Woohoo it’s Sunday so that means it’s time to introduce you to another Globetrotter.
The first blog post I read from the Old School Traveller was the first of their 5 part series called A Singular Honeymoon. I loved it! Why do you need to be married if you want the honeymoon experience now? It reminded me of when Carrie ‘married herself’ and gift registered for herself in Sex in The City after spending me a $ on engagement presents, wedding presents, baby showers and baby gifts. Whilst this wasn’t the thinking behind having a singular honeymoon it was more about having that experience even if a honeymoon wasn’t in the near future. What I also liked was that he set himself the rule that he wasn’t allowed to say no to anything. I personally think all adventures should be like this. The Old School Traveller is now married and his wife has a style section on the blog.
On the blog, you will find help with travel booking, restaurant guides, travel inspo, travel stories and the new addition of the style section. Links will be below to the blog and social channel so you can see for yourself.
The imagery of his words, the quality content, the images all just convey a beautiful sense of an old school romance for travelling and seeing the world- so let me hand you over to The Old School Traveller.
A little bit about me, I trained in Fine Art as an Oil Painter, which I still am, but soon moved into photography and became a ‘Celebrity’ shooter for postcard and poster printers in the 80’s. After a bit of a mishap, I moved home to Wales and got into the hospitality industry, running a pub in Wales where I was also the chef, cellar man and host, and then ran a 22 bedroom hotel near Cambridge in England. Here, my cooking levels increased as did my interest in both food and wine. After this, I became an actor and comedy writer in Bristol, before moving to Australia to become a Television Executive. Due to the unbearable type of people I was meeting I got out and set up my own graphics business and started to travel extensively back and forth to Europe in particular but also to Asia and America. I am well past 1 million airmails and with three trips to Europe a year from Brisbane, I can’t see that slowing down anytime soon. During the last year or so, I have decided to put my travel experiences, my love of food and wine, my back catalogue of photographs and my sense of humour to better use, and I’m now focussing on travel/food blogging…. and here I am, OST.
What do you enjoy most about travelling?
Having spent the first half of my life in Europe and the second in Australia, I love going home. Australia is it’s own paradise but I find I need to get my fix of the ever changing face of architecture, art, cuisine, dialect and scenery that Europe offers. I’m a Europhile no doubt. Ultimately I love beauty, whether it be in scenery, in the joy of wonderful food and wine or simply the smell of wild thyme on a Greek hillside. Ultimately though, seeing the joy on my partner’s face when she experiences something incredible and that she never thought she would be part of, makes everything worthwhile. It’s these images that stay with me – of her, my, our happiness. It’s something I’ve noticed out there in ‘blogland’; the sheer lack of true happiness in the images. More a postcard than a love letter.
Why do you think travelling is important?
Travelling broadens the mind for sure, but I feel it’s truly about finding your home from home. Those places that just welcome you and make you feel as if you truly belong. I’m not after wild adventure, I’ve had enough of that in my life. I’m more interested in happiness, relaxation and the understanding of inner self. I find that the older you become, the more you appreciate that that’s being lost and the desire to just .. be.
What is your favourite photograph from your travels?
That’s a tough one as I have about 200,000 to choose from, but I think this one from Folegandros. I just woke up from an afternoon nap and took it from bed. The light and composition and that it’s also fairly unusual, speaks to me quite a lot.
Which is your favourite – sun, snow, sea, city, mountains, country?
Sun – Greece. The ever-changing light, bright colours, the beautiful Aegean, the crisp whites and hospitality. Snow – The Swiss Alps. They just know how to do it and everything works perfectly under extreme conditions. You need ‘reliable’ when travelling through Winter. Sea – Italy. The whole coast of Italy is a delight, including some wonderfully islands, both secluded and popular. And again, that light, especially around the bay of Naples.
Who do you usually travel with?
I spent pretty much 15 years travelling on my own but now with my wife. She is an incredible traveller. Easy going, happy to do other things (shop) while I write or take my photos, or to just join in. She came late to European travel and has embraced my love for it with open arms, and it’s truly a sharing experience now. Each trip is usually one of my favourite places that I want us to share, one that she, Kati, wants to see, and one that’s new to both of us. It works.
If you were to give one piece of travel advice what would it be?
Save as much money as you can on flights and hotels to be able to spend the money on luxuries elsewhere. The Airport transfer, for example, is something that I couldn’t afford when I was younger but is now crucial to a relaxing trip. Lugging baggage around, waiting for buses, taxi’s etc and not knowing where you’re going cause a lot of stress between travelling couples. For example, getting to Naples airport from Positano. Paying for the private transfer allowed us to experience the incredible coastal road, we got to stop off at Pompeii for two hours with our luggage safely in the car and then on to catch our flight. No stress and it meant that we didn’t have to go out and back to Pompeii and use up a whole day getting there and back. So airport transfers…… and earplugs on flights. Crucial. Even keep them in when watching movies. Eradicates white noise and fellow travellers and you arrive so much more refreshed, less tired, less stressed and less prone to jet lag.
Tell us the funniest story or a mishap from one of your adventures?
You’ll have to read that here. It involved Ouzo and a boat load of Honeymooners.
Where is your favourite place that you’ve been to?
Right now, Milos Island in the Cyclades. It’s our secret. It’s a wonderfully small and unspoilt little gem. Like the Greek Islands used to be before the ‘too big’ cruise ships and tourism ruined the more obvious islands. It’s like they have seen how the other islands have been spoiled and have laid the groundwork for a great trip as was. Empty beaches, old school Tavernas, wonderful seafood, great geology, amazing sunsets, friendly locals, pristine and about a quarter of the price of Mykonos/Santorini… It has everything, and it’s the reason that we fell in love with the Greek Islands all those years ago. It is truly a magical place that I thought had gone….and very much Old School Traveller.
Tell us one place/experience on your bucket list?
The next trip, always. Seville, Jerez and Cadiz have always been on the list and I finally get to cross them off, but we’re also going to Bologna, and as true foodie and cook, my grin will be the widest there. Italy after all, is my spiritual home and if Italy’s stomach doesn’t bring the widest smile to my face, nowhere will.
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