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!
The public gardens in Taormina on land that was once owned by the same lady who owned Isola Bella in the late 1800s, Lady Florence Trevelyan, a distant relation of Queen Victoria who was exiled from England for having an affair with the future King Edward Vll (why wasn`t he exiled for the same issue??) She moved to Taormina and bought Isola Bella, later marrying the Mayor of Taormina. Together they created the public gardens, which are beautifully looked after to encourage various plants and birds to live there.
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#oarcotreveltan #publicgardentaormina #taorminasicily #taormina #walkinthepark #solotravel #seeeverythingdoeverything #solotravelinitaly #traveltheworldwithme #solotrip #madeinitaly #madeinsicily #sicilytravel
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
Made it back across the Grand Harbour and up on to my terrace in time to watch the 4pm firing of the cannon from the Saluting Battery
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#cannonfire #valletta #salutingbatterymalta #solotravel #solotrip #malta #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #traveltheworldwithme #seeeverythingdoeverything #maltalife #grandgarbour #grandharbourhotel
The never ending parade in Taormina continues.....
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#taorminasicily #taormina #sicilytravel #sicilytourism #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme #solotrip
The walled city of Mdina, the old capital of Malta, sitting high up on the hill looking out over the country.
It was a bit like arriving in Disneyland at first, actors dressed up as whatever they thought medieval Maltese dressed like and whipping people in stocks, while the horse carriage drivers touted for business, but once you get through all that, it was very beautiful.
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#mdina #mdinamalta #mdinathesilentcity #mdinastreets #maltalife #malta #solotravel
#solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #seeeverythingdoeverything #neverstopexploring #exploretheworld
On the morning commute the sky couldn`t make up it`s mind - all blue sky and fluffy white clouds in one direction, and very grey in the other.....this continued all day leading into the Australia Day long weekend.
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#morninginspiration #morningcommute #flowersinthestreets #walkinthepark #whiteflowers #pinkflowers #sydney #sydneystyle #northsydney #stleonardspark #stleonardsparknorthsydney #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
Today I set off on the #51 bus from Valletta to Mtarfa in central Malta, in search of the hospital my brother and I were born in. I had read is was now a college, but it seems to be all closed up behind locked gates. I climbed up on walls so I could get a photo of those magic words above the entrance, "David Bruce Royal Naval Hospital".
A few days ago I found the house we lived in in Tarxien, not far from Valletta. We moved back to England when I was 6 weeks old, so memories are a bit sketchy!!
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#malta #whereiwasborn #myfirsthome #mrarfa #royalnavalhospital #maltalife #neverstopexploring #backwhereitallbegan ##solotravel #seetheworldthroughmyeyes ##traveltheworldwithme
Rushing through Sydney CBD this morning on my way to work, the storms they threatened us with didn`t materialise........yet!!
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#Sydney #sydneylife #sydneycbd #georgestreet #yorkstreet #morningcommute #sydneylocal #sydneyaustralia🇦🇺 #lightrail #walktowork
All the flowers are still looking fabulous on the walk around Cremorne Point on Sydney`s North Shore.
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#pinkflowers #purpleflowers #yellowflowers #cremornepoint #sydneylocal #sydneylife #sydneyharbourwalks #sydney #walkinthepark #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
When I was in Mdina a few days ago, I could see the giant domestic of the Mosta Rotunda off in the distance (have a look at that reel). So I caught the bus to Mosta!
The Rotunda was built in the early 1800s, so quite modern by Maltese standards! I walked up 75 steps of the narrow stone spiral staircase into the dome, then back down to check out the WWll air raid shelter underneath, and the bomb that landed here but fortunately didn`t explode.
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#mosta #mostarotunda #mostarotundachurch #maltalife #malta #solotravel #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #seeeverythingdoeverything #traveladdict #exploretheworld #exploremalta
St Thomas` Bay in Marsaskala out on the east coast of Malta is really pretty, I walked all around the harbour and came across St Thomas` Tower built in the early 1600s to repel the invading Ottomans, they were sent packing once they saw what the Maltese were made of!! There were salt Pans along the way, and as usual for Malta, a lookout bunker on every headland.
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#marsaskala #stthomasbaymalta #stthomastower #maltascats #exploremalta #solotravel #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring #traveladdict #traveltomalta #visitmalta
Walking through St Leonards Park in North Sydney, things took a turn last week when the weather took a dramatic turn, and I got a hole in my "warerproof" shoe covers 🥺🌧!!!
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#stleonardspark #oldstonehut #walkinthepark #blueskyandsunshine #thentheraincame #morningcommute #walktowork #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #holeinmyshoe #Sydney #sydneylife #sydneyinsummer
Beautiful weather to walk around Cremorne Point....finally.....for weeks it has been too hot, too humid, too stormy, too windy, too just generally unpleasant - then today...Perfect, just right 🌞🌞😍!
