Happy belated New Year! As 2026 begins, we find ourselves in New Zealand, in the middle of an epic six-month road trip around the country in a cute little Toyota Hiace campervan that we bought in Auckland. The journey so far has been packed with beach-studded coastline, forests filled with giant ferns and waterfalls, snow-topped mountains and lakes, smoking geothermal landscapes and so many hikes...
We’re always looking for a dose of winter sun. This year, we’ve escaped the bleak UK winter for a New Zealand summer, enjoying long, light days and warm (mostly) dry weather as we traverse the country in our little campervan. Last year, we spent the winter travelling through southern Africa, which culminated in one of our favourite ever adventures – a road trip through Namibia...
Portugal is hands-down our favourite country in Europe. In fact, we’re here right now on a three-month road trip from the Algarve’s sun-drenched beaches north to the forested palaces and surf towns on the Silver Coast and onward to Porto. Although we’ve visited Portugal multiple times, there’s one trip we’ve never shared on the blog before: our 2022 trip to the volcanic island of Madeira,...
Ever heard of the Camino de Santiago? We’ve met many travellers who’ve followed this UNESCO-listed trail, dedicating weeks and even months to the task. Also known as the Way of St James, the hike consists of various routes, some starting in France and Portugal, all leading to the northern Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela, where the remains of St. James the apostle are entombed...
Having returned from India, we’re now busy preparing for a three-month road trip through Europe. Starting in France, we’ll be driving our Nissan Qashqai down to Geneva for a holiday with Andrew’s parents, then continuing to Venice before heading west towards our favourite European country: Portugal.Before we leave, there’s a list of road-trip related tasks to complete, including ordering a Crit'Air sticker for France and...
Merry Christmas from Portugal. Yes, we finally escaped the UK winter, not to Vietnam as we’d planned but back to our former home in the Algarve. This wasn’t where we thought we’d end up but as the year comes to a close, we’re just grateful to be anywhere other than the UK. It’s been a strange year, that’s for sure.However, I know that compared to...
For me, September always feels like a new beginning. As the season and the leaves change, we’re usually making fresh life plans and in recent years, we’ve done so from our regular September catsit. Despite Covid, the homeowners here have been able to take their annual Norfolk trip so we’re back in Chiswick once again, trying to figure out how to navigate travel and housing...
It’s been months since I blogged and, during that time, the world has become an unrecognisable ruin. Ravaged by a pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands and decimated the economy. Who could have imagined a world where planes were grounded, borders closed, whole countries locked down? On top of that, the USA bleeding and burning with social injustice. I couldn’t. Even in the dozens...
So far, 2020 has not been a great year for travel. While the Coronavirus pandemic rages and the fallout spreads around the world, we’re continuing to work and housesit in the UK. Winter has been tough on my wanderlust though and one of the bright spots on the horizon was our Easter European road trip, which was set to begin in Italy. Given the events...
Thinking of moving to sunny Portugal? We spent nine months down in the Algarve, tracking our living costs along the way. From rental prices to bills, food and transport, here's a detailed breakdown of the cost of living in Portugal. Our life in Portugal Before we jump in, here's a bit of background info about our Portugal journey. In summer 2019, Andrew accepted a year's teaching contract...
