Living In the UK Part 1

The first 10 months or so of living in the UK, working in various places and regularly exploring the EU and surrounds. Meer informatie

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Porto
1–4 nov. 2024, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
📌 A getaway to Portugal between shifts started in Porto. We didn't really have any preempted expectations for Portugal besides eating new foods, so we had a blank canvas which was nice. After staying at an airbnb near Manchester airport with a super friendly and interesting host we arrived in Porto on an early morning flight. We headed for coffee and tucked into some Portuguese tarts (we would soon learn they all seem to differ slightly between bakeries). We then continued our hunt for local food and with great satisfaction, we align with Portugal with our love for sandwiches!

📌 We wondered around Portugal throughout the days, winding up and down the narrow hilly streets, some quiet and some super busy! The river side areas were busy and nice to stroll along, as well as the views from the top of each side. We ate cod cakes and drank port, we enjoyed craft beer and we drank great coffee.

📌 The second night involved a food tour, planned for our 4th anniversary. It started in a famous porto market and was composed of about 12 people, Americans, Dutch and us. The tour took us around the market trying wine and cured meats, we then headed for a few restaurants, one for sandwiches and wine, and another for cod fritters and rice with wine again. Overall the tour was pretty good and allowed us to learn some of the culture of Porto and Portugal.

📌 A few other worthy notes from Porto were eating the famous franchesina sandwich (a cheese covered multiple meat sandwich) which is worth having once. Additionally, enjoying craft beer overlooking the city and also finding a delicious freshly made Portugese tart that was the best one we had in Porto.Meer informatie
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Porto to Lisbon Roadtrip
4–5 nov. 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
📌 We picked up a car in Porto and had a few stops to visit over the next few days. Portugal isn't a huge country so we were able to take our time between stops, plus explore with no constraints.

📌 We first stopped in Batalha to get brunch, coffee and look at a monastery from the 1400s. We then headed to Tomar, another small Portugese city that is renowned for its Roman gothic convent that was founded by the Knights Templar of the 12th century. The convent was interesting to walk through, it had unique styles that we had not come across on our travels yet, it was also reasonably quiet which made for a peaceful visit.

📌 We spent the evening in Tomar old town, where we found a great wine bar serving 2.50 euro wine with great service. The guest house we were staying in was also a cool renovated space that was nice to come back to after a long day.

📌 On day 2 of driving we found another small town with a local market, a beautiful park and some delicious coffee (Chloe was pleased). We then headed to nearby Obidos, a well preserved medieval walled town from around the 1200s. It was very geared towards tourists but it was nice to walk around the narrow colourful streets and along the fortified walls. Finally, before heading into Lisbon, we visited a coastal town which attracts international surf competitions, it wasn't the greatest afternoon for weather, so we did a coastal drive and enjoyed the surroundings from the car ☺️.Meer informatie
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Lisbon
5–9 nov. 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
📌 Lisbon felt like a much busier city, we initially took a while to gain some bearings, perhaps because we arrived in the evening. Dinner was on the agenda, but we first found a wine bar nearby and enjoyed some more cheap Portugese wines. We then were lucky enough to stumble across a delicious traditional Portugese family run restaurant in a small side street.

📌 We decided it was time for a walking tour, so day 2 involved a coffee and Portugese tart, a wonder around the main area and a visit to a food market hall. The weather was elite, much better than the UK. I enjoyed an informative walking tour, however, to Chloe's despair, 3.5 hours of walking was too much ☺️ Tonight's agenda was some more Piri Piri chicken, this one was delicious and it was again, another nice night to sit out on the streets in the warm evening.

📌 Day 3 was a short train ride to Sintra, a former area where the wealthy would escape to avoid the hot Lisbon summer. The historical area was decorated with unique colourful castles and palaces, as well as lush manicured gardens. The main palace was super busy, but it was worth visiting the area, particularly as the architecture was something new to us.

