My husband and I just returned from the best holiday of our lives. We spent three weeks based in Dore, Sheffield in southern Yorkshire and wracked up some miles. We tackled a new currency or two, dealt with a foreign language and soaked up all the strangeness that goes along with travelling outside your country.
I think we chose wisely for our first long-haul overseas trip. The people of the United Kingdom speak the same language we do, albeit in dozens of different accents, it’s a place of great antiquity and also of rare beauty. Added to that, our son was playing cricket in Sheffield and it was a no-brainer.
As a fantasy author whose stories are mired in medieval images, the cobbled lanes, stone houses and both intact and ruined castles, were a goldmine of inspiration for my stories.
As a side-story, I took along with me a bucket hat from Budgy Smuggler-an Australian company better known for manufacturing swimming attire. You can see the white embroidered budgerigar on the front. It’s a great little hat, light enough to tuck in your handbag and quite stylish, I think.
Over the coming months, I’ll post a series of blogs on my travels, including images from our week-long cruise to New Caledonia and Vanuatu, which we enjoyed before we headed to the United Kingdom.
But before I go, here’s the iconic Eiffel Tower. It’s such a dominant structure and much larger than I ever imagined.
Until next time, happy reading!
