Not Just a Granny

Many years ago, when I first joined Facebook and set up my profile (2007), I filled in one of those ‘where have you been in the world’ online maps.

At the time I was already living in the UK and had been for a few years, so had had the opportunity to travel to quite a few places.

While I was pinning places I’d been, I realised that not only had I visited quite a few countries, but I had also visited quite a few islands…awesome. And so an idea was born; I would visit 100 islands before I die. Okay!! So since I’m not now and wasn’t then, planning on dying in the near future, I set about compiling a list of islands I would still like to visit, and since the UK has 6,289 (LOL) I was spoiled for choice. However, since I also wanted to visit Europe, the scope for achieving my goal widened substantially. Did you know that Norway has 240,000 islands, islets, reefs, coral reefs and cays? Now that…would take me quite a few years!

Jump forward a few years (almost a decade) and during my brief stay on the Isle of Wight in January 2017 when I discovered the Domesday Book Village of Nettlestone amongst others, an idea was born! Supported by a previous list of the many many villages and towns I’ve visited in the UK since 2007 in my capacity as a Carer for the Elderly, and of course all my holidays, in the UK and abroad since 2001, I started thinking…

I realised that not only had I unknowingly (at the time) visited a great number of Domesday Book towns and villages, but I had, during my travels, visited a substantial number of castles, cathedrals, cities, most of the counties in England and Rep of Ireland, many palaces, a number of famous houses, a random selection of rivers, and to my surprise, a substantial number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites!!! This was exciting!!

Thus a new list was compiled and Project 101 was born….100 is so yesterday!! LOL

I immediately set about updating the list with these new categories and updating the details of those I had already visited or been to – this has become Project 101; to visit 101 in each of these categories before I die….whenever that may be.

I have a separate list of places still to visit. Clearly some categories won’t cater to my 101 target, like the counties of England for instance…only 48, so not much chance there then, but combine them with Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and the numbers add up ;).

I’m planning (hoping) to write about each of these places, but this will take quite a while as I have to go back in time to find the photos, do some research and write the articles…

However, with one trip (Italy 2017) I was able to visit 5 (or 6)* UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 5 cathedral cities and by extension their cathedrals, 5 walled cities, famous gardens listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and a river.

I’ve done some research on *Lucca and in google searches it comes up, but when I go to the UNESCO site it’s not listed. Further research will be needed… Some places just make it easy; cathedral city/cathedral/UNESCO site(s)/famous house(s)/palace(s)/river……think London & Florence 😉 6 birds with one visit LOL.

Of course now that I have started this blessed list my mind is like……’hmmmm, should I add Roman cities to the Project’? Or maybe bridges, and what about churches…..and then I remember just HOW MANY churches I have indeed visited in the last 15 years alone….and my head says NO NO NO!!! So for now (?) here are the categories I’ve settled on…for now 😉 I’ve haven’t listed any of the places in chronological order; that would just be too time consuming. So in no particular order….. these are the places I’ve already been to; looks like I have some catching up to do to visit 101 in each category….now where’s that Motorhome?!! And if the Universe listens to my request, sponsorship would be awesome!!

The journey is well under way 😉

ISLANDS (17)

COUNTRIES (16)

U.K. COUNTIES
ENGLAND (33)
SCOTLAND (5)
WALES (6)
N. IRELAND (3)

Republic of IRELAND (14)

CATHEDRAL CITIES (37)

CATHEDRALS (37)

ABBEYS (13)

I visited so many abbeys, priories, friaries and monasteries in Ireland that I’ve quite lost track…so if I can I will one day try to revisit as many as possible 🙂

DOMESDAY BOOK towns & villages (150) – Domesday Book is a manuscript record of the “Great Survey” of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William the Conqueror. Admittedly when I complied this list it surprised me that I had already been to so many, and of course I’ve well exceeded 101!

CASTLES (49)

PALACES (20)

FAMOUS HOUSES (20)

UNESCO World Heritage Sites (35)

WALLED CITIES (45)

RIVERS I’VE MET ALONG THE WAY (63)

and I’ve decided to add a new category; Bridges – just because I can 😉 Makes sense really since I’ve met so many rivers, I must have crossed some of them!

BRIDGES I’VE CROSSED (65)

and then there’s

UNUSUAL PLACES I’VE BEEN/THINGS I’VE DONE – 40 – quite a lot LOL

And so my travels will continue. My goal is to buy a motor home and travel the length and breadth of the UK and visit her islands – 83 to go, as well as explore Europe, and on my journey visit as many of the above categories as I possibly can.

Dear Universe, in order to complete Project 101, I have a dream list…..

This page has the following sub pages.

• Project 101 – Countries
• Project 101 – Islands
• Project 101 – UK Counties
• Project 101 – Domesday Book mentions
• Project 101 – UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• Project 101 – Cathedral cities
• Project 101 – Cathedrals
• Project 101 – Abbeys
• Project 101 – Castles
• Project 101 – Palaces
• Project 101 – Famous Houses
• Project 101 – Walled Cities
• Project 101 – Rivers
• Project 101 – Bridges
• Project 101 – Unusual places and things