📌 Portugal were one of the largest colonisers, hence a variety of cuisines exist in Lisbon from their former colonies. This meant we had a great opportunity to try some new cuisines, so we headed to a Mozambique restaurant for some delicious Curry and spicy chicken. The next night we did the same and headed out for Brazilian Churrasco (bbq) that was all you can eat. We left that place pretty full to the brim! 🤤 Overall, it was another great city with beautiful food and wine being the main takeaway.Meer informatie
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Algarve Region
9–11 nov. 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
📌 The end of our trip concluded with a beautiful coastal stay in the Algarve region. We stayed in Lagos and had amazing weather, it was to be in a sunny 25 degrees whilst the UK was having 8 degrees and rain. 😸

📌 We made it down to the coast on quite a nice high speed rail service, one of the nicest we had seen so far in Europe. We picked up a car and headed to a nice waterside town for lunch where we tucked into some delicious indian. The Goan curry was elite (the backstory being that Portugal colonised Goa, hence the influence and recipes made it back here). We then enjoyed the afternoon visiting some coastal beaches and cliffs before checking into our accommodation with great views of the water. Dinner was a highlight, a small Italian restaurant where we waited in line with Prosecco before being treated to delicious food in which all ingredients were imported from Italy.

📌 Our full day started with coffee and brunch, we then headed for a nice late morning walk along the coastal cliffs, before going for a dip. A swim in the Atlantic was a first, it was also a cold one but quite refreshing. It was likely the last swim we would have for another 6 months 😫😬. We then jumped in the car, headed to another small town for a light lunch before heading to a local winery for afternoon drinks. We continued the night with a few beers at a local brewery and one last Piri Piri chicken dinner 😋. A fantastic few days to finish the trip before heading back to the cold and gloomy UK.Meer informatie
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Preston
11–30 nov. 2024, Engeland ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C
📌 A second stint at Bamber Bridge vets between travelling. It was nice to go back to a clinic that I was familiar with, where I knew everyone. This Airbnb was a little closer, it was okay, but it was nice to stay and suss out Preston also.

📌 We had a busy few weeks planned, we visited Manchester to see London Grammar, starting with some incredible Pho and then heading to the AO arena. The show was great, it was a combination of powerful vocals and electronic synths accompanied by mesmerising visuals. It was well worth seeing them, the highlight of the night was Baby it's You ofcourse!

📌 I did some big stints of work, 5-6 day weeks which was good to boost the savings. We managed to fit in a visit to Bradford for the Book of Mormon show. It was hilarious and it was another bucket list show we had been hoping to see for a long time. Chloe didn't get any good shifts sent her way so she's still the stay at home woman, which is great as she's been cooking up some great dinners when I get home in the cold! The weather has started to turn, some mornings on the way to the gym have been -4, the sun has been rising around 8 and setting just before 4pm. The nights now feel much longer when I finish at 7.

📌 Preston was a nice place, it was, again, a little rough around the edges, but we enjoyed it overall, the park nearby was beautiful, the doughnut and coffee shop was great on the weekend, and the clinic was one of my favourites so far. I will likely go back for some shifts next year!Meer informatie
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Kaunas
30 nov.–3 dec. 2024, Litouwen ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C
📌 We flew out of tiny Liverpool airport late on Saturday night to arrive in Lithuania. Luckily we were able to enter the EU, our lack of knowledge of the Schengen visa, almost resulted in us spending too much time in the EU over the last 180 days and therefore entry could have been denied, we had about 10 days leeway. Of course it was Chloe that was questioned, and I went straight through 😂

📌 We were staying in an old building from the 1900s used by the shipping community, apparently we were in the captains mistress quarters. The weather was cold, as expected, but it was still nice to wander around Kaunas. It was quite a small city but it was lovely, the Christmas decorations and nice lit up trees and streets added to the winter charm.

📌 We also visited a labour camp/fort that became a concentration camp during the Nazi regime. It was interesting to see how another part of Europe was affected by the war, adding another layer to what we have already seen and learnt in the past year. In the evening's we enjoyed the small Christmas market, some breweries and we sampled the local Lithuanian foods, which we are not overly enthusiastic for, given the amount of potato/carb Europe we have been travelling of late.Meer informatie
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Vilnius
3–6 dec. 2024, Litouwen ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C
📌 We travelled to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania via a beautiful Christmas decorated train. Vilnius was much larger than Kaunas, and it has the largest old town in the Baltics due to Lithuania once having the crown of the largest country in Europe in the past.

