridge for the first time to follow the Let’s Go Quackers Sculpture Trail. As a keen sculpture trail follower, the moment I heard about the trail, I knew it just had to feature in my Shropshire week. Unfortunately, I didn’t get chance to go in any of the UNESCO attractions, so I will just have to return!

7. Maggie’s Penguins in Dundee

2018 was certainly the year of sculpture trails for me. I became a bit obsessed with them if I’m honest, so many of my trips in the summer revolved around a sculpture trail… But hey, we all have our ‘thing’ don’t we?! Up there in my favourites though would have to be the Maggie’s Penguins trail in Dundee; partly because I love penguins and partly because Dundee is such a fabulous city with so much to see and do, I had an amazing time. My 4 nights up there just weren’t enough. I actually stayed in nearby Broughty Ferry, dubbed as Dundee’s ‘seaside resort’. With 8 penguins to find there, I spent a full day exploring this picturesque town. I would easily stay here again in the future.

I walked my socks off in Dundee itself (seeing 68 of the 80 sculptures in total) and I don’t think the sculpture trail left a corner of Dundee unexplored. The360° views from the Dundee Law are epic. I can’t wait to return to visit all the attractions I didn’t get chance to go in. The newly opened V&A museum is definitely top of that list!

8. Exploring West Sussex and Brighton

Another of my top 2018 travel experiences that came about because of a sculpture trail was my venture down to the south coast for the #BeMoreSnail sculpture trail in Brighton & Hove. I spent two days following the trail, but having based myself in the coastal town of Littlehampton, I then spent the rest of the week exploring the county of West Sussex.

I loved Arundel with its quaint streets, imposing castle and stupendous towering cathedral. The walled city of Chichester with its beautiful cathedral was a delight and just the right size for a day trip. My visit to the National Trust property of Petworth House was also a huge highlight. Its interior was a big surprise and can’t fail to amaze. The floor-to-ceiling grand staircase murals were astonishing – my camera was certainly kept busy!

9. Visiting Worcester Cathedral

Whilst hot on another sculpture trail, this time the ‘Worcester Stands Tall’ giraffes, I visited another stupendous English cathedral. The interior of Worcester Cathedral is dazzling and quickly became my new favourite cathedral. The restoration of the great west window was completed in 2018 and the colours are the most vibrant I’ve ever witnessed! I fell in love with so many features of the cathedral from the golden decorative ceiling to the colourful altar frontal. Even the unusual Millennium window in the cloisters had me entranced.

10. Seeing Blenheim Palace under a Cover of Snow

I had been dreaming of visiting Blenheim Palace for years and 2018 was the year I managed it. However my weekend didn’t quite go according to plan. The ‘Beast from the East’ deposited a ton of snow across the UK and many places were closed. If I hadn’t already paid for accommodation I would have postponed my trip, however I’m glad I didn’t. The snow had put a lot of people off visiting so it was incredibly quiet which was a huge bonus. I didn’t get to see the beautiful green Capability Brown landscape I was expecting, but the ‘white-out’ across the land certainly added an ethereal air of mystery. The day became a wonderful adventure in the snow that not many others can claim to have experienced. I would like to return to see Blenheim’s ‘green and pleasant land’ sometime, though preferably on a much warmer day!

11. Exploring Brimham Rocks in the Snow

Another place I visited during the ‘Beast from the East’ was Brimham Rocks in North Yorkshire. These rocks were sculpted by erosion over millions of years to form the weird and wonderful shapes we see today. It’s hard to believe the rocks are completely natural and not a work of skilled craftsmen. Many take on the shapes of familiar objects and animals and have been named accordingly. The Dancing Bear is one of my favourites! I visited Brimham Rocks many years ago but the rock formations appear even more dramatic when blanketed in snow. I felt like I’d stepped in to a mystical world: a Narnia of sorts. If I had spied Mr Tumnus trotting amongst the rocks, it would not have come as a complete surprise.

12. Seeing the Terracotta Warriors in Liverpool

2018 saw one of the most exciting exhibitions come to the World Museum in Liverpool. Some of China’s infamous Terracotta Warriors took centre stage in an exhibition about China’s First Emperor. Its 10 years since Liverpool became European Capital of Culture and the Terracotta Warriors were part of the city’s celebrations. The exhibition was amazing and broke down so many preconceptions I had about the warriors, particularly their size. I was gobsmacked by how big they are, always assuming from photos that they were about 2 feet tall. Certainly not life-size! I never realised each soldier was unique, with different facial expressions. Some stand, some kneel and all hold different poses.

There are even horses and chariots amongst the army. The exhibition was fascinating, detailing the excavation and how and why the army existed. I left the exhibition wanting to hop on a plane to China to see the full army!

13. Walking at Monsal Dale and Monsal Head

I started walking a lot more in 2018 as it was the first year I had a dog. My pooch Roger had me discovering all sorts of new places to walk and this was one of my favourites. Finally seeing the view from Monsal Head in the Peak District was epic. The bend in the River Wye spanned by the imposing viaduct forms one of the most famous Peak District views. The walk through Monsal Dale and along the Monsal Trail is picturesque with ever changing scenery. Scenic riverside paths, pretty woodlands, old railway tunnels and quaint mill villages – there’s stunning views up hill and down dale.

