2019 has categorically been one of the best years of our lives…..so far. We started the year poised and ready to start Stage 2 of the adoption process. Little did we know that things we move so quickly, as a mere 12 months later we would be celebrating Christmas with our two daughters. If you are not a regular follower of our blog you may not be aware that in June two little girls came to live with us forever and since that day things here at ESLT HQ have not been the same. Those two little girls are wonderful in every single way and we cannot remember a time before them. With that being said I’m sure you realise why 2019 has been the year that travel took a back seat.
Even though travel has not been our priority this year, especially in the second half, we have actually travelled a bit this year. Just nowhere near as much as we have previously (or possibly ever will again) and that’s absolutely fine. Here are some highlights.
We Have Travelled A Bit
New York, USA
We started the year by taking a trip to one of our favourite cities in the world – New York. Vicky’s cousin Hannah joined us and we made some amazing (and utterly hilarious) memories. As it was Hannah’s first time visiting the City That Never Sleeps it was fun creating a jam-packed itinerary for her. She loved every second of it. We took the opportunity to do things and visit places we hadn’t on previous trips as well as revisiting some favourites and of course seeing a show (Mean Girls – much to Mr ESLT’s delight) on Broadway. We indulged in boozy brunches and relaxing afternoon teas. This was a very different visit to NYC and one we thoroughly enjoyed.
Philadelphia, USA
While we were across the pond, it seemed sensible to combine our trip to New York with a trip to Philadelphia. So, we jumped on the Greyhound and took the two-hour journey to the City of Brotherly Love. Unfortunately, it was a Bank Holiday (Martin Luther King Jr Day), the Government shut down and also minus 25 degrees. Needless to say, there wasn’t much open plus it was too cold to walk far. Therefore, after a quick run up the Rocky Steps, a swift visit to the Liberty Bell (which we could only see through a glass window) and a uber quick glance at Independence Hall, we spent the rest of the day in Paddy’s bar made famous by the TV show it’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Dubai, UAE
As we progressed through the adoption process we knew that travel was going to have to take a back seat. Therefore, we booked ourselves a babymoon. Just because we weren’t having a biological child did not mean were going to miss out on having one last blow out holiday, just the two of us. So, we booked a week’s break to one of the places in the world where we knew we could relax (a lot), shop (a lot), eat (a lot) and drink (a lot) without getting seduced by sightseeing, history or culture. Having been to Dubai before we knew what to expect and had done all the big attractions before. This time we simply enjoyed the warm winter sun and mentally prepared ourselves for what was to come.
The Hague, The Netherlands
Even though we’d said that Dubai was going to be our last trip before the girls came to live with us, when you get an invitation in your inbox to visit one of your favourite countries, you cannot say no. Therefore we jumped on a plane to The Netherlands and had fun exploring The Hague. During the visit, we had the pleasure of staying at the beautiful and unique beach houses in Kijkduin, which are located directly on the beach. Even though the weather did not play ball for the whole duration of our trip, we’re eager to return during the summer with the girls in tow.
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Once the girls were settled, it was time to go back to work. Therefore when an invitation to go on a press trip to work with KLM and Visit Holland came up – it was the perfect opportunity to get back in the blogging game. Vicky headed over to Holland with KLM from our regional airport, Humberside to one of our most visited cities – Rotterdam. Vicky explored the city visited some new places and revisiting some old favourites and enjoyed some amazing food. The highlight though was, of course, visiting the Cube Houses, which are a must for everyone visiting the city.
Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Next up was a new city – Eindhoven. It had been on the list of places to visit for a long time but the worry of there not being much to see or do was always a worry. Having now visited Vicky can confirm that there is a lot to do in this city. If you have an interest in architecture and/or design you will be in your element in Eindhoven. Vicky visited some of the old Philips Electrical sites which are now urban spaces, many filled with restaurants, bars, and even skate parks. This cool city may not be as popular as it’s neighbours, however, it is certainly becoming more on people’s radars.
We’ve Stayed Closer to Home
Northumberland
We have also used the opportunity to explore more of the UK. Our first UK staycation was to Doxford Hall and Spa in Northumberland back in January. As the snow fell, we felt like we were stepping into Narnia. This beautiful hotel was a great place to relax, enjoy the spa and eat amazing food. Unfortunately, time was short which meant we didn’t have much time to explore the local area. Therefore a return to Northumberland is on the cards.
