Mottisfont National Trust
As they say, every day is a learning day and that was certainly the case at Mottisfont on Good Friday. The first learning was that this was ‘the’ place to be on Good Friday, who knew!… It was queueing for entry at 10am opening time, this being the first warm and sunny day…
View PostI’d like an Easter staycation please
Easter is sneaking up out of nowhere and we have NO plans! This is incredible – not only does that never happen but it is oh so very exciting to have no plans. March has been crazy busy (more soon) and after Easter I have a big deadline (may impact on one day…
View PostWander-full Wales Weekend
Wales in winter? Yes. The UK is great all year round – and our weekend in Wales in February lays proof to that. Chilly, yes, and a risk of rain and wind, but look at the picture above. As one of my friends that lives near here said when she saw the photo,…
View PostRecharging 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…
View PostFlashback Friday 41: Solent Sailing
This is the final flashback friday – Penelope and Parker after 2 years (well actually it is 2 years and 5 days since I registered on WordPress, a little longer since I started on A Luxury Travel Blog) is now a complete record of my adventures – either as a flashback or as another…
View PostFlashback Friday Travel 37 – Devon and Cornwall
Every May half term when I was at primary school we would go to Dartmouth for a week – we stayed just on the waterfront near to the cannon and chain ferry and the house had a lovely window seat that I used to sit at for hours watching the world and reading…
View PostAutumnal loveliness in the UK
Autumn is, probably, my favourite season to be in the UK. Yes – it is chilly (but then isn’t our summer), but it is also cosy and the time of year when we most enjoy being at home and catching up with friends. Summer is always busy, spring sneaks up on us and…
View PostFlashback Friday Travel 35 – London 2012
The summer of 2012 is one that I look back on incredibly fondly. Never has it been so much fun to be in the UK and even fun to be in London for work. The country and the city had this buzz to it that I wish it had all the time and…
View PostFlashback Friday Travel 34 – Anglesey adventures
Continuing through 2012 and we had many a trip to the stunning island of Anglesey – just about as far north west as you can get in Wales, attached to the mainland by 2 bridges. We are lucky to have great friends that live there and so get to visit often (although work keeps…
View PostSailing 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…
View PostFlashback Friday Travel 32 – Three Choirs Vineyard
A few years ago as a birthday present I was given a vine to adopt, at the Three Choirs Vineyard in the UK between Gloucester and the Forest of Dean. We all know how I love a vineyard visit as part of a holiday so this was an inspired present from my friends! A little…
View PostFlashback Friday Travel 31 – Anniversary in Cumbria
It has been a while since I have done a flashback-friday, so where better to re-launch it than from the beautiful Lake District! We had a lovely long spring weekend here for our first wedding anniversary in 2011 – Mr P had dragged me along Striding Edge for ‘girlfriend tests’ many years before…
View PostOffshore 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…
View PostStourhead 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…
View PostThere’s something about – London
I spend a lot of time in London for work but don’t really get to explore and be a tourist. But I still love London, there’s something rather special about it. Pounding the pavements There is always something new to see and I always walk to the office or to visit a client…
View PostLondon with Starwood and Hermes
I can count on one hand the amount of times that I have been staying in London for work and not carried on working into the evening from my hotel! Last week however it was a case of all change – twice! SPG Moments The lovely people at SPG invited me to join them…
View PostFlashback Friday Travel 29 – North Norfolk
I could talk happily about the north coast of Norfolk for hours given the chance – or Chelsea on Sea as many term it. It is just gorgeous and I was lucky enough to spend many a summer there growing up, doing little more than sailing every day on the high tide and reading a…
View PostEaster 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…
View PostPicturesque Cornish tin mines
The mining history of Cornwall doesn’t sound like it should be beautiful – but over the years some of our favourite days out and loveliest photographs have been from our trips to see mining history! My Mum hails from Redruth which was once the world capital of mining, so I’ve spent many a…
View PostThe beautiful Lost Gardens of Heligan
I hadn’t heard of The Lost Gardens of Heligan until recently and so I enquired of my Mum why it was that we hadn’t been there when I was little… That’s when she explained – she hasn’t been there either… and she grew up in Cornwall. Intriguing – how could this be…
View PostA dining treat at Kota Porthleven
We had a delicious early evening meal at Kota in Porthleven during our Easter trip to Cornwall (well known to be one of my favourite places). Over the past few years new restaurants have been springing up all over Cornwall that are well worth investigating. I have a strong preference for supporting a small…
View PostCliveden 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…
View PostFlashback Friday 27 – cycling weekends
We are lucky that we have the New Forest and the South Downs on our doorstep – many many bridleways and country roads for an enjoyable cycle and plenty of single track so Mr P tells me if you want a little more excitement! Our favourite routes tend to start either at Hatchet’s…
View PostA night in an EasyHotel!
And now for something completely different…. A night in an Easyhotel! And before you ask, it wasn’t me – Mr P stepped forward to take on this challenge! Whilst it doesn’t quite fit into the niche of my website, a hotel room for £40 in central London in the Christmas party season should…
View PostFlashback Friday Travel Photo Memories 26 – Cotswolds Cycling and Camping
May is a great month for getting away for a long weekend as in the UK we have 2 bank holiday weekends in May, hot of the back of the 4-day Easter weekend! In 2010 with a group of friends we visited the Cotswolds – it was a great location as it is…
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