📌 Vilnius was lovely to walk around, we were lucky with no rain but unfortunately no snow. The days were short but once it was dark, around 4pm, the Christmas lights and trees looked amazing! Many shops and hotels had decorated their front windows. The Christmas market in the centre was smaller than other cities but it didn't need to be large as the tree was grand and the surrounding buildings were beautiful.

📌 We had some delicious meals in Vilnius, we went all out at a steak/grill restaurant, we had some traditional Lithuanian, and we enjoyed some Georgian also! The carbs however were starting to become an effort, as our appetites were so quenched, the next meal felt like it needed to be many hours away.

📌 Our few days included some visiting of a former KGB government prison/office which provided an interesting history of Lithuanian occupation. Additionally, we visited an old Lithuanian and Soviet prison used as a set in stranger things, now converted to a bar/restaurant and art space.Meer informatie
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Riga
6–10 dec. 2024, Letland ⋅ ☁️ 0 °C
📌 We arrived in Latvia via bus, keen to see another Baltic country, this time basing ourselves in the capital, Riga, and exploring from there. Riga was a large city, it was busy and cold but we managed to explore most of it over the 4 days.

📌 We started our first full day with a trip to Cesis, this area was of interest due to its 800 year old castle and also to get a taste of Latvia outside of the city. We wandered around the small quiet old town, enjoyed some delicious and cheap coffee and then headed to visit the castle and museum. The castle was a great experience, it felt authentic as we toured the grounds ourselves, it was quiet and we had to use a flame lit lantern to navigate around the dark rooms of the castle. The museum was a nice addition also, providing an insight into Latvian history.

📌 During our days in Riga, we visited several breweries, enjoyed some cold evenings at the Christmas market drinking mulled wine and admiring the lights. We also ventured out to the art nouveau district, one of the most concentrated areas of this architecture in all of Europe. We also learnt that Latvia has approximately 40% native Russian speakers hence it was worth trying a Russian restaurant for dinner one night, this resulted in some delicious beef stroganoff, creamy cod and some standout pelmeni dumplings.

📌 One other dining highlight of Riga was eating at a mediaeval restaurant housed in a former cistern, where the waiters were servents, the food was very old fashioned and the atmosphere was very cool! We enjoyed rabbit stew, chicken, legumes and some delicious dark beer. The concept was very cool.Meer informatie
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Reiziger Gorgeous ♥️♥️
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ReizigerBeautiful pic of the two of you xxxxx
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Tartu
10–12 dec. 2024, Estland ⋅ ☁️ -2 °C
📌 A short stop in Tartu, the European capital of culture of 2024. We didn't know much about the town but we were keen to see another part of Estonia other than the capital. Tartu is a university town, it was quiet but charming to wander around. We finally got some snow!

📌 We enjoyed some delicious food, Italian, some German, a few cafes and bakeries. The main square was the highlight of the town with the lit up tree and town hall. We weren't to keen on tying up some skates and trying the ice skating rink, particularly as the local kids were like 5 years old and killing it, zooming around the rink.Meer informatie
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Talinn
12–15 dec. 2024, Estland ⋅ 🌬 -2 °C
📌 Our last stop in the Baltics, we had heard great things about Talinn and it did not disappoint. Talinn was probably our favourite stop of this trip and potentially one of the nicest old towns we have seen in Europe so far. The town was magical, it felt very medieval, the beauty was also enhanced by the day we had snow!

📌 Talinn was a great place for food and drinks, we ate our way through delicious sweets, great wine and beer and some warming comfort food. The culinary highlight was dining at Old Hansa, a medieval themed restaurant which was similar to the one we visited in Riga. This experience however was unique in that the whole place was lit by candles, the building felt very old and authentic (including the toilets) and the food was very unique! Chloe had a spiced lamb dish whilst I ate a variety of sausages; veal, black pork blood sausage and a game sausage of boar, elk and bear!

