A-Z activities

A-Z countries

What's this blog all about?

Hi, I'm Nicola - welcome to a blog begun in 2012 about family travel around the world, without leaving the UK.

I love travel adventures, but to save cash and keep my family's carbon footprint lower, I dreamt up a unique stay-at-home travel experience. So far I've visited 110 countries... without leaving the UK. Join me exploring the next 86! Or have a look at the "countries" you can discover within the UK by scrolling the labels (below right). Here's to happy travel from our doorsteps.

Around 2018 I tried a new way of writing my family's and my own UK travel adventures. Britain is a brilliant place for a staycation, mini-break and day trips. It's also a fantastic place to explore so I've begun to write up reports of places that are easy to reach by public transport. And when they are not that easy to reach I'll offer some tips on how to get there.

See www.nicolabaird.com for info about the seven books I've written, a link to my other blog on thrifty, creative childcare (homemadekids.wordpress.com) or to contact me.

Monday 7 May 2007

Pete's countdown


Nicola, Pete, Lola and Nell want to travel the world with a difference. We hope to get a taste of loads of countries without adding to climate change (with needless emissions from aeroplanes) or having to waste hours of holiday time in airport terminals. We hope our adventures inspire you to take a Grand Tour of your neighbourhood. This post is from Pete.

Well, it's already been a very stressful experience watching Her Indoors organising everything, ­ a sentiment I'm sure most dads will identify with. It would all have been much easier travelling by Tardis -at least the Doctor never has to try to get through to an automated Virgin booking line or thumb through a cottage brochure.

But there is much to look forward to already. A night train to Glasgow on a train that has its own bar. In fact this is the only place you can find a seat in a bar in London anywhere on a Friday night. How vastly superior to Easyjet. A chance to yomp up Ben Lomond while staying at a Loch Lomond YHA and then a week of failing to catch salmon with a party of J R Hartley loving flyfishermen and women in Dalmally (their record is one salmon in 12-odd years, but lots of single malt). Followed by a week in the Lakes staying in a Cockermouth cottage; a Withnail and I camping experience, plastic bags on feet, by Ullswater; a chance to admire the "damn fine sky" that McIntyre hasacquired for Mr Happer in Aberdeen, where we plan to visit Pennan the setting for Local Hero; and then coming over all Tony Robinson while pacing Hadrian's Wall later. If we're lucky we might even get to stay with Uncle Montytoo.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

So when are you guys actually setting off?