Wow, what an amazing time. Deb and I are home now, and feels a bit strange. First night in our bed, with our pillows, in our apartment in Adelaide, how can that feel strange?
There was no time condition on breakfast, hey, no need to get dressed for breakfast (mmm, too much information? , lol), no plans for sight seeing, nothing new to explore, no dinner reservation to be made, all our stuff is here. Yes, it was strange to wake and realise we are home. ?Yes, so much is different, but the same!
The things I enjoyed the most on this holiday is the thing I get whenever we go away, I really do enjoy the difference. The people, the food, the sights, the history (so much history), the cities, the countryside – all of it.
London is always a surprise. I think it is Deb’s favourite city in the world, maybe not for me, but it is always so full of surprises. It is such a big city with so much depth to its history and so many hidden gems. It is a place that you could spend a lifetime exploring and still not see it all, we have scratched the surface and I am sure we will scratch it some more in the future.
Southern England from Canterbury through to the Cornish coast and up to Bath was a revelation. Exploring our way along the coast was fun. All the small fishing port villages, the sea tides, the castles, the cathedrals, the battle fields, the small country by-ways, the stone circles and history.
The Lakes District was a welcome change, the natural beauty of the area is astounding. The towns were probably more touristy than most we went to elsewhere, but they were never over the top. The walks and drives up there were beautiful. So many awesome views.
Iceland, my lasting impression of this country and its people will be that given to us by our walking tour guide in Reykjavik – strong and proud, with a deep social consciousness. It is a remarkable country, with a history shaped by the Vikings, natural beauty shaped in the main by glaciers and geothermal forces. The standout scenery for me was the many waterfalls, high mountain passes and fjords.
Scotland, before we left Scotland was the place I was most looking forward to, I have no idea why (and still don’t). My favourite parts of Scotland were the Islands, particularly Orkney and Harris. Orkney for its intriguing Neolithic past and Harris for the sheer beauty and ruggedness of its east coast. What we learnt on our travels spoke to who the Scots are and explained why they are so parochial, it all makes sense when you know their history.
Ireland, in two so different parts. Northern Ireland is a political basket case torn by lingering hate, that in the most part was driven by government. Both sides of the conflict have a right to feel badly done by, but they don’t, or can’t, see each others pain is the same. There is hope with the younger generations. It seems to be being held back from prospering by sections of its population retaining its distrust. Belfast to this day is a city divided by a physical wall as well as its social divide, Londonderry, or simply Derry, depending on what side you fall, whilst not having physical barriers separating its conflicted population, has a very clear social divide as seen by the dramatic and highly visible, highly political street murals.
The Republic of Ireland is a confident country that seems to know itself. Dublin is a vibrant modern city, home to some of the worlds largest tech companies and a thriving tourist industry. Away from Dublin and this slows down, a lot. The country becomes more based on agriculture and tourism, and both seem to be doing well. The people are alive, their pubs are fantastic and their love of “Trad” music impressive. Their history is expansive, fascinating and well preserved. The country side is lush and green, (although not as green as I expected), and it has some of the most dramatic coastlines I have seen, an amazing country.
I bring home so much from this holiday, it has left a mark on me that we will carry forever. It’s why we travel.
