5 years ago, the thought of visiting a quiet village in a region where brown people are a rarity wasn't something that I'd have wanted to do. But, as I get older, the moments away from packed beaches and big cities are actually quite nice. 

I've written a post on Brittany (which you can read here), and a detailed post on Ploumanac'h, the most beautiful village in the region (which you can read here). I've tried to take the best of both articles and cover my favourite things in this article. I haven't included Mont Saint-Michel (because technically it's in Normandy) but you can read about it in my detailed Brittany article linked to above. Here are 5 things I loved about Brittany.

It's the end of another year, and just as I have done before, it's time for another end of year review looking back at all the trips I've taken over the past 12 months. 

You can read my end of year review for 2018 here.
You can read my end of year review for 2017 here.
You can read my end of year review for 2016 here.

I took the least amount of time outside the country since starting this blog in 2015. I began the year with a short trip to Lisbon for a friends' stag do. My next trip was a return to Paris after 2 years (and I ended up going twice this year). My longest trip of the year took me to Seoul, and then a personal highlight when I finally managed to go to Hong Kong, a city I've wanted to see for years. I had another stag do in a random place as I crossed the Irish Sea to Belfast, before a short trip to Brussels (and that second visit to Paris) ended my year.

As always, you can click any of the blue links to read in depth reviews of each location.

It's frequently called the capital city of Europe due to the presence of many EU institutions, Brussels is a city that punches above its weight. After all, it's a medium sized city in one of Europe's smaller nations.

I spent a few days in Brussels thanks to a work trip and I have mixed feelings. Rampant homelessness, a lack of greenery and some drab looking buildings are balanced by good food, and a central plaza that ranks among the best I have seen. You can read my details notes from Brussels here, but read on for the 5 things I loved Brussels.

This is part of a series of posts where I look back at some of my favourite pictures from different cities that I have visited. You can read the rest of the series here.

I'm not sure I've been to too many places more photogenic than the Italian Amalfi Coast. From houses perched on the sides of hills, to beautiful churches and cathedrals, all framed by an incredibly blue sea, the Amalfi Coast is picture perfect. It's probably not somewhere to go on your own like I did, and it isn't the cheapest place in the world either - but I can promise, you won't find much better scenery anywhere else. You can read about my full trip to the Amalfi Coat here, and my visits to Pompeii and Herculaneum here.

Segregation, provocative marches and murals, relative deprivation and not a lot of brown people. You'd think I would have hated my time in Belfast, but I didn't. It's probably the most interesting city in the UK - and yes that includes London. Not for the landmarks it has, or the things you can do - but to study and understand the effects of two groups of people who live in close proximity but who couldn't be more different in their world views. You can read my in depth review of Belfast here, but below are the 5 things I loved about Belfast.