And here it is, the first post in the new calendar year. Most of us could hardly wait to finally turn that zero into the number 1 at the end of last year and we were no exception. Even though we spent the last couple of weeks in 2020 in the best possible way. Given the current situation in Europe, the 2021 started off great for us. Almost a month on the coast of the French Atlantic is going by too fast, but it was still just enough time for us to take a mental break from some of the more difficult and challenging months of last year. Socializing with friends and family, the warm rays of the sun, the soft sand under bare feet, tasty food day after day and relaxed outside activities provided a good dose of both wanderlust as well as festive homeliness. Even though we didn’t jump in the snow, drank mulled wine or ate the traditional Slovenian potica cake for a change this year. Due to all that is happening right now we don’t have any serious travel plans for 2021, but of course there are some wishes and ideas and the first blog post of the year is a good opportunity to write about it a bit more. Since I posted about my pregnancy a couple of weeks ago, I have been getting a lot of different questions in recent weeks about what all will change for us now, so I will try to answer everything here.
SO WE ENTERED TEH ENW YEAR ON THE BEAUTIFUL ISLAND OF ILE DE RE on the west coast of France. Why right here? For those of you who don’t know yet, this is where Charlie is from and most of our French friends and family are living here. AS FRANCE CURRENTY HAS NO RESTRICTIONS on crossing borders or entering the country for EU residents, while we would have quarantine / test requirement entering Slovenia, we decided to spend a good part of December and the beginning of January here for a change. What can I say, despite the fact that I miss this year´s Slovenian snow fairy tale, this was a great decision. The island turned out to be a peaceful oasis right now, as there are no international tourists, and also fewer domestic ones. Ile de Re, which is connected to La Rochelle by a toll bridge (geographically between Bordeaux and Nantes) is otherwise a very popular destination especially in the summer months and if you ever find yourself in this part of France I highly recommend it for a few days. Oysters and other seafood specialties, lush pine trees, beautiful sandy beaches, top cycling trails, salt pans, lighthouses and viewpoints, poppy fields, vineyards, UNESCO heritage and charming houses. You can read more about what to see and do there a separate blog post by clicking on the button below the photo.
Our home for the last weeks of 2020 and the first week of 2021
What about later on?
So, first of all, we have a long drive around 1500km BACK TO GERMANY, where we have to STAY IN QUARANTINE FOR 10 DAYS. After five days, we could go for a self-paid test, but since the price of the latter in Germany per person is up to 200€, we prefer to choose a longer quarantine. Meaning, we´ll have enough time for writing and blog editing, Netflix and sewing. AT THE END OF MAY 2021 A NEW MINI MEMBER will be joining us, so I have more creative in inspiration due to this upcoming event. Yay, life will certainly change after that, but surely for the better. Of course, getting a baby means this year will be a little different, also from the traveler’s point of view. VIRUS, PREGNANCY, TINY BABY – yes, of course we will go somewhere, but for now we are not planning anything specific. It doesn’t even occur to me to buy any airline ticket until things regarding epidemics settle down. Not so much because I would be scared of getting sick, more because I no longer want ruined plans and shattered dreams. In this sense there was already enough drama in 2020 in our case.
Are we coming for a visit to Slovenia soon as well?
Yes. Or not. Who knows, in these times. We hope we can VISIT IN MARCH, without quarantine in both directions from Germany. To feel the cold snow. And to eat some fish in sunny Piran. To take our Defender for a ride, since the poor thing has been waiting for us at home under a pile of snow since October (again unplanned). Otherwise, we might make short spontaneous spring TRIPS IN GERMANY and in the meantime visit the nearby Harz National Park. Lu also has a two-week holiday in April and we might take advantage of this to visit some unknown and interesting places in the country before we FINALLY MOVE TO SLOVENIA IN THE SUMMER.
What? We´re moving to Slovenia?
Yeeees! I’ve been talking for quite some time now, but now it’s finally really happening. In February it will be 10 years since I moved to Germany and now it is definitely enough. After giving birth in May, we will wait those first few weeks to recover and get used to each other, but then we´re gone. WHERE EXACTLY IN SLOVENIA? We do not know. Due to the current lockdowns and restrictions, it is really difficult to search for a property from abroad, so we will probably live a rather gypsy life from the beginning and spend some time here and there. But who knows, we might get lucky after all and find something before we move. anyway and until then we find something that suits us. More about moving abroad and the comparison of life in Germany and Slovenia from my point of view, in the article below.
Are we still getting married?
Some of you may know that we had to cancel or postpone the planned wedding for September 2020 at the expense of all Covid-19 restrictions. There is nothing new about the new date and we will WAIT FOR BETTER TIMES when there is no danger of cancellation- This probably won´t be possible until 2022, when the bride to be will also be able to drink a glass of champagne too much and squeeze into the wedding dress.
What about our Defender, vanlife and overland travels?
Yeees, of course! I think 2021 will be PERFECT FOR OVERLAND TRAVELLING. Of course, we will again have to rearrange the interior a bit and possibly buy a roof tent to be more “comfortable”. I am quietly counting on one LONGER AUTUMN TRIP. Then the baby will be about 3-4 months old and if everything is okay from a health point of view, why not? Definitely someplace warm towards the south. Maybe Greece? We had to cancel our BALKANS trip twice already, let´s see if third attempt brings us luck.
Komaj čakamo, da se v troje kam odpeljemo
Travelling outside of Europe? Will we be able to go somewhere this year?
Anyone with an answer to this question please let me know hehe. Supposedly it will already be possible, but you never know. Usually we have at least a couple of plane tickets already in our pockets at this time of the year. This year we have some EASYJET VOUCHERS from 2020 and maybe we will first use them for a short HOLIDAY IN EUROPE. Otherwise, Lu has a longer vacation again in October and we may fly somewhere more far away, but as said, the decision will be more at the last minute. Unfortunately, of course, we can’t go to Kenya and Tanzania as we had it planned for August 2020, for a while now, but we´ll just have to live with this. I hope that by AUTUMN OR NEXT WINTER, the situation around the world will calm down and we will be able to wander around again without major problems, just as we did n the good old days. We have quite a few ideas, but let’s see what happens.
What about this blog and new content?
Since there will be a lot of time for blogging, at least until the end of May, there will definitely be a lot of new content on the blog. Believe it or not, despite the fact that we are not currently jumping here and there around the world, I still have a lot of unwritten articles related to past trips. I am also thinking about a series of more CULINARY POSTS, and later on of course, again a little more content on the topic of TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN is coming up.
I definitely keep my fingers crossed, in fact I strongly believe that 2021 will be one great year and that we will all enjoy every single positive moment of it. We all really deserve it now! This year will be full of new challenges and adventures for us, even though we will definitely travel less than in previous years. I hope we will all be out in the fresh air as much as possible, wherever it will be. Stop by here on the blog anytime for wanderlust inspiration and travel posts, I promise to keep it interesting. Stay healthy and a wonderful new year to all my loyal and random readers from my side.
