Some Random Popular Posts
1540 “Hole in the Wall” Pub
My dear friend, Alec, and I headed off to one of the (many) old pubs in the area. In this case, a smugglers’ pub dating to 1540! To put that a little more into perspective, that’s the year King Henry VIII died! …and this (below) is the sign for the… Read more
Grad Kamen
Grad Kamen (or Kamen Castle) was built in the 12th century by the Counts of Ortenburg. From 1436 the Counts of Lambergh owned the castle, but they abandoned the property in the 18th century when they moved to the more comfortable Katzenstein Mansion in the centre of the village. The… Read more
I love Ostia!
Welcome to Ostia Update #2… I have been here just under a week and the more I get to know the place, the more I love it here! As I write this, it is 20oC, a slight breeze is blowing in from the sea, there is literally not a cloud… Read more
Goats, headless people, and abandoned castles…
As we were touring through the Viennese countryside and in particular the Wachau Valley, we came across quite an assortment of ‘interesting’ sights… Yes, these are headless people, complete with a happy birthday version of ‘do not cross’ police tape… …and a park for bees… The leaning tower of Wachau… Read more
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is on just about everyone’s bucket list and when I finally checked it off mine, the feeling was very surreal… I wanted to at least get the photos up… Will add details soon… … Read more
Vienna to Venice via the Weltmachine (World Machine)
Our adventure started before we even left the rental car place… I couldn’t find where to release the parking brake on this push-button Mercedes! 🙂 Leaving the rental yard, and having the obligatory “gute fahte” message… We were on our way from Vienna to Italy… Our first adventure was to… Read more
Bradwell Abbey and The Swan Inn
On my way back from the Milton Keynes Museum, I discovered Bradwell Abbey. “Bradwell Abbey is the site and remains of a medieval Benedictine Priory and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (no.19062). Nationally it is significant because it contains the greater part of the medieval precinct of a priory, a… Read more
Si, sono solo!
My day started with sitting outside at one of the local cafes, happily working away as the world meandered by… having a glass of wine… and an Italian fellow probably in his sixties (and very good looking, I might add), wearing jeans and a shirt, asked me if I was… Read more
My Horse-Drawn Journey back to the 1890s
Anyone who knows me knows that I am very much a Victorian/Edwardian girl at heart – complete with a wardrobe to match! So, when I heard about the opportunity to ride in an authentic and historic 1800s carriage, recreating a nostalgic journey in the actual coach, the ‘Tantivy’, that last… Read more
Most Recent Posts
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
Canada owns part of Britain?
Yes, Canada does actually own part of Britain! Welcome to Wolford Chapel… where the building and land are publicly owned by the Canadian province of Ontario, and flies the Flag of Canada despite the chapel being in the English countryside! ~ Bella Read more
Thatched Pub Built in 1620
We first were headed here – but alas, no one was home, so we went in search of another beautiful old pub – and didn’t have to travel far… The Kings Arms, Tedburn, built in 1620… …next stop – CANADA..? ~ Bella 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…
