Pack your bags, we’re heading off on a
Trip Over the World….
Choose a destination below, and join me to experience the places I have been and get some ideas on what to see and do when you visit these places. Inspiration for those travelling solo, just make the booking and Trip Over The World.
Don’t forget to subscribe to receive an email when there is a new story published, and follow me on Instagram to see daily photos from my travels.
If you have any questions or comments on any of the stories, or want to tell me your story, please contact me, I look forward to hearing from you.
Trip Planning
Planning a trip overseas is all part of the experience of travel, it takes a lot of research into destinations, flights, accommodation choices, what to see and do, how to get around once you are there, etc, etc, etc.
Flying into Venice
I flew into Venice Marco Polo Airport from London to begin my solo Italian Adventure in early spring, hoping to get ahead of the crowds. This trip was taking me to visit Venice, Florence, Siena, Pisa and Cinque Terre
Heathrow to London
I’ve never found arriving at Heathrow to be as daunting as some have led me to believe – it’s all well sign posted and, basically, just follow the crowd. I need the Piccadilly Line as it goes directly to Green Park.
Herd Of Hope
A herd of elephants arrived in Spitalfields back in 2020. This amazing art installation, of 21 bronze elephants created by Gillie and Marc to raise awareness of the damage caused by poachers.
Sydney to London on QF1
Flying to London from Sydney on QF1, all booked, all packed, having decided to fly on Qantas again hoping things were getting better as Vanessa Hudson, the new CEO, had promised!! And, I have enough Qantas points to apply for an upgrade
Boxing Day Walk
A short Boxing Day walk around St James’s in London learning a bit about the history of the area and walking off Christmas lunch.
Christmas Day in London
Christmas Day in London is so much better for looking at the Christmas Lights than Christmas Eve!!
Christmas Eve in London
The Christmas Lights in London are amazing!! Everywhere you look the streets are all decorated with the most unbelievable lights.
Walk Around London
The big walk I failed to do the previous day had heavy rain, light drizzle and even some sunshine
Arriving in London
Jetlagged up to the eyeballs, I set off exploring the neighbourhood
Flying with Qatar Airways
My first flight with Qatar Arways was a big success!
Clicking some of the advertising links on this site, and purchasing something, could earn me a small commission. It certainly won’t cost you any extra. I really appreciate it, thank you!
They built a new walkway crossing over the Mororway, it will have a roof to protect us from the sun and rain they said.
Turns out it only has a strip of roof on one side, so in the morning the shade is on the motorway below, and in the afternoon the shade is on the other side of the motorway below.
Then they cut holes in the roof, the shape of bugs (!?!), no doubt to let the sun and rain through 🤔
In the middle of the day, the shadow from the roof with the holes in it turns into an X rated phallic display!!
Do you see that, or it it just me??🤣
Should there be a Parental Guidance warning before walking on to the foot bridge???
#northsydney #nswgovt @north.sydney #phallicart #walktowork #morningcommute #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #sydneyuncovered
After visiting Isola Bella, I had lunch at one of the beach clubs, ✨️before walking up all the steps back up to the road. Then down the hill to Mazzaro to catch the bus up to Taormina......because the cable car was closed for maintenance 😒
For info about the hotels I stayed in on my recent solo adventure to Malta and Sicily, click the link to my website in the bio.
#isolabellataormina #islandparadise #isolabella #pizzabythesea #aperolspritz #solotravelinsicily #taorminasicily #solotravel #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #traveltheworldwithme
Cruising around Gozo in an open-top double decker bus, not normally my chosen
method of transport, but with only one day in Gozo before catching the ferry back to
Valletta, it seems like the best way to see more of the island.
📍Gozo Harbour – picture perfect.
⛪That church watching over the harbour? That’s Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel, doing
her best to photobomb every shot.
🚜Oh, and a bonus quad bike gang rolled past—clearly living their best adventure
movie moment. Another very popular way to tour around Gozo.
