February fun and frolics
February started well – after a dry January, the 1st of February was always going to have just a little sparkle to it – a quiet night in on my own with a glass of pink champagne, homemade lemon cheesecake (without cheese) and my new favourite Netflix box set – Suits! Back to…
View PostIn search of sunshine – Tenerife
Normally in January we book something long haul and outrageous but this year we didn’t quite get around to it! In early Feb we worked out we could squeeze in 3 days leave and so get away for 5 days adding the weekend. We needed sun, a short flight and safety… The Canary Islands popped…
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 PostDream destination Israel #sendmeaway
I’ve been dreaming about holidays for a while this winter, I re-wrote my wish list and had great fun collaboration with some lovely ladies as to where we wish we were right now… But this years dream destination for us has to be Israel – this week we booked our flights and…
View PostLearning from travel: lessons in life
Travel as a teacher? When I was 20 I hadn’t been on a plane and last year I took near on 60 flights… Whilst I’m not as well-travelled as many, I’ve definitely been taught a few important things on my travels…. It isn’t necessary to go abroad to explore and relax – some…
View PostJe t’adore – l’hotel parfait
No sooner has Christmas disappeared from the shops than Easter appears, but look carefully and spot the hearts and suchlike for Valentines day! We are low-key about it, as the other 364 days (365 this year) are the ones that matter. However, as part of the love-ly travel link up with Emma, Angie, Jessi and guest host Kaelene this…
View PostJanuary fun and frolics
January for its dryness was very wet indeed. That’s wet from the sky not a bottle. I decided to do my first dry January and apart from a glass of red wine at 2am on 1st January as something of a night cap, I’ve had a lovely month of fruit juice and soda water,…
View PostTruth in quotes & pictures – the sea
Anyone that has dipped into my corner of the world wide web can’t have failed to have noticed I am slightly obsessed by the sea, it’s my happy place! It appears I am not the only one to think this way, there is a plethora of quotes and sayings about the sea, and…
View PostTravel dreaming – I wish I was in…
This last week winter finally arrived in the UK – which effectively meant that the rain stopped for a few days and fell as snow and we all turned up our heating and focussed on the fact that the evenings are lengthening and kidding ourselves spring can’t be that far off even though…
View PostTruth in quotes & pictures – the sun
Do you spend any time on Instagram or Pinterest looking for inspiration? It is impossible to miss all of the quotes that are pinned and shared. Some are pointless it has to be said, but there are plenty that get a nod, a wry smile, a like or a re-pin. I thought I…
View PostTake 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,…
View PostPenelope & Parker in December
December has been wet, I’d have lost count of the number of storms if it wasn’t for the new approach of naming each with a consecutive letter of the alphabet. I believe we were up to F by the end of December and I think it is fair to say most of the…
View Post10 not so perfect 2015 moments
Blogs tend to focus on the picture perfect postcard side of life… Nobody really wants to read about the less successful or less beautiful parts of the year. But actually looking back on some of the less glossy moments of the year has made me chuckle. Looking back on some of the less glossy…
View Post1 more step along the world I go
One more step along the world I go… It is incredible how much changes in a year, as we travel from the old things to the new… The amount of things we do, the people we meet, the memories we make – 365 short days turn a year into something rather memorable! It…
View PostWishing on a star – 2016 travel
Limited hours of daylight and plenty of rain and cold. Winter is definitely here, and here for a while yet! This is always the time of year when alongside enjoying the festivities it is a good time to start to think about where the year ahead may take us. Top of this list is…
View PostPenelope & 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…
View PostThe story of (my well travelled) Christmas (decorations)
I have always enjoyed the Christmas break – a time to recharge and reconnect with family and friends. I am already excited about an enjoyable Christmas (and I have of course had my flu jab to ward off any more christmas-flus!). I love decorating the tree each year, the house looks so snug…
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 PostSisterhood of the World Bloggers
My good blogging friend Kelly has welcomed me into The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers fold and I am happy to answer her questions – on a dreary winters evening it has warmed me up no end! I love Kelly’s blog – we have a similar take on life (work hard, travel hard…
View PostFlashback Friday 40 – AP:DC – Washington, my favourite city
I consider myself very lucky to have travelled to Washington 3 times with work, and even luckier to have friends that live nearby (thanks Emily for having me to stay) and family that have been fabulous tour-guides. In my visits I have decided that Washington DC is my favourite city – thinking about…
View PostFlashback Friday Travel 39 – Jamaica
April in Jamaica was a splendid idea, I remember our trip very fondly indeed. I must confess, I was nervous about going to Jamaica – it has a little more ‘edge’ to it than other bits of the Caribbean and Mr P had been there before when gang violence hit Kingston which is more…
View PostTravel Linkup – favourite things
The Sound of Music is my all-time favourite film, still – as I reach my mid-thirties!! Imagine my delight when Kelly, Emma and Rebecca and their lovely co-host Frankie, The Mischievous Mayfairy, announced this month’s travel link-up was about our favourite things. Instantly I was humming the tune, followed swiftly by ‘Edelweiss’ which is my favourite. I wondered as I…
View PostOctober 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…
View PostFlashback Friday Travel 38 – Oman
Oh – man, or ooo – man – whichever way you say it, Oman is an incredible place to visit – a stunning coastline, beautiful mountains and dunes and some incredible hotels. We rounded off a busy year of travel in 2012 with a week in the Sultanate of Oman. Oman, well more…
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