I'm not entirely sure where the warm weather has gone, but I'm not complaining about it. I prefer it when it's cool - it's much nicer to walk around and sightsee when you're not having your pale scalp burned off with every step.
Playing tour guide with the in-laws has been fun but I'm enjoying have a break from it until they're back from Scotland. It's really only hitting me now that this year is going by at an incredible pace. My brother and his girlfriend will be here in just over three weeks. A month after that, Kirby & Julie will arrive and then I'll be gone - off to Europe, and off out of this apartment. And just another short month after that, Jase and I will be off visiting a few countries of our own choice - though those are still undecided at that point.
I still have so much to do.
Trip planning is back on as the number one priority. Just when I thought I had it all worked out and we were starting to book things bit by bit, we had a big change of plans - which leaves me with 7-14 days in November to find somewhere for us to visit. Travelling in winter has its perks {less tourists, generally cheaper pricing} but it also has its downfalls {less tour opportunities} and we have to match it up to the dates we have already got things booked for. It's becoming a lot trickier than it looks and I'm starting to stress out.
Honestly, if you could see the amount of paper I'm surrounded by.. you'd laugh at me. You'd probably also make fun of my somewhat sad and humble attempt at formulating a travel spreadsheet, and then go ahead and agree that I should just stick to the paper itinerary. It's ok - I'm on board with that one. I'm nothing if not traditional.
If you had a week or two spare, where would you visit on a fairly limited budget? Help!
Well, that depends on where you're going to be before the last bit of your trip...
ReplyDeleteBut around that time, I'd suggest the south of Spain, or the south of Portugal. Well, I'm actually biased and I'd do Portugal, no doubt. If you haven't been yet you should definitely visit. It's such an amazing and often overlooked country. Lisbon is beautiful, the south coast is incredible, especially Lagos. It's kind of a Brit/Aussie colony down there, but it retained the charm of old Portuguese towns (unlike nearby places like Faro and Albufeira), definitely worth a stop. And it's all super cheap!
From there you can move on to the south of Spain, like Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada... All wonderful places.
Man, I want to travel!
I don't know where you're going to be traveling specifically, but I would suggest Italy or Spain - they're both supposed to be beautiful! (And I LOVE that picture!)
ReplyDeleteOh I miss London so already... in all its dreary, character-filled glory. And you!
ReplyDeleteWe did Madrid in a day and a half - and it was lovely, also, Dublin is one of my favourite places in the world - I could definitely spend a week there, and it's cheap too! :)
I love that photo. Grey skies are my favorite weather, I enjoy dreary, it's calming.
ReplyDeleteI loved Switzerland, my favorite country by far...although it's a tad expensive.
Barcelona and Salamanca were my favorite spots in Spain. Pampolona as well.
I love Spain and the Canary Islands (technically still Spain, but better). I also would love to visit places like Croatia, Latvia and Bulgaria . . . which seem to be fairly cheap and look amazing.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of paper itineraries. There is no shame in a working system. See also: DOWN WITH KINDLES! (Ahem.)
ReplyDeleteI don't know that I have any great travel advice except to say Korea and China (and Asia, in general) can be done on a pretty small budget, and I had a blast there this year. I also think Moscow is worth seeing, for sure.
I have a good bloggy bud who travels for a living, and I would totally recommend scanning her archives for something that jumps out at you. She's been (almost!) everywhere. http://camelsandchocolate.com/
How about just going somewhere without a tour involved? If you have time, the east coast of Canada is stunning!
ReplyDeleteI love grey day photos!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite places when I was in Europe were Barcelona and Florence. Both beautiful cities where you can do plenty of awesome things without spending too much money.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photo! Good luck figuring out travel plans. Traveling is such a blessing... and a curse, haha!
ReplyDelete2 weeks? We saw so much of Europe in 2 weeks - I'd totally recommend hiring a car and getting out amongst it - we had the best time.
ReplyDeleteAs for locations, I am definitely going to be trying to rack up some of Eastern and Southern Europe next time.. not sure if this helps or not.
How exciting, so jealous.
(also - do not do Switzerland.. beautiful but pricey)
I'm loving this cooler weather. My house is no longer a sweatbox and I can sleep comfortably. Don't get me started on the benefits of public transport when it's not over 22 degrees in this country.
ReplyDeleteAbout your question, I'd have to say Spain. I've always found it to be cheap and cheerful if you stay away from Barcelona or Madrid. I would suggest Valencia, as it's easy to get around and the locals are so friendly and helpful.
What if you guys just went back to one of your fave european cities for a week or so? Like.. you guys have seen a bunch of stuff before, but mostly it's only been a few days here and there, yeah? What if you guys picked two cities you both loved and stayed a bit longer?
ReplyDeleteand oh trafalgar square... how i miss you.
From England, try North Africa in November --- I suggest either Morocco or Egypt, as both are easier to navigate and safer than either Algeria or Tunisia (although those are great destinations, also). Either can be done in 7 - 10 days. Sometimes not so easy travelling, but each a very rewarding destination. Either can be done as cheaply (or as expensively) as you want, once you're there. Both incredibly exotic and filled with history. Food is better in Morocco, however (probably because of the past French influence there). Just my suggestion.
ReplyDeleteLove the grey day photo!
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree this year is going by so quickly. Last year seemed to drag a bit, but not this year! It'll be over before we know it!
I love clouds you captured in the picture. A travel spreadsheet sounds like a good idea actually. Goodluck with your planning! Sorry this comment is late, just getting around to catching up with blogs :-) x
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