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#sydneyharbour #sydneyharbourbridge #sydneyoperhouse #sydneyharbourwalks #perfectday #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #boats #outonthewater
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......
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#taorminasicily #taormina #isolabella #isolabellataormina #sicilianbeach #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #seeeverythingdoeverything #solotravelinsicily #downbytheseaside
My adventure begins!! Leaving Sydney for London, then Malta, then Sicily 🥂🌞🌞🌞
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#Sydney #sydneyaurport #Qantas @qantas #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #nextadventure #traveltheworldwithme #londoncalling #upintheair
An afternoon walk around Cremorne Point to cool off in the sea breeze, summer has arrived in Sydney!! Blue sky, blue water, lots of boats, Sydney Harbour showing off it`s best side 🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞
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#cremornepoint #sydneyharbour #sydneyharbourwalks #sydneynorthshore #sydneybythesea #sydneylocal #myhometown #sydneylife #sydneyaustralia #sydney #sydneyinsummertime #blueskyandsunshine #walkinthesun #seetheworldthroughmylens #seeeverythingdoeverything #traveltheworldwithme #sydneyweekend #boatsboatsboats
Flowers hanging over someone`s fence in Neutral Bay, then on to St Leonard`s Park.
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#stleonardspark #stleonardsparknorthsydney #yellowfliwers #yellowflowersoftheday #walkinthepark #sydneylocal #sydneylife #sydneyaustralia #northsydney #sydneystreets
Taormina has to be one of the prettiest towns, there is a festival on that seems to involve a lot of flowers, and there are a few thousand more people here than I was hoping for, but we all seem to be getting along!!
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#taormina #taorminasicily #visitsicily #flowers #italianhistory #solotravel #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring #seeeverythingdoeverything #madeinitaly
First day in Syracuse, arrived early on the ferry from Malta, then a train from Pozzallo to Syracuse. My hotel room wasn`t ready so I walked around Ortigia, had a coffee, checked out the markets, then my room was ready. I settled in then headed off to the archaeological park.....lots of ancient Greek arches, amphitheatres, and lots of modern bronze castings of ancient Greek things!!!
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#syracuse #sicily #sicilytourism #sicilytravel #visitsyracuse #archaeology #ancientgreekhistory #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #traveltheworldwithme #solotrip #neverstopexploring #seeeverythingdoeverything #madeinitaly
All the classics of Florence, the Duomo, the bell tower, the view over the autumn coloured roof tops, Ponte Vecchio, Il Porcelllino, the Uffizi Gallery and sculptures in Loggia dei Lanzi.
The legend is, if you rub the snout of Il Porcellino, you will return to Florence one day - it works!!💖 So I rubbed it again this visit - see you soon Florence 🥰!
#florence #firenzeduomo #domesofflorence #loggiadeilanzi #loggiadeilanzifirenze #sculptures #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #solotrip #madeinitaly #neverstopexploring #traveltheworldwithme #italytrip #italianadventure #alianarchitecture #ilporcellino #pontevecchio #pontevecchiofirenze #traveladdict
Sydney is Christmas ready, the QVB has the tree up. All the shopping centres have hauled the decorations out of storage and put them up, same as usual....they all need to swap decorations to give some variety 🎄🎄🎄
#christmas #christmastree #qvb #qvbsydney #sydneychristmas #christmasdecorations #sydneystyle #sydneylife #sydneyaustralia #sydneylocal #sydneyarchitecture #decorationsup #shoppinginsydney #myhometown #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #seeeverythingdoeverything
More of beautiful Venice in Piazza San Marco and out on the Grand Canal💖
#Venice #veniceitaly #grandcanal #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #solotrip #madeinitaly #traveltheworldwithme #traveladdict #italytrip #seeeverythingdoeverything
Some of the places I visited on my solo Italian adventure
Top row - Venice, Florence, Siena
Bottom row - La Spezia, Porto Venere, Lerici
For info on where I stayed and how I got there, travelling solo with luggage, click the link to my website in the bio.
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#venice #basilicasanmarco #florence #pontevecchio #siena #sienabelltower #laspezia #portovenere #lerici #Italy #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #solotrip #madeinitaly #neverstopexploring #traveltheworldwithme #italytrip #italianadventure #alianarchitecture #solotravelinitaly #neverstopexploring #oldbuildingsmakemehappy #historicbuildingsenrichourlives #historicitaly
The Greek Theatre in Taormina built in 300BC, still standing and still showing plays and operas. The views from the top of the auditorium out over the sea and the town are amazing....I think I took about 200 photos!! Slightly excessive, but I couldn`t stop 🥂🤩
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#taorminasicily #taormina #greektheatretaormina #teatrogrecotaormina #sicilytravel #solotravel #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotravelinitaly #neverstopexploring #seeeverythingdoeverything
The southern end of the Queen Victoria Building being watched over by Queen Victoria, and Sydney Town Hall across the road.
