Six of the best from 2015: countryside

Yesterday I posted about my six best city experiences of 2015; if you didn’t catch it, read it here: https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2015/12/30/six-of-the-best-from-2015-cities/.

But what about out in the countryside?

Torres del Paine

Guanacos in the north of the park

Visiting the south of Chile as late in the season as April was a risky choice in terms of the weather, but luck was on my side. Getting up close to the blue crevasses of Glaciar Grey and watching the clouds pull aside to reveal the Torres del Paine in all their splendour were just two of the highlights of this very special place. Staying in a luxurious ger at Patagonia Camp and waking to a pink sunrise over Lago de Toro made this one of the most incredible places I’ve ever stayed.

Pointe Sable

Sunset at Pointe Sable

Haiti was hard work, a trip fraught with worry. Despite arriving several days later than planned after being stranded in Jacmel because of a transport strike, the beautiful beach and turquoise waters of Pointe Sable at Port Salut were worth the wait. Staying mid-week, I had the sand almost to myself, save for a few upturned fishing boats and a stray hawker or two. Who needs beach bars and banana boats when you can enjoy such solitude with only a few tiny burrowing crabs for company?

Acadia National Park

Little Hunter’s Beach

I’ve been fortunate to visit many of America’s National Parks, but Maine’s star attraction felt more manageable in size. From the drama of the granite cliffs and blowholes to the serenity of unsigned and overlooked beaches, this was a real treat. The addition of a clutch of Model A Fords chugging around Park Loop Road on a weekender only added to the spectacle. Feasting on freshly caught lobster down the road at Bar Harbor was the icing on the cake.

Easter Island

Sunset at Ahu Vai Uri, Tahai, Easter Island

Five hours from the Chilean mainland, Easter Island is one of those places that promises to blow your mind. Fortunately, it lived up to expectations. Waking before dawn to watch the sunrise behind the fifteen moai at Tongariki was a very special experience but the real surprise was of how much the island had to offer beyond its famous stones. The vivid colours of the volcanic crater lake at Rano Kau and the sight of wild horses thundering down the road towards the car made a lasting impression.

Hammond

Cornfields surround Hammond, IL

Having visited seven Hammonds on my US travels this year in preparation for my book “Hammond, Me”, it seems only fitting that one makes the list.  Most fun had to be the llama racing in Hammond, Wisconsin but in terms of getting out into the countryside, it’s Hammond, Illinois that stood out – classic barns surrounded by fields of corn and an Amish community down the road.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

The view from the top of Rodertor

Strictly speaking, a view of the countryside rather than a visit to the countryside itself, but looking across the valley from the mediaeval walls of this impossibly quaint German town just can’t be missed off this list. Visiting in early autumn, I missed the crowds, caught the weather and fell in love with the place.

Now over to you.  What are your favourites from 2015?  And what are you looking forward to for 2016?  I’m currently busy working as a researcher for a book on Essex dog walks.  Overseas, my travel plans for the first half of the year include riding Sri Lanka’s trains, visiting the Seychelles on a budget, trialling an error fare to New York City and exploring Oslo and Stockholm.  Practising ABBA songs as we speak…