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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.

Sunday 5 August 2007

Gloom in the car park

Nicola, Pete, Lola and Nell want to travel the world with a difference. We hope to get a taste of many 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 whatever the weather. This post is from Nicola

Borrowing and renting cars seems to be making my already poor parking skills far worse. Every car is a different size, obviously, and every county seems to have a different approach to parking though from the Borders south paying for use is pretty much obligatory. Switching bikes is just as complicated on the gear front, but parking is a doddle.

And so it is at a South Hams car park after a day on a Devon beach that I am ashamed to find a #70 fine on my rental car. I have failed to park its wheels within the white lines of one box. Bustards. It’s a punishment that reminds me we are now in the over-crowded south east (well south west) where every bit of space has a bigger value than you’d think.

Lola’s always asking what it’s like to be a grown-up and now I can tell her. It’s about knowing sets of invisible rules that must be obeyed (or you are fined) whilst carrying out tonnes of shockingly dull and monotonous tasks (eg, cleaning). As this makes being an adult so unattractive I tend to focus on the good bits like making your own decisions about when to go to bed and what food to eat. But Lola knows that’s not much more exciting than a bit after her, and pasta.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Blimey. The estate you're in... good tactic for proving that not having a car in London makes life much less stressful. Petex

Anonymous said...

We too have been hit by the not parking within the white lines scandalous fine before. Our front tyres were on the white line. Money making bureaucracy.
Kaz