The year is over and we are well on our way in to 2020! So here’s my annual post looking back on last year’s adventures.
So how did I do?
That’s a lot of miles! And a lot further than what I travelled in 2018 surprisingly!
And thankfully a lot of activity given that I work from home..
Not 100% accurate as I actually visited 7 countries last year.
United Kingdom, Spain, Turkey, Cyprus, Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland.
And I know when it says cities it actually just means towns and places too, otherwise that’s a lot of cities!
But overall, I did see some pretty interesting spots.
How did it compare to 2018?
Well honestly, 2018 was one of the best years I’ve ever had for holidays. It was always going to be a difficult one to top. You can actually read about my year here to see what I got up to.
But overall I did take some memorable trips in 2019, so here’s what I got up to:
United Kingdom
I started the year with a visit to somewhere new for me but close by in the UK.
A visit to the little villages of Helmsley and Gilling East in Yorkshire.
We stayed in a disused railway station which was a really cool experience!
Exploring North Yorkshire : The small market town of Helmsley
We visited Whitby again. Not once but twice! This time for both Whitby Goth Weekend and Steampunk.
Winter weekend in Whitby – Complete with Steampunks!
Another year, another Whitby Goth Weekend
In the summer I finally visited Cornwall for the first time and I absolutely loved it. Newquay was a great place to stay and the whole area was the reason we ended up getting our dog Newkee!
I discovered RSPB Nature reserves which were such a great little find!
I headed as far north as I could before hitting Scotland so I could explore Northumberland with a friend. It was a great weekend again seeing some new places I’ve never visited before including Redcar, Berwick-Upon-Tweed and Lindisfarne.
Exploring The Holy Island of Lindisfarne
And finally I got to venture down to Suffolk to visit my grandma twice last year! Which was great as I do love a trip to the land that time forgot 😉
Fish by the sea at Southwold, Suffolk
Lowestoft – Suffolk’s forgotten coastal town?
Ukraine
I started the year with a visit to a new country for me and a chance to finally see Chernobyl. This was a destination I’d wanted to see for many years because of its story. It was a historical eye opener and I’m glad I got to see it before all the hype from the TV show hit.
Ukraine was an interesting experience with good nightlife and the best musical fountains for dancing around!
Spain
Of course I can’t have a year without visiting the Brits favourite – Spain! Besides visiting my favourite location in Costa Dorada – Salou.. Twice I should add! I also visited Tenerife in the canary Islands too.
I took some beautiful photographs that I’ve not yet posted on my blog but will do soon. This was for a work trip so not very much to write about, maybe next time?
I finally managed to hike the Cami de Ronda in Salou which was fab!
Hiking the Cami De Ronda through Salou
Turkey
Not a place I’ve ever planned to visit and not one I was even meant to go to last year either! Plans fell through for my birthday and we found ourselves booking a last minute trip to Turkey instead. It was lovely and I did some amazing things out there including paragliding, boat trips, mud bathing and all sorts!
Will be a difficult birthday to top.
Exactly how expensive is Turkey?
My beautiful birthday dinner by sunset
Exploring the Ghost town of Kayakoy
Poland
Another country I’d visited before but this time a new destination.. Gdansk! My mum has relocated here so it was nice to visit her and see what the place was like for myself.
Lithuania
Finally I took one last trip in to the far East of Europe to visit another new country for me, Lithuania.
Whilst I don’t feel like I did much here, one thing that will always stick with me is the really fascinating walking tour I did. It was a real eye opener to see how much the city has changed over the years!
The contrast between rich and poor in the city of Vilnius
Vilnius, Lithuania in photographs
Cyprus
What a sunny surprise I had with some November sunshine! Really enjoyed visiting the beautiful Paphos and the surrounding areas. The weather definitely helped make it even more enjoyable.
My first trip to Cyprus – Winter sun in Paphos
Walking the Coastal Broadwalk in Paphos, Cyprus
Visiting the little village of Pano Lefkara
Visiting the capital of Cyprus, Nicosia
2019 was full of new experiences with getting a puppy and buying a house too! Now 2020 I enter the final year of my twenties and a new decade all together. I’m not sure what I want to happen this year but as long as I make it out happy then that’s good enough for me ☺️
That a lot of countries and experiences, Sophie! Well done to 2019. Cheers to more travels this year 🙂
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Pretty impressive list of places in 2019 Sophie, how did you ever have time to go to work? Hopefully 2020 will be even better with a load of new exciting adventures.
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