Some Random Popular Posts (click ‘refresh’ to see more!)
The ‘Up and Doon’ Maid of the Loch – that they built twice!
Situated in Balloch in Scotland, ‘The Maid’ is the very last paddles steamer to be built in Britain – and is the UK’s only remaining example of an ‘up and doon’ vessel A what? A ship that has been built twice! Read on to learn more… Assembled in Glasgow by… Read more
Loch Katrine
“The Lady of the Lake” is a narrative poem by Sir Walter Scott (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), and is set around Loch Katine and the Scottish Trossachs. Being a huge Sir Walter Scott fan (I have a first edition of his entire collection, and even travel with his biography… 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
Ireland’s Oldest Tree – and more sights…
Out and about again in northern Ireland (as in the north or the Republic of Ireland, not Northern Ireland)… Managed to spy these beauties while I was at a gas station… What every round-a-bout needs – an unused entrance to a castle… …and this magnificent tree is Ireland’s oldest –… Read more
Snæfellsnes Peninsula – Part 3 of 3
During the final part of this road trip, I didn’t realise that the ‘road’ trip would be minus a ‘road’! You’ll see what I mean…………. Harry’s a tough Little Sprout – and Google assured us there was a road here – so we decided to forge ahead……….. 4.8 miles of… Read more
British Horological Institute aka Museum of Timekeeping
I love old clocks and so have been wanting to go to this museum for such a long time BUT it is only open for five months of the year, only on Fridays, and only between 11:00am and 3:00pm – and given that it is a six-hour drive from my… Read more
Rum, Austria to Lake Iseo, Italy
I didn’t set foot outside the hotel the entire week I was there… It was just magical sitting out on the balcony writing, reading, working… the Alps so extremely close it felt as though one could reach out and touch them… Then, at the end of that week, off to… Read more
Ljubljana Castle – post 2 of 2
…continued from previous post… Oh, goody – more stairs! This time down to the chapel… …and now entering the penitentiary… …and off to the puppetry museum! …before finally (after finding a fast way down the stairs – don’t ask..!) making it back to the funicular station… …and headed to a… Read more
Now you see it, now you don’t + Novi Sad party time!
The fog here can be incredible – not long after I took these photos, it was a complete white-out. …but the next day, sunshine! Oh, and don’t worry about the rusty railings – they have already been taken care of. …and it was either then next night or the one… Read more
Most Recent Posts
…finally to McDonalds
This is no ordinary McDonalds… Located in the heart of Subotica, it is the world’s only Art Nouveau McDonalds, and is housed in a historic 1912 building! Welcome to….. McDonalds! …complete with original fittings and fixtures! Mission accomplished, it is time to head back to Novi Sad… … Read more
Boss for lunch, Renaissance for dessert
Since on this McDonald’s trip the intention was not to eat there, we stopped at Boss Cafe for lunch – I love this place! …remember the winery we visited..? …and Renaissance for dessert… Read more
Zvonko Bogdan Winery
…and no trip to McDonalds would be complete without a visit to a Serbian winery (we didn’t have time to do the tour, but I love the building!) Read more
Finding McDonalds – but first, Park Heroja
Yes, you read that correctly – a friend and I did a road trip to Subotica (on the border between Serbia and Hungary) to find McDonalds – but not just any McDonalds… More on that later. First stop was Park Heroja… Read more
Dropped something?
One day, a red ‘something’ appeared in the river… The photos tell the story (and note just how shallow the Danube has become! – and note how strong the current is!) Thankfully this is the secondary channel, not the main one all the barges and cruise ships use… After a… 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!
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, 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.
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
