Interview – Davide Vadalà (Nomad Travellers)

Chris Boothman
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11
Interview – Davide Vadalà (Nomad Travellers)

Our latest feature on our interview series of fellow travel bloggers is Davide Vadalà from Nomad Travellers. Davide is a well-travelled individual and we are delighted that he is speaking with us today on a variety of travel related topics.

Please feel free to comment, ask questions and connect with Davide using his various social media fronts listed below.

We would like to give a special THANK YOU to Davide for taking time to interview with us!

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Name: Davide Vadalà 

Website: Nomad Travellers

Social Media: 

What is your favorite aspect of traveling and if you are a travel blogger, why did you decide to create your website? 

What I like about traveling is experiencing new things everyday, also the unexpected. And experience for me means learning, since I believe in learning by doing. If you have a normal office job, the most enthusiastic thing it can happen is probably getting an extra free day. If you take possession of your life and you go travelling, you open a completely new range of possibilities. You feel alive every second, and you are not looking forward for weekends. Your life is a weekend.

I started my travel website to share this vision with other people, to try to inspire them and possibly to change a little bit of the world in which we live. Whatever I do, I always think that if it’s even 1% better than when I started, it means I succeeded.

How many continents have you visited? 

Three

How many countries have you visited? 

30+

What is your favorite destination in the world and why? 

It’s probably Nepal. First of all, it came after some very stressing months in India, where I was even hospitalized for one week. I keep great memories from Nepal and its people, because they are Asian but with a stronger Western influence, so it was easier to get along with them. I found it to be a much more relaxing, spontaneous and friendly than India. But most of all I loved trekking in the Himalaya for three weeks, covering over 300 km and reaching 5500 meters of altitude, making good friends, and passing from tropical climate to alpine forest to bare rocks, while I was hiking.

If money/time was no object and you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you travel to and why? 

No doubts it would be Bhutan. It’s a different world there, economics have no place in the important choices of the state, and people are happy with what they have. They develop happiness rather than their bank accounts. Nature is amazing and you can recharge your spiritual batteries just by staying there. Unfortunately to preserve their unique culture they limited the entrance of foreigners, and having access to this Himalayan country is difficult and extremely expensive.

Which of the following gadgets do you take on your travels? 

Laptop, Phone, Camera and e-Reader.

What is your preferred method of transport? 

Bicycle.

Complete the following, “Everywhere I go, I visit….” 

Natural beauties in the surroundings and inspiring architectures, in particular Art Nouveau buildings.

Here is your chance to sell yourself and your website! Tell us some more information about yourself, what your travel philosophies & future plans are and anything else that people may find interesting to read about… 

Since two years and a half, my solo travel transformed into a couple travel, since I met my better half Otilia. Of course while travelling! We were rock climbing in Hungary when we met for the fist time. Now we try to travel sustainably, moving almost exclusively by land, most of the time hitchhiking. I love cycling, but she is still not enough comfortable to travel by bike. We don’t use hotels, we always sleep couchsurfing and we eat local and vegetarian. We buy second hand clothes, and only if we need, and we try to inspire people to be more frugal. In our website, we share our travel stories, photos and plenty of tips.

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I’m also really interested in photography, I’ve collaborated with international paperback magazines and our articles are always filled with nice images. Now we are waiting for an answer from the Indonesian Embassy. If we’ll be selected for a program we applied for, we’ll study local handicraft in Indonesia for one year. We can’t wait to go!

A Drive in the Yorkshire Dales

Chris Boothman
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29
A Drive in the Yorkshire Dales

Winter in England usually consists of wet, murky days with very little daylight hours. In other words, not conducive to visitors wanting to wander around the English countryside especially if they are not prepared with appropriate clothing and hiking gear. However, I have a little something just for you that will hopefully reinvigorate your desires to head to the northern part of England if you venture here during those dreary Winter months.

