Travel Wish list 2025

 

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One of the nicest things is to look out a window at a new view...

The globe

Travel Wish list 2025

Fingers crossed and 2026 might allow for more wanderings.

This is my updated travel wish list: it hadn`t been updated since 2020.

I`ve scored off a few, and added others. 

My logic, more or less, is to prioritize places that are good for painting across the year, and ideally not expensive. That means a lot of Europe is best avoided. There is also Brexit, or "Brex-shit" as it might better be termed, which prevents lengthy periods in Europe without visa hassles.

As I am now in the UK, South America is a lot more expensive to get to. And I did visit almost all of the South American places on the 2020 list.

Moreover, now Asia is closer and cheaper.

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R= revisiting

Spain R

Cádiz R

Seville R

Valencia

Granada R

Jerez de la Frontera 

UK R

Portmeirion - the cost of even the simplest hotel in the UK is so high (especially considering he tiny fusty pit you`ll receive for your money) that the chances of my crossing the UK to visit this curious place soon are low

Finland

I suspect this is a very unfriendly country and that puts me off enormously. Orderly, costly and not much fun. I fear the same for Sweden

Sweden

Norway R

USA R

I dread being harassed by the USA`s border security, who were gratuitously obnoxious in New York a few years ago. It could well be worse now. Ergo: on hold

Paterson, New Jersey

Northern California - Redwood trees. Sierra Nevada. Need I say more?

Montana

New York R - always seems to surprise me

Nevada - This and the next two are here because they have such bizarre landscapes

Arizona

New Mexico

Italy R

Rome R - I love this city and want to paint more bridges along the river

Turin R -I regret not really seeing it properly when I went twenty-five years ago

Ferrara -This and below are here because of de Chirico

Mantua

Palermo - baroque architecture

Mexico 

 Oaxaca - both seem to be interesting, though crime is a bit of an issue for the plein air painter

Mexico City

Turkey R

Antalya- These may be a good  autumn /end of the year option 

Fethiye 

 

Japan 

France R

Paris R 

Bordeaux

Brittany

Nimes

Lyons

Marseille- this is one of the few French places whose reputation suggests some sort of vitality. I suspect the others of being enervated, sterilised, joyless.

Switzerland R

Mountains

Bern

Zurich

The expense of Europe is very off-putting. Nonetheless, the idea of spending a concentrated three weeks in the Alps painting is very appealing. I want to visit Kunsthaus, Zurich. Also, I want to look at more of Bocklin, Hodller- which is largely in Basel, while Klee has he Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern.

Armenia

I have a romantic idea about this place But the reality, so informed by conflict, might be somewhat exhausting.

Nepal

This is a follow-on from India this year. It`s cheap, often beautiful and visually exciting. Why not?

India R 

Mussoorie R -  I`d happily revisit for about ten days

Udaipur R - a very agreeable place to revisit for a week or two 

Pushkar -  I could do a week or two here again though it`s less interesting than Udaipur. 

Kerala - Both see pleasant and cheap and, apparently, not as filthy as the north of India

Goa  - like Kerala, also probably very touristy, but perhaps that is ok for a few weeks?

Puducherry /Pondicherry - it might be a bit polished but so what?

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Places to visit; rationale

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The world

This is my updated travel wish list.  I`ve scored off a few, and added others. 

Rationale

My logic, more or less, is to prioritize places that are good for painting in Europe or Latin America. 

I want sunshine but not so much heat that going out is impossible much of the day.  I like to continue exploring places I`ve been to before, adding to existing painting series. Thus, for example, I will return to Peru and Chile. Or perhaps I feel my paintings from previous trips weren't good enough. I also like revisiting because I`m curious to see if places are as I remember them and if they evoke some meaningful emotion. I`m surprised how rarely I discover this to be the case. 

There are places I go to because I feel I ought to, usually because they are noted for art collections or their architecture. It often seems that such esteemed places aren`t that fun to hang around in, or that they are costly or take themselves very seriously. I think I prefer to hang around obscure little towns in Peru to loitering in Paris. People seem to be a bit more fun and pleasant in such places. 

I've found travelling in Arab countries to be severely spoiled by harassment, which reaches the level of bullying, and although the towns and monuments are often visually striking this doesn't compensate for the discomfort I often felt in Arabic parts of Morocco or Egypt. The Berber and Nubian areas were notably more agreeable.  Ergo, there are no Arab dominated countries on this list.

