Take 12 trips

Take 12 trips

12 months, 12 trips.  Easy you’d think for somebody that likes to travel?  Not so.  There are months when we are either busy or away travelling with work and just want to hold the sofa down or enjoy a weekend in the garden and not go out and have an adventure.  Despite this,…

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Penelope & Parker in November

Penelope & Parker in November

Winter definitely arrived in November, it teased us for a while and then bam – hat, scarf and gloves and winter coats are de rigeur once again.  It isn’t all doom and gloom though – the days start getting longer again soon!  November has been busy but yet it seems to have stretched…

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Recharging in Cornwall

Recharging in Cornwall

After a busy few months at work (and Mr P working hard to beat my business airmiles haul) we were unreasonably excited about two nights away – together – in Cornwall.  Surprisingly it is only our second trip down there this year – we were well overdue some cornish charm and R&R. It was…

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October with Penelope and Parker

October with Penelope and Parker

And so we say hello to November… I’m really not sure how that happened – Christmas doesn’t feel that long ago!  October was another month spent at home – I have enjoyed being based in the UK with work and spending weekends relaxing with Mr P, seeing friends and enjoying a spot of…

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September with Penelope and Parker

September with Penelope and Parker

September – it went in the blink of an eye!  I thought it would go slowly as I had no travel planned for work or pleasure.  But it rattled past – quite pleasantly in fact too!  This year I have been diligently sticking to (at least) 1 trip every month as part of…

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Is it really September already?

Is it really September already?

A friend shared an amusing article about how most people are surprised it is September already – I can’t agree more and already it is whistling past at pace.  It has been a busy year, even just recapping the Take 12 Trips bits… The #Take12Trips initiative introduced to me by On the Luce…

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Sailing fun and frolics – Cowes Week and the Rolex Fastnet Race

Sailing fun and frolics – Cowes Week and the Rolex Fastnet Race

This summer I have seized a different opportunity to travel and reminded myself always to find time for the things that make me happy. I hadn’t expected to have had the chance to get back on the water this summer – it really has been a case of every cloud having a silver…

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Foodie delights in Maine

Foodie delights in Maine

Lobster is plentiful in Maine, but look beyond the lobster and there is an incredible choice of dining for visiting foodies.  We found a few treasures that I would recommend whole-heartedly.  But first to the lobster… Surprisingly enough, I had never had lobster, and so our first night staying at The Inn at…

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Staying in Maine – room at the inn

Staying in Maine – room at the inn

Maine is a gorgeous US state – the little corner of it we’ve seen so far certainly is.  Something of it that reminds me of Cornwall which is one of my favourite places.  Not necessarily the sights and sounds (or the enormous scale of it), but more its pace of life and the…

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Offshore sailing – my kind of weekend

Offshore sailing – my kind of weekend

Yes – really!  A spot of offshore yacht racing really is my kind of weekend!  This blog is about luxury and unique trips and sailing ticks both boxes.  It is a luxury to be able to take part in (and to not need to shower or change clothes for a few days or even…

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June travels with Penelope and Parker

June travels with Penelope and Parker

June, since January, has been the month that we have been most anticipating.  We booked our big trip to America as a bit of retail therapy at new year (no advance planning, we just booked it to raise smiles) and have been looking forward to it ever since.  The start of the year was…

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Instagraming Boston and Maine

Instagraming Boston and Maine

We are back in the real world after our amazing trip to America, visiting Maine for the first time as well as a whistle stop re-visit of Boston – we had an itinerary full of gorgeous views and luxury yet personal accommodation.  A real chance to zone out and reconnect.  Hours, in fact…

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Unwinding in New England – our itinerary

Unwinding in New England – our itinerary

We are on the countdown to our holiday now!  May rattled past and here we are just a few (long) working days from some unwind and chill out time!  I am known by many as the ‘Anna-planna’ – I revel in planning anything (but HATE being left to divide up the bills at…

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Stourhead blooms and views

Stourhead blooms and views

The bank holiday weekend was at risk of passing us by without much excitement!  I had just met a big sign off deadline at work (6pm on the Friday before the long weekend thank goodness) and Mr P had had a busy old time of it, so we were pottering and relaxing our…

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Easter in Cornwall

Easter in Cornwall

There is always something new to discover on every trip to Cornwall!  With the help of local knowledge, we have found some bits we love in the past few years and this Easter we took the opportunity for more exploring, and a spot of celebration too – of our 5th wedding anniversary!  As with any…

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#Take12Trips – the first 3 months!

#Take12Trips – the first 3 months!

Goodness knows where the time went, but here comes April and we’ve already had a weekend warm enough for shorts and tshirt (followed 2 days later by needing hat, scarf and gloves for my morning commute) – the last three months flew by and quite impressively (compared to last year) I have not been on a single plane…

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Cliveden House – a stately home staycation

Cliveden House – a stately home staycation

Cliveden House is quite possibly one of the most beautiful places we have stayed in.  It is very hard to know where to start when reviewing a hotel so wonderful!  Is it enough to say that I would happily have moved in and needed encouragement to actually leave? Hopefully the general message and seal…

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Birthday weekend in Paris

Birthday weekend in Paris

I have quoted it many a time, but once more – ‘Paris is always a good idea’!  We visited in 2009 in September when the city was sultry and busy and ever since we have both wanted to return for a slower mooch around, with less need to see the sites and so…

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Country weekend at The Crown Inn

Country weekend at The Crown Inn

#Take12Trips got off to a splendid start this weekend! We enjoyed a thoroughly relaxing time at The Crown Inn, in Elton, on the Cambridgeshire / Northamptonshire border. I hadn’t been able to arrange the Parker diary to visit in December as hoped so we had been looking forward to a wintery mini-break for a…

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2015’s challenge – #take12trips

2015’s challenge – #take12trips

2014’s challenge was to take a photo a day for 365 days!  It was a real challenge, good to look back on now, but at times really frustrating!  An accountants life is not always the most exciting.  Thankfully I only took pictures of my cups of tea on a few occasions! So for…

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