Some years are more easily recalled than others – those which evoke ‘that was the year…’ and are instantly identifiable to our increasingly befuddled brains ( ok – not our maybe – just mine!).
2025 will be one of those years.
We’d a relatively slow start – happy enough with 2 favourites – a short break in Belfast in January….
….and another in Donegal in February….
….before heading to the airport for the first off-island adventure of the year.
And it was a big one! 8 of us off to New Zealand armed with the minutest detail of every campsite, petrol station and coffee shop from one end of the country to the other! But!! Not only did we arrive planned to the nth degree – we’d something even better in on hand! Yep – 2 tech-savvy 20 somethings came along for the craic. Which basically meant everyone else’s brain could (and DID) switch off and we left them to it. Elaine and Ian – you were brill – feel free to join us any time !!
Travel companions extraordinaire! Day 1! Christchurch – (beer for medicinal purposes only – to keep us awake!!)
South Island New Zealand is as stunning as reported (although much of the landscape is very like home). Over two very packed weeks, our 2 camper vans made their way from Christchurch in a backwards C to the north of the island before crossing to Wellington.
And it was there that my New Zealand odyssey ended. The long anticipated dreaded phone call from home with bad news about my mum saw our two young friends spring into action. Exactly 90 minutes after the phone call, we were packed, 3 flights booked and in an uber heading for Wellington airport and the long trek home.
My darling mum was to hang on for another 10 days, allowing me a very special, peaceful and calm time with her. I say calm in particular – we weren’t supposed to be in the country, so there were no obligations or appointments to be cancelled, no will we/ won’t we decisions to be made. She was a woman who caused as little fuss as possible – she’d be mortified to think I’d changed travel plans because of her! Having said that, she never ‘got’ the travel thing – she couldn’t understand why we wouldn’t just go on a ‘normal’ holiday like everyone else!!
Love you, Mum
As with my dad several years beforehand, I found myself needing an ‘escape’ for a few days fairly quickly after the funeral. Requirements were just sunshine, all inclusive (so no decisions) and familiarity (so no suggestion of touring or sightseeing). We headed to Agadir for 5 days which I don’t love but it fitted the bill. And it worked. I came home wearing a different head and ready to face the world.
More specifically, face into a family wedding ! Yep, our one and only married the lovely Gill at the beginning of June. I tried to convince them that Komodo Island would be a perfect venue but they weren’t interested for some strange reason – young people nowadays eh!
We weren’t grounded for long – a more obliging couple invited us to their wedding in Verona at the end of June. They’d be delighted if we’d join them – WOULD WE WHAT!
We drew up a lovely trip – 7 nights in Slovenia and 3 in Trieste before joining the wedding party in Verona. From there, well, there was only one place we could go – back to Lazise on Lake Garda – the site of many of our family camping holidays. We were joined by our now officially extended family and spent 10 days idling on the campsite and strolling into town when we felt like a change of scene. We left the young ones to it for a few days and headed to Milan for the Springsteen concert (a surprise from Santa), returning to them slowly via the beautiful towns of Pavia, Cremona and Mantua.
Home Sweet Home!! Dublin airport, July, 2026! (It looks a bit full, to be honest!)
We were back in Dublin long enough to wash the clothes, water the plants and organise a new bag before heading to Madagascar with G Adventures at the end of July. There’s a lot to be said for guided trips – no decisions – everything is someone else’s problem…. We’d a wonderful time, needless to say (which I’ve yet to share with you!). What a great place to spend one’s birthday!
Late August and we’re back in Donegal, visiting the pilgrimage site of Lough Derg and catching up with family.
Malaga is always great for a mini break (although we rarely get airline offers unfortunately). Early October found me there with 2 pals – both keen on doing the Caminito del Rey and I was more than happy to revisit. Over countless anchovies and bottomless Tinto de Verano, we hummed and hawed about public transport but ended up (thankfully) joining a day excursion from Malaga – MUCH easier! (Oh dear – there’s a trend beginning here isn’t there!!! – Tom’s right – I am getting soft in my old age!!!)
A search for relatively nearby sun / preferably new destination for late October threw up Cape Verde and we went for it – 2 weeks and 4 islands. Although the jury is still out on a return trip or not, we’d a wonderful time, loving the beaches, food, and people in particular.
While non direct fights can be an absolute pain, going through London has its advantages – we can stop over and look in on my uncle and other family members. En route home from Cape Verde, we stopped off for 2 nights – slipping away for the Saturday matinee of The Importance of being Earnest with Stephen Fry as Lady Bracknell – loved it!
Finally, early December found us in the lovely Hanseatic city of Lubeck – another great place for a short break.
Christmas is a funny time, isn’t it – all those triggers – traditions and memories….. I’m glad it has passed.
And what’s ahead…..
I always expected, once retired, we’d be heading off into the sunset – spending months at a time in faraway places. Mum’s health, for the past decade, dictated a different course. In the early years, we nervously came and went for maybe 8 – 10 days at a time – eventually moving back up to a fortnight or so. In more recent years, we’ve gradually extended that – the New Zealand trip being the longest planned at 30 days.
And now – I just don’t know. No major immediate change – we’re off to Salzburg and Munich in a few days time. Then there’s Vietnam / Cambodia / Thailand in March with our ‘New Zealand’ buddies (minus the young ones but they’d be very welcome!!!).
