You know what the most liked Instagram picture of 2014 is? A picture of Kim Kardashian and Kayne West’s wedding. Yeah, that’s right. We decided we needed to chip in some blue-sky-cocktails-crystal-ocean pictures to make up for that apparent lack of pictures from the road on this world’s social media charts.
(Our most liked Instagram picture by the way was London’s skyline with the Shard.)
2014 was a year filled with passport stamps, unknown territory, cocktails, snow and palm trees. We’ve started the hashtag #traveletting, where you guys tag your favourite snaps from the road. We select a winner every Monday and post it on our feed – that definitely spiced up our feed. Here’s a round-up of what the last twelve months have brought – and where they have brought us.
January
Katja kicked off the year skiing in Hovden, Norway. She wrote: “Four to five days in Hovden can easily feel like two weeks, it’s relaxation at its best. And when you feel ready again to hit the big town, just hop on the bus and you’ll be back shopping, socializing and partying back in Oslo in no time.”  Could be worse eh?
February
London calling! Katja filled her days doing vintage shopping and checking out markets in east London. Yum. Here’s a handy guide in case you fancy doing the same next year.
March
March was all about stunning scenery and good food. And what place is better for that combo than Italy? During a stay at the Lefay Resort and Spa near Lake Garda, Katja checked out pretty little towns like Gargnano and was spoiled big time: “The Lefay is located a short 20-minute drive up a windy mountain road and yet it feels like the gateway to bliss, peace and utter relaxation. The views on the surrounding, luscious green mountains and olive gardens can only be beat by the sight of the stunning Lake Garda, nestled in between a handful of wonderfully traditional villages where time seems to have come to a standstill.”
April
Hello South Tyrol! This destination has been a Travelettes favourite for about as long as we can think. And that’s barely a surprise if you check out these beautiful pictures.
May
The sea and wind in St. Peter Ording in Germany will definitely do the trick of calming a busy Travelette down. In other news: home is wherever Mom is. And Berlin’s outdoor markets are fab.
June
June was Atlas month. Welcome to the world, beautiful baby boy!
July
Summer is the best time of year for all of us. It started getting a whole lot busier on Instagram because we’ve all hung up our working cloths and started hitting the road like there’s no tomorrow. We’ve also introduced yet another Travelettes Instagram Challenge which was a very inspirational success! Sophie went on a road trip through the Alejento Coast, Portugal, which, she says, was her favourite moment in 2014: “It was so relaxing and chilled out. And the scenery was so beautiful!”
August
We are sailing, we are sailing! Home again, cross the sea… Travelettes united in Croatia and fabulous times were had in between sunsets, parties, occasional seasickness and exploring fishing villages like Komiza. Thanks for having us, Sailing.Hr!
(Alex’s back is also very scenic.)
In the meantime, Annika went to Marrakesh, fell in love with kittens – and got lost: “‘Do you know where you are?’ Youssef looks at me expectantly. Oh flip, is he going to leave me in the middle of the kasbah? I know that is where I am, but that doesn’t mean I know how to get back to my hotel. I give him a sheepish look, “No, I don’t.†He just laughs and buys me a cactus fruit that I have been eyeing for the last couple of stalls.” Whoops.
And Marie went to Portland and discovered donuts, architecture and indulged in the true Portlandia lifestyle.
September
In September, Caroline was busy showing you around Beirut and taking you on a hike through the mountains. Phew, that was hot! And her favourite project this year: “The thing with new beginnings is that you can never be quite sure whether taking the risk was worth it until you’re all happy and settled in. I’ve had a lot of new beginnings over the years so I knew that feeling low without any legitimate reason in the first few days, questioning that entire decision and feeling like you’ll never fit in anywhere (pardon me, but drama is in my DNA) is completely normal and will eventually go away.”
Kathi and her friend were hanging out in Ladis, Austria. Who knew that area would be perfect for hiking, eating and spa-ing? “Every morning the sun kissed our faces and invited us gently to admire the beautiful alpine panorama we could see from our balcony. Never have I ever wanted to get up for sunrise so badly.”
Meanwhile, Frankie was also taking it easy with some of her closest friends in a beautiful villa in Tuscany, Italy. Oh dat gelato!
Frankie then checked out Rotterdam for and with you and Marie went to the legendary Burning Man Festival – for the fourth time in a row. Talk about dedication!
Later in September, Katja went on her personal “favourite trip” in 2014 – of course three-month old Atlas played a key part in it: “Complete and utter relaxation coupled with sweet doing nothings in Turkey.”
October
Ah no, I can feel summer slowly coming to an end! We had Liz, a lovely guest blogger and instagrammer show us around Sligo, Ireland; and stayed in the UK for a while: Sophie checked out Knightsbridge, London, and Kathi took us home to Glasgow.
As the temperatures dropped in the rest of Europe, Annika was making pizza and enjoying sunsets in Tuscany…
Caroline got lost in Berlin…
…while Kathi had the great privilege of road tripping Norway. Bliss! I could so do with some northern lights right now.
Then she headed over to France to catch up with Marie. They braved the cold pool and had a blast at Pop in the City in Nice.
November
In November, Frankie was taking us through some of her fave spots in the UK and Kathi traveled to tropical Curacao like a local. Annika had a blast in Dubai (her favourite trip of the year) and Egypt… “All I kind of knew about Egypt was pyramids, cats, the Red Sea and the fact that my aunt is convinced she was Cleopatra in her former life and therefore loves Egypt. So upon my arrival at Hurghada airport I am not only a little cranky because it is 3am, but also – where are the pyramids, where are the cats, where is the general mess of African airports?”
Katja kicked off a six-week trip to Portugal – it was raining. And raining. And raining. Sometimes the sun came out. And Lisbon was beautiful as always.
Next stop: Algarve, Portugal. Katja and Caroline spent a very – albeit rather grey – refreshing five days at the Conrad Algarve and Martinhal Resort. The yoga, the food and the sound of the ocean were to die for!
December
In winter it’s only natural to escape to where the sun is… Some of you who were featured in #traveletting clearly followed that idea! Katja fell in love with Porto and its incredibly friendly people and Frankie went to Cape Town. Palm trees galore!
To end a year full of adventure and buzz, Marie took us to the architectural beauty that is Budapest and Kathi showed us around her hometown Vienna, where she spent Christmas.
That was it! Each Travelette has her own Instagram too, so make sure you follow us in time for the exciting travels 2015 will bring: Katja (@katjahentschel), Frankie (@bushbirdie), Kathi (@watchmesee), Sophie (@s_saint), Alex (@alexsaint13), Annika (@midnightblueelephant), Marie (@mariecolinet) and Caroline (@carotravels).
Thanks for sticking around and for making this year as awesome as it was, it wouldn’t have been the same without your ♥ and support! What has been your favourite moment on Instagram? Let us know below.
All photographs taken by the TravelettesÂ
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