Savoir There - The Stylish Travel Blog

• NATIONAL TREASURE •
Ok, riddle me this if you're a British citizen:
You've been keeping a picture of this row of 14th century weavers' cottages close to your heart on all your travels, and guarding it as fiercely as your wallet and your keys even if you've never heard of it or visited it in person.
... How do I know this?
Because Arlington Row, in the picturesque town of Bibury in Gloucestershire, is depicted on the inside front cover of current British Passports :-)
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• CABIN FEVER •
I've got a kind of cabin fever - as in I'm feverishly wishing I could live in a log cabin full time.
I'm not even joking - I'm house hunting right now and after my hosted stay in the Cotswolds with Log House Holidays I started wondering why we don't build more houses out of beautiful sustainable Finnish wood here in the UK.
... I even found a wooden chalet-style house not far from where I live now, set in stunning parkland. Imagine being able to stand on your balcony in a fluffy white robe with a cuppa and having a view like this every single day.
So what do you think, would you like to live in a wooden home?
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I spent the day in London and I feel like Instagram has puked up all over the city.
Has this flower archway phenomenon gone too far, or is it nice to see pretty (albeit fake) flowers everywhere?
What say you?

• DOWNWARD FACING FROG •
Is that what you call a downward dog when done on the water?!
Whatever you call it - and despite the bulky life jacket and the unflattering angle - I was still insanely proud of myself when I managed to do this yoga pose on a paddle board.
... Especially considering 10 minutes earlier I couldn't stand up on the thing at all.
I've wanted to give SUP a go for years but was scared of being rubbish at it (I was right to be scared).
But I'm so glad I finally tried it in the tranquil surroundings of Log House Holidays because there were no random punters or ultra fit instructors to witness my initial pathetic attempts to stand up. Also my dry clothes were about 5 steps away in my log cabin so I knew if I fell in it didn't matter.
I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to try SUP without any pressure. 🏄‍♀️
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Remember that gorgeous log cabin in The Cotswolds I stayed in?
Well I've written a post explaining what Log House Holidays is really like - and compiled a list of the things you can do in the area (if you ever get out of the hot tub that is)...
http://www.savoirthere.com/…/log-cabins -cotswolds-a-log-ca…/
... #cotswolds #logcabin
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• THAMES SOURCE•
Looking for ideas for the Bank Holiday weekend? How about a walk to the source of the River Thames, and then a pint in a country pub?
Despite being dry during the summer months, this meadow near Cirencester is the picturesque home to the 'real' source of southern England's most famous river.
... There's a stone to commemorate the spot plus a sign pointing you in the direction of the Thames Barrier, in case you're keen to extend your day out to a 184 mile walk. But the short walk to the Thames Head pub is easier and probably more rewarding 🍺
Full details on this day out are in my blog post about staying Log House Holidays in the Cotswolds.
http://www.savoirthere.com/…/log-cabins -cotswolds-a-log-ca…/
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• EVENING IN PARIS •
Exciting news from Paris for art fans this week - especially if you want to visit the city's Atelier des Lumières digital art gallery.
The immersive art space is bringing back their popular Klimt show for a limited run in the summer evenings.
... The Van Gogh exhibition (which I saw last month and loved) will still play during the daytime hours too.
This means you can go to Paris for a Starry Night and stay for The Kiss. 😘
http://www.savoirthere.com/…/atelier-de s-lumieres-paris-re…/
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• WISTERIA HYSTERIA •
I try not to succumb to every passing internet trend and I'm proud to say that I haven't trespassed on any of the famous London doorsteps to join the Instagram fad better known as 'wisteria hysteria'.
But I did find this tiny little higgeldy piggeldy alleyway in the French town of Minerve really magical.
... If only it sold cupcakes it would be perfect, right? 🍰
Full disclosure: right after taking this picture I found a cafe in the town that makes its own chocolate and shortbread, so all was well 😊
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Got the Monday blues? Fancy seeing some exciting travel inspiration in your Facebook feed rather than the usual depressing news?
Did you know I co-run a page called Top UK Travel Bloggers which shares the latest travel ideas from all over the world, written by top bloggers here in the UK?
Pop on over to Top UK Travel Bloggers and give it a like or a follow if you're a travel fan and want some ideas for your next holiday ☺️

