Luxurious Redefined
My Vision: This blog is essentially a way to share memories of some of my travels and adventures. I am a great believer in living a life of ‘luxury’ and experiencing the ‘finer’ things in life, but that can mean anything from staying in an amazing European castle, to sitting under the stars beside an open fire next to a loch in Scotland.
We can make anything beautiful if we choose to see it that way…
Some Random Popular Posts
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Subotica
…and still on our McDonald’s trip, we finally reached lovely Subotica… Hahaha… Interesting – my Skopje trip was a couple of years ago! … Read more
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Donegal Castle and getting deliberately lost…
Although today was – according to the weatherman – going to be party sunny, partly cloudy, some shower and some rain… I decided to brave the elements and go exploring. First stop was Donegal Castle. From Wikipedia: Donegal Castle (Irish: Caisleán Dhún na nGall) is a castle situated in the centre of Donegal Town in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland.… Read more
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15th Century Thatched-Roof Pub
On our adventure today, we found by delightful chance a lovely little 15th century pub called The Cleave where we had lunch – but even the drive there was beautiful… ~ Bella Read more
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Exploring Ireland’s Rugged West Coast
My darling pseudo-daughter, Bethany (she is actually the daughter of dear friends, but I have stolen her) came to visit with me during my stay in Ireland and we have been exploring, mostly by simply driving around and seeing where my beloved Baby Jaguar took us! This is Kylemore Abbey. … Read more
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Listening to Strauss where STRAUSS played Strauss!
I booked this event weeks ago and have been looking forward to it ever since. Not only was the Kursalon on my bucket list, but the thought of going to a Strauss concert and listening to Strauss music being played where STRAUSS himself used to play his compositions… Bliss! The… Read more
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Kilmartin Prehistoric Standing Stones and other monuments
Kilmartin is one of my absolute favourite places in all of Scotland – while at first glance there doesn’t seem much to see, there are in fact over 800 ancient monuments, stone circles, dolman, cairns, and other features within the Kilmartin Glen! Add to that, it just feels amazing… I am… Read more
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Oban, Scotland
Prince (my beloved car) and I decided to head out for the day and went in search of Oban… This is not the colleseum, but rather McCaig’s Tower, built in 1897 by local banker John Stuart McCaig, with the aim of providing work for local stonemasons, and being a lasting monument… Read more
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Welcome to Winter
“Let it snow”… and it did! It was ever so pretty… I finally managed to extricate the car and went for a short spin… …and home safe and sound… All this snow fell in around 12 hours – impressive! 🙂 ~ Bella Read more
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Scotland – the many faces of Loch Long
Nestled in the Loch Lomond National Park is my beloved piece of Heaven. Each of these photos was taken from essentially my back door, but yet each feels so very different… ~ Bella Read more
Dream Big ~ Travel Well
My Philosophy: Don’t wait! Not one of us know how long we, or anyone else, has on this planet.
If you want to travel – do it now. If you want to have amazing adventures – do them now.
We can always come up with countless excuses why we don’t do things – BUT – when we put that focus onto the flip side of that, it’s amazing how many opportunities emerge.
For instance, as I write this, I am single, almost 60, and I have health and mobility challenges that mean I have to use a wheelchair from time to time – yet I still travel and have amazing experiences and meet fascinating people – all because I choose to. Correct, I don’t have a family so in that sense have more freedom to do so, but I have a friend who, with next to no money and having just become a single mother of three, decided her children would get a better education if they travelled the world – so she went about finding a way to make that happen: and she did!
Dream big – travel well…
Most Recent Posts
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Furry pony on the beach
11 out of 10 on the cuteness scale… teaching a furry fluffy pony to jump – it was sooooooo cute! Read more
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Historic Exeter Quayside
Exeter Quayside is such a beautiful tucked-away gem that dates back to Roman times. It was a thriving port until the 14th century when weirs were built across the River Exe. Read more
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A Sherman Tank in England..?
On this magical day, we set out to explore the Sherman tank that now sits beside a beach in South Devon – but first, a stop for lunch… …and finally we reach Slapton Sands, home of a recovered Sherman tank… ~ Bella Read more
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Dartmoor River Crossing
It was a glorious day so George Jeep (rental) and I went for a meander… First, sitting at one of my favourite spots for some reading… …then off to cross the River Dart… Note – this phone box actually has a TELEPHONE in it! …and complete with seals frolicking… (ok,… Read more
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Canada owns part of Britain?
