Friends around the world – a beautiful reason to travel
We are lucky enough to have friends in far flung places and have travel to visit people in destinations that we perhaps wouldn’t have rushed to had our friends not been living there. Each time we’ve opted to visit friends in some more unusual destinations I have loved being able to explore and find somewhere new that is a little off the beaten track. Not only do we have a fantastic time catching up with people we love, but we also exploring somewhere we wouldn’t have perhaps opted for initially or finding something the guidebooks do not suggest that locals know as a hidden gem.
Lille – a lot of people travel through Lille each day using this transport hub to connect with the rest of Europe. Coming in via Eurostar and continuing on to Disneyland Paris, Paris, Brussels and beyond a lot of travellers will not venture beyond the shopping centre just outside the terminal. Lille was a revelation to me. A laid back city influenced heavily by it’s Flemish neighbour it was such a lovely weekend break. Magnificent food that had a touch of both French and Belgium influence combined with beautiful architecture made this city an absolute gem. We went when the children were small and found the walkability of this city perfect – lots of open spaces and parks made this a gorgeous little family weekend break.
Kamloops (Canada) – when a friend’s wedding beckons you to the lesser known city of Kamloops, what else is there to do than to jump on a plane and join in the fun! This was such a fun experience for us. It really is the untouched side of Canada. Very few tourists head to this area making us virtual celebrities when we arrived. The gorgeous mountains in this area and wide open spaces really are something to be seen. We used the opportunity to travel to Vancouver and Vancouver Island while we were in Canada for this wedding. A really special trip that I would love to repeat. We did this trip pre-children and loved it, I would 100% take the children back – Canada has so much to offer and I felt that we only scratched the surface.
Stockholm – perhaps a little more on the tourist trail than the previous two locations, but none the less I suspect that we wouldn’t have ventured to Stockholm if our friends were not living there. What a mistake that would have been. This is a city that sparkles! Built around a series of islands you can see the water from most areas of the city. It is simply breath-taking. The clean crisp air in Stockholm really makes this location special. As I’m sure you’ve heard, Stockholm is expensive – save up your pennies it is so worth it!
New York – again, not an off the beaten track location. I am lucky enough to have family in New York and so have spent time in Manhattan as well as around the greater New York area. My family are playwrights and involved in the theatre and so I have been very fortunate to attend some really spectacular events while visiting the area. Along with visiting Manhattan I have spent time further outside of the city, travelling about the state by train and car visiting lesser known areas and searching for filming locations of series that I love on the New York/Connecticut border. I love New York (if you didn’t already know!) and would gladly go back whenever I get the chance.
We’re heading off again soon in search of friends in Perth, Sydney, Honolulu and San Francisco. I’m so excited to see them and to and to hear their suggestions of the places we visit. Friends who know me always give good travel advice and tourist options – often highlighting things beyond the traditional guidebook that are really memorable.
