Travel
Beautiful places, unhurried escapes
Beautiful places, quiet hotels and thoughtful journeys for travellers who would rather linger than rush. Explore adults-only stays, long breakfasts, off-season roads and the small rituals that make getting away feel entirely your own.
A Grown-Up Day in Amsterdam: Art, Lunch, Shopping & a Little Wandering
The Grown-Up Guide to the Cotswolds
The Grown-Up Guide to Efteling
Vienna After Christmas: Art, Coffee and a Winter Day of Your Own
Where to Spend Twixmas & New Year in Europe — What I Learned from Celebrating in Six Cities
The Christmas Markets We’d Actually Travel For
London at Christmas: A Grown-Up Guide From Someone Who Keeps Going Back
A Grown-Up Christmas Market Weekend in Cologne
Vienna at Christmas: A Grown-Up Guide to a Storybook Winter Escape
A Grown-Up Christmas Weekend in Düsseldorf
Christmas in Antwerp: Our Favourite Easy Festive Day Trip
London in the Rain: A Slow Autumn Day
A New Travel Series
The Grown-Up Escape
Adults-only stays, quiet hotels for two, long breakfasts and beautifully off-season journeys — travelled slowly and entirely on your own terms.
The Grown-Up Guide to Andalusia
A Mini Cooper convertible, one quiet countryside base and the honest story of a "simple" Spanish holiday.
Discover the series →
The Grown-Up Guide to Aruba
Flamingos, private-island luxury and the honest truth about ten days in the Caribbean.
Read the piece →
The Grown-Up Guide to Bonaire
Where to stay, snorkel, eat and explore - without the family-resort feeling.
Read the Bonaire guide →
The Grown-Up Guide to Bruges
Two nights, one real fireplace and a financially irresponsible amount of chocolate.
Read the Bruges guide →
The Grown-Up Escape
Why adults-only travel is about so much more than having no children.
Read the introduction →
How to Choose an Adults-Only Hotel That Is Actually Quiet
Because adults-only does not always mean peaceful.
Read the hotel guide →More in this series, coming soon
- Adults-Only Stays
- Quiet Hotels for Two
- The Long Breakfast Edit
- Beautifully Off-Season
- The Readaway Edit
For brands: there is a guide available, curated especially for your location. If you’d like to see it, email me.
essy@essyspictures.comRituals for Travel
A few of the small rituals that make getting away - and coming home again - feel considered rather than rushed.
The Art of Slow Travel
A quieter way of travelling that values atmosphere, rhythm and meaningful experiences over seeing as much as possible.
The Essy’s Essentials Travel Formula
The simple framework used to plan every Essy’s Essentials journey.
How to Build a Seasonal City Guide
Creating thoughtful travel guides built around atmosphere instead of checklists.
Explore More
- StoriesSunday stories from the Essy world.
- RecipesSeasonal recipes to cook and share.
- RitualsSmall rituals for a softer everyday.
- BeautySeasonal beauty and scent notes.
- Home & LivingBring each season into your own rooms and table.
- Food & KitchenEveryday seasonal cooking, baking and the rituals that happen around food.
- Style & BeautyA considered wardrobe and the rituals around getting dressed.
- Life, Beautifully OrganisedA calmer, more beautiful way to manage the practical side of life.
- The Money EditA calmer way to understand your money - saving, spending and investing, gently.
- The New Home EditPlanning a new-build home around the life you will actually live there.
- AI, Used GentlyEvery AI article and copyable prompt, organised by what you are trying to do.