First thing that you will need is a rental car. Ok, don’t be scared, driving in England really isn’t all that bad! So, you think you have that down well head on over to the Yorkshire Dales for your very own roller coaster ride but without the theme park. You may have read some of our other Yorkshire based posts including the market town of Skipton and idyllic village of Haworth. Well, this scenic drive in the Yorkshire Dales starts out at Skipton and can take anywhere from 3 hours to a full day, dependent on what you want to see and do in between, and ends at the same place you started!

The Route

Yorkshire Dales Drive

Start: Skipton, North Yorkshire

What better way to start this drive around the Yorkshire Dales than a quick visit to the local daily market in Skipton.

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Skipton to Grassington

Distance: 10 miles (20 minutes)

Venturing north from Skipton, you will immediately head into beautiful countryside, surrounded by miles and miles of farmland. Be prepared to slow down as you drive around these country roads as sharp bends are always round the corner!

Grassington is only about 20 minutes from Skipton though despite being a similar civil market town, it lacks the attractions on offer to realistically make this a hot tourist location in Yorkshire. However, it does provide a great hub for hikers to park up and then head out into the Yorkshire Moors exploring the miles and miles of wilderness out there.

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Grassington to Pateley Bridge

Distance: 11 miles (22 minutes) 

After a quick pit stop in Grassington, head East on the B6265 towards Pateley Bridge. Here is where you will really begin to see some changes in elevation as you climb through the Nidderdale Valley. This part of Yorkshire is gorgeous and on a nice day you can see the Yorkshire Dales for miles around.

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Pateley Bridge to Ripon

Distance: 11 miles (20 minutes)

Driving from Pateley Bridge to Ripon, you can take in the beautiful Brimham Rocks which is an amazing collection of weird and wonderful natural rock formations in North Yorkshire, managed by the National Trust. The main attraction in Ripon has to be the historic Cathedral that has been around for many centuries. An architectural masterpiece, Ripon Cathedral offers North Yorkshire a vibrant hub for the local community and surrounding region to explore their Christian faith.

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Ripon to Knaresborough

Distance: 11 miles (22 minutes)

As you move away from the rural communities of the North Yorkshire Moors, you head south to the town of Knaresborough which is infamously known in the area as being home of Mother Shipton’s Cave. What is this famous for? Well, legend has it that the prophetess ‘Mother Shipton’ was actually born in this cave, how much truth there is to this I don’t really know but the overall experience is really cool. Added to this is a petrifying well which has been host to tourists for many centuries given its relationship with Shipton.

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Knaresborough to Harrogate

Distance: 4 miles (10 minutes)

The drive over to Harrogate is short and sweet and you will immediately realize you are back in a more urban setting. However, Harrogate is still a high profile Yorkshire tourist destination as it is home to beautiful botanical gardens and historical buildings that attract tourists on a regular basis.

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Beautiful Botanical Gardens

Harrogate War Memorial

Harrogate to Skipon

Distance: 21 miles (33 minutes)

The drive back from Harrogate to Skipton was unfortunately in the dark but it primarily consists of heading back across the Yorkshire Moors with potentially beautiful scenery if you are there during the daytime.

Overall Summary

This is a really interesting drive and certainly a great way to spend an afternoon especially in Winter if the weather is not good enough to be walking around. Dependent on your interests, you could spend more time at each of the locations but it is all down to personal preference. Driving around the Yorkshire Dales is gorgeous, the sense of relaxation is there immediately as you enter into the rural countryside. The archaic stone walls that line the farmland is just a stereotypical British design that sets the scene perfectly.

What better way to spend an afternoon that by meandering around the British countryside in the heart of Yorkshire?

Nikon D60 DSLR Camera – Product Review

Heather Boothman
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34
Nikon D60 DSLR Camera – Product Review

This review is dedicated to the Nikon D60 DSLR Camera. I started having an interest in photography about 8 years ago, and the D60 was the camera I was given as a gift to inspire my interest a little bit more. There are so many different options when it comes to cameras but essentially the decision is for the most part Nikon vs Canon!

