Wednesday, May 30, 2018

On the Road with Anna Campbell



On the Road with Anna Campbell - - Episode 4


Cheers to you, PJ and your fellow Romance Dish peeps!




I can hardly believe that this is my last On the Road with Anna Campbell – at least for this year’s trip. I’m currently tucked up snugly with some friends in the UK where it’s raining and we’re wondering if we’ll risk going to see a walled garden this afternoon. 

I fly home in a couple of days with so many wonderful memories of my adventures. And it’s been such a pleasure sharing them all with you here.

Life has become a little more exotic since we last spoke from lovely Poolewe in far northern Scotland. I’ve had a couple of weeks in the Balkans, visiting four different countries in the former Yugoslavia. I took so many photos – if you’d like to see more of this beautiful part of the world, please check out my Facebook page: https://tinyurl.com/y9btmv4p



First up was beautiful Slovenia where in between playing tourist, I did a big signing at Felix Bookstore in the middle of Ljubljana, the capital. The readers there are so generous and enthusiastic, I felt like a rock star. Many of the people in the audience came from several hours away. Thanks to my publisher in Slovenia, Učila International, and Publishing Director Mojca  Benedičič, and all the lovely people who showed up to turn the evening into a party.



Outside the signing, I got a little bit of time to play tourist. Slovenia is tucked up under the Alps so the scenery is like The Sound of Music, the air is like crystal, and the water is like champagne. Ljubljana is a gorgeous city full of magnificent Art Nouveau buildings. It's a lovely place to sit beside the river and watch the world go by while enjoying a drink or two.

The dragon is the symbol of Ljubljana and in the castle, which has been used for Game of Thrones filming, there were these fun dragon wings for people to pose with. Don't be too afraid – I'm a reasonably tame dragon lady! You're only at risk of being lightly singed!



From Slovenia I traveled via Zagreb to the gorgeous Croatian town of Trogir, which is like a mini Venice. A friend and I were joining an eight-day tour of the Dalmatian Coast which ended up being full of lovely surprises, too. I took a million photos but I've restricted myself to some from the beautiful island of Korcula which is another mini Venice. That palazzo-looking place in the collage IS a palazzo and was also our hotel. I was definitely leading the high life during those few days!

From Korcula, we visited Kotor in Montenegro – the picture at the top of the blog of me looking very happy with a glass of wine comes from dinner that night. Then we ended our week with a couple of days in beautiful Dubrovnik. Another Game of Thrones location – GoT followed us most of the way along this coast. I'm not surprised film crews gravitate to this area – it's all so darn photogenic!



After the tour finished, I stayed another two nights in Dubrovnik and used my spare day to visit Bosnia – see what I mean about lots of countries! Brave souls jump from the famous Ottoman bridge in Mostar into the cold water below – I spent a lot of my time on the Adriatic coast wishing I'd brought my swimming costume. I didn't that day! The water is apparently freezing in the river flowing under the bridge.



I'm already planning next year's jaunt! This trip I'm just finishing has been amazing – and even better, I'm going home with a lot of pages written as well. Win win!



So are you a water baby? Do you like to swim? Where is your favorite swimming place, if you do? I'm actually better in the water than I am on land – I don't know what that says about me. I'm definitely bringing the swimmers next time I'm over this way!

I've got 2 Kindle downloads to give away – your choice of Lord Garson's Bride or The Dashing Widows boxed set. No geographical restrictions. Just leave a comment on this blog to be eligible to go into the draw. Good luck! (Winners will be chosen from all comments posted before 11:00 PM, May 31, 2018)

And thank you to all of you who have come on this voyage of discovery with me over the last four months!


Thank you, Anna for taking us along on this journey and giving us the opportunity to experience all the wonders of your discoveries through your beautiful photos and words, both here and at Facebook. I can't wait to "travel" with you next year! 



40 comments:

  1. Anna, thanks so much for letting us visit all these beautiful places through your posts & pictures. Not being able to get out much anymore is what makes your journey partly mine :) I love your stories and
    and have enjoyed your posts. I love the water and believe it or not I too do better in water then and. Being a Pisces may have something to do with it but I think it's because I'm weightless in the water and love the feeling of floating.
    Carol Luciano
    Lucky4750 at aol dot com

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    1. All these beautiful photos is almost like being there, isn't it?

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    2. Carol, I'm so happy that you've enjoyed the pictures. It's been such fun sharing my travels with you all. Hey, how cool you love the water too - that weightless feeling is just lovely,isn't it?

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    3. PJ, so glad you've enjoyed the pics too! I always love your pictures!

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  2. You have really done some extensive traveling. I have not been to today's countries, but they are on my bucket list. I am not much of a "get in the water" person, but I love to "look" at the water. ;-) Some of my favorite scenic spots involve oceans, rivers, and lakes. Where are you headed next year? My husband and I are hoping to visit Norway and Sweden.

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    1. They weren't on my bucket list until today's post but they are now! :)

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    2. Cheryl, how lovely! I've been to both but we had awful weather in Norway so I feel I have to go back to do it justice. I remember just loving Stockholm - it's a canal city like Venice! At this stage, my trip next year is still an open book although I've booked a stay in an artists' colony in Ireland and I'm going back to Eigg where I've managed to do so much work in the last couple of years.

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  3. Thank you for sharing your trip so generously with us, Anna. Thanks to you I feel as if I have visited places that I will never see IRL. You have been a blessing to this armchair traveler. And I can't wait to hear more about the writing. :)

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    1. I agree, Janga...on both the travels and the writing! :)

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    2. Janga, you'll definitely hear about the writing - I'm having such fun with the new Scottish series which starts on 31st July with the Laird's Willful Lass. There was something really magical about writing a book set in Scotland while I was actually in...Scotland!

