Situated at the foot of the Julian Alps in the North of Slovenia, Lake Bled is one of the country's best-loved natural attractions. An opalescent turquoise on a clear day; dark and brooding when a storm is brewing; it is definitely worth a closer look. The 6km circumference is a delight to walk around, and... Continue Reading →
Postcards from Slovenia #1: Gorje Parish Church
While waiting to move in to our new home in Slovenia, we have been staying in the village of Zgornje Gorje just above Lake Bled. Outside the window of the Studio Špica tourist apartment, we have a wonderful view of the Gorje Parish Church. It is typical of churches in the North of Slovenia, having... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries Part 3: Nice-Slovenia
This was definitely the hardest part of the journey for me; we set off from Nice at 4am so the kids would be able to sleep for the first few hours. Exhaustion was already beginning to set in for me by then and I didn't do much driving because I just didn't feel safe. Although... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries Road Trip Part 2: Tortosa-Nice
So much has changed since I wrote the last entry, I'm feeling a bit numb as I write this one. If I think back to this time last week, and the distance travelled both physically and emotionally since then, it's mind-blowing. It puts me in mind of the Ancient Mariner's homecoming journey when the spirit... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries Road Trip Day 1: Malaga-Tortosa
3 days. 4 countries. 2,500km. Of all the road trips I have taken with my family, this was the craziest yet. It was also the most unusual, given that we were crossing a Europe emerging from an unprecedented lockdown brought about by the Covid-19 crisis. It was by turns exhilarating, exhausting and fascinating. Today I... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries 29: Moving On
Like a long lonely streamI keep runnin' towards a dreamMovin' on, movin' onLike a branch on a treeI keep reachin' to be freeMovin' on, movin' on Not a poem of the day today, then, but a song. This was always a favourite of mine and my husband's, especially when we lived in the U.K., where... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries 28: The Road Not Taken
One of the few failings of my undergraduate English Literature Course was that the creators of the syllabus interpreted English Literature not as Literature written in English, but as Literature written in England (or Ireland, Scotland and Wales.) To study American Literature written in English, you had to take a separate course in 'American Studies,'... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries 27: Go with the Flow
Yesterday, I had A Bad Day. It was the day all of our worldly possessions (apart from a small car-load which we will take with us on our journey next week) were loaded on a van to be taken to Slovenia in advance of our move. Suddenly, I found myself beset by doubts: What if... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries 26: Lockdown Easing
Malaga Province passed into 'Phase 1' of the Spanish lockdown de-escalation plan on Monday. There are 5 phases to the lockdown plan, starting at Phase 0 which is the strictest regime, under which we had been living for the past two months. With each stage, quarantine measures are relaxed, enabling a gradual return to 'normal.'... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries 25: The Memory Collector
I've always loved to travel. As a child, I used to think of myself as 'The Memory Collector,' taking something unique and memorable away from every travel experience. It's ironic, then, that I boarded my first plane at the age of 22! I think I've more than made up for lost time since then. I... Continue Reading →