East Yorkshire
We even got the opportunity to explore somewhere new right on our doorstep. We packed our overnight bag and headed to Seaways Glamping and Camping site near Driffield a mere 25 minutes away from where we live. As we visited prior to the official season starting, we had the whole site to ourselves. Although as our glamping lodge had everything we needed including kitchen and shower room, we actually had no need to leave it.
Derby
We also visited Derby which is somewhere we have only visited once before. Staying at the oldest station hotel in the world – The Hallmark Midlands Derby was an absolute treat. We took the opportunity to eat in their brasserie and relax over a couple of bottles of wine before a great night’s sleep. The next day we wandered through the charming streets of Derby city centre, marvelling at the impressive cathedral as we passed by it.
Filey
In September we took our first trip with the children. As they do not have passports yet, a local staycation was on the cards. We hit the road and made the short 45-minute journey to The Bay in Filey on the East Yorkshire coast. We visited a farm, we hit the beach to build sandcastles and have a dip in the sea, we ate a lot of ice cream and we danced our socks off at the kid’s disco. It was lovely to spend some time together and a great induction to family travel.
We’ve Not Pitched
We actually cannot remember the last time we sent an email pitch. The most we have done is responded to #prrequests on Twitter and filled in Google forms for opportunities on Facebook but we have not sent an airline/hotel/holiday company/tour operator etc an email asking if they want to work with us and what we can offer them (standard Blogger stuff) in over 18 months. We did not want to commit to anything and then have to cancel at the last minute due to the adoption.
For the same reason, we had to turn down more opportunities than we ever have this year. Now the girls are settled and we have sort of found a rhythm, fingers crossed we can take people up on the opportunities they send our way and maybe create some new opportunities by getting back to pitching.
We Were Surprised to Win An Award
Even though we have not travelled as much as in previous years, which is sort of vital when you’re a travel blogger we still even managed to bag ourselves a blogging award. We won the Best Travel Blog of 2019 in the Good Web Guide Awards. It was the first time bloggers have been eligible to enter. As with all the awards we have ever won for our blog it was picked as the winner by judges, not the general public. Therefore, we won based on our site/writing ability/photography rather than it being a popularity contest which a lot of awards are the result of (no shade being thrown, just a fact).
Looking Ahead to 2020
We have already started making plans for 2020 and here are some that we have already set the ball rolling on.
The Netherlands
Vicky will be heading back to The Netherlands on a press trip with Visit Holland to discover some of the more undiscovered cities and towns in the country. The Netherlands was listed in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2020, this will give Vicky the opportunity to showcase that there is more to The Netherlands than just Amsterdam.
Lodge Break
We had every intention of visiting Abu Dhabi during February half term. However, the legalities surrounding the adoption are dragging on a bit. Therefore the girls will not have passports by then (boo). So instead we will be taking a lodge break in The Midlands. We will have lots of family fun during the day and lots of vodkas and hot tub time for us during the evening while the kids are in bed – bliss.
Peppa Pig World
The kids love Peppa Pig. Therefore, a trip to a whole theme park is a must. We will be travelling down to Southampton at Easter for a couple of days of all things Peppa (oh joy!).
Cardiff
As Mr ESLT’s mum and partner live in Cardiff we will be making the journey to visit them a couple of times during 2020. The first time will be during the Easter holidays, following our trip to Peppa Pig World and then again during the summer holidays. We are keeping our fingers crossed for a lot of beach and outdoor time as there is a lot to see and do near where they live.
Disneyland Paris
Having visited Disneyland Paris for Vicky’s 30th we have always said we wanted to go back when we had kids. Therefore, we will be visiting during the summer holidays. We think the 90-minute flight will be a great introduction to travel for the kids. We can’t wait to see their little faces light up when they see the characters up close and personal.
Dubai
As we are having to give our annual trip to the UAE a miss in February, we are hoping to get there during the October half term. We will be opting for Dubai over Abu Dhabi as the Dubai Expo opens in Mid October. Having visited the Milan Expo in 2015 we know there will be loads for all the family to enjoy.
Fuerteventura/Tenerife
A bit of winter sun always gets a big thumbs up from us. Therefore we are hoping to hit the Canary Islands the week before Christmas. The biggest decision will be which island to visit. As Fuerteventura is the only one of the four largest islands we haven’t visited we are swaying towards that. However, Tenerife is also on the list as we want to ensure there is enough for the kids to do. We shall see nearer the time.
We’ve had a great year and we hope you have too. If not we hope 2020 will be your year. Do you have any travel plans firmed up yet or even some in the pipeline – let us know.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
No Comments