Google Provence and you will be flooded with gorgeous images of lavender fields and historic villages artfully carved into mountains. However, what you might not see unless you scroll back a very long way are the stunning orange and yellow cliffs and quarries found in the Ochres of the Luberon. Inspired by their beauty, I ventured to the lovely town of Roussillon to take a hike on the Ochre Trail, or Le Sentier des Ocres.
The Ochre Trail in Roussillon
Driving down the Oregon coast has been on my travel bucket list for some time now – and for good reason. With a number of beaches and state parks not too far from one another, this beautiful stretch of coastline is filled with incredible scenic vistas, wide stretches of beach and an array of sea stacks (large rocks jutting out of the ocean!).
However, if I am honest, another major inspiration for this trip was to visit and spend time with my dear friend, Ekaterina Walter, who lives near Portland, Oregon. Ekaterina and I co-wrote our book, The Power of Visual Storytelling, together. We are also dear friends with a shared passion for travel and try to meet up for a few trips annually.
For this trip, we decided to take one day on a Thursday in late July and start in early in the morning (arriving around 10-10:30 am?) at Ecola State Park with stops in Cannon Beach, Haystack Rock, Arcadia Beach State Recreation Site and the Neahkahnie Viewpoint in Oswald West State Park, before heading inland through Tillamook State Forest and then back towards Portland.
While it’s often said that London is the perfect international hub for hopping around Europe, I think many travelers take for granted how many wonderful UK destinations are a relatively short train ride away. Inspired to see more of this beautiful country that I now call home, I recently took a daytrip to Bath.
Just 1.5 hours by train from London’s Paddington Station, Bath is said to date back to AD 60-70, when a bathing complex was constructed as a result of the region’s natural hot springs. Today, Bath has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and the city’s rich history, numerous cultural attractions and charming 18th-century Georgian architecture have resulted in a whopping 3.8 million daytrip visitors annually.
After spending a day soaking up all that Bath has to offer, I cannot say that I am terribly surprised. Here are my recommendations and experiences following a very fun daytrip to Bath!
I recently had the pleasure of spending 48 hours in Iceland with friends from Boston as part of an Iceland Air stopover trip. Never heard of a stopover trip before? Iceland Air’s concept is brilliant. Travelers can fly from the U.S. to cities in Europe and the UK (or vice versa) for inexpensive rates with a 48-hour (ish) stopover in Iceland. The end result becomes a diverse, yet incredibly fun trip.
As I am currently based out of London, I decided to join my friends for the 48-hour Iceland stopover portion of the trip. Iceland is a three-hour flight from London, so why not!? With limited time in Iceland, here’s how we spent our 48-hours exploring sites like The Blue Lagoon, The Golden Circle and the city of Reykjavik.
I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of New Year’s Eve. In my opinion, it’s a little over-hyped and I’ve always thought that people put a little too much pressure on themselves to have a perfect night. So, when a dear friend suggested that we opt for a late dinner at NOPI in London, I knew this was the right mix of festive and fun without going too crazy!