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#qvbsydney #queenvictoriabuilding #queenvictoriastatue #sydneytownhall #sydneytownhallclocktower #lightrail #sydneylife #sydneycbd #sydneylocal
I think this critter is a Water Dragon, apparently they live around Cremorne Point on Sydney Harbours North Shore. We just stared at each other for a while, then he ran off down into the bush towards the water.
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#waterdragon #sydneyweekend #sydneynorthshore #sydneylife #sydneyharbourwalks #sydneybythesea #sydneyharbourbridge #sydneyharbour #sydneyoperahouse #sydneywaterdragon #cremornepoint #cremornepointwalk #pinkflowers #blueskyandsunshine
Moments in Venice, a few of my favourite things, from sunrise to cicchetti, and everything in between 🥂💖
#Venice #cicchetti #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #solotrip #madeinitaly #traveltheworldwithme #traveladdict #italytrip #seeeverythingdoeverything
We`re all ready for Santa here in Sydney 🎅🎄🥂!! Best wishes for tomorrow - hope you`re not on the naughty list!!!!
#christmasinsydney #christmasready❤️🎄🎁 #waitingforsanta #merrychristmas🎄
On the walk around Cremorne Point cooling off after a hot day, beautiful gardens along the way.
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#cremornepoint #sydneyweekend #sydneyharbourwalks #sydneybythesea #sydneyaustralia #sydneynorthshore #sydneylocal #sydneyharbour #explorethecityyoulivein #sydneylocal #pinkflowers #boatsboatsboats #wildflowers #neverstopexploring #traveltheworldwithme
Looking out from Cremorne Point on Sydney`s North Shore, watch ferries go by, sailing boats, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, it`s all there 🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🥂
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#sydneyharbour #sydneyharbourwalks #sydneystyle #seeeverythingdoeverything #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #traveltheworldworldwithme #outonthewater #boatsboatsboats #sydneyweekend #sydneylocal #myhometown #sydneyaustralia #sydneynorthshore #sydneybythesea #sydneyinsummertime
All the wildlife came out to see the end of 2024, before their habitat gets taken over by human wildlife all looking for a fireworks watching spot for the big show at midnight on Sydney Harbour. Further around Cremorne Point the "No Alcohol" signs were all being put up, Porta loos were being put in place, home owners were putting up signs to ask people not to climb on the fences and garden walls - the price you pay to live in this beautiful area, one night of hell to start off every new year!!
#cremornepoint #cremornepointwalk #seeeverythingdoeverything #sydneywildlife #sydneynorthshore #sydneystyle #sydneylife #sydneyaustralia #sydneylocal #sydneycoastalwalks #lizards #kookaburras #sydneybythesea #sydneyharbour #sydneyferries #boatsontheharbour
After climbing up hundreds of steps on a narrow stone spiral staircase, the views were amazing from the top of the magnificent, medieval Siena Duomo.
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#Siena #sienaduomo #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #solotrip #madeinitaly #traveltheworldwithme #italytrip #seeeverythingdoeverything
I went all over the place today, 23,000 steps!! Walked down through St James`s Park to the Jewel Tower behind Westminster Abbey, then caught the tube to Canary Wharf to look at the Whale made from waste. Then Elizabeth line to Paddington for lunch. Walked from there to Regent`s Park, then down through Marylebone and Mayfair, and as it was now such a lovely sunny evening, I walked around St James`s Park again.....now having a glass of wine looking over Green Park🥂💖
#Paddington #paddingtonbear #jeweltower #canarywharf #regentspark #stjamessPark #solotravel #seeeverythingdoeverything
#solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #traveltheworldwithme
The beautiful little island, Isola Bella, in the bay below Taormina once owned by Lady Florence Trevelyan after she was exiled from England. To get to it you need to walk through the water, only 20 to 30cm deep at low tide, more at high tide, but worth it for the views.
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#isolabella #isolabellataormina #taormina #taorminasicily #solotravel #solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #neverstopexploring
I started the day by walking a couple of kms up the coast, then came back and walked all around the edge of Ortigia visiting castles and forts along the way. At least Syracuse and Ortigia are relatively flat!!!
