Some Random Popular Posts (click ‘refresh’ to see more!)
Goodbye Cork ~ Hello Tipperary
Time to relocate to my next ‘home’… Not much to say about the relatively short trip, other than yet again the scenery was lovely… ~ Bella Read more
Durness to Dunnet Bay
~ Bella Read more
Plovdiv, Asen’s Fortress, Bachovo Monastery Road Trip (4 of 4)
Continuing our drive through the Bulgarian Rhodope Mountains… …and what greets us as we arrive at the Monastery is an array of souvenirs and local produce and more souvenirs… The Bachovo Monastery was founded in 1083 by Prince Gregory Pakourianos. …and all of a sudden I am back in America???… Read more
My Scottish Piece of Heaven…
I feel so incredibly blessed to have found such an extraordinarily beautiful place to curl up and write… and such lovely people… This photo is taken literally from my back door… These women were training for a seniors long-distance open-water swim… ~ Bella Read more
Glorious Tudor-era Albright-Hussey Manor
First recorded in the Doomsday book in 1292 (yes, that’s twelve ninety-two!), this amazing manor house was rebuilt in 1524… …and when one enters a property, passes a lovely water feature, and a few horses… and walks into a beautiful building to find a ‘free wifi’ sign and help-yourself decanters on… Read more
Sligo Rally
Welcome to the Connacht Motor Club Sligo Rally! I caught up with a friend today and we went to Riverstown Folk Park for what is known as a regroup halt – essentially a short rest-stop during the Sligo Stages Rally. After a wonderful fill of motor fuel fumes, we headed… Read more
Meeting my 4x-great-uncle in London
It was a grey day when I headed off to London… …first class on the direct train from Glasgow to London Euston – a lovely way to travel… Arrived at my beautiful hotel, The Royal Horseguards, and since my suite was so pretty, complete with two balconies nonetheless, I decided… Read more
Pink Bunny, Vienna Woods, Monasteries, and Boat Cruising Underground
What do pink bunny rabbits, the Vienna Woods, monasteries, and boat trips in underground Nazi airplane factories (yes, you read that correctly!) all have in common? They were all part of just one more day exploring Austria… but let’s start with yesterday afternoon. I heard the unmistakable clip-clop of horses’… Read more
I bought a Victorian Carriage (as one does!)
I have wanted a carriage for many, many years – ok, I have wanted a carriage since I was little! – and now I have one… and not just any carriage… According to the people from whom I bought her, this carriage is one of two or possibly three identical… Read more
Most Recent Posts
Serbia Road Trip to Zlatibor Region (Post 9 of 9)
…and our journey comes to an end… Read more
Serbia Road Trip to Zlatibor Region (Post 8 of 9)
…continuing on our journey… Read more
Serbia Road Trip to Zlatibor Region (Post 7 of 9)
…our journey continues… Read more
Serbia El Paso? Serbia Road Trip to Zlatibor Region (Post 5 of 9)
Yes! We found “El Paso” Americana in the countryside of Serbia! From El Paso to London? Read more
Serbia Road Trip to Zlatibor Region (Post 4 of 9)
…the journey continues… Read more
Travel Tips
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
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
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
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…
Digital Nomad Tip
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
