Category: Family trip

Normandy – Part 1: A winter break

Reading Time: 24 minutes
Normandy, France (January 2024)

I was warned. In France many attractions and museums close during January and the weather would likely be cold and gloomy.  However timing our visit in the first week of January was our only option. It was also probably the last time our family would all travel together, as Brandon was now 19 years old. I hesitated when booking but as my research informed me there would be enough open attractions for us to visit over our 3 days in Normandy, I decided we would go for it. Continue reading “Normandy – Part 1: A winter break”

Top 10 places to visit in Dorset, England

Reading Time: 11 minutes

For those who don’t know, Dorset is a county of South West England. I have spent so much time there I consider this part of the world as my second home. Having family there, when I was growing up, we used to visit frequently (every couple of years) and my English born dad used to drag, I mean, drive, me and my sister around Dorset to show us all the local sights and landmarks that he used to roam around in his youth. Now as a parent and married to another Dorset native, I do the same with our kids.

These are my top ten favourite places to visit in Dorset.

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Winter break in Venice

Reading Time: 12 minutes
Venice, Italy (February 2023) 

I have been to Venice before. It was 30 years ago when I was backpacking in Europe with a friend, on a very tight budget. On that adventure in January 1992 we stayed in youth hostels and bought food from the supermarket which didn’t need cooking (e.g. bread and jam). We visited most of the main tourist attractions like St Mark’s Square, Rialto Bridge and Peggy Guggenheim museum. I even managed to buy a Venetian glass ornament which I somehow got back to Australia in one piece. It still proudly sits on display in my home now. 

This would be a different experience with a bit more spending money. Steve and I were visiting the UK and decided to invite my UK based in-laws (Steve’s mum, dad and sister) to join us on a side trip to Venice for 2 days & 3 nights. Our objective was to spend some quality time with our family that we haven’t been able to see much the last few years thanks to the pandemic – creating memories while experiencing Venice.

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Our covid holiday in England

Reading Time: 19 minutes
England (April 2022)
Experiencing international flights again

It finally happened! Australian borders reopened in November 2021 after being unable to leave the country since March 2020. We were finally allowed out! I didn’t book a trip straight away though. Australia had a very high vaccination rate but the pandemic wasn’t over yet. During our Summer of 2021/22, Covid rapidly spread throughout Australia and I wasn’t convinced things wouldn’t revert back to lockdowns and border closures again. Plus there were still quite a few impediments to travel. I knew it wouldn’t be as easy as it was pre-Covid.

We were desperate to see our family and friends in England so after weighing up pros and cons we decided to book a month long trip in April, spanning a week either side of the Easter school break. Brandon had finished high school and was taking a break while looking for work. For Cordy two weeks off school wasn’t ideal but as it turned out, schools were experiencing heavy teacher and student absences anyway- either getting covid or being forced to isolate due to a family member having covid.

Continue reading “Our covid holiday in England”