Happy Sunday wherever you may be in the world. Today I interview Marion, aka ‘Little Miss Traveller’, who runs the brilliant ‘Love Travelling Blog’ and hails from England. Enjoy the interview and of course – please check out her blog! Marion is brilliant at comprehensively the destinations to which she travels!

• Hi Marion! Thanks for agreeing to do this interview. Would you mind starting by telling us who you are and where you’re from, and of course the name of your blog? What do you do when you’re not blogging (doesn’t have to be work, could be hobbies or interests etc) Where are you based at the moment?

Hi Andy, It’s great to connect with you and have an opportunity to talk about my blog.  I’m Marion, (aka Little Miss Traveller) and the name behind the Love Travelling blog.  I’m from a small town in a pretty part of northern England and when I’m not blogging I enjoy taking walks in the countryside and enjoying lunch in a cosy pub (when they’re open of course!)  Aside from that I love anything connected with words and am an avid cryptic crossword fan and enjoy the occasional game of Scrabble. 

• When did you start your blog and why did you decide to start a travel blog?

One rainy afternoon back in August 2015 I opened my laptop and spontaneously decided to start writing a travel blog.  Back then I hadn’t even read any others but as I had begun travelling more frequently, I thought it might be a nice thing to do.  As my favourite hobbies are travelling, taking photos and writing it seemed the perfect opportunity to create an online diary of my travels for me to look back on in the future.  Never in a million years did I expect anyone other than my family and possibly a few close friends to take an interest, but dreams sometimes come true and having such a dedicated following makes me very happy. 

• You’ve recently been writing about Portugal.  What were the highlights and what did you get from your time in the country?

Wed originally planned a visit to Porto for May but our plans were dashed like that of so many others with travel restrictions in place.  A window of opportunity appeared for us to travel there in September so we re-booked our flights and enjoyed 10 days based in based in Portugal’s second city Porto.  Its location on the Douro River is stunning and the city an ideal base for touring northern Portugal by train.  Visiting the historic cities of Coimbra and Guimaraes were unmissable highlights as well as riding the streets of Porto on the charming heritage trams. 

•  What do you like to write about and why?

I enjoy writing about my travels near and far and as I prefer to travel independently and stay awhile in each location I try to search out hidden gems that might interest my readers that wouldn’t necessarily appear in guide books. 

• What have been some of your favourite destinations?

What a difficult question, Andy!  Because I try to choose carefully where I plan to visit, I’ve enjoyed each and every one of them for different reasons.  Visiting South Korea and Taiwan were both stand out trips and places I’d return to in a heartbeat but then again I could include Hong Kong and Singapore, the list goes on ….

• Who do you see as the audience for your blog?

I don’t write to a specific audience but I believe that many of my readers and like-minded independent travellers who look to my blog for inspiration.  I think my blog resonates with people because like them I want to have a nice time, stay in good quality accommodation but without feeling the need to splurge on anything too extravagant.   I prefer using public transport when overseas as I get to feel like a local, not to mention it saves money too.

• What advice would give to someone just starting out blogging?

Looking back, starting blogging was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.  If you enjoy writing it’s a great creative outlet so just write about a topic that you are passionate about.  Be yourself and let your own personality shine through in your posts.  Don’t be put off if you don’t have many views or followers at first as it takes time for a blog to become established.  I’d recommend concentrating on writing some quality posts to engage your readers and then with a little patience your audience will grow.  For the first six months of my blog I only had a handful of followers until my blog started to get noticed.

• What is the hardest thing about running a travel blog?

I actually don’t find running a travel blog hard at all as to me it’s a labour of love but I do have to be organised and optimise my time to balance travelling, writing and scheduling posts as no-one wants to go away to be pre-occupied with tasks to mar the experience. 

• How have you managed travel in 2020? How has the pandemic changed your blogging (if at all)?

Looking back the year I actually managed to get away numerous times taking advantage each time Government restrictions were eased and new travel corridors established so it hasn’t really changed my blogging with me being able to have sufficient new material to publish.

• Your posts are always thoughtful and thorough. What do you aim to achieve generally before you post?

Thanks Andy, that’s such a compliment.  I’ve always adhered to the mantra that if something needs doing it should be done well, and I strive to ensure that all my posts meet my own high standards prior to publication.

• What place would you really like to visit and why?

I’d like to visit Japan as this was yet another cancelled destination of 2020 but if I don’t get there this year, I feel pretty certain it will happen the following one.

• Please recommend three posts from your blog you’d like people to read (and why!)

I’d like to start with Finland, the country dearest to my heart and where I’ve spent the most time.  Here is a post about Tampere, Finland’s second city and one of my favourite places.  https://lovetravellingblog.com/2016/08/16/day-20-delightful-tampere/

Secondly, I’d like to include a post from Seoul where we experienced the most colourful and atmospheric changing of the guards ceremony outside one of its palaces.  https://lovetravellingblog.com/2018/07/23/day-6-gyeongbokgung-palace-and-the-royal-guard-change-seoul/

Last but not least I’d like to include an English post as although I love to travel widely, I’m also a lfirm supporter of the British Isles be it the national parks, seaside resorts, towns or cities there’s something for everyone with its rich diversity, so I’m ending with a winter weekend in historic Lincoln taken in January 2020.  Lincoln is often overshadowed by cities such as York, Bath and Oxford but it’s an amazing place and well worth a visit.

• Finally, how can people find you on the net and social media? Please include blog address, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and any other channels you use.

If you might be interested to find out more you can find my blog at www.lovetravellingblog.com.  

On Social Media I can be found at :

Facebook:  @LoveTravellingBlog

Twitter:      @LoveTravellingA

Instagram:  @Love_Travelling_Blog

• Finally (again!) what are you hoping or dreaming for in 2021?

Health and happiness for us all, an end to the pandemic and a return to our normal lives so that we can travel unrestricted when and where we wish.  Let’s hope it’s not a dream but reality soon!

A massive thanks to Marion for participating in the interview! And thanks to you the reader for, you know, reading! Take care, and May the Journey Never End!