Solo travel tip: Open-top buses are a fab way to see the island without the stress of
maps or dodgy parking. Just sit back, snap some pics, and enjoy the breeze! ☀️I met a
lovely couple from Chichester in England to chat with on the bus.
#GozoIsland #SoloTravelMalta #BusWithAView #OpenTopAdventures #GozoVibes
#MaltaAdventures #SoloTravelMagic
Just took a free tour of Government House in Sydney`s Royal Botanic Gardens... now I`m considering a career change... Governor General, here I come! ✨️
#govermenthouse #governmenthousesydney #royalbotanicgardens #sydneyrbg #explorethecityyoulivein #walkinthepark #historicsydney #sydneyweekend #sydney #sydneyharbourwalks
Different story today, they forecast sun and it happened 🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞 finally!!
#stleonardspark #northsydney #blueskyandsunshine☀️ #walkinthepark #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #sydneyweekend
Visited the Titanic Exhibition and lived to tell the tale ✨️ but honestly, the harbour views and the walk around Walsh Bay and The Rocks stole the show!!
#sydneyharbourwalks #sydneyharbour #sydneyharbourbridge #walshbaysydney #seeeverythingdoeverything #myhometown #explorethecityyoulivein
Walking around Barangaroo to Walsh Bay, looking out over Sydney Harbour towards Balmain, Anzac Bridge and across to Luna Park on the north side.
#sydneyinspring #sydneyaustralia #sydneyharbour #barangaroo #sydneyharbourwalks #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
Isola Bella, the little island paradise on the beach below Taormina✨️You have to walk through knee deep water to get there. I had my water shoes and small travel towel - ready for anything😂🥂
Read about the hotels I stayed in on my recent solo adventure in Malta and Sicily, click the link to my website in the bio.
#isolabellataormina #isolabella #taorminasicily #taormina #islandparadise #downbythesea #soloadventure #sicily
I would never get tired of walking around Toarmina, always something interesting to see 💖
Click the link to my website, in the bio, to read about the hotels I stayed at on my recent solo adventure to Malta and Sicily 🥂!!
#taormina #taorminasicily #solotravelinsicily #soloadventure #seeeverythingdoeverything #ancientsicily #isolabella #beautifulview
Isola Bella, the beautiful little island where Lady Florence Trevelyan made her home after being exiled from England, meanwhile, her lover wasn`t exiled, he became King Edward Vll 👑
Hmmm 🤔
📍Walk down from Toarmina for some great views, the cable car was closed for maintenance when I was there, I caught the bus back up to Porto Messina!! ✨️
#isolabellataormina #taormina #taorminasicily #visitsicily
#solotravelinsicily #ladyflorencetrevelyan #soloadventureinsicily #exploretheworld
#seeeverythingdoeverything
Looking for a place to stay in Sicily or Malta? Click the link in the bio to read my reviews of the hotels I stayed in on my recent solo adventure.
#sicily #Syracuse #palermo #piccolocasamia #hotelpoliteamapalermo #solotrip #solotravelinsicily #soloadventure #traveltheworldworldwithme #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #whereistayed
Wandering through Valletta’s streets is like walking through a living museum — only with
better coffee ✨️Full of character, history, and photogenic facades.
Founded in 1566 by the Knights of St. John, Malta’s capital is a UNESCO World Heritage
Site packed with baroque beauty, colourful balconies, and more steps than your step
counter ever asked for. From Grand Harbour views to narrow laneways, every corner has
a story (and probably a pastizzi shop nearby).
📍Valletta, Malta
🏛 Built after the Great Siege of 1565
#VallettaStreets #MaltaHistory #UNESCOWalks #SoloTravelMalta
#WanderingWithPurpose #MaltaByFoot #StreetsOfValletta #MaltaMagic #solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
A few views from Taormina, down to the beach, out to Mt Etna, up to Castelmola, always something wonderful to see on the streets of Taormina.