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  4. I do love to swim and I'm not particular about the venue. Thanks for sharing your travels with us. Looking forward to the next one!

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    1. I grew up swimming in a lake but nowadays, I much prefer a pool. It's good to be able to see bottom. ;-)

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    2. LSU, swimming is very much part of the lifestyle here in Australia. These days, I'm mostly pool too. I used to love ocean swimming but as I've got older, I've developed ear problems and they don't like having water in them so waves aren't much good for me. A pity. I used to love diving through the waves and swimming underwater - which is probably why I've now got ear problems.

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  5. WOW! What wonderful pictures of obviously beautiful countries. I have wanted to see the Balkans - shoot fire - I would love to see Scotland, England, Wales or just about anywhere.

    It is encouraging to know that where ever you go there are readers who are fans. It goes to show that love and romance are universal. And readers who love the books are universal as well.

    Thank you so much for sharing your pictures. You have shown all of us how beautiful the world is.

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    1. That's so true about readers. I never realized just how universal romance was until I began connecting with readers (and authors) from around the world via the internet.

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    2. Annette, what a beautiful ending to your post. Thank you! Isn't it wonderful that romance is such an international genre - and the readers over there are just as mad about Dukes and Scotsmen (which made me laugh - how do they translate the accent!) as readers in Australia or America.

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  6. What wonderful pics... What a great trip!

    I wish I am a swimmer. Never quite gotten over the water in the eyes and ears thingy. I made sure that my kids start swimming classes early though so they won't be like me.

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    1. May, I think you have to start early. I had a friend who tried to learn to swim later in life and it never really worked out.

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  7. Fantastic trip and pics! I'm a total water baby, too!

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    1. Debbie, there's something quite magical about floating in water on a beautiful day.

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  9. Thanks for sharing your trip with us. I doubt I'll ever get to all the places you visited, so I loved all your pictures and descriptions. Can't wait to see how you incorporate your travels into new stories! I'm a swimmer,but mostly in pools. Swam competitively in high school and college.

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    1. Laurie, how cool about swimming competitively. I did in primary school but the girls in high school were a bit too fast for me. So glad you enjoyed all the pics!

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  10. Wonderful pictures, great adventure - and most of all - it was tremendeous to meet Anna during the trip. <3 <3

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    1. Olga, didn't we have wonderful fun in Slovenia? I often think back to that great evening and smile. Thanks for coming in to say hello!

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  11. I know how to swim--I grew up with an above-ground pool in my backyard. But, I prefer reading under a beach umbrella to going in the water.

    denise

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    1. Denise, I like your thinking. I like having a pool to cool down when the reading gets a bit hot! Snicker.

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  12. Dear Anna ,
    It was delightful to follow your travels through Europe, but I think I have left my heart on Eigg!
    Swimming is gorgeous. I have fond memories of winter skinny dipping in the Bay of Fires on the east coast of Tasmania. Closely followed by simply sitting on the rocks of Eddystone Point sipping champage very efficiently chilled in a convenient rockpool.
    Cheers
    Yoodalynne

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    1. Yodalynne, goodness me, you're brave - not the skinny dipping, the cold water in Tasmania!!! Yes, Eigg is very special. I've already booked my trip for next year.

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  13. Dear Anna,
    it was so awesome meeting you in Slovenia. I hope you enjoyed your trip through Europe and I hope you will visit us again (soon) :). And can't wait for your new books!
    xoxo Tanja

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    1. Tanja, new one's out 31st July! And I had an absolute ball in Slovenia. I was just blown away at the warmth of the welcome you all gave me!

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  14. Thanks for sharing your memories. If the writing thing doesn't pan out you should became a tourist guide ;)
    Alas, I don't know how to swim but I love walking on the beach!

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    1. MsAwesome, my mother never learned to swim either - which meant our water baby holidays when I was a kid were a complete nightmare for her. I'm so glad you've enjoyed the traveler tales.

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  15. Thank you so much for taking us along on your trip. It has been so enjoyable visiting these places and getting some really good ideas for a trip in the future. I enjoy swimming, but haven't done it since we moved from California and had a pool in the yard of the house we rented. I don't even own a bathing suit. I consider it my part in Keeping America Beautiful.
    Hope you had a safe trip home. I look forward to seeing the result of all those pages you wrote while traveling.

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    1. Patricia, thanks so much for coming along for the ride. Laughing at your bathing suit comment! I'm sure it's not true! Looking forward to getting my first Laird out into the world - end of July is the release date.

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  16. i've enjoyed your travels, Anna, though I envied your Korcula weather, in particular! I hope your travels have inspired some lovely new plots! Cheers!

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    1. Jeanie, Korcula was just heavenly. I was hoping to go back there next year but sadly the timing won't work out. Looks like it might be 2020! Yes, lots of story ideas buzzing around.

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  17. I’m late to the party Anna but have loved following your travels even while travelling myself. I packed my swimmers for my trip to Europ3but only 7sed them once during a cruise on the Mediterraneab (which wS amazing BTW).
    My favourite place to swim is the W9donga Sports and Leisure Centre, which has a heated 25metre pool and a friendly atmosphere.

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    1. Not late at all, Shelagh! I wished I'd taken my bathing suit - the Adriatic looked just heavenly when we were in Croatia. A heated 25m pool sounds lovely!

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  18. Thanks so much to PJ and everyone here. It's been wonderful sharing my travels with you all over the last few months! Congratulations to all the winners (I threw in an extra prize for this month's post because, you know, it's the last one and it's all been such fun). And see you all soon!

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