I love nature and as I get older it gets more and more priority over culture. I try to visit a variety of landscapes across the year. 

Cost is also an issue. Being a guest is free, but necessitates submitting to, often unclear expectations. Usually, I damage something in my host`s house and there is some embarrassment about how I needn`t pay for it. A gift is essential- but what, exactly?

Another consideration is age. I'm 51 and I guess I've about another twenty years of easy mobility. I have to prioritise: I'd prefer a more thorough knowledge of a little than superficial familiarity with a lot. 

Hotels in northern Europe are costly and often joyless. In southern Europe there are better prospects. There is AIRBNB too, but that can be weird, an uneasy zone between being a guest and a tenant. And some AIRBNB places are downright weird. But Latin America is still affordable, and is where I am, and thus I favour it. India and Southeast Asia might also appear but they are so far that the air fare becomes high.

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R= revisit

Spain R

Cádiz
Seville
Valencia
Granada
Cordoba -NEW


UK R

West Coast of Scotland and the Western Isles R  - too much rain 
Galashiels - ditto too much rain 
Hawick  too much rain 
Selkirk  too much rain 
New Forest R
North Wales R - also a lot of rain. Might be removed
Portmeiron


Finland

Sweden

Norway R

USA

Paterson, New Jersey
Chicago -I went and didn't like it that much
Northern California
Montana
Idaho- I have a feeling it might be quite weird.
New York R- always seems to surprise me
Washington State - lost interest completely
Nevada -  NEW - This and the next two are here because they have such bizarre landscapes.

Arizona- NEW
New Mexico- NEW


Italy R

Rome R - I want to paint more bridges along the river
Turin R. -I regret not really seeing it properly when I went twenty years ago
Milan R
Ferrara -This and below are here because of de Chirico
Mantua

Brazil R 

Rio R
Rio Grande de Sul R - Especially the wine region to the north R

Mexico NEW

Mexico City and much more- I think here must be very visually striking. More research due.

Ecuador

Chile R

Patagonia -  this is a good January destination
Atacama desert

Peru R- There are quite a few corners left to explore

Bolivia R - I didn't really this place justice before

Turkey R

Istanbul R

Poland R

Masuria

Japan 

France R

Paris R 
Bordeaux
Brittany
Nimes
Lyons
Marseille - NEW

Switzerland R-  Mountains. The expense of this country, and much of Europe is very off-putting. Latin America is preferable just for this reason.

Armenia - NEW -  I have a romantic idea about this place

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Places to visit (revised)

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Places to visit 

This is an updated list. Places with an R after would be re-visitations. Re-visiting places is a very enriching experience, allowing one to make discoveries about the places revisited as well as about oneself and how one might have changed. One could write a lengthy Proustian piece on this subject.

 Some places have been taken off, others added, largely on account of whether it would be good for painting. The Spanish cities are a major addition. My ignorance about Spain is quite shameful.

Spain R

Cádiz
Seville
Valencia
Granada

UK R

West Coast of Scotland and the Western Isles R
Galashiels
Hawick
Selkirk
New Forest R
North Wales R
Portmeiron
Glasgow R

Finland

Sweden

Norway R

USA
Paterson, New Jersey
Chicago
Northern California
Montana
Idaho
New York R
Washington State

Italy R
Turin R
Milan R
Ferrara
Mantua

Latin America
Rio R
Mexico City
Ecuador
Patagonia
Rio Grande de Sul R
La Serena,  Chile

Turkey R
Istanbul R

Poland R
Masuria

Japan 

France R
Paris R
Bordeaux
Brittany
Nimes
Lyons

Switzerland R

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Places to visit: list

Here's a list of places I want to go:

Bulgaria (specifically Plovdiv)
Armenia
Iran
Chile
Japan
Egypt
Greece
Wells Cathedral
Masuria
Finland
Montana

Northern California
Idaho
Washington State
Salvador, Bahia

Here's some I want to go to again:

New York
West Coast of Scotland and the Western Isles
Glasgow
Northumberland
London, specifically Bayswater, Highbury and those bits of south and north London which seem mysterious to me, such as Holloway, Camberwell, East Dulwich, Forest Oak, Sydenham and Herne Hill
Rio de Janeiro
Amsteram