I got this idea for a post from a great question at a breakfast meeting today (thank you Carl). If money were no object and you could move around the world throughout the year, where would go and when?
This is going to be entirely hypothetical, as the ability to hop from one corner of the globe to the other (if globes had corners of course) is not something I possess. I am reminded of the many clients I would meet while working on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, who would pass through their Park Avenue apartments in spring and fall, on their way between their winter condos in Florida and their summer villas in the Hamptons. Migrating like birds to catch the right amount of sun, they rarely saw snow or even rain, and were not in danger of hurricanes. Quite dull IMHO. For better or worse, here’s my nomadic year as I would have it:
January – in the Far East, enjoying the cooler climate of SE Asia and able to hike in the mountains of Thailand and Laos without the worst excesses of humidity.
February – northern Norway, to see the arrival of the sun after its winter away in the southern skies. I would hang around for a while until I caught a glimpse of the aurora borealis, before heading for some “proper sunshine” in the New Zealand summer.
March – this will be a good time to explore the South Pacific, with a trip to the Marquesas Islands high on my to-do list, as well as spending some time on the Cook Islands.
April – time to go north again, and I would be sure to catch the cherry blossom season in Japan, and then spend the rest of the month in this fascinating country.
May – a good time to visit the American SW. Not too hot (except in Death Valley, but hey that’s part of the attraction there) and not yet busy. A month of hiking around the National Parks here would pass in an instant.
June and July – a good time to visit home in good old Britain. The weather is generally warm, and as the school holidays don’t start till the end of July the Lakes and the Scottish Highlands are reasonably quiet at this time. And of course, if it’s an Ashes summer…
August – time to flee again, and this time I will head for Africa. A trip from Uganda, through Rwanda to Tanzania will give an opportunity to explore this fascinating, fertile and vibrant part of the world, and of course a chance to see the mountain gorillas.
September – my favourite time to visit southern Europe, when the crowds have left and the sun and heat remain. Seeing more of Spain and Portugal will keep me busy for the month.
October – time to head for South America. Now in their spring, a visit to Brazil will be combined with a return to Patagonia and a chance to hike in the Torres del Paine area.
November – a busy month awaits. North again first, this time to Canada to witness the polar bear migration in Churchill, as the ice freezes over Hudson Bay. Then down to southern Africa, for a journey into Namibia to see the wildlife and a chance to see the remote communities of this vast country.
December – a short spell of British weather, and the dark and cold of an approaching winter, will be enough before heading out to the Far East again for the New Year.
Not much good in terms of a carbon footprint, but it’s nice to think about visiting these places and putting them in some order. Where would you go if you could?
Interesting!
Here is my list. The months not in the right order.
I would like to eat yak burgers in Mongolia and live in a yurta
Spring: cherry flowers in Japan, live in a ryokan and enjoy hot spring bath
Skiing, sauna and outdoor jacuzzi in a really cold weather in winter, somewhere in Lapland
River floating in Laos
Traditional summer cottage in Finland, next to the lake
September or May in Italy
Kazakhstan, Home Textile and Interior Design Trade Fair
Ocean sunrises, need to see the green flash! Then you know whom you really love…
Sailing in mediterranean
New York, to visit many bakeries!
Hiking in the Scottish highlands
The Trans-Siperian train
greetings @tainamarita from twitter
Love this list! Fabulous to think about. I've always wanted to do the Cherry Blossums and I love the idea of your Feb. plans!
January – Spain to join in the 6th January celebrations as I am jealous that they still have all that fun whilst ours is all over.
February – Canada – Halifax, Nova Scotia to see a real winter
March – Springtime in Paris
April – Cherry Blossom time in Japan
May – Scotland as my scottish friends tell me this is the best month for good weather
June – Western US : Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and as many National Parks as I can manage
July: Pamplona Spain for the running of the Bulls in the St Fermin Festival
August: On to Northern Spain to avoid the extreme heat. Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria are beautiful this time of year
September-Perfect time of year to visit Vienna with its beautiful architecture and classical music museums and concerts. Still good weather but missing the hustle and bustle of high summer.
October – Visit to the East Coast of America for the beauty of the Fall Foliage
November – South America – a tour of Mexico and Peru without forgetting the ancient monuments and beautiful scenery.
December: A quick trip around France, Belgium and Germany to visit all the Xmas markets then back to the UK for the festive season with family.
Thanks Sherry, Taina and Christina for your suggestions and great lists. The fall colours of course – how could I forget! Maybe squeeze that into November too
Taina, I would love to see the green flash at sunrise/sunset. Have you seen it yet?
Great list Andy !I am sure everyone who reads this will smile.My list is going to take some time but you sure got me thinking …:)
Thanks Smita!
I look forward to seeing your list
Haven't seen the green flash yet (only in youtube videos). I read that while in most places, it is a rare event, in Hawaii, it is quite common.