#taormina #taorminasicily #mtetna #mtetnasicily #castelmola #solotravelinsicily #soloadventure #traveltheworldwithme
Everywhere you look in Taormina, there is another magnificent view, from Isola Bella to Mt Etna✨️
Click the link to my website in the bio to read about the hotels I stayed in on my solo adventure to Malta and Sicily🥂💖
#taormina #taorminasicily #visitsicily #isolabella #isolabellataormina #mtetna #solotravelinsicily #solotravel #seeeverythingdoeverything #traveltheworldwithme
A last look around Syracuse ✨️ before continuing my solo Sicilian adventure, next stop Taormina 💖
#Syracuse #sicily #solotravelinsicily #soloadventure #traveltheworldwithme #solotrip #seeeverythingdoeverything
The Archeological Park in Syracuse, a very interesting place, Lady to get around with well marked trails to follow so you don`t miss anything.
Although all the sculptures add to the ambience, I was disappointed to find none of them are more than 5 years old, not what I consider ancient archaeological discoveries!!
#syracuse #sicily #arceologicalpark #historicalsicily #soloadventure #traveltheworldwithme #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #seeeverythingdoeverything #solotravel #
The wildly changeable weather in Sydney lately,🌧 last week I needed a snorkel and flippers to get out of my front door!!🥴
#raininsydney #wildweather #Sydney #sydneyaustralia #flowersintherain #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
Way up at the top of the hill behind Taormina is the town of Castelmola, some interesting ruins from the middle ages, and a lovely place for lunch with amazing views✨️
I spent 2 hours up there as one of the stops on the hop-on, hop-off bus trip.
Click on the link to my website to read about the hotels I stayed in on my recent solo adventure to Malta and Sicily.🥂
#castelmola #Taormina #Sicily #medievalSicily #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme #seeeverythingdoeverything #soloadventure
An evening stroll through Taormina ✨️ around Piazza Aprile IX and down Corso Umberto deciding where to go for dinner🥂
Click the link to my website in the bio to see my reviews of the hotels where I stayed in Malta & Sicily🥰
#taormina #taorminasicily #piazzaapriletaormina #corsoumbertotaormina #lapassagiata #eveningstroll #solotravelinsicily #soloadventure #seeeverythingdoeverything
I had a wonderful stay @hotel_isabella_taormina on my recent solo adventure through Malta and Sicily.✨️
📍click the link in the bio to read my reviews of the hotels I stayed in (not sponsored, just honest reviews)
#hotelisabellataormina #taormina #taorminasicily #corsoumbertotaormina #soloadventure #solotravelinsicily #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #traveltheworldwithme #siicily
Where I stayed on my recent solo adventure in Malta and Sicily✨️ click the link in the bio to read my new post about where I stayed...and why.
Loved the Grand Harbour Hotel in Valletta 💖 the views were hard to tear myself away from⚓️
Not sponsored, all honest reviews 🥂!!
#grandharbourhotelvalletta #malta #soloadventure #solotrip #whereistayed #visitmalta #traveltheworldworldwithme #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
After more exploring Noto on my day trip from Syracuse, in Sicily ✨️I indulged my passion for a bit of fried seafood, then followed that with a Sicilian gelato 😋
#noto #sicily #frittomisto #gelato #exploringsicily #solotravelinsicily #soloadventure #traveltheworldwithme ##seeeverythingdoeverything
Exploring Gozo one historic gem at a time—on an open-top bus, naturally!
From boats rowing out of caves, to the mighty Cittadella keeping watch over Victoria.
First fortified during the Bronze Age, then rebuilt by the Knights of St John after the
Ottoman raid of 1551.
Spotted Ta’ Kola Windmill, built way back in 1725. Once home to Gozo’s village miller,
now a beautifully preserved peek into rural Maltese life.
St George’s Basilica, the “Golden Church,” a baroque beauty dating back to the 17th
century, full of marble, gold leaf, and ceiling frescoes.
