Goodbye 2021 – travel in 2022 has got to be better
2021 was a disastrous year for the travel industry and the hundreds of industries which support it. Accommodation, restaurants, tour guides, ground transport and thousands of attractions all suffered, to name but a few. The Independent’s travel guru Simon Calder has written ‘Goodbye to 2021 the year that decimated the UK travel industry.’ And he’s not one to dramatise.
We were in lock down until the summer and so even if we wanted to, we couldn’t go anywhere, a horrible feeling for those of us who love nothing more than jetting off on the next adventure. There was the red list the green list the amber list. Next came quarantine in hideous hotels at a hideous prices. There was no red list and then there was a red list again. We were going to return to normal and then we weren’t. It was all very depressing indeed.
The rise of the staycation
I busied myself with writing about things happening here at home. In May I visited the Gower Peninsula in Wales, for the first time, with its stunning beaches and wild horses. July brought the joy of the return of outdoor theatre company, Heartbreak Productions, to my beloved Jesmond Dene. The Great Gatsby was very much worth the wait – a sparkling musical joy, with first rate acting.
Summer finally came and we visited a old childhood haunt of mine, Finchale Abbey in Durham. The ruins of the abbey have a charming riverside setting combined with some fascinating history – well worth a look. Other festivals and events returned after a year when nothing was allowed on anywhere. The lovely Potfest in the Park was back on at Hutton on the Forest – the UK’s premier ceramic festival. So was the fabulous new horse show at Kynren in Bishop Auckland. The beautiful horses and highly skilled riders are very special. Along with all the new developments at the park, Kynren is becoming a great family destination.
2021 festivals and events return
The year turned and the government loosened our chains. I attended my first ever Lindisfarne festival at the lovely venue of Beal Farm overlooking Holy Island in September. It was an interesting experience alright, but my last minute camping equipment was woefully inadequate, so it was a bit physically challenging.
I started to make a few travel plans. A triumphant return to the waterways was effected. This time we took a Drifters trip on a boat from Kate Boats along the Oxford Union Canal. Canal life suited us just fine. Narrow boating is a great way to see the countryside and at the same time, join a kind of secret parallel community hidden in plain sight. Do not underestimate how much fun you can have on the waterways of England!
Travel 2021 – Finally out of the UK!
It was mid October before I was able to escape the shores of blighty. I took a flight to Krakow to visit Rancho Rosochacz a western style ranch nestled in the forests of Southern Poland. The horses were adorable, the accommodation quite luxurious, and the owner Marcin was a genuine Polish cowboy. You don’t meet many of those..
November came, and I was off a press trip to Tunisia courtesy of the Tunisian tourist board. Our guide and Head of Promotions was Moncef Batik, a great character and expert in all things Tunisian. We had some outstanding seafood – I’ve never seen a fish market quite so abundant as the one in the central market in Tunis. The wine was also unexpectedly delicious as was the olive oil. A highlight of my visit was our trip to the El Jem amphitheatre where I was able to pronounce my favourite speech from Gladiator without fear of ridicule from any other pesky tourists.
The year closes with Dracula’s castle
My final trip of 2021 was to Transylvania to see my friend Atoanella whom I met in Venice, and to visit Dracula’s Castle, a place I had always wanted to see. I know it wasn’t really Dracula’s castle (him being a fictional character) but it is a most amazing real fairytale place. It really is an impressive structure built directly into the rock face. There is something supernatural and much historically fascinating about this amazing castle.
January 2022 now looms and ends my 2021 quest for travel in our most difficult of times. I do so hope things will improve and that the preposterously complex and expensive testing regime is scrapped very soon. So from me to you Happy New Year, and keep travelling!
3 thoughts on “Travel 2021 -my year in review”
The only good thing about the pandemic has been discovering some of the treasures we have close to home! Thanks for sharing!
Such a fun looking year! Tunisia sounds great, and Dracula’s castle must have been amazing!
2021 definitely presented some challenges for travel! Even though we were never really locked down here, so many things were closed that traveling just wasn’t worth it. Glad you were able to finally get some travel in at the end of the year.
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