Farewell to 2015 – a wrap up of travels

Last updated: 29 July 2023

As we bid farewell to 2015, we look back and nod.  It was definitely a solid year for travel. we finally took advantage of having a vehicle, we embraced the weekend road trip to explore more of the UK by car. Road trips within the UK to Scotland & Wales as well as the counties of Devon, Wiltshire, Kent, Sussex, Norfolk, Liverpool, Tyne & Wear, Cambridgeshire, Northumberland, Cumbria, Dorset.

These weekends, scattered throughout the entire year, were often spur of the moment ‘escape the city’ opportunities. Traipsing across castles and ruins, towns and villages alike, pub meals and local brews it was nice to explore the UK outside the M25.

Roma returned back to the UK in December after a lengthy stay in Australia awaiting a new visa. Christmas was spent in New York as a (very) belated honeymoon, then scooting over to Kentucky to ring in the year of 2015 with some great friends from Australia.

After the US trip, a lightning fast trip to South Korea was on the cards. Who thought flying long haul for just 3 days would be worth it! 고맙습니다

As Spring turned the grass green and the weather warmed up, we attended our first TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange) conference, this time held in Costa Brava, Spain. While flights to Barcelona can be as cheap as £20, we decided to drive. From London. *Gasp! Apparently this was somewhat ambitious, and became a talking point of meeting new faces at TBEX. A rough route was drafted, we wound down the west coast of France. It was here many history & life lessons were had. A spontaneous detour to Bayeux to meander through the museum, home of the famous Bayeux tapestry which commemorates the Norman conquest of 1066. We visited the D Day beaches on ANZAC Day and yet another detour off the route to see the ‘magnificent’, Mont St Michel.

Roma’s hopes were high for a feast or two at the foodie haven of San Sebastian. However we encountered the storm of the year which sent us packing our bags and making a beeline straight for Madrid. It was at TBEX where Russ took full advantage of of the sun & our all inclusive package, while Roma spent days in seminars and networking. After TBEX, it was a swift drive through new country of Andorra for some bargain priced fuel, before taking the expensive toll roads along the West of France through a sunny Marseille, the Jura & eventually back to London.

For the summer we undertook a last minute and ambitious road trip. Croatia in Summer had been on the list for some time, ever since that less than successful road trip of 2013. Armed with sunshine, cozzies and the perfect summer playlist, we drove from Ljubljana in Slovenia, south down the Dalmatian coastline of Croatia. Stopping along the way to the likes of Zadar, Trogir and the big names of Split & a sweltering day in Dubrovnik.

Life lesson for this trip was battling a fear of heights while ziplining between mountains in Croatia.  That tested our nerves. But, just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse, the award of the year must go to the questionable driving habits of some local Bosnians. We quickly nicknamed them kamikaze drivers with their brazen ‘chicken’ approach to overtaking on narrow blind corners. Nerves of steel required!

Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH) were a surprise addition to the itinerary before we headed back Ljubljana. We had some eye opening experiences in BiH.  We hired a private guide in Sarajevo, who elaborated on life in BiH, as well as taking us to see the damage still visible in towns and buildings from the wars of recent years.  It’s hard to believe there are still places in Europe where you can encounter a real landmine site!

November is typically the last big trip of the year before Christmas. After some noticeable instability in some of the shortlisted regions, Iceland was chosen. Once again, short notice was the name of the game. Booking flights less than a week out, is not something we recommend. These flights were not a bargain. We hired a car after debating if this would the ideal opportunity to get a camper and sleep on the road. Advised by a few bloggers perhaps November wasn’t the best time, we’ve never been more grateful to the blogging community! The weather did not lend itself to a cruisey camper trip. A 4wd with spiked tyres was required, as was a plethora of layers including thermals and multiple pairs of socks.

Despite the freezing conditions, many bucket list items were checked off. The elusive Northern lights were a no show, so along with this, we left a few items on the bucket list as an excuse to return to this utterly amazing destination.

Christmas quickly rolled around and it wasn’t long before we packed the car to head to Switzerland where we’d planned a house sit. Once again, ignoring the cheap flights, we took to the road, driving to have the freedom to explore at a whim. And explore we did! From day trips to Jungfrau, Schilthorn, to throwing the dog in the car for a picnic on the road in Lucerne & Zurich. We even went as far as the micronation of Liechtenstein. A combination of exploration & rest days was the perfect way to see out a busy year.

Where’d we go in 2015?

1. USA
2. South Korea
3. Andorra
4. Belgium
5. Romania
6. Bosnia & Herzegovina
7. Croatia
8. Iceland
9. Switzerland
10. France
11. Germany
12. Liechtenstein

Roma’s 2015 Top Five

Highlights

1. The tranquillity of the Jökulsárlón iceberg lagoon – watching icebergs silently bob in the lagoon before they escape to the sea.
2. Getting back into the swing of regular travels after almost a year a part; Roma in Aus, Russell in London.
3. Watching the sunset over Manhattan.
4. Embracing the UK road trip to make the most of weekends.
5. It was definitely the year for bucket list items! Hunting Nessy in Scotland scored a big fat tick as well as 7 items in our week long trip around Iceland!

Life Lessons

1. Know your limits. If you get car sick, don’t take a boat cruise without taking motion sickness pills.
2. Some bucket list items just don’t deserve the hype.
3. Altitude sickness can creep up on you.
4. Mother nature rules all. Tides, heights, winds. Roll with it, don’t try to beat it.
5. There’s more to the UK than London.

Russell’s Top Five of 2015

Highlights

1. Jökulsárlón Iceberg Lagoon
2. Scottish Highlands
3. Private tour in Bosnia
4. Weekend UK roadtrips
5. Shaving my head

Life Lessons

1. Moonshine in Kentucky isn’t a wise idea.
2. Go to Iceland. Just do it.
3. Never underestimate Soju. Ever.
4. Don’t think, just do it. Ziplining is incredible.
5. Never trust the tide in Blackpool.

What’s in store for 2016?

So as we bid farewell to 2015, for now, the plan for 2016 is fluid.  We have a short list of destinations we’d like to tick off, with surely more to be added to the list.  As always, there’s plenty more UK based road trips to be done.