I don’t usually plan for the year ahead, but, for once, there’s a wish list ……
Iceland Ring Road
Armenia/Georgia
A few Stans (maybe 2 – not all 5)
Turkey road trip
Komodo Island!
…… I’m aiming for 2 out of the 5!
Here’s to 2026 – whatever it may bring.
XXX Marie
Italy, July, 2025
Well done Marie, summarised , an extraordinary year… onward and upward for you two .. happy new year my dears 🥂
Thanks Tre – and thanks for all the love and support. Here’s to a good 2026.😘
A mixed year for you indeed, Marie. Well, have a fabulous 2026 and enjoy every day wherever the wind takes you. (By coincidence, it’s blowing us to New Zealand soon….)
Thanks Phil – you’ve had an amazing year so knowing you two, New Zealand is just the start of it!!!
Steven and I are heading to NZ in early April for a few weeks as part of a much longer trip. Hope you and Michaela enjoy your stay there, too. Happy New Year!
Interesting , Annie…we will be in NZ from 1st March till April 12th
Always look forward to your expert and entertaining travelogues Marie, long may they continue in 2026.
Thanks a mil Roy – happy running (even if at a lesser pace) for 2026
I’m sorry to hear about your mother. We travelled for several years dreading that call as both my parents had long illnesses to contend with, but luckily in both cases we were at home when the worst happened. While your mother might have been mortified to think she’s spoiled you holiday, my father used to worry he’d spoil Christmas – he died on the 2st December some years ago and we all made a very special effort to make sure our Christmas went ahead as planned.
That aside, you’ve had a wonderful year of travels, and it sounds like 2026 will be equally as good, maybe better! Armenia and Georgia are on our radar too, interestingly.
I was home for both in the end also – which I never expected to be – so will always be glad for that. Looking forward now to the year ahead (packing winter woolies here for Salzburg) – How lucky are we both – to have seen so much…
Indeed we are so fortunate! Enjoy Salzburg – I’ll be packing lightweight clothing for Sri Lanka soon 😀
Ah – for once there’s a place we’ve been ahead of you!!! We loved it – especially the food!
I’m so sorry for the loss of your Mum, Marie. I’ve always found it striking how deep grief can co-exist alongside life continuing with times of joy – your son’s wedding, amazing trips and more planned trips for next year. I’m glad that even in such a challenging year, you also have lots of good times to look back on. And here’s to 2026 – I can highly recommend Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam – having just returned from a month there, I can safely say it was brilliant.
Thank you Hannah – Aged 94 and after a very, very long decline, it was very much time for her to go. The wedding was certainly a distraction! We haven’t been to Vietnam but will be retracing our steps in Cambodia and Bangkok before finishing up in Phuket for a few days – which is also new to us… so a mixture of old and new but loved Siam Reap and Phnom Penh in 09 so looking forward to revisiting and we were in Bangkok in 1988 so time to return I think!!!! (actually we met another Dublin couple on that trip in ’88 and we still meet up!)
Wow – you did have quite a year, Marie! Here’s wishing for smooth travels in 2026.
Thanks Marie – I’d been bracing myself for years but it’s still tough. I’ve been reading through various travel blogging reviews of the year and am itching to get going!! Wishing you all the best for 2026. XXXMarie
So sorry to hear about your mom Marie, I lost mine 2 years ago. She also waited for me to return from a trip. But overall, you had a busy year, hope you have a wonderful 2026. Maggie
Thank’s Maggie – very much the end of an era isn’t it… You’re right though – we’d a great year in spite of the loss….
Sounds like a busy year of travelling. I’m glad you were able to travel to NZ too, but sorry to hear that you had to cut your trip should because of your mom. Wish you all the best in 2026!
I’m following your posts – and every time it’s ‘hey – we were going to do that!!’. Hope the 3 of you have a great 2026. XXXXM
Marie, I enjoyed reading your exciting travel recap, but am sorry that your mother passed even if she were in declining health. I hope that you’ll get back to NZ someday soon with loved ones at your side. On the off chance you’re looking for input on which of the many places you listed as possible locations to visit this year, let me put a plug in for some of the Stan countries. We visited some of them several years ago and liked being “on a road less traveled.” Wishing you a fun travels wherever you go in 2026 – every place is a winner in my book!
You timed it well Annie – How lucky were you to visit there before the present travel boom. And you’re absolutely right – every place really is a winner!
Happy New Year, Marie!
Thank you Mitch – wishing you all the best for 2026!
I’m glad you’re still fond of travelling. It’s interesting to visit places through the eyes of others. Familiar places reveal new aspects, while unfamiliar places may make you want to go there, or not.
Yes – I love reading about both – the unfamiliar for maybe a few ideas and the familiar just to relive the experience!
Wow. That is a tremendous amount of travel all in one year!! So sorry to hear about your Mom… I get how hard it is to plan. My mom is 99 and I travel with her blessings and instructions not to hurry home if something happens.
Ah – what an age! It’s tricky isn’t it. I was very taken aback a number of years ago when a good friend gave out to me for going off and leaving mum… I was terribly upset at the time and actually didn’t go ahead with the planning of that particular trip. There was always a strong chance I’d be away but I’d come to terms with it over the years and have no regrets.
Exactly. My mom lives 4 1/2 hours from me in Saskatchewan so even if I was home I still might not make it. I didn’t when my dad died even though I drove hard and fast.
Very different here – I lived 15/20 minutes from my parents so saw them all the time..