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Travel bloggers travel roundup, cloudy London

A travel blog year in review: through clouds and rain

Luxury travel blog » Writing » A travel blog year in review: through clouds and rain
December 28, 2016 by Carol Perehudoff

This post may contain affiliate links.

There were a few storm clouds on the travel horizon in 2016, so I thought I’d sift through my journeys to see what life lessons can be taken away. You’ll be happy to know there are five. So here they are, five travel takeaways for 2016 and a travel blog year in review: through clouds and rain.

Travel bloggers travel roundup, cloudy London

 

A travel blog year in review

When I think back on the places I’ve been to this year, I tend to picture them in brilliant sunshine as if every trip I took was saturated with colour and light. (Except London, does anyone picture London in the sun?)  When I look through my photos, however, I see that in reality much of the year was spent huddling under umbrellas, being pelted by snow and trudging through puddles.

Clearly, there is a disconnect between my life and my memories, so let’s take a look at an unvarnished year, stripped of its dazzling sunlight, to see what we can learn. Without further ado, here is my travel blog year in review.

A travel blog year in review
The cloudy French Alps

 

A year of cloud and rain

One of the most exciting trips of the year was travelling to the Club Med Peisey Vallandry in the French Alps to ski. Aside from my ski instructor trying to demote me to a lower ski class (who fails ski class?), it was a fabulous trip in the Alps, which included, among other things, hiking through a surprise snowstorm.

Travel blog in review 2017
It was sunny a minute ago

 

Ski trip travel blog takeaway: Even if you try very hard, sometimes failure has focused its beady eyes on you, so then you have to try even harder in order to be able to stay in your ski class. But an unexpected snowstorm may still come your way.

Clearly this is a metaphor for life. Since in the end I was allowed, even encouraged, to stay in my ski class I consider it a personal triumph. And since I laughed all the way through the snowstorm – because it was so sudden and awful and we were all so wretchedly sodden – I like to think I laughed at failure itself, and you should, too, because then we’ll all triumph at whatever we attempt.

(Yes, I’m aware this is not philosophy on the level of Nietzsche. Thanks for pointing that out. At least I can spell Nietzsche.)

travel blog roundup a year of rain and clouds
More cloudy French Alps

 

Evian-les-Bains and Lake Geneva life lessons through travel

Clearly, laughing at failure takes a lot out of a person so after that I needed a spa vacation. I chose the French spa town of Evian-les-Bains because it’s elegant, has famous spa water and sits right on Lake Geneva (Lac Leman in French). While I was there I spent much of my time on the ferry shuttling back and forth between Evian and Switzerland, which is right on the other side of the lake.

Clouds over Lake Geneva
Into the storm

 

During my daily trips on the ferry I sailed through squalls regularly and learned that on any journey rainstorms are likely to spring up, but that if you assess the risks and potential payoffs carefully, chances are your boat will keep on sailing.

Clearly, this is another metaphor for life. Our Lake Geneva travel blog takeaway is to not let rain squalls stand in your way. (In the case of hurricanes, obviously, backtracking or staying put is advised.)

The other travel blog takeaway, which I learned on a day trip from Evian to Vevey, Switzerland, to see the new Chaplin Museum, is to tell those squalls to stick a fork in it and go your merry way.

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Do you ever look back and see what you can take away from your travels? Here is a travel blog year in review.

 

Southern France and Avignon

After a barge trip through the Canal du Midi (at this point you may be thinking I’m always in France, and my husband would agree), I spent a week in the Pope City of Avignon, France, where I got into a speck of trouble while visiting Avignon Cathedral by going into the altar area when I wasn’t supposed to.

I also spent much of my time on a bicycle (in Avignon, not in the cathedral), cycling along the Rhone River and around Barthelasse Island, which is right next door.

Year in review travel blog Avignon
View of Avignon from Barthelasse Island

 

While cycling around Avignon, particularly when far from shelter of any kind, thunderstorms regularly unleashed angry torrents onto my head, but my Avignon travel blog takeaway is this: It is more pleasant to cycle through a rainstorm than to get yelled at in a cathedral. Sometimes you just need to pick the lesser of two evils.

(Not that I’m saying the church is evil. Please don’t yell at me again.)

Travel blogger's year in review, a roundup
Hello, Manchester

 

Manchester in the rain

Let’s skip now to England where it rained on my one and only day in Manchester. So my Manchester travel blog takeaway is this: The city of Manchester, with its industrial heritage and dark gothic-y music of the Smiths, suits rain. Possibly it even looks its best in the rain. And that sometimes rain is the most flattering backdrop of all.

What I’m trying to say is that when things look all grim and drizzly around you, don’t despair. It probably makes you look good in comparison. Is that deep or what?

travel blog roundup of 2016 Paris
Nice view … if you could see it

 

Other trips in my rainy travel blog yearend review

Of course I’ve enjoyed many other rainy moments of travel this year, including hiking through a dripping forest in the Czech Republic, canoeing under ominous clouds at Ontario’s Viamede Resort, and let’s not forget Paris, that wonderful city of grey.

