At the moment, it seems like I add another place I just need to go to my to-go list – wow that’s a messed-up sentence! – every other week. So I thought I’d write them down.
1) Russia
Yes, let’s be specific with the first one. I want to go to the biggest country in the world. I went to Moscow and St Petersburg on a school trip in 2003 and I’d like to go back now I’m more able to appreciate it. I’ll settle for those two cities; I’d also like to get to Murmansk, Archangelsk, deep Siberia, Lake Baikal and possibly Volgograd. What I think I’ll probably do, for now, is take the train from Paris to Moscow, spend a few days there and then get the train to St Petersburg before flying back.
2) Baku, Azerbaijan
I don’t know why. It just looks nice. And I like the idea of horrifying people at work with my intention to go to a country they’ve never even heard of. Easiest flights look like going via Budapest, so a day’s stop there on the way and the way back to round it out.
3) The Faroe Islands
The one major patch of the North Atlantic I haven’t made it to! And when I say major, I mean small pretty but sparsely populated patch of rocks in the middle of the cold grey sea. I’m not sure how much there is to do there but there’s a lot to see and I’d like to do it, when I can figure out a way to do it that isn’t ludicrously expensive.
4) Greenland
Again, the thing holding me back here is cost. It’s a trip to Iceland before you even think about the Greenland portion. I haven’t looked into it enough to have the faintest idea where in Greenland I’d like to go – but Greenland.
5) New Zealand
This one’s just a daydream. That would be a year’s worth of money and annual leave allowance. I do own a guidebook, though, and I have stuck a few flags in things that have caught my eye.
6) Slovenia
A colleague’s son is there at the moment and the mountainous western parts look so nice. Lake Bled etc. I know it’s touristy, I know everyone and their grandparents have been there, but I think there’s a reason for that.
7) Egypt
Blame my school for this. Ever since I was eight I’ve wanted to see the Pyramids and the Valley of the Kings. And I know every adult I’ve ever spoken to has said it’s hot and dirty and dangerous and the Pyramids are just there in the middle of the city. But I want to go one day.
8) Venice
An easy one. But I really want to go out of high season and by train. Not Orient Express – it’s too expensive and most of its luxury would be wasted on me. You can do it by normal train, if with a few more changes and one day I’ll get round to this, when I haven’t got something more exciting and exotic planned.
9) Istanbul
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj1l_74nb_Q
I can’t quite convince myself of the safety of Istanbul in general, let alone for a solo female traveller but it looks endlessly fascinating and like nothing I’ve ever seen before and I will continue to mutter “I want to go to Istanbul!” at regular intervals until I finally do it.
10) Zimbabwe
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj62u1FgBwk
I can’t tell you about work but this comes up at work. Which African country would I go to? I considered tourist infrastructure, security, attitudes to women, attractions – and came up with Zimbabwe. I first did this less than two weeks before the events that ousted Mugabe but I stick by it. I think Zimbabwe would be my first African country.
Do you have a list of places to visit in the near future? Bucket list? Tell me about it.
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