This months travel link-up theme is all about favourite souvenirs. I rarely shop on holiday – we prefer to squirrel ourselves away miles from anywhere to relax or to explore coastal areas. I traipsed round the house a few times just to check if there were any horrible purchases lurking – but thankfully nothing! That said – we always come home with more than just bad tan lines and suitcases full of dirty washing…
Just try to imagine the tan lines after a week sailing in the sun… arms, legs, feet, glasses marks etc
Wine – many a holiday has been located on a winery or involved a visit to a winery… If we like what we’ve tasted then you can be sure it is coming home with us… A little look in the cupboard under the stairs confirms this to be the case.
Sniff, taste, buy
Teddies – look at their little faces! How could I not bring one home with me! This has only happened a couple of times I promise you, I am very selective when choosing a cuddly toy!
The camel was as unimpressed as me with “upper” class….
Soaps – I have owned up to this ‘habit‘ before, the Parker household will never run short of hotel soaps. Nor in fact will it run out of hotel pens.
More soaps than we can use
But my most treasured souvenirs are the photographs and memories – no matter how many times I see the quote “travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer” it always strikes a chord. Travel is our weakness and we always look forward to our next trip because of the memories and experiences it will bring. We’ve been lucky enough to stay in some incredible places and the photos we take are just one way of remembering what fun we had. We do buy maps or local pieces of art – the walls of our house are full of these. I often put some of our favourite photos onto canvas or into a scrapbook. A few years ago the Parker-car was a perfectly impractical Honda S2000 – we bought a gorgeous print in Norfolk, and doubled the cost by couriering it home!
Photos, maps and art – great memories!
One of the reasons I started this little blog to keep a better note of our trips as I won’t remember them forever!
So this got me thinking – what are my favourite travel memories? Here’s a few that spring to mind:
Thanks to airmile accumulation, we’ve been lucky enough to do this a few times now – and we are off to Boston later this month. It is always a treat! I fly business with work so first class for holiday is something a bit special for us both to enjoy – the trip starts the moment you arrive at the airport and sweep into the Concorde Room.
Always look forward to BA First
These pools have caused me much issue since…. I am not sure it is possible to find another hotel to match! A real first world problem – to swim in a 100metre pool or in the pool photographed below! The hotel is also amazing – the Big Short Trip book thankfully introduced us to it! I think this was probably my first ‘travel bucket list‘ item and it has a solid tick against it!
It really is as good as the brochure
I’ve been twice (once was our marvellous honeymoon) and Mr P has been +15 times. We love SA and have some incredible memories. The scale of the countryside makes for beautiful skies and there is no better sundowner than one with a South African view!
Lion’s head dawn walk
I couldn’t mention the sky and miss out the UK’s stunner. The flat landscape along the north coast of Norfolk makes for marvellous skies. A place I am very fond of – and one of my favourite places to sail. Gorgeous sunsets as well. An area free from too many people – definitely more birds than people – always good!
Norfolk skies – Brancaster
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside, oh I do like to be beside the sea… So I didn’t expect to enjoy being 3 hours drive into the empty quarter desert quite as much as I did. OK – so the hotel was pure heaven – Qasr al Sarab (or Palace of the Mirage – an accurate name) is incredible. The views are then on another level. The sand is moving all the time in the lightest breeze and the colour is always changing – just like being by the sea, only different! And climbing the dunes for sunset – awesome (if not a tad sandy)
Incredible view from the top of the dunes at Qasr al Sarab
The Pelican bar ‘in’ Jamaica often makes it onto a list of top bars. And rightly so. Given it is a boat ride away from Jamaica it could be said not to be in any jurisdiction and potentially not the safest place for one too many…? Great fun – Red Stripe and BBQ lobster in the sunshine and then a little dip in the azure water in the reef it is built on. Quite something! Well worth a wet boat trip along the coast from our hotel, we even met some dolphins that came to play!
The Pelican Bar
Rounding the rock
The Fastnet Race is something all sailors want to do at least once. We had a marvellous time when I did this in 2003. Gorgeous weather for the duration of the sail from Cowes, to the Fastnet Rock (off southern Ireland) and back to Plymouth. On our 65ft yacht we even donned black tie and had vintage port and champagne for the rock rounding – very fancy indeed, and we came 10th I believe!
Rounding the Fastnet rock in style – black tie and 50 year old port
At times this blog reads like a ‘Visit Cornwall’ guide and rightly so – some wonderful holidays in Cornwall in recent times with Mr P and many happy summers growing up. I’m seeing all the places I got taken to as a youngster and completely forgot about!
Wheal Coates
Somehow it took me until my thirties to get to Greece – but now I’ve been once I can’t wait to return. We found an almost untouched area – Monemvasia – and then the most incredible luxury hotel – The Kinsterna. A fantastic hidden part of the country and another one of those hotels that makes it hard to find somewhere to match in future!
Monemvasia is unique and stunning
Join the link up with the lovely ladies – Emma, Rebecca and Kelly.
The teddies remind me of my own souvenirs, which I shall be sharing tomorrow :).
I also LOVE the idea of collecting wine!
Author
Look forward to reading about them! The only trouble with the wine is that it runs out…
I agree with you for me the most important thing about travel is those memories that you build together.
Lots of love,
Angie
Author
Thank goodness for our blogs – when we are old and grey we’ll still have something to jog our memories!
Such a beautiful post Anna; like you, I started my blog as an online journey of all my adventures and a keepsake of my time living in the UK. African sunsets are the best, think you would love Namibia or Botswana – luxury but adventure at the same time. Am so tempted to visit Greece and stay at The Kinsterna xx
Author
Oh please do visit – let me know if you do, I will message them. New pool villas are open there now. Botswana and Zimbabwe – I am wanting to book that….
I preferred Zambia much more to Zimbabwe but that was just me…you cross across the border to do most things on the Zambian side when staying in Zim. Botswana is just gorgeous, simple but I camped so would love to try the luxury safari angle. Ohhh I am going to talk to G xx
I’m glad I’m not the only one who likes to bring back teddy bears sometimes! I’m so impressed by your soap collection as well
Author
A soap for every day of the year – almost!
so much soap! I keep thinking I need to start collecting soaps from hotels but never do! I agree about the photos & memories, they are the best things to bring back from a trip for sure
Author
Thank you – agreed – I love flicking back through notes and photos of trips to remember the fun times better
I love your take on this theme. Memories are the best souvenir!! TOTALLY agree about the pools at the Chedi. They have ruined me forever! Also, very happy to see a return of the sacks of soaps!!! HA!!
Polly xx
Follow Your Sunshine
Author
If you find anywhere with a pool that beats the Chedi – then I really need to know….
I kinda fell in love with that monkey & camel, not gonna lie…!
Author
The camel was the cutest – he was not cheap, nothing is 3 hours into the desert unsurprisingly! But I kept eyeing him up throughout our stay and Mr P got me one at checkout!
I totally agree – memories stay with you for life. And such amazing ones you have to keep too!!!
Kam xo
A Married Couple & Their Travels
Author
It will be wonderful when we are old and grey to go through the photos and even this blog!
Just catching up with the linkup now, have an amazing time in Boston. The Freedom Trail is worth a visit. You’ve got an impressive collection of soaps there!
Suze | LuxuryColumnist
Author
Thank you! Can’t wait to go back – we don’t have to race round and so can just take the stroll on the trail stopping as we please!
Glad we agree on photographs and memories being the best travel souvenirs! Those photos are gorgeous! My fave is the one of Norfolk skies!
Author
Norfolk skies are epic – and easy to find as the county is so flat!