• NARBONNE TOWER•
If you want to really look down on other people, but in a good way, this is the place for you.
It's a surprisingly easy climb up this 13th century Archbishop's keep for birds' eye views of the southern French town of Narbonne. And on a clear day you can see the Pyrenees in the distance.
... Narbonne is a popular starting point for canal tours of the region, and that's exactly what I was doing in town, taking a Canal du Midi cruise with Barge Lady Cruises.
When I was offered the chance to climb to the top of a building after a few days at canal level, I jumped at it - for some reason I've always had a thing for viewpoints - anyone else feel the same?
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• LOG HOUSE HIDEAWAY •
Looking for some weekend inspiration? What about this secluded log cabin in The Cotswolds? I've just torn myself away after a lovely midweek stay, thanks to the folks at Log House Holidays.
A lot of places look peaceful in pictures but of course once you get there you have to share the scenery with a load of other people, and let's face it, people kinda ruin everything.
... You'll find no such problem here: there are only 8 cabins, each tucked away with its own section of lake, and barely another soul in sight. I went swimming, kayaking and attempted stand up paddle boarding (looking like a complete lemon) and there was nobody around to laugh at me, which was ideal.
It turns out that the vision for this entire place all started with the founder doing a stint in the Yukon - which explains why you feel like you've found a slice of the Canadian wilderness right here in England.
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Fun travel fact: this 14th century row of weavers' cottages in Gloucestershire is featured on the inside front cover of British passports.

• LEAFY LOVE •
Are you a fan of urban travel or do you prefer trips to the countryside?
I used to be a classic Londoner and loved city life and fast paced weekends away but the older I get the more I seem to prefer being surrounded by nature.
... Of course it's nice to have the best of both worlds and discover cool cities which are full of fun and blessed with greenery too - and the seaside city of Galle in Sri Lanka ticks both boxes.
P.s. in case you're wondering that sign on the right reads 'curry is nice, also with rice' 😀
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It's shaping up to be a good week 😎

Congratulations! You're going on an all expenses paid VIP trip to Madrid to see the Champions League final.
No, wait, sorry, you're not.
https://www.standard.co.uk/…/zavvi-blun der-champions-league…

• BEACHY HEAD •
I've been doing some juicing in the last week so it occurred to me that I should tell you about some of the lasting benefits I've seen from the juice detox retreat I did in Portugal in March - including one day drinking amazing honeydew melon juice on this very beach.
Obviously with all the eating I do (I'm looking at you, France) I put some weight on after leaving Moinhos Velhos Detox Juice Fasting Retreat, but I still feel soooo much healthier. And no matter... how much I eat those last couple of pounds just stay off.
I also feel completely confident to do my own at home juice program now, which I wouldn't have been able to say before, and I did a couple of days of juice and clean vegan eating this week so I could be a bit more trim and ready for summer.
Caveat: every body is a beach body, I'm not saying being thin is the goal here but feeling good is. 😊
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• FOREST TOWER •
A couple of weeks ago this brand new spiral treetop walkway in Denmark broke the internet a little bit.
Lots of people were desperate to see the view from the unique 148 ft observation tower, which allows you to look down on the forest below - and on a clear day spy Copenhagen and Malmö in the distance.
... Most of the news articles just had the architectural mock-up photos, so I sent a roving reporter (aka my brother who lives locally) to get me the lowdown and some real life pictures now the tower is officially open for visitors.
Let me know (by liking or commenting) if you want more deets about this cool tree tower? Then I'll get a blog post live with all the pics and facts you need to visit for yourself 😊🇩🇰
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• HOUSE HUNTING •
I'm house hunting at the moment and just wish I could pick up this gorgeous rustic French village house and pop it down in the English countryside, ideally within half an hour of London.
... Well, a girl can dream! 🏡
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