Yes, Canada does actually own part of Britain! Welcome to Wolford Chapel… where the building and land are publicly owned by the Canadian province of Ontario, and flies the Flag of Canada despite the chapel being in the English countryside! ~ Bella Read more
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Thatched Pub Built in 1620
We first were headed here – but alas, no one was home, so we went in search of another beautiful old pub – and didn’t have to travel far… The Kings Arms, Tedburn, built in 1620… …next stop – CANADA..? ~ Bella Read more
Travel Tips
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The Joys of Travelling Alone
The Joys of Travelling Alone: A Journey of Self-Discovery I was speaking with someone yesterday who said, “I couldn’t do what you do, and travel the world by myself.” I considered her words overnight, and here is my response. In an increasingly connected world, the idea of solitude might seem… Read more
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Solo Travel Tips to Stay Safe and Have Fun!
Many people are amazed when they learn that I journey around the world as a solo traveller – and even more than that, I do not have a family ‘back home’ who know my every whereabouts and activity. I truly am the epitome of a solo traveller! While friends have… Read more
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My International Chauffeur Service
Ever wanted an international chauffeur? An international chauffeur company who knows you, who operates all over the world, who is reliable, affordable and who also has ‘an app for that’? I love my international chauffeur service, BlackLane. They do all that and more! …and especially as a woman travelling around… Read more
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Luxurious Nomad Luxury Skin Care for Pennies!
I had a most delightful conversation yesterday with a lovely waitress at one of my ‘local watering holes’ where I eat, drink and work. She is a beautiful young woman of twenty-five – and when we were joking about her being a quarter of a century, she was astonished when… Read more
Who is the Luxurious Nomad?
Hello! I am Ms (Leigh) Bella St John – and I am an author, entrepreneur, coach, wine-lover, self-confessed geek, lover of all things Victorian/Edwardian and steampunk, and a Luxurious Nomad!
One of my greatest passions is ‘keeping history alive’.
Thanks to the residual income streams I created from, among other things, licensing my professional development programs, I retired at age 50 when I decided to leave America (where I had been living for the past ten years) and now travel the world fulltime as a Luxurious Nomad (http://LuxuriousNomad.com), living a life many people only dream of living (yes, even in the current ‘situation’) – and unlike most, I travel with ‘essentials’ such as a crystal wine glass, gold fountain pen, and a collection of hats, gloves, etc……
I did not even catch the travel bug until I was in my 30s, and after exploring much of ‘down under’ and parts of New Zealand, I then travelled through quite a bit of Asia, lived approximately 10 years in the USA (spent significant time in 42 states – exploring all extensively by road), several trips to Canada (including the Winter Olympics) and now off exploring amazing places in the UK and Europe, spending a couple of months in one country, then a couple of months in another… I hope to one day meet Mr Right and settle down wherever he may be (and fingers’ crossed he is in Scotland or England), but until then, there is plenty of the world to experience!
Essentially I live a version of Elizabeth’s Gilbert’s, “Eat, Pray, Love” – although mine is more ‘wine, pray, love’!
…and I do all this, despite having some reasonably significant physical and mobility challenges, thanks in part to being hit by a car while in Italy a few years ago – and I use a wheelchair from time to time…
…and for those who are interested, my wheelchair is only 13lb – that’s less than most bowling balls! It’s an amazing travel chair that is soooo comfy and whose name is Lancelot (yes, my wheelchair has a name).
Oh, and this photo below was taken at a Steampunk convention in the USA in late 2016, not long before I left the States…
Join me for a glass of red wine and a fireside chat…
I’m currently exploring various parts of the UK and Europe, so if you’re nearby, drop me a line!
Digital Nomad Tip
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The life of a Digital Nomad
The life of a digital nomad – a modern embodiment of the age-old wanderer, but with a dash of Wi-Fi and a sprinkle of global connectivity. In this digital age, the life of a digital nomad is not one that treads the Silk Road but rather the silky strands of… Read more