Some Random Popular Posts
Extraordinary smoked cheese – Sinaia-Busteni-Predeal-Brasov Road Trip 9 of 9
Making our way homeward… we stopped at a beautiful little church, and then picked up some of the most delicious cheese….. The scenery was breathakingly beautiful… …and home sweet home… and a final peek at my cheese (and of course, another taste test…….) Thank you to Max, for an amazingly… Read more
Budapest update
Over the past couple of days, I haven’t ventured more than a couple of hundred feet from the hotel, but regardless they have been truly lovely days! I have never been one to have a ‘routine’ – be it morning or any other time – however, here I now do… Read more
Iceland Road Trip – homeward bound…
…and finally homeward bound… This is actually a gas station! (just the pump – the shed is locked) Notice the incredible cloud bank sitting on the horizon… …and back in time for dinner where this cool character was my dining companion… ~ Bella Read more
Goodbye Munich – hello Autobahn and more…
Finally, my time comes to leave Munich and I get a car to the airport where I collect my rental… Meet Clio – my companion for the next few days… Dear Clio did her best, but anything over 150 she felt decidedly unstable… I did however manage to get to… Read more
Airports – Delightful and Horrid!
Airports – viva la difference – or NOT! As you may know, I usually avoid mainstream commercial flying unless I can help it – preferring trains and boats to the hustle-bustle of long lines, security checks and more… Well, on this trip from England to Vienna, I decided to take… Read more
Prague Trip (post 7 of 7): Scavenger Hunt
Now, on to find R2D2 and the other oddities… You think I jest? Aha! What is this we spy hiding in the bushes? OK, that mission accomplished… On to Brno to find the two-headed hanger-on-er-er… More snow… All along the highway there was billboard after billboard, all with the Czechia… Read more
My Viking Hunting Lodge…
As I upload this it is just after 9:00pm and I don’t know what is happening outside but there is a group of people singing an Iceland chant… magnificent! I couldn’t have wished for better here! It is a reflection of the quote that I have the very best there… Read more
Eilean Donan Castle
If this castle looks familiar, it might be because you have seen one or more of these movies: Early morning it was a misty start to the day, but the weather quickly cleared to be most magnificent! Perfect for our road trip! My dear friend Douglas and I went in… Read more
Jacobite Train (aka Hogwarts Express)
Voted several years in a row as the top rail journey in the world (Wunderlust Magazine), the Jacobite train trip in Scotland has been on my bucket list for some time. Starting near the highest mountain in Britain, Ben Nevis, it visits Britain’s most westerly mainland railway station, Arisaig; passes… Read more
Most Recent Posts
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
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
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
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
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
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
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’.
I largely retired at age 50 when I decided to leave America (where I had been living for the past ten years) and for a decade travelled the world fulltime as a Luxurious Nomad (http://LuxuriousNomad.com), living a life many people only dream of living – 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, England, or Europe), 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…
