Some Random Popular Posts
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
Happy Bulgarian Journey – Tips and Information!
Bulgaria is an amazing place, and to enoy it to the fullest, here is some information that may help you in your next (or first) visit to this interesting country. Bulgarian Money The Bulgarian Lev (BGN) is the currency of Bulgaria – they are part of the EU, but have… Read more
Austria’s Wachau Wine Region
The Wachau region was inscribed as “Wachau Cultural Landscape” in the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites in recognition of its architectural and agricultural history, and is known for its high-quality wines… …and that is the River Danube to the left… This was funny… According to the GPS, this is a bridge… 🙂… Read more
They built train tracks before there was a train…
Anyone who has seen “Under the Tuscan Sun” (or if you are like me and have seen it so many times you could just about recite the entire script), will recognise the following: Martini: Signora, between Austria and Italy, there is a section of the Alps called the Semmering. It… Read more
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the Baptistry of St John
It was truly amazing even walking toward this iconic cathedral There are countless videos, books, etc on how the dome was constructed, so I won’t reiterate the details here – but this is what Wikipedia has to say, in case this area is new to you: “Florence Cathedral, formally the… 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
Munich’s Rathaus-Glockenspiel
I still find it amusing that council buildings / town halls are called ‘rathuas’ in German… Anyway, this is quite a famous rathaus due to its glockenspiel… ~ Bella Read more
Prague Trip (post 3 of 7): Alchemy
It seems in order to even drive past the US embassy, one needs to be searched… That is all well and good, until one cannot find the lever to open the hood…………. oh dear… Some time later… they finally let us go (although they never did get to look under… Read more
Welcome to Florence!
This was my last day in the glorious piece of Heaven in Suffolk. It was so hard to leave. There is a line in one of my favourite movies, “Under the Tuscan Sun” (hmmm, appropriate now that I am in Tuscany!) where Marcello says, “when you smash into something good,… Read more
Most Recent Posts
Welcome to Prague
As I write this, I am still in the process of securing my Czech permanent residency visa, but I have provisional approval, so fingers-crossed. Part of the application process is that I already need to have secured an apartment – and I feel so very blessed to have found a… Read more
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
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 even in 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…
