I’ve done my travel round-up and my books round-up, but here’s a recap of the highlights and lowlights of 2015 overall.
A Year In Recap: Travel
I can’t believe 2015 is nearly over. The year has flown past so quickly, probably due at least in part to the fact that I’ve been out of the country so much. There were a couple of periods where I’d fly somewhere, fly home, dump my stuff, pick up the next round of stuff, and leave immediately. There was a point when I flew from Barcelona to Birmingham with a four-hour stopover in my own house.
Inspired by several of the travel bloggers I follow, I thought I’d do a round-up of my salient travel moments this year. Some good, some bad: all ones that I don’t think I’ll forget in a hurry.
Travel Touchstones 2015
I’ve made a resolution not to go anywhere else abroad this year. Part of me would like to, but a bigger part recognises that (a) I have a shitload of horrible admin to sort out, and all of it requires me to be in the country, and (b) I’m very tired and should probably take it easy for the next few months.
So I thought I’d do a kind of early travel round-up, inspired by Nomadic Matt’s recent post in which he mentioned ‘Travel Touchstones’.
Possibly the most stereotypically Scar week ever
I started the week exhausted and ill, but knowing I had an even more exhausting few days coming up. I was slightly dreading going to Malaga, because conferences always mean getting very little sleep, and if I hadn’t already booked the flights and a hotel with a strict cancellation policy, I probably would have backed out.
I’m so happy I didn’t.
A Tour Through The Botanical Gardens of Malaga
After the conference finished yesterday, those who hadn’t disappeared to hop on a plane went to explore the botanical gardens just outside Malaga.
El Jardín Botánico-Histórico La Concepción was planted in 1855 and boasts a huge collection of tropical and sub-tropical plants, along with several types of fish, frogs, tortoises and water snakes.
Descent
As the plane came in to land,
I believed I was descending into the very gates of hell;
The mountains circling the area jutting like a devil’s jaw
Waiting to swallow us whole.
