The Holiday of a Lifetime
Hello readers! Yes it was the holiday of a lifetime! As my social media followers will know, I have recently returned from an overseas trip of 3 awesome weeks in the UK, followed by a wonderful week in Istanbul, Türkiye!
Anniversary
This all expenses paid trip was a (15 Years as Mistress Alex) anniversary gift from a long time friend, and client.
Business class travel, hotels of my choice, and a spending allowance were all included!
My trip began in London and finished 4 weeks later in Istanbul.
London
My first stop was London – at apartment accommodation in Kensington. It was a lovely area populated with stately buildings, a short distance from transport to many tourist locations. I enjoyed Big bus tours and took hundreds of photos. I can appreciate how people love London so much. It certainly has a vibrant and lively feel to it.
The highlight of my trip was meeting the one and only Pastor Alex (2nd in command of CoTFE Church of The Forgiving Eagle on Twitter). What a privilege! He was just like his profile described, but a little taller in real life. The pastor was my tour guide for Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London, and The London Dungeon – where he was given the job of cutting off my head. At this task he failed, so his punishment was to accompany me to a comedy show in Leister Square. We also found a celebrity sketch artist who captured our characters to perfection!
Scotland
One week later I arrived by train to Edinburgh, Scotland; such a beautiful city full of old castles and medieval buildings that have survived centuries. I’ve never seen anything close to this amazing city, but, my highlight of Scotland was meeting Margaret Dick, of John Dick Tawse. It was a huge privilege to see the workshop where the Genuine John Dick and Margaret Dick Tawse are made. It was also a treat being able to place an order in person. This order has arrived already, and will be the focus of my next blog.
Ireland
After an amazing introduction to a lush and buzzing Scotland, it was time for my next adventure. I made my way by train to Glasgow, and with some helpful direction from a friendly fellow passenger, I made it to the ferry in time for a smooth sailing to Belfast. Guided tours run by the locals was a great way to learn the history of my chosen destinations. The highlight of Ireland for me was the DC Tour of Troubles. The tour guide spoke from lived experience about the years of turmoil and violence his upbringing had been a part of. After one generation of mostly peace in Northern Ireland, he had hope for a future were people could be happy.
Türkiye
The 4th and final quarter of my holiday was spent in Istanbul. What an amazing city!
I stayed at a gorgeous boutique hotel that had an ocean view, and was only 600 meters from the Grand Bazaar Market and in walking distance from several beautiful temples and mosques. The weather was gorgeous, mostly sunny and in the mid 20s, and for me quite the perfect holiday location!
A boat cruise on the Bosphorus River was a wonderful way to see several of the lavish homes, castles and temples. We were also taken by bus to Turkey’s largest mosque – Grand Mosque Camlica. We then had the pleasure of gorgeous views of the city, before a cable car trip to finish the day.
Home
A huge Thank you to my friend who so generously offered me this amazing holiday, and first time experience!
I’m now settled back in Melbourne and I’m looking forward to seeing you all again soon!
Sincerely
Alex Vicia