There was also a wonderful visit to the Royal Chateau d’Amboise in the Loire Valley of France.

travel blog roundup Loire Valley chateau
Gloomy but glamorous: the Chateau d’Amboise in the rain

 

The winner of the travel blog year in review – a year of clouds and rain goes to …

However, through all the tempests and deluges I journeyed through in 2016, the top moment of this rain-sodden travel blog review has to be hiking in Bronte Country. Bronte Country is the region of northern England where the famous trio of novelist sisters, Charlotte, Anne and Emily Bronte lived.

Travel blog year in review 2016
Bronte County

 

Brontes in the rain

Here in the little town of Haworth the Bronte sisters lived with their father and wrote dark and gloomy tales and all died young as the water was tainted from the decaying bodies of nearby graves.

If that’s not a history that deserves some dreary wind-whipped weather, I don’t know what is. Yet, here’s the thing: The Bronte sisters’ talent, their dedication to writing and unfailing support and love for each other is a story that shines as brightly as a beacon in a tempest. In fact, the Bronte star has shone brightly for 200 years now and shows no sign of fading.

travel blogger's year end roundup in the rain
Hike through it

 

So to finish off this travel blog year in review here is the final life lesson takeaway: Sometimes rain and clouds breed the best type of light of all. Happy New Year’s everyone.

 

 

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This is a light-hearted, yet slightly dismal, travel blogger's year in review for 2016

 

 

Read more roundups: 2015 A travel blogger’s year through sunsets

 

 

 

 

 

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Category: Writing

About Carol Perehudoff

A former freelance travel columnist for the Toronto Star, Carol has won more than 30 writing awards and honours. A spa and luxury travel expert, she’s written for top travel publications around the globe.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Megan MacNee (@Traveling9to5er)

    I always get disappointed when it rains when I travel but looking back those rainy travel days are now some of my best memories. Looks like you didn’t let the weather stop you from making the most of your trips! Can’t wait to see what you’re up to in 2017.

  2. mags

    I know it’s not terribly fun to be stuck in the rain, but I actually like the drama the clouds add to photos. They look so interesting.

  3. Carol Perehudoff

    Glad to see you’re looking on the bright side of rain, Food Tripper.

  4. Jen Joslin

    Haha sounds like you need to seek some sun in 2017! No doubt you made the most of every place you went despite the weather though. Cheers to the new year!

  5. Indrani

    Whoa! traveling through rains!!! Must be an amazing experience in its own way but to get yelled at :( The fork in water… what a wonderful speaking picture!

  6. 2foodtrippers

    The one good thing about rain is that it does make for some good photos. At least that’s what I tell myself when it rains. At least you had some of the rain in France where everything is better.

  7. Carol Perehudoff

    Luckily, I had some sunshine mixed in with my travel year, too, Sarah. Just not in Paris, where pastries became essential.

  8. sarah ricks

    You have a higher tolerance for gloomy rainy weather than I do, I think! But I agree with you that Paris is a city that makes gray look lovely, and of course there are all those museums and pastries to pick you up.

  9. Carol Perehudoff

    Thanks, Wendy, and same to you.

  10. Carol Perehudoff

    Thanks so much, Dana. It’s a sunny start to the first of the new year at least!

  11. Carol Perehudoff

    Scottsdale was sunny our entire trip, Tamara – which is why it didn’t make the story, haha.

  12. Carol Perehudoff

    I would love to hike Hadrian’s Wall. What a fantastic journey that must have been, rain or shine. Thanks for commenting, Carol.

  13. Dana

    You did end up with a lot of rainy, cloudy travel days this year. Despite the weather (and getting demoted in ski school) it looks like a great year. Here’s to blue skies in 2017!

  14. Noel Morata

    Wow, that was indeed a rainy year for you – I’m not a fan of traveling during any rainy season, but weather is something you definitely can’t avoid especially when planning out a trip in advanced. Hope you have sunnier skies for 2017

  15. Carol

    My favorite trip this year was hiking Hadrian’s Wall in England. It pissed rained on us for 4 days but hey, that’s how the countryside gets that beautiful green color right? I’ve also driven through tropical depressions in the Yucatan and hiked through strong wind in the Fitzroy range of Argentina. That’s how it is to travel the world- you have to take a place as it come. Best to you on your 2017 travels

  16. Tamara Elliott

    Hahah oh no- did you get good weather ANYWHERE?!

  17. Carol Perehudoff

    Thanks, Wilbur. I agree. Some places just suit rain and fog.

  18. Wilbur's Travels

    Such atmosphere! Some places are enhanced by rain. It was cold, wet and foggy throughout my favourite ever visit to Scotland – in August!

  19. Wendy Fedec

    Here’s hoping for sunnier travels in 2017! ☀️

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