As the world is starting to open up again my first thoughts are on travel. Now a bit more complicated with this flipping thing called covid but it’s been such a passion of mine that I don’t want to think that the world isn’t still my oyster.
But I was forced to slow down and I have to say I quite liked it. It was nice to think that I can live life at my own pace and adapting what I used to do. And when it comes to travel I’ve always been a fan of doing it slow.
Slow travel connects you to local people, cultures, food and music. What I love is the opportunity to learn new things and for the trip to have an emotional impact.
It also has lots of other advantages. It’s more eco-friendly, often it’s cheaper and less stressful. And by not having a packed schedule it leaves more room for spontaneity and the chance to have unexpected experiences. You take the time to experience the rhythms of life in your new destination, go to the market, cook your food, read, maybe even do nothing on occasion.
This past year has taught us we can adapt our life to make it fit for us. We can work remotely just was well from a villa in Italy as out house in Mayo so going for a bit longer than the annual fortnight holiday is much more doable.
So if you’re looking forward to getting back out there the same as me here are a few things that I can highly recommend to make the trip more memorable.
Home Stays – a luxury hotel can be nice but the times I’ve stayed with a family in their home are the ones I remember. As a solo female traveller it was always a nice thing to do and I’ve tried to do it with the kids. Don’t confuse it airbnb or your plain only BnB’s. These are non commercial people opening up their home. I’ve done it in Cuba, Russia, Fiji to name a few and all of them were amazing.
Train Travel – the ultimate in eco and slowing down there is something nostalgic and romantic about train travel. From drinking shots of vodka with Russians travelling from Riga, watching the large Spanish waiter trying to serve our breakfast on the overnight from Paris to Madrid or the driver getting Francesca to shout ‘all aboard’ at every station in Canada each train journey make the art of travel a masterpiece.
And finally keep it local. We’ve all grown to appreciate our local shops and community so much more during the pandemic. So when eating try the local coffee shop instead of the Starbucks, get gifts that are made by local artisans not imported from China with a place name on it and buy the local produce. Find the local produce market, choose local craft brews or wines and be brave enough to try some street food. It’s is always a cheap and easy way to experience the best a place has to offer. By doing this you are also keeping your purchasing carbon foot print low. I’ve tried some weird stuff and to be honest I’m not entirely sure what some of it was but I’ve survived to tell the tale!
And finally think ahead on how to be a bit more responsible. Take a reusable bottle instead of buying bottled water, water purification tables or water filters if needed. Bring reusable masks instead of lots of disposable ones and most importantly stay safe x