Yes, I will openly admit that I am a Nikon girl but I am not going to say anything negative about Canon. Nikon and Canon have similar models that are close in price so its pretty much just down to personal preference.

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As a beginner, this camera has allowed me to practice with 10 MP, ISO sensitivity and 3D Matrix metering to name a few. It might not be the best camera especially nowadays given Nikon’s release of various newer models but if you are beginning to take photos and want to be able to shoot RAW images well, the D60 is great start. Check out eBay or another online merchant to find a great deal on a D60.

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More detailed Specifications about my Nikon D60 are: 

  • Effective Pixels – 10.2
  • Image Senor – 23.6 x 15.8 mm CCD Sensor
  • ISO Sensitivity – ISO 100-1,600
  • MOnitor – SD memory card
  • Exposure Metering – 3D Color Matrix Metering II, Center- Weighted and Spot Metering
  • Exposure Modes – Digital Vari-Program (Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close-up, Night portrait) Programmed auto, Shutter- Priority auto, Aperture- priority auto, Manual
  • Built in flash

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The Pros

  • Very compact, Light body
  • Great learner camera
  • Easy to use
  • Eye Sensor

The Cons

  • 10.2 MP
  • Expensive
  • Outdated (just like with all other Technology)

Conclusion

This camera has creative features, extensive dust reduction, and incredible picture quality in a compact body. All in all you must find the camera that works best for your needs to be able to look back over all the memories you want to have captured. Through all of our travels my most treasured moments are the ones that I have looked through the viewfinder and taken a memory that will last ages. After having this camera through many years of memories I am currently looking to update my camera, looking at a possible Nikon D7100. However the Nikon DF is pretty cool but might be a little unrealistic!

*In no way was I compensated for this review, this is solely my personal opinion/experience*

Gretna – The Gateway to Scotland

Chris Boothman
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17
Gretna – The Gateway to Scotland

Infamously known for the location in the British Isles where young couples fled to get married, the small town of Gretna is also the true gateway to Scotland as it lies on the border between the North and South, also known as the English/Scottish divide.

Located about 90 miles south of both Edinburgh and Glasgow, Gretna is the perfect spot to gently get acclimatized to Scottish culture. You won’t see locals with kilts on every street corner but you will certainly come across some with the broad Scottish accent that we all love, or in some cases find difficult to understand!

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So what is all the history about Gretna and these thousands of marriages that took place in ‘The Last House in Scotland Marriage Room’? Well, statistics on the building show that over 10000 marriages have taken place in this small, quaint room since it was established in 1830. Folks in England that fell madly in love at a young age and wanted to marry were forced to wait until they come of age, or flee from their parents and head north to Gretna Green and exchange vows to confirm their love for each other.

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Nowadays, Gretna has much more to offer than just a historic marriage town and one of the main attractions for visitors and locals alike is the new outlet mall that has a variety of leading stores including the always popular Cadbury’s Factory store where you can get some of the best chocolate throughout the British Isles for cheaper than regular shops.

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Of course, Scotland is a proud nation that welcomes visitors from afar and even though there may still be that stereotypical tension between the English and Scottish, I think that’s more folklore than reality though whenever a sporting event takes place between the two nations, it is a little more apparent. Gretna doesn’t necessarily have such animosity but given its location right on the border between the Lake District and the Scottish Borders region, it hosts a mixture of people from both countries which makes this a pleasant location to get to know folks from either side of the border.

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With the Lake District located just a few miles south of Gretna, this is a perfect spot for folks who want to spend some time hiking the English fells before heading into Scotland to challenge their infamous hiking spots.

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Although our trip to Scotland was a little short-lived and we were only able to experience one spot, Gretna certainly proved to be somewhere you can easily find interesting and worth exploring. I am intrigued as to the validity of this ‘Marriage House’ and whether 10,000 couples truly visited here but even if this is just folklore, it’s a really cool to see and imagine those youngsters eloping here to show their love for each other whilst their parents are fuming back in their English hamlets.

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