The fossils of Lyme Regis in the south of England have been famous for over 2oo years. Along the dramatic Jurassic coast, you can wander (watch the tide!) and pick up the coiled ammonites, belemites and vertebrae from prehistoric creatures. After every storm the unstable cliffs reveal more treasures from a history written in fossilised form.
What is it about ancient sites and pathways – I have visited them in Spain, and Portugal and the UK – standing stones and burial chambers thousands of years old. I always stand in awe at the energy and passion that created such amazing feats of engineering. Read more
Lynn McBrien was born and raised in New York, but since 1999 Vermont has been her home. Lynn’s Irish ancestors hail from County Cavan. Lynn is a student of Celtic Studies and Spirituality and has her BA in Transpersonal Studies. She loves Ireland — the land, the people, the stories — and is eager to share her enthusiasm and knowledge of this extraordinary country with other like-minded women.
She is leading a tour to South West Ireland and County Clare in September 2009 – what a great way to explore this special land
My friend Nigel asked me if there was anything special I wanted to do in Cornwall. Mostly I was happy to visit his favourite haunts, but The Eden Project was definately on my short list of must dos.
The Eden Project certainly did not disappoint – what a stunning idea, and even more stunning implementation. What imagination, what courage, above all what fun.
You could spend days here, but we happily spent four hours – wandering the outside gardens, sweating our way through the tropical dome, and then through the milder, but still very warm mediterranean dome, and then to the amazing educational centre. Read more
Cornwall is such a magic place – it feels separate, wild and untamed, I can see why my friends Nigel and Janice live here. Nigel had a list of must dos which we worked our way through.
- exploring small harbours like Charlestown
- walking small parts of the coastal walkway which surrounds Cornwall – Janice regularly takes herself off to walk parts of it.
A train ride to Cornwall took me through rolling English countryside, villages tucked in the folds of hills, with the occasional large country house. It’s autumn, so the bare branches of trees dot the landscape, and sparse hedges line the lanes, enabling the weak winter sun to leak through to the ground in places. After Exeter there were seaside villages and boats sitting on the mud.
I am off to Falmouth to stay with my old building friend Nigel Murray and his partner Janice. Nigel has lots of excursions planned, so it seems I have another travel guide – great – I love to see places, but I am not so good at deciding where and what to see. In fact I prefer it when my visit is coloured by the passions of a local friend – what they enjoy doing rather than what the tourist book says.
Pendennis CastleOn our way home from Brighton, my friend Catherine detoured us through Hartfield and the Ashdown Forest in Sussex which is where AA Milne wrote his memorable children’s stories. We stopped at Pooh Corner in the village to buy a small furry creature and a map of the Hundred Acre Wood.
We decided on a walk to the very same bridge that inspired the game of Pooh Sticks, and of course a game of Pooh Sticks. I won, well actually it was a draw because I cheated – but it was a fun walk, though a little muddy at this time of year. Well worth a visit. More about The Hundred Acre Wood
One of the nice things about running a website like Women Travel the World, is the great people you meet in the travel business. We had based ourselves in Brighton at the lovely Pink House, but up just up the road was another women owned guest house which is also listed on Women Travel the World. Jane and Anne invited us over to visit, so we meandered out way along the coast, detoured to magnificent Beachy Head for a very cold but pleasant walk, and found ourselves at Eastbourne.
Jane and Anne had bought The Langtons as they had wanted a change and a new lifestyle. Read more
My friend Catherine and I headed down to Brighton for a few days away from convent life. Brighton is such an icon of British seaside life, it seemed a good place to go, and I knew from the Women Travel the World website that there was also a women’s B&B there, so that was an added incentive.
The drive down was lovely, until we hit Brighton on a Saturday afternoon – wall to wall traffic. It took us some time to find The Pink House – Brighton’s only women’s guest house
The Pink House Women's B&B in Brighton
When we were in Spain and Portugal we were going to stay in some religious houses offering hospitality, but in the end it was just too hard. Most did not speak English, they did not have email or websites – all the things that make booking easier in a country where you do not speak the language.
St Michaels Convent in Richmond, London
I am staying here because a friend of mine – Catherine Wood is presently living alongside this Community, so I am in one of their simple guest rooms. Read more