And let’s not forget the Gozitan streets—stone balconies, colourful doors and centuries
of stories carved into every corner.
If you`re solo travelling like me, Gozo’s open-top bus is a brilliant way to soak up the
island’s deep history—no navigation stress, just sunshine, stories, and sea breeze.
#GozoHistory #MaltaHeritage #SoloTravelChronicles #KnightsAndWindmills.
#GozoBusTour #SoloTravelMalta #HistoryAndHairdos #CaveBoatsAndCathedrals
Teatro Antico, the ancient theatre in Taormina, built in the 3rd Century, still showing productions today.✨️
#teatroanticotaormina #taorminasicily #taormina #Sicily #sicilytravel #solotravelinsicily #seeeverythingdoeverything #ancientruins
Caught the bus down to the seaside today, the pebbles were bigger than I`ve seen on any beach anywhere, it was like a rock quarry!! How people were sitting on it was a mystery! Then to top it off it was high tide and I was ill equipped to walk thigh deep through the water to get to Isola Bella. Now I know what to prepare for, I`ll have another go later......
.
#taorminasicily #taormina #isolabella #isolabellataormina #sicilianbeach #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #seeeverythingdoeverything #solotravelinsicily #downbytheseaside
Taormina-Giardini railway station💞 just as beautiful as everything else in Taormina ✨️
Used as the film set for The Godfather.
From here I continued on my solo adventure to Palermo, via Messina.
#taorminasicily #taormina #taormina-giardini #traintravel #solotravelinsicily #soloadventure #sicily #neverstopexploring #traveltheworldwithme #traveladdict
Spring Festival Taormina style ✨️ everywhere you look - flowers 💖
This is how spring should be!
#taormina #taorminasicily #springfestival #flowerseverywhere #solotravelinsicily #soloadventure #traveltheworldwithme #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
Below the buildings on the south side of Corso Umberto, this 2nd Century Naumachie is the foundation of places like @hotel_isabella_taormina ✨️(in the first photo), where I stayed!!💖
#taormina #taorminasicily #hotelisabella #naumachietaormina #solotravelinsicily #seeeverythingdoeverything #traveltheworldwithme
Endless hours of wandering around the streets of Valletta, something interesting around every corner.
1. All the stepped streets that lead from Merchants St are full of coffee shops, bars and restaurants, they are packed every evening.
2. The long steps up St Ursula St, these were a daily event for me as I left the Grand Harbour Hotel.
3. Next to the Grand Masters Palace in Republic Square
4. A typical street in Valletta.
5. Monument of St Paul.
#streetsofvalletta #Valletta #Malta #solotrip #solofemaletravel #solotravel #solotravelinmalta #adventure2025 #traveltheworldwithme #seetheworldthroughmylens #neverstopexploring
The markets in Ortigia, Syracuse can get very loud as the sellers sell their goods!! Especially as is gets on towards closing time...
#ortigia #syracuse #sicily #markets #fruitandvegetables #artichokes #soloadventure #solotrip #seeeverythingdoeverything
The Spring Flower Show 💐every year at David Jones city store, not sure that this one is my favourite 🤔 what do you think?
#davidjonesflowershow #sydneycbd #sydney #flowerseverywhere #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
This seems to be all it does in Sydney these days, although there is a fine day forecast for tomorrow 😊 As I walked through St Leonards Park this morning on my way to work, there was everything from torrential to drizzle.
Most of NSW north of Sydney has completely gone under in floods, so the rain in Sydney is nothing compared to what others are going through 😒
#stleonardspark #rainfall #waterwaterandmorewater #morningcommute #walkinthepark #northsydney #northsydneyintherain
After wandering through St James`s Park, I went over to Chelsea to see the Flowers exhibition (no longer on, sorry!!) @saatchi_gallery in Duke of York Square, there were some amazing pieces there. They have some great exhibitions in this gallery, so even though this one is over, there will be others, and having a coffee out in the square is always a good idea.💐💕 Determined to keep busy and nor let the jet lag take hold, from here I made my way over to South Kensington to the V&A Museum....
