Places of Interest

☕Tassimo ☕ said:

large mug of very milky tea and a pile of coconut biscuits by my laptop

I like the way you plan. My own world runs on tea.

So, I don't actually have much in the way of good suggestions for what you're looking for, but I have two things that might lead to ideas who knows.

First off; Iceland! I know, it's a whole other country, but it is hands down my most favourite place to visit. I think some of it is to do with the calm and the quiet the place exudes, while being simultaneously friendly without being in your face about it. It's beautiful, and in the winter I spent so many nights watching the aurora borealis. I know that right now you won't be travelling internationally, but it's worth considering in the future. In the meantime though, perhaps somewhere in Scotland where the aurora borealis can occasionally be seen would provide a similar experience.

Second suggestion is the Landmark Trust. Now, I have yet to actually do one of these, but they are forever on my to-do list. You can sometimes find decent prices buying off-season and far enough in advance, and it also varies wildly with the different sites. The down side is, quite often you can't book anything decent at short notice and so there'll be a long wait. But I love the idea of going to stay in an old castle, or a WW2 bunker and such.

Coffee in the morning (and last thing at night), tea throughout the day. 

Iceland, yes, indeed, B. For all the reasons you've mentioned, I have contemplated going to Iceland a few times over the past few years with family, but then we've always opted for some other place with guaranteed sunshine. When things get back to normal, it's on my list of places in the EU to visit. 

I know nothing about the Landmark Trust! Fascinating. This is something I'm going to enjoy finding out about. Thank you very much for this info. New ideas are the name of the game! I too get a thrill at the thought of staying in an old castle or WW2 bunker. I love live theatre and so if there is some theatrical enactment involved, it's right up my street. 

I have been to Iceland twice, once in the winter and in the late summer. By far my favourite was the winter trip, because I enjoyed the long nights, the ease at which we saw the aurora borealis, and the snow. Oh how I love the snow. But going in winter does mean very little light (proper light last something like 4 hours a day) and difficulty getting to many of the tourist spots. Definitely wouldn't advice driving around the country solo. We got stuck in the snow a few times- we pushed it out ourselves once or twice, and were helped by passing strangers (everyone is very helpful there) sometimes too. If you do want to keep the sunshine in your trip, just remember that at summer you might have too much- we could only sleep with the very dark blinds firmly down. But you can see more of the country that way.

To be honest I'd happily go just to sit in a cabin out in the snowy countryside, to look up at the stars, with occasional visits to Reykjavik and the blue lagoon.

I have been to Iceland twice, once in the winter and in the late summer. By far my favourite was the winter trip, because I enjoyed the long nights, the ease at which we saw the aurora borealis, and the snow. Oh how I love the snow. But going in winter does mean very little light (proper light last something like 4 hours a day) and difficulty getting to many of the tourist spots. Definitely wouldn't advice driving around the country solo. We got stuck in the snow a few times- we pushed it out ourselves once or twice, and were helped by passing strangers (everyone is very helpful there) sometimes too. If you do want to keep the sunshine in your trip, just remember that at summer you might have too much- we could only sleep with the very dark blinds firmly down. But you can see more of the country that way.

To be honest I'd happily go just to sit in a cabin out in the snowy countryside, to look up at the stars, with occasional visits to Reykjavik and the blue lagoon.