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#syracuse #ortigia #ortigiaisland #ortigiasiracusa #italianhistory #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring #madeinitaly #traveladdict #italytrip
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
A big day of wandering all over Palermo. It`s a grubby, gritty city, everything needs a good wash, but you get over that pretty quickly!! Easy to get around on buses and walking, the Ballaro Markets are quite an experience, all the vendors shouting, very crowded, seafood sitting out in the sun, cooking various gizzards to put on bread rolls (no thanks!!) Then I escaped to the calm of the botanical gardens....
#Palermo #palermosicily #ballaromarket #mercatoballarò #botanicgardens #sicilytravel #solotravel #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme
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
The things you see just ambling around Valletta, sometimes I take the long route around to avoid more really steep and uneven steps, but this always leads to finding more things to see.
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#valletta #vallettamalta #vallettastreets #malta #maltalife #streetsofvalletta #solotravel #solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring #seeeverythingdoeverything
More from Hyde Park in Sydney on my lunchtime walk.
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#hydeparksydney #hydepark #archibaldfountain #westfieldtowersydney #sydneylocal #sydneylife #sydneycbd #sydney #explorethecityyoulivein
Walking to North Sydney to catch the Metro into the city in the morning.
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#northsydney #walktowork #pinkflowers #sydneyharbourbridge #sydneylocal #sydneystreets #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #morningcommute
Strange weather, but at least we don`t have a cyclone to contend with.....
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#sydney #sydneylocal #sydneyharbourwalks #sydneyharbourbridge #sydneylife #sydneyweekend #nativeplants #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #outonthewater #sydneyharbour ##cremornepoint
After arriving at Venice`s Marco Polo Airport, I caught the Alilaguna Water Transport directly to Rialto, then when I left Venice by train to Florence, I caught the Vaporetto from Rialto to Ferrovia, the ferry stop at the station, then straight on to the train, suitcase in the gap between the seats, and off we went, so efficient. Very easy, even for an old chic like me on a solo Italian adventure!!🥂
For more info on the art of train travel in Italy, click the link to my website in the bio.
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#venice #grandcanal #solotravel #traintravelinitaly #italiantrains #alilaguna #alilagunaferrytoairport #vaporetto #ferrovia #venicerail #venicetrainstation #solotravelinitaly #neverstopexploring #seeeverythingdoeverything #traveltheworldworldwithme #outonthewater #seekandyoushallfind #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
Walking around Cremorne Point from Mosman Bay out to the point, with great views everywhere you look🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞
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#cremornepoint #cremornepointwalk #sydneylocal #sydneycoastalwalks #blueskyandsunshine #walkinthesun #seetheworldthroughmylens #seeeverythingdoeverything #sydneyweekend #sydneynorthshore #sydney #sydneybythesea #sydneynativeplants #sydneyferries #sydneyharbour
The Palace built in the late 1500s for the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta. Now used as the office of the President of the Republic of Malta. It houses and enormous armoury collected over the centuries.
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#grandmasterspalaceandarmoury #grandmasterspalace #valletta #malta #maltalife #solotravel #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #seeeverythingdoeverything #worldofmalta #traveltomalta
Yesterday was perfect, not too hot, no humidity, a lovely walk through St Leonard`s Park to the Metro, then today, foggy, drizzly, bad hair.....yuk!!
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#stleonardspark #morningcommute #walkinthepark #northsydney #sydneycbd #sydneyharbourbridge #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #changeintheweather
Such a beautiful weekend in Sydney, the weather is just perfect!! The sun glistening on the water around Cremorne Point!! 🌞😍
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#cremornepoint #sydneyharbour #sydneyharbourwalks #sydneylife #sydneylocal #Sydney #sydneyaustralia #sailingonsydneyharbour #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #rockformations #sunglisteningonthewater
All the decorations are nearly down as Sydney marches into 2025, walking through @theqvb on my way to work is a beautiful way to start the day, especially as it`s been soooooo hot and humidity, or raining lately, a bit of air-con helps!!!
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#sydneyafterchristmas #qvbsydney #queenvictoriabuilding #queenvictoriabuildingsydney #shoppinginsydney #dailycommute #walktowork #streetsofsydney #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #sydneystyle #sydneylife #sydneystreets #sydneycbd
A few flowers on trees and hanging over people`s fences on the local streets.
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#neutralbay #neutralbaylocal #neutralbayliving #sydneysnorthshore #orangeflowers #pinkflowers #streetsofsydney #sydneystyle #sydneystyle #sydneynativeplants #sydneyaustralia #sydneystreets #sydneywalks #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
Went off into the countryside to the village of Shere in Surrey, just a short train trip from Waterloo Station, a fabulous pub lunch!!
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#shere #englishcountryside #whitehorsepub #solotravel #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #waterloostationclock #seeeverythingdoeverything #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #magnolias #sherechurch