#saatchigallery #chelsealondon #amazingart #flowers #flowersatsaatchi #solotravel #solotrip #neverstopexploring #seeeverythingdoeverything #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #artinlondon #dealingwithjetlag #traveltheworldworldwithme #solotravelinlondon
The beautiful ancient streets of Ortigia Island in Sicily.✨️Perfect for aimlessly wandering through exploring whatever comes along.🌞
#ortigia #ortigiaisland #Syracuse #sicily #sicilytravel #visitsyracuse #solotravelinsicily #streetofortigia #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #traveltheworldwithme
✨ Wandering through Mdina—the Silent City where time stands still. Stone streets, honeyed walls, and the sound of horses hooves on the narrow stone streets.
Once the capital of Malta, now it’s just quietly showing off with Baroque balconies and medieval charm. 👣 Come for the history, stay for the silence...
📍Mdina, Malta - I caught the #51 bus from Valletta bus terminal to get here.
#MdinaMoments #SilentCity #MaltaMagic #WanderlustMalta #SoloTravelStories #MdinaDoors #BaroqueBeauty #seeeverythingdoeverything #traveltheworldwithme
Stepping inside Government House reveals a treasure trove of polished wood, just look at that amazing dining table ✨️ leather furniture, and glittering chandeliers, every bit as magnificent as its exterior.
#governmenthousesydney #polishedwood #amazingplace #historicsydney #explorethecityyoulivein #chandliers #sydney #sydneyaustralia
Beautiful Taormina on Sicily`s east coast. Little streets and stepped lanes there just for exploring.✨️
Who doesn`t need a Dolce & Gabbana Vespa??? Perfect 💖🥂
#taormina #taorminasicily #solotravelinsicily #soloadventure @dolcegabbana #seeeverythingdoeverything #traveltheworldwithme #flowerseverywhere
💫Standing beneath one of the largest unsupported domes in the world at the Mosta
Rotunda, and wondering how on earth it’s still standing — especially after a WWII bomb
fell through the dome and didn’t explode! 😲
This beautiful church in the heart of Malta is a must-visit — stunning architecture, a
miraculous history, and serious ceiling goals. I first spotted it way off in the distance
when looking out from Mdina. After another bus trip from Valletta, I was here in
Mosta climbing up into the dome of this church built in the early 1800s.
📍Mosta Rotunda (aka the Rotunda of St. Marija Assunta)
🎨Inspired by Rome’s Pantheon
💣WWII miracle in 1942 — true story!
#MostaRotunda #MiracleChurch #MaltaMoments #SoloTravelMalta #solotrip
#mosta
#malta #HistoricChurches #WanderlustMalta #MaltaMagic #solotravelmoments
The never ending parade in Taormina continues.....
.
#taorminasicily #taormina #sicilytravel #sicilytourism #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme #solotrip
The Nymphaeum is the only structure within Fort St Angelo which has never had any
military function. It was built in 1531 for the Grand Master of the Knights of St John as a
relaxation area, in part of a medieval tower.
As the Nymphaeum was built with its back to the sun, it offered constant shade against Malta’s hot summer. Still used today by the Knight Resident of the Order of St John, who I believe lives here. I hope he didn`t mind me sitting here for a while!! ✨️
# Nymphaeum #FortStAngelo #MalteseHistory #SoloTravelMoments #Birgu #solotrip
#neverstopexploring
Sailed out of the Grand Harbour in Malta under a soft pre-dawn sky, watching Valletta slowly fade behind me. The Virtu Ferry, named John Paul II, was built all the way over in Tasmania—a little slice of home carrying me across the Mediterranean. ✨️
Bound for Pozzallo, Sicily, the journey was fairly smooth, peaceful, and just the right
amount of dramatic (cue moody sunrise lighting and salty sea spray).
