Ola's World: editor of DiverseTraveller.com the online community for women who travel, write, snap and share

Not fit to travel - or blog!

Just a quick update, to let you know my lack of posts is not because I can't be bothered, but because I've been suffering from a very bad case of cold and cough; I hesitate to upgrade it to flu, after all I am not a man.

Feeling crap! Aches in my pains and pains in my aches.

I would have shouldered on, but ironically I am down one shoulder. The chronic pain in my right shoulder, I have been suffering for nearly two years, is now at the 9/10 level and my nerves are very frazzled.

So, in the spirit of goodwill to all wo(men), I ask you to bear with me as I spend some time getting back to my physical peak.

While, I'm doing that, I need someone to help me manage the Diverse Traveller Facebook group, for a few weeks. You don't have to be a facebook expert, but you do have to be female, spend a lot of time posting and commenting on Facebook, and be able encourage members to participate. So if you want to add a new skill to your CV, please get in touch.

Finally, love is in the air, and love of travel writing I our theme on DiverseTraveller.com this month, so please check out our author interviews, writing tips, and travel stories.

Time for another large pain-killing tablet. So thanks for your patience, and look forward to being fighting fit and back to my on-line best soon.

P.s. If you want to take over or contribute to this blog, while I re-couperate get in touch too; I ain't too proud to beg!

Where in the world was I?

They. Whoever they are, say imitation is best form of flattery so I am flattering the Mirror online by copying their great photo idea. TEST your travel knowledge with the Daily Mirror as as will be known from now on with these virtual walls ' test your travel knowledge with Diverse Traveller.'

Each week, I'll post a photo taken whilst on my travels. All you have to do is work out where I was when the photo was taken. You'll get a clue but no prize - just the warm inner glow of getting it right.

Post your answer in the comment box below and I'll give you the answer, next week, when I post a new photo. If you would like your photo to be used, in this fun quiz, get in touch.

The photo for this week:

Clue: In Rome, a city spoilt with architectural wonders, this building is able to stake a claim as being one of its most impressive sights.To point your nose upwards is to enjoy a view of the vast hemispeherical dome, that has stunned vistors for nearly two thousand years. Natural light enters through the oculus at the dome's centre and as the sun moves striking patterns of light dance across the walls. There's many a bar less than 50 yards from the entrance, handy in winter; as I can testify having visted this building and a neaby bar last November.

 

Please provide your answer in the comment box below, there is no prize, it's all a bit of fun.

If you also want to take part in the original version of this quiz, visit the Daily Mirror website: http://www.mirror.co.uk/advice/travel/where-is-mirrortravel/#ixzz1iZUdHRvM

Favourite travel apps - nominate yours!

Travellers are spoilt for choice in app stores

Last November, on my first trip to Italy, for a week, I nervously left my laptop at home, determined to rely on my iPhone for travel information and note-taking. So before leaving home, I searched the itunes stores for apps to suit my travel style, bite-sized chunks of information available quickly, available without connecting to the internet, and are available free of charge.

 

For my trip I relied on the following apps:

Travel Guides

1. Guide pal world - quick and basic guide to Milan, Rome and Florence

2. Itanslate - good-bye to carrying bulky phrasebooks.

Book and document reader:

Kindle - to access travel books, PDF articles and other travel documents.

Note taking

Evernote - great for writing notes, reading clips or whole travel articles saved earlier.

Anyone with a smartphone will know, that the lure of the app store is one that is hard to resisit, so along with the five mentioned above, I have  loads more that help me keep updated when I am away, conduct my business, and enjoy my travels. I have a number of others, including photography ones, and I know I am not alone.

According to website theverge.com "... between Christmas and New Year, and 1.2 billion apps were downloaded. That's about 60 percent higher than every week of December before Christmas, and marks the largest number of apps ever downloaded in a single week, passing a billion downloads for the first time."

Have you got a favourite app that you use as a traveller? If so share the details and why you think it should be the DiverseTraveller app of the week, in the comments box below.

Planning and promoting travel writing workshops - the good, bad and ugly

I am mentally exhausted, and my fingers are fed up, they have been hammering my keyboard all day, and are registering their protests by pressing any key they so wish, so I apologise in advance if there are any typos in this.

Today has been busy, with little time to bathe or eat, I have been crouched over my laptop writing copy and promoting Diverse Traveller travel wring workshops on free event promotion websites, that cover Sheffield. I tell you, I am in awe of people, like my friend Veronica, who does this for a living, but on a much grander scale. How she did it before the internet is a mystery to me.

Learning fast

My fast introduction to workshop planning and promotion has been very stressful, I may be superwoman, but even my strong back is bending with the weight of this task. I am only working on two workshop, God help me when I have to do same for our four-week courses.

Anyway, back to the last few days, that have been good, bad and ugly.

The good - checking out unusual venues for our travel writing and photography workshops; I've visited a sports centre, a cinema, a Quaker meeting house and my favourite Sheffield Cathedral;and waiting to hear from Waterstones re our travel book club, it is looking promising. I'm hoping to run our four week courses in the Cathedral, but in the meantime (currently recruiting tutors), our first workshops will take place in Quaker Meeting House.

the bad - writing, writing and rewriting workshop copy, while my ability to spell the easiest words dwindle by the hour, then searching the webs for websites to post the said copy on;

and the very ugly - you should be glad you cannot see me now. The life of running a small, niche website is far from glamorous. Right now, I'm still in my pyjamas. having a very bad hair day, and surrounded by dirty coffee cups, orange peel and an empty box of Jaffa cakes - when did i eat 12? Plus when my hands get really tired, I frantically prance around my tiny sitting room to African music. Definaitely not pretty!

Kick up the back-side

It's amazing what dwindling finances can do to a life-long procrastator. A peek at my bank balance on Sunday night, spured me in to action. Today, I have two life travel writing workshops taking place in Sheffield;

1) February 25th - Taste of Travel Writing in Sheffield, this is my test event,

then just after International Woman's Day (IWD) I'll be running

2) a 1/2 day Introduction to Travel Writing workshop on March 10th, again in Sheffield. I'll be giving out one of these beautiful notebooks to each attendee at the Introduction to Travel Writing, 1/2 day workshop.  

 

You don't have to get on a plane to reach Sheffield

A reminder to those of you soft Southerners, that trains do run to this part of the country, and believe it or not you can get here in two hours and seven minutes, and if you use my favourite travel website, Megabus, you can get train tickets here that will not cost you the earth, or if you are one of those sensible people, you can book your ticket using other train operators, and you'll be able to get a cheap day return.

Plus, and it is a big plus, The Peak District is practically down the road from central Sheffield, and believe me , it is a sight to be hold in Spring. Be warned, I shall be my best to promote Sheffield, my new home town in upcoming posts.

OK! Enough waffle from me, time to get the oven chips out of the freezer, and get back to promoting my events.

As I sign-off, please help me out by checking out our travel writing courses, tell a friend, and stay in touch to learn about our future courses, including travel photography workshops and courses.