Vignettes from a Lifetime of Travel

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Z is for 😴😴😴

I know one should go out with a bang instead of a whimper but seriously, I’m practically dormant here!

Exactly 365 days ago, I flew back in to Dublin from the US (the photo above is my view from the plane). Still in denial, I was reminding myself on the flight to get a move on and book something for the Easter break which was little more than a month away. We’d been humming and hawing before I left – but veering towards the Netherlands, maybe starting in Amsterdam and visiting some of those lovely old towns with great names – Gouda, Delft…..

You can fill in the rest yourselves!!!

HOWEVER!!

Dormant I well may be but, to borrow from the great Dylan Thomas:

I will not go gentle into that good night…

So I’ve started booking bits and bobs for a summer at home and who knows, maybe in another 365 days I’ll be dusting off the passport and getting back on a plane…

I couldn’t find a ‘z’ anywhere in the country except for Zion Road in Dublin and the Zoo!!! (although I am open to correction… is the a Zion Hill in Sligo?)

So I’ll leave you (and my ‘Vignette’ series) with these images instead!! Continents apart, and a long way from home… and all stunning in their own unique way…

Zion National Park, Utah (2015+2019)

Zadar (2017)

Zanzibar (2006)

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26 thoughts on “Vignettes from a Lifetime of Travel”

  1. I’m with you Marie…itching to get travelling again. But, it looks like it will be until August before we have both vaccine shots, so maybe 2022. In the meantime, we are getting to know the walks around our area, really well. Zion was perfect for Z , loved this area. Are you guys still in Level 5? Stay well. Allan

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    1. We’re way down the list also so not even thinking about getting it soon. Zion is amazing isn’t it….. I love that landscape. Yes level 5 until early April but probably only a few concessions after that – it could be summer before we get domestic travel back – at best. It’ll be a different summer to last though – very few were willing to take any risk last year which meant there were no crowds, plenty of hotel rooms and so on…… everyone is looking now towards internal travel so I’d say July/August could be a bit mad.

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  3. I love seeing your travel photos, Marie, especially the one from Zion National Park. For me, it’s been exactly 19 months since my last trip outside of Ireland and as much as I would love to start booking vacations, I am willing to wait. As for a Zion Hill in Sligo – according to Google geographical coordinates in decimal degrees, there is indeed such a place somewhere near Ounagh 🙂 Thanks for sharing and have a good day. Aiva 🙂

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    1. Was that your trip to Portugal….. nearly 2 years!!! Who’d have thought. You must know every inch of Sligo at this stage!!! I was wondering if you’d come across Zion – Apart from the Google reference on the map, I can’t find any mention of it!!

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      1. My last trip abroad was in July 2019 to Latvia and we didn’t have much after as we had grand plans of exploring Scotland for three weeks in the spring of 2020. And we all know what happened that spring! Apart from the Google mention, I can’t find any signs of Zion Hill in Sligo, and I haven’t come across it either. I guess, there’s more to Sligo than I initially thought. xxx

  4. This is so me! Just over a year ago (27th Feb) we were flying back from Vietnam and talking about plans for the rest of the year. I was getting geared up to host my Virtual Tourist friends from all over the world in Newcastle in May and my husband was going to Cork on a walking holiday with his friends in June, so we were planning trips together later in the year – a city break somewhere in Europe (probably Italy) for our anniversary in September and a longer trip in October to either Georgia or Armenia. Of course, none of that happened – instead we had ‘staycations’ in Wells and Whitstable (fun in their own way, but …)

    For 2021 we are hoping to go up to Yorkshire in August, which I’m confident will be possible. We also have a cancellable reservation in Paris for September to celebrate our 40th, but I’m less confident of that given the slow vaccine rollout in France, so we need a UK back-up plan. We’ve also, in a mad burst of confidence, booked a trip to Sri Lanka in Feb next year, but we have the flexibility to postpone that for up to a year if necessary, which I fear it may be. Let’s see!

    Meanwhile I love your Zs 🙂 I’ve been to ZIon and Zanzibar but not Zadar, so that’s something else to tempt me, once we can travel again!

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    1. I’d really be hopeful for next Feb…. that will be lovely to look forward to. You might get lucky for September – a lot will change in the next few months. But you’re right – you need a back up plan for such a milestone!!!
      I don’t know if you haven’t been to Croatia or just haven’t written about it. We’ve been twice – first time was Dubrovnik and Split and then a bit of a road trip the following year. Loved it – except both trips were in August which is REALLY busy. Ryanair flies in to Zadar so that’s how we ended up there….. Lovely town for a few days ……

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      1. We were in Croatia so long ago that it was still called Yugoslavia! We stayed at a coastal resort between Split and Dubrovnik, called Makarska, back in the day when we tended to do cheapish and quite simple trips. We did get to Dubrovnik for a day and also Mostar, but I’d love to go back, especially to Split which a friend has enthused about. But I think August would be too hot for me!

      2. Being teachers, we just got used to putting up with August conditions, Spanish and Italian campsites being the toughest! I still have a thing about going away in August – don’t think it will ever leave me. I could go away 6/8 times in the year but if I’d to stay put for all of August I’d feel cheated!

  5. That photograph of Zion National Park is awesome and that is not a word I am wont to use. It is terrific. Make it into a postcard and use it. Like everyone, I’m itching to get going again but another year added to my already increasing years doesn’t make it any easier. I doubt if I can do any more long-haul but I look with longing towards Europe, to Italy and Spain mostly, and I am torn between the desire to go back to old familiar places and enjoy their comfort and to the excitement of new places with new experiences. When the time comes to make that booking I will have to make up my mind. Before that, if we have to remain near home this year, I want a week in London just to get a cultural fix. I’ve already picked the hotel, the galleries I want to see, and the streets in the city I want to wander.

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    1. Same here – longing to revisit places – just because I can. While I hope there’s a long haul or 2 left in me, I’ll be dipping the toe in Europe first I’d say. But you’re right – You’ll know what fits best when the time comes. I’d love a trip to London – but it would have to be under ‘normal’ conditions – I don’t want to be away and have to compromise on anything I’d usually enjoy. I don’t know WHEN I’ll be comfortable in crowds again – I can’t get my head around packed venues, restaurants, public transport…..

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  6. Fingers crossed we will all start travelling again before too long. We are poised to go where ever will have us when we have had our vaccinations, quite exciting not knowing where our next destination will be 😁

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  7. My gosh Marie I am like a caged animal my last trip was early December of 2019. I am trying to occupy my time but I am ready to move. Finally booked Massachusetts for May hopefully we continue on the path to recovery. Best wishes

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  9. Really relateble I just started my own travel blog and then covid hit and I could not travel anymore from my country. No travel planning for me at all 😦

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