illumina's VirtualTourist Home Page

I've longed to travel my whole life, but have only recently been able to afford to do much, after four years as an impoverished student and a further 3 years in an interesting, but abysmally low-paid, career (Archaeology).
I didn't leave the country at all till I was 20, which was only to go to Ireland for a week with University; and I didn't leave the British Isles til I was 24 when I jumped in at the deep end a bit, with a busman's holiday to go digging in Albania, stopping off on Corfu for a couple of days of relaxation at the end.

In 2003 I went to Belgium, passing through France on the way, but that was it, until 2005, when I really threw myself into it, visiting six countries in the space of 9 months; and nary a travel agent in sight. There is something to be said for redundancy after all! I'm now (as of Jan 2007) back in Archaeology, but the desire to travel is still strong, so I'll have to live frugally and save up all my pennies. Hopefully at some point I'll have built up the funds (and the courage!) to go off for 6 months or more!

I'm gradually working on creating and updating pages for all the places I've visited; it's going to take me quite a while, I've got so much I'd like to say!

I also want to create pages for all the places I know and love in the UK. I think that travelling around and getting to know your own country is just as important as going abroad, and there is so much diversity within the British Isles.

1998

Ireland - Dublin, Limerick, Bunratty, Blarney, Cashel, Holycross, Newgrange, Tara, the Boyne Valley

2002

Corfu - Kerkyra (Corfu Town)
Albania - Sarande, Ksamili, Butrint, Gjirokaster

2003

Belgium - Dessel (Graspop Metal Meeting), passing through Northern France on the way

2005

France - Paris, Saint Denis - the first birthday I spent abroad; the first of many I hope and plan.
UK - Glastonbury
Belgium - Dessel (Graspop Metal Meeting)
Germany - Wacken (Open Air festival) passing through northern France, Belgium and Holland
Finland - Helsinki
Denmark - Copenhagen
Sweden - Malmö, Lund

2006

Italy - Rome. Another birthday trip!
UK - Cornwall
UK - Stratford and Kenilworth

2007

Turkey - Istanbul and the Bosphorus (birthday trip no. 3!)
Netherlands - Amsterdam
Czech Republic - Prague, Kutna Hora and Sedlec
Slovakia - Bratislava and Devin
Austria - Vienna

The last three were visited in a single trip: 'backpacking' around Central Europe for two weeks, travelling by train between cities. Great fun, and now I've found someone who loves travel as much as I do, hopefully short city breaks are a thing of the past. Follow our trip, starting with Prague.

2008

Egypt - Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Luxor and the Valley of the Kings.
Trip for the big 3-0!
Spain I was very lucky and managed to get a job working in the Basque Country for two months. Spain´s a wonderful place! I was living in Vitoria, and took several trips from there.

2009!

We're off on our travels! We set off on the 13th of January, and as of the 30th of June, we've made it to Mongolia. Through Europe by train to Istanbul, and a quick trip to Cappadocia, then, due to Iranian visa troubles, flew to Delhi via Sharjah. We wandered around India and Nepal for three months, then crossed into Pakistan, and travelled up the Karakoram Highway into China, where we spent a month.

Just waiting for Russian visas (easier to get here than you might have heard, fingers crossed), and then we're heading to Moscow on the TransMongolian!

As an archaeologist with an enduring love of history, one of the main reasons I travel is to see 'old stuff'! I also have a somewhat morbid outlook, and love to wander around churches, cemeteries, crypts and catacombs. You can expect to see all of this illustrated in my tips, and as I also love to share knowledge, I try to write a bit about the background of the places I visit.

(This photo of me appeared in Current Archaeology!).

I also like to combine travel with another of my loves - music! I quite often visit places within the UK to see bands live (London and Nottingham most frequently) and have travelled to Belgium, Germany and Finland for gigs and festivals. This picture shows me with the singer of Sentenced at a signing at Wacken 2005.