2014 was a good year for travelling; I broke away from my standard retreat of skipping off to Berlin for a few days and managed to tick off several previous wish-list destinations. I briefly revisited Paris; drinking on the bank of Canal Saint Martins and in the eclectic surroundings of Le Comptoir General at night, and exploring side streets by day. We then took the TGV to Aix-en-Provence where we ate the best pizza by candlelight when subjected to a power-cut, drove around the surrounding villages and took a day trip to Gorge du Verdon, where we peeked over the edge of the precipice to take in the views and swam in a crystal clear yet freezing cold lake. Next, we headed to Barcelona for four days of debauchery, music and drinking plenty of cava at Primavera festival. Barely a month later, I flew to Budapest where I discovered a collection of down-to-earth bars that fused art and music, and an array of interesting architecture. We then jumped aboard yet another train and headed for Zagreb, where the stifling temperatures saw us retreat to the shore of Lake Jarun; also taking in a day trip to the splendorous Plitvice Lakes. Jump forward four months (dashing through a series of UK-based festivals scattered in diversely stunning locations), and I finally made it to Scandinavia. A short break was just what I needed prior to Christmas, taking in the scenery, architecture, culture, nightlife and food of Copenhagen and Malmo.
Now, I'm making lists of where I would like to visit in 2015. Several of the locations I'm dreaming of stretch far beyond my bank balance, so bear with me as I fuse the realistic with the if-only.
