Going on holiday usually involves a long journey at the start, but not for this trip!
Author: cjreardon21
Travel the world in 60 books: 1 to 5
I’ve been an avid reader for most of my life, but in recent years I haven’t read as widely as I’d like. My mum passes on an almost constant supply of crime books, and along with monthly book club books, I rarely have time to read anything else.
Attend a cookery class
One of my favourite things about Italy is the food; I love the fresh seasonal ingredients and the variety of regional dishes. So when I came across an Airbnb cookery experience with a Sicilian family on our recent holiday I didn’t hesitate to book it.
See the northern lights
I’d been steeling myself for an expensive trip to Norway to tick this one off. Incredibly, I was able to see them from my back garden, thanks to the solar storm that hit in May 2024.
Visit an active volcano
I love volcanoes! My life long interest was sparked by a book on the 1883 Krakatoa volcano explosion that I read as a child; I can still vividly remember the illustrations and facts. Yet, despite visiting plenty of extinct and dormant volcanoes I’d never seen an active one. Hence the reason it appeared on my list of 60 things to do before I’m 60.
Go mudlarking beside the River Thames
The Thames in London has acted as a giant rubbish dump for hundreds of years. At its worst, the industrial and household waste that flowed into the river robbed it of life and contributed to the ‘Big Stink’ in 1858. Yet the detritus deposited over the years provides rich pickings for mudlarkers.
An introduction
For those that know me, the existence of a list of ‘60 things to do before I’m 60’ won’t be a surprise. I had a ‘40 things to do before I’m 40’ list way back when. And I am still working my way through a ‘Places to visit in the UK’ bucket list.