2017 Wow!  How can that be?   A quick glance of the date ‘2017’ and it feels like it should be somewhere way into the future, way passed Marty McFly and all things futuristic, not at all the impending now.  It is crazy and cliche but time does goes so fast, weeks and months can merge into one and one minute you are sipping Rosé wine and delving into BBQ’s and the next minute Rosé wine is Mulled wine and hotdogs are mince pies.  I just sometimes want to press pause, catch my breath and just have a moment to take it all in. But life, work, schedules and daily pressures just keep going and we can kinda forget to stop, reflect and be where we are at! ( A little New Resolution for me, me thinks!)

 But holidays, trips and adventures, can allow us to do that if we are lucky enough to get some precious ‘escape’ time.  However far we travel, what ever country we visit and whether it be a day away, a weekend away, 4 days aways, or a 3 week escape, those valuable holidays  do not only allow us to catch up with life, for ourselves, with each other, and escape those daily pressures but they carve and leave a trace of themselves and allow the year to have an identity of its own.  Memories are created, memories are filed and the year that was an empty diary now is pallet of colour, stories and narration popping out all over the place.

Of course the year is also identified for some, with the other milestones; work achievements, weddings, babies, politics (let’s leave Brexit and Trump and keep this positive shall we?)

But those extra escapes can just be the cherry on top and the idiosyncrasies of the calendar year, which also allow you to be a different person than you were back in January!

So I give you a few photographic memories and highlights of my own year which we have been lucky enough to create over 2016. Here is hoping to more escapes in 2017 but if that isn’t possible well 2016 you have carved enough memories to escape to for ‘at least’ the next 12 months!

New York City.

We travelled back to NYC after seventeen years, and had “the  most wonderful ‘5,760’ New York Minutes” More tale here and here.

Mexico

This was the year of the return and Tulum you did not disappoint….Magic!

Isla Holbox

Forbes Magazine recently named the Amazing Casa Tortugas one of the most stylish hotels in the world, and we could not agree more!

“I feel like we found something very, very special in Isla Holbox, and Casa Tortugas. Tortugas meaning Turtles, aptly named as sea turtles that come back to the beach to lay their eggs will always return to the same nesting spot where they were born…..and home is where the heart is….. So like the turtles we will return, as a little part of our hearts will forever be on that beach in Isla Holbox”

  More tales on the Isla Holbox here and here.

Lake Como

In June we were lucky enough to spend three fun packed beautiful days with our beautiful friends, in Lake Como,  swimming in pools, swimming in lakes, taking boat trips and of course lots and lots of gelato. More here and here.

Blue Door Barns, East Sussex

The Three B’s: Beautiful ‘Barns’, Beautiful ‘Brighton’ and Hoorah for ‘British’ Summers. Three days with my three favourite people.  Thoughts and Tales here.

The Greek Islands, Paros.

I love Greece!  I have been lucky enough to visit a few different islands and it will continue to be on my Bucket List for years to come. I could dream about it and  write about it all day long (if you go to the Greece section in travel you will see this)  It is what summer is all about.  This September we spent time on the beautiful  Cylclade Island of Paros. A few tales here, here and here! 

Soho FarmHouse

I have been coveting Soho FarmHouse for what seems like ages and we decided to go for a belated Wedding Anniversary celebration, it was completely amazing, surreal and wonderful and I long to go back! Tales of 24 hours of Wow, here.

Let me know your 2016 highlights, it will give me some inspiration for next year!

Safe Travels for 2017 to you all

xxx