The highlight is a gorgeous weir and waterfall which is the perfect place to sit with a picnic. I don’t know who loved the walk more – me or my dog. I can’t wait to do more walks in the beautiful Peak District in 2019. There are so many delightful dales to discover.

14. Visiting Warwick Castle

I think I’ll always remember the day I visited Warwick Castle as it was the day of the Royal Wedding. Visiting this castle had been high on my bucket list for many years. I had gorgeous weather the day of my trip and the town was alive with celebration. Harry and Meghan bunting was everywhere.

Situated on the River Avon, Warwick Castle is one of the most imposing castles in England. The site is huge and has everything you could want from a day out. The castle walls walk is exhilarating and the view from the top of Guy’s tower is tremendous. As are those from the mound – the oldest part of the castle built in 1068 under William the Conqueror. There are grand state rooms, a water mill, extensive gardens, Bird of Prey shows and demonstrations of a ginormous trebuchet. Warwick Castle makes for a superb day out!

15. Seeing the Kelpies in Falkirk

En route up to Dundee for the Maggie’s Penguins sculpture trail, I stopped at Falkirk to visit the Kelpies.

The sculptures depict the heads of two horses and form the largest equine sculpture in the world. Constructed in 2013 out of stainless steel, the Kelpies are the work of Scottish sculptor Andy Scott. They are a monument to the role horse power played in the area’s industry and agriculture. The Kelpies represent Falkirk’s place in history as the centre of the Scottish iron industry as it was the first place that the industrial revolution reached in Scotland. Called Duke and Baron, the Kelpies are modelled on real life Clydesdale horses of the same name. Clydesdales were used for heavy work in Scotland in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Up close, the Kelpies are immense and totally mesmerising. They are easily one of the most impressive pieces of sculpture I’ve ever seen!

16. Returning to the Lake District to Stay at my Wedding Venue

Back in 2014, Mr TJG and I got married on the shores of Ullswater in the Lake District. We always revisit our wedding venue, The Inn on the Lake at some point every year, though sometimes just for the day. In 2018 we indulged in a weekend break but this time we took our dog Roger with us. Luckily The Inn on the Lake is a dog-friendly venue, so Roger got to experience our special place too.

We splashed out on a luxury lake-view room so we could just chill out on our balcony and enjoy the view. It’s the perfect place to relax after a day’s fell walking with cosy lounges and roaring fires. On this trip we walked to Aira Force – the most impressive and picturesque waterfall in the Lake District.

Managed by the National Trust, the woodlands around Aira Force are pretty and there’s a tree trail you can follow. From time to time you pop out of the trees to get a view of Ullswater and surrounding fells. Finishing with afternoon tea back at the Inn on the Lake’s Orangery was a must.

17. London Lumiere

Right at the beginning of 2018, I spent 3 days in London to check out the Lumiere festival. This spectacular festival of light featured dazzling light installations at a number of locations across the city. Many buildings were lit by amazing projections, my favourites being those at Westminster Abbey. The installations at King’s Cross were particularly spectacular including the huge ‘Waterlich’ laser installation at Granary Square which transformed the area into an ethereal dream-like seascape.

The giant ‘Lampounette’ lamps lit up the pavements and the ‘Guardian Angels’ watering cans poured water in the form of fibre optic wires onto the ground. Standing under the huge ball of light in the middle of Oxford Circus with no traffic buzzing around was pretty special too. Ahhh heck… it’s too hard to decide which installation was my absolute favourite, there were just too many great ones!

18. Christmas at Dunham Massey

After experiencing the delights of London Lumiere at the beginning of 2018, I wanted to close the year out with a similarly wintery and festive experience. Much closer to home for me is Dunham Massey, a Georgian country house set in an extensive deer park with beautiful gardens. For the second year running, the gardens were transformed into a magical winter wonderland. Hundreds of thousands of lights created a sparkling light trail around the gardens.

You walk through light tunnels, amongst illuminated trees and under canopies drenched in twinkling stars, snowflakes and baubles. Hundreds of glowing globes filled the main lawn and changed colour in time to music. The front of the house was illuminated with beautiful patterns projected onto the building, whilst the rear of the house glowed fiery red and purple to match the fire garden in front. As a finale, beams of light make the water fountains come alive, singing and dancing you out to Christmas tunes. Christmas at Dunham Massey really was a wonderful and magical experience!

What’s in Store for 2019?

So, there we go… I had some fabulous travel experiences in 2018 and I can’t wait to see where my travels will take me in 2019. So far I have a city break to Bilbao booked. I’ve had to cancel it twice so third time lucky hey?  I can’t wait to see the Guggenheim Museum. I’m also in the process of planning a road trip round Texas in April which at the moment will see me visiting Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Fredericksburg.

I will be taking far fewer trips in 2019 as I want to concentrate on my artwork and photography. I’m hoping my art will link nicely to my blog with architecture designs from my city breaks featuring in my first collection. My biggest goal for the year is to get my art website launched with work for sale, so watch this space… 2019 will certainly be an exciting year!

What were your travel highlights from 2018? Do you have any exciting travel plans for this year yet? Let me know in the comments below…I’d love to hear from you!

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