Wanderlust! About traveling in a wheelchair. London callin...
There is nowhere nicer than home!
But I still feel this wanderlust again and again, this desire to discover something new. adventurous. Longing for new impressions, inspiration, experiencing culinary delights from all over the world. Gather lots of impressions and broaden your horizons.
This feeling made me abandon my studies and took me halfway around the world. India, Nepal, Malaysia, Australia. Unfortunately, it has now become much more difficult to satisfy my wanderlust. Especially in winter, I am drawn to warm, tropical regions. As soon as the first snow falls, I would like to pack my suitcase and jump on the next plane in the direction of the sun and warmth. But it's not that simple. No longer. Traveling in a wheelchair is difficult. It requires a lot of planning and also a certain amount of courage and determination. Even if you organize everything down to the last detail, check accessibility in advance and spend hours preparing, there can be bitter disappointments.
For me, at home in my own four walls, I'm pretty much independent. Everything is adapted to me, everything as I need it. The washbasin is wheelchair accessible, the shower is wheelchair accessible, the bed is height-adjustable. Sweaters, pants, socks, everything in its place. The doors wide enough. No steps and thresholds. This is not the case in hotels. Even if they advertise barrier-free rooms, it's almost never 100 percent right for me. Sometimes I can't get my legs under the sink and brushing my teeth and washing my face becomes an acrobatic feat. Thick carpets often adorn the room floors and making progress becomes a demanding feat of strength. The beds are so high or so low that it is impossible to change over independently. Too narrow doors or even steps in the room. So it's always exciting to see what's behind a supposedly barrier-free room. However, I must also add here that every person with a disability has different needs and it is probably almost impossible to create a hotel room that is perfect for everyone.
The journey itself is often difficult and exhausting. As a wheelchair user, you naturally need assistance to get on the plane. You are pushed onto the plane with a special wheelchair and then more or less gently seated on the reserved seat by more or less trained staff. And then you stay seated until you land. Even on long-haul flights. When you arrive you will be picked up by the wheelchair service. If you are not forgotten. Happened to me twice already. And must hope that the wheelchair survived the flight safely. Unfortunately, these are often not treated very gently, folded up improperly and roughly thrown into the hold.
Even if this all sounds a bit tedious, I just can't stop it. I just have to satisfy my wanderlust every now and then and am rewarded with great impressions and wonderful memories .
So on May 1st my friend, my brother and I said “London calling”.
I just love this city! The flair, the style, the atmosphere. And especially the culinary offer. I am a Feinspitz and love to eat. Try new things and be inspired. I've been to London many times. It was the third time in a wheelchair. And I can really recommend this city to every wheelchair user. You can get along really well here, a lot of things are barrier-free. Sights, restaurants, pubs and shops. And best of all, every taxi has a ramp and you can stay comfortably seated in your wheelchair to get from A to B. This time we stayed 3 nights. We mainly ate. Burgers, sushi and um burgers. We visited the Skygarden. This is a must if you want to see London from above. Free entry and a spectacular view. And we were in the musical The Lion King. Mainly because our cats are called Simba and Timon. ;-)
It was really great.
And since my wanderlust hasn't been sated yet, my boyfriend and I are taking off south next week. Palm trees, beach and warmth. Let Tenerife's sun shine on your stomach for 10 days, relax and have time for us. I am very happy and hope that everything works out well and that the room fits. I will report. ;-)
All the best,
tina
