Hi! Welcome to Passport and Piano!

Thank you for stopping by!

This website is for those who want to explore travel beyond the ordinary. It features articles on unique destinations around the globe. If you are looking to explore worldwide travel, you are in the right place.

I feature articles (such as how to plan a self-drive safari) that help you plan your own trip including information on accommodation, travel gear, itineraries and more.

My aim is to encourage you to travel more and provide you with the confidence to book holidays online independently.

An image at sunset in Bangkok with myself and the text “Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.

I hope this information will be useful whether you are planning your first independent trip or you’re a seasoned traveller.

Who am I?

I’m Fiona the writer behind Passport and Piano and I am an international music examiner and a travel blogger.

Picture of Fiona from Passport and Piano

Why are you in good hands?

  • I’ve travelled across 6 of the 7 continents, Antarctica is still on my bucket list.
  • Spent 16 years organising music tours to Europe.
  • Worked in many countries including Australia, South Africa, Thailand, India, Malaysia and several more.
  • Ventured to off the beaten track to places such as Easter Island and the Galapagos National Park.
  • Completed the Trans-Siberian Railway.
  • Only once been on a package holiday in the early ’90s

Encouraged by friends who seek travel advice, I hope this blog will help you travel more often.

In the words of Dalai Lama...

Image with the quote “Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.”

What is Passport and Piano all about?

Do you wish you had the knowledge and confidence to plan your own travel or make the most of days off whether you’re at home or working away? If so this blog is for you. As it grows it will be full of inspirational destinations, travel advice and real guides to places.

Image of passport stamps with the quote, Of all the books in the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport.

Why Passport?

Your passport is your ticket to the world and everyone loves to receive a stamp. A stamp not only marks the page but it serves as a great reminder of a journey.

People always want to know more when they open the pages of a passport. Let your pages tell a story of loving memories as you travel further.

Why Piano?

Piano represents the other love of my life and my journey as a musician.  Both travel and music enrich our lives in ways that other things can’t. Music is a universal language and one that is used to communicate throughout the world.  

The video clip below was taken recently at a school in Thailand. I was there examining piano students but during lunch, the children were keen for me to try traditional Thai instruments.

After a couple of minutes, I’d picked up a few pitches, with very little English spoken. Sitting on the floor cross-legged, however, was more of a challenge.

More About Me

My love for travel began at an early age and I’m lucky to have parents who appreciate the value of travel. Every year we would go on holiday to Europe, but these were never the package holidays that my friends went on.

My mum would have her trusty travel guides and as a keen historian, she ensured that culture was always part of our adventures.

By my mid-teens, I had visited many of the major sights in Spain, France, Italy and the Uk. I know at the time I didn’t fully appreciate such visits but looking back I can see how she firmly planted the travel seed within me.

We also enjoyed regular family days out around Lancashire and the Lake District. It wasn’t until I started this blog that I thought about how many wonderful places there are to visit in the North of England. I hope to do a series of posts to show that you don’t always have to travel a gazillion miles to experience great travel.

Going Solo

My first solo trip was to Australia at the tender age of 15. It amazes me how much confidence I must have had to undertake such a journey at such a young age.

An image of myself aged 15 feeding a Kangaroo in Australia

I went to stay with family, but still, I hadn’t met them before and only new of them through the weekly letters that my grandmother used to write. 

I never went on another family holiday after that, instead, I saved all my money each year to travel independently. 

By the time I was 21 I’d been to Mexico, Hong Kong, New York and much of Western Australia. With no internet in those days, I consider this quite an achievement.

Travelling with the school’s music ensembles

After graduating with a degree in musical performance I embarked on a career of instrumental teaching. As a saxophone teacher I was highly successful and in addition to lessons, I directed a number of ensembles.Each year I would organise a band trip to Europe and arrange concerts and sightseeing activities. 

I wanted to share my love of travel with these young people and it was important to me that everyone had the opportunity to participate, regardless of their financial situation.

There would be an epic amount of fundraising throughout the year but it was always worth it. With limited funds, I had to be creative with the budget to ensure that everyone got the most out of the experience.

The skills I learnt back then are often put to use when I travel today. You don’t always need to spend lots of money to have a fulfilling holiday.

Top Tip – Invest in the things that you really want to see and be creative with ideas to fulfil the rest of the time.

My Career Now

As I approached my forties I was looking for a way out of teaching. I’d had enough of school politics and wanted to embrace my love of travel further but I didn’t want to leave music behind. A friend suggested that I looked at becoming an international music examiner, it was perfect.

Following intensive training and a series of examinations, I was selected. Saying it in one sweeping statement makes it sound easy, but I can tell you it wasn’t.

At each stage, there was a process of elimination and the further I progressed through the training the more there seemed to be to lose.

Making any career change requires courage and determination but if you’re not happy with something only you have the power to change it. I’m so glad that I did.

My job now takes me across the globe examining many musical instruments.  I meet so many people in schools, music academies and cities its incredible.  In the last 12 months, I’ve worked in India, Australia, Thailand, Ireland and the Uk and can’t wait to see what’s on the agenda for next year.

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