Welcome back my travel giraffes! Can you believe we’re in the middle of January already? 2020 is waiting for no one! Today’s travel post is a bit of a reflection. It’s always good to have a look back at where you’ve been to help you with your next steps forward. Welcome to my 2019 travel review and travel inspo.
My 2019 Travel Review
First Solo Trip
You know I’m a big advocate of solo travelling especially if you’re single and have no kids. I decided to go to Madrid as I had been to Barcelona before. Incidentally, Barcelona was my first ever solo trip and it was for my birthday! Anyways, Madrid was for a long weekend and the first time I flew with Norwegian Airways.
Beautiful sunny days, great tapas, red wine and lots to see. It’s one of the reasons I recommend Madrid as a great weekend break.
Long Haul Flight and the Desert
I had been to Dubai before and decided that would I go again to celebrate my birthday. On this visit, I was able to do a few new things, one of them being dune bashing.
Not for the faint hearted but great if you’re into rollarcoaster rides. On that tour, I also got to take a short ride on a camel and visit the famous Dubai Miracle Gardens. The gardens seem to change every year and only last during the cooler months in Dubai. Trust me they’re worth the visit and can’t recommend it enough!
Ah Italia!
If you’re new to this blog, hi my name is Majean and I love Italy! One of my aims is to visit somewhere new in Italy every year. Cue a last minute flight during the first May bank holiday to Turin. Partly inspired by my cousin who wanted me to visit the Shroud on her behalf. And partly inspired by a desire to have some italian food!
Turin is one of those places that you could get around easily without much hassle. Plus there’s a market with food stalls selling the most delicious fruit and vegetables.
Vive la France!
Sticking with May, can’t blame a girl for utilising both bank holidays in one month can you? Anyways, I and my lovely blogger friend from the Golden Grenadine, hopped on the Eurostar to Paris.
One of the things I couldn’t understand when I first moved to the UK was, how many people hadn’t been to Paris. It’s a great location for photoshoots, like this one I did there. You have the Eurostar, I used to say to them and still do! This is especially great for those who hate flying!
Side note, Eurostar goes to different places and not only France. For instance they go to Marseille, Avignon, Brussels and Amsterdam. Don’t allow your fears to stop you from travelling if it’s what you really want to do.
Summer Break
I rarely travel during the height of summer because a) it’s expensive b) crowds and c) I want to save some annual leave for the latter half of the year. However, there are exceptions and I went to Montenegro with a friend who could only travel in late June.
You can read more about Montenegro here but, it was such an awesome trip. I really didn’t know what to expect but it exceeded my expectations. For those girlies wondering, yes you can move around on your own and it’s black girl travel friendly.
Hello Berlin
2019 travel was certainly exceptional because I did 2 trips in June! I had my eye on Berlin for sometime and with a quick weekend on offer, I couldn’t resist.
There’s so much history, art and beautiful views of which you can see more here. Definitely worth a visit even if its just a reminder of the past so we don’t make the same mistakes.
Taking care of Business
My final long haul flight was back home to Trinidad. This wasn’t a trip for pleasure. Some of you know that my mom passed away in 2018 aka the worst year of my life and I had to go home to deal with the paperwork.
Final Trip
My final trip was in November and again it was a spontaneous booking. It does help when I’m enticed by cheap airfare :). I went to beautiful Valencia and was pretty much in my glee.
Firstly, I got to practice my Spanish as I had started classes. I’m a big believer in always levelling up your skills. Secondly, I needed some sunshine, delicious food and wine.
Fun fact about me, wine triggers my migraines but I can drink wine in Spain, France and Italy without any issues. Anyone else have this issue? Tell me I’m not the only one please!
That’s my 2019 travel review. Has it inspired you to go to any of these places? Where do you think I should go this year? Let me know in the comments below.
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