There`s something special about watching a place you`ve loved drift into the horizon. Malta, you
were warm, layered with history, and full of solo travel magic, I’ll definitely be back one day……..the solo adventure continues in Sicily….🌻
#MaltaToSicily #solotrip #SoloTravelMoments #VallettaAtDawn #GoodbyeMalta
#virtuferries #traveltheworldwithme #traveladdict #neverstopexploring #soloadventure
Flying into London, it`s been a while since I have flown in during daylight hours, without low cloud or fog to get a few pics from the air!! It would have been better with full sun 🌞 maybe next time....so lovely to walk through St James`s Park🥰🌺🥂
#London #Thames #riverthames #buckinghampalace🇬🇧 #kensingtonpalace #stjamespark #stjamesspalace #solotravel #solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #traveltheworldwithme #solotravelinlondon
Just behind the markets in Ortigia, Syracuse, looking over the Mediterranean.
#solotravel #solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #traveltheworldwithme #seeeverythingdoeverything #ortigia #syracuse #sicily #meditteranean
This parade has been going up and down Cirdo Umberto in Taormina all afternoon!! Lots of drums, dancing and horses wearing more flowers than any horse is meant to!! I`m still not sure what it`s all about - but is that important??
.
#taorminasicily #taormina #cittataormina #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #solotrip #solotravelinsicily #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #traveltheworldwithme
I finally arrived in Palermo✨️, after a ridiculously long train journey from Toarmina with unexpected delays. Checked into my hotel and set out to discover the city!
🎭 Teatro Politeama was right outside my hotel.
To read about the hotels I stayed in on my solo adventures through Malta and Sicily, click the link to my website in the bio.
#palermo #palermosicily #teatropoliteamapalermo #hotelpoliteama #sicilytravel #solotravelinsicily #soloadventure #traveltheworldwithme #seeeverythingdoeverything
After a bit of window shopping and a long walk through Hyde Park to Kensington Garden, it rained, it was windy, the sun tried to come out, then it got really cold. I went to the `Dress Code` exhibition at Kensington Palace, the Palace is in the middle of a major conservation project have all the sash windows replaced so the whole building is covered in scaffolding......
#hydepark #hydeparklondon #kensingtonpalace #kensingtongardens #fortnums #oxfordstreet #solotravel #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #seeeverythingdoeverything
Inside Government House in Sydney, where Princess Anne is staying this weekend✨️ not sure what you do to get to stay there, but clearly she`s doing it....and I`m not!!
Open most weekends to walk through, definitily worth it, a magnificent historic buildingoverlooking the harbour, in the Royal Botanic Gardens.
#governmenthousesydney #princessanne #historicsydney #royalbotanicgardens #explorethecityyoulivein #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #myhometown
To get a better shot of the Cannon firing, I waited in the freezing cold at Upper Barrakka Gardens to I could secure this spot, the crowds were 10 deep behind me!!
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#vallettacannonshot #vallettasalutingbattery #cannonfire #cannonfireinvalletta #Malta #maltalife #solotravel #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotrip #seeeverythingdoeverything
Went on an excursion through the centre of Sicily to the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento near the south coast, then remains of Greek Temples built on the 5th century BC! Then we went down to the coast to look at Scala dei Turchi, the natural formation of step like ridges in the rock. Ottomans Turks found shelter here, giving it the name.
#valleyofthetemples #agrigento #agrigentosicily #scaladeiturchi #Sicily #solotravel #solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #neverstopexploring #seeeverythingdoeverything
An afternoon stroll around the coast of Ortigia Island, Syracuse, Sicily to Castello Maniace out on the point. This rather imposing structure has been defending the coast since the early 1200s.
There was an earlier fort on this site built in 1038!!
#ortigia #syracuse #sicily #historicalsicily #castellomaniace #seeeverythingdoeverything #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #traveltheworldwithme #soloadventure #solotrip