📌 The Christmas market was again beautiful, the walking tour was interesting and fun, particularly given that it was very snowy. We also visited an interesting banned book museum, a pour your own wine, wine bar and one of the oldest pharmacy's in Europe.Meer informatie
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Reizigerveryyyy pretty mate, wow
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Copenhagen
15–19 dec. 2024, Denemarken ⋅ 🌧 7 °C
📌 Copenhagen, the last stop on our Christmas adventures. We were keen to explore the food scene, see the Tivoli gardens Christmas market and to otherwise see the city with aimless intention.

📌 The weather was not as charming in Copenhagen, mostly rainy or grey and not cold enough for snow. This was welcoming as it was slightly warmer but also made us think that the whole white Christmas in Europe seems quite hard to experience for most Europeans ☺️ We did have a nice clear sunny day during the stay which we enjoyed with 25k steps of walking around.

📌 Copenhagen in general was a very beautiful and clean city, it is large but it seemed like each area had something interesting or cool about it. We were staying in a Pod accommodation which was initially slightly unnerving in case they were too small, however, this pod was actually super comfortable and unique for the stay. The Tivoli gardens was beautiful to wander through with the 7000 Christmas trees and beautiful displays. Additionally, the smaller city markets were also beautiful and fun (Tallinn or Riga win overall though).

📌 Some food highlights of the stay included a delicious chicken sandwich (inspo from the bear), some open sandwiches (a Danish traditional sandwich) and the street hotdogs 😍 Despite the good food, the drinks were probably more enjoyed, from the cool breweries, the hot drinks at the Christmas markets or the delicious white glogg (warm white wine, spices and apple schnapps) from the walking tour recommendation, everything was great!Meer informatie
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Reiziger Smorrebrod! How good is it!
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Christmas/New Year in Hebden Bridge
19 dec.–14 jan. 2025, Engeland ⋅ 🌙 2 °C
📌 We spent a nice couple of weeks in Hebden bridge in good company over the Christmas and New year's period. We had some relaxing but nice celebrations including a excellent Christmas lunch, a quiet new years event drinks and a delicious early birthday Sunday roast for Chloe.

📌 Initially Hebden bridge was grey and gloomy but just after new years there was some heavy snow which made the landscape very pretty. The snow stuck around for a while and caused all sorts of issues with workers, transport etc. It was lovely and new to experience a UK town in full snow as we had only really seen small amounts and cities, otherwise only large amounts in well equipped mountain regions.

📌 I was able to pick up some more work around the public holidays whilst Chloe also did her first shift just after new years in Oxford. We spent Chloe's early birthday celebration in a quaint pub on the hills of the tops of the valley, it was still quite snowy up there and it made the fireplace inside super cosy! The roast was delish and we had a couple of drinks which lead to the alcos in the group (everyone but me ☺️) wanting more when we got home. The night eventually ended around 2am which meant a tired day the next day at work for everyone except Chloe haha.Meer informatie
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Malta; Chloes 30th 🎉❤️
14–20 jan. 2025, Malta ⋅ 🌬 13 °C
📌 We were off to escape the cold January UK, first stop Malta for some Mediterranean vibes. We arrived late at night and unfortunately we got the opposite of ideal, heavy rain! However, everything was smooth and we checked in to a nice fancy hotel for Chloe's 30th celebrations.

📌 The beautiful architecture of Malta made it lovely to wander around the streets, we admired the colourful balconies, the blue water and the hidden restaurants. The weather was pretty good for the whole trip and it was great seeing the blue sky. We picked up the car and headed around the island throughout the stay, we visited some neolithic archeological sites from approximately 4500 BC, 2000 years older than the pyramids. We also wandered around the capital Valetta, and the former military fort from the 1500s which provided a great view of the city.

📌 Chloe's 30th started with a birthday video from everyone which was really lovely, we then headed for some brunch and coffee. Malta being a small island doesn't have a lot of local wine but I found a tasting at one of them (Meridiana) and it proved to be great, one of the best ones we have had. We enjoyed a warm afternoon with delicious wine, snacks and company from the local ginger cat. Dinner at a Michelin local Maltese restaurant was next, it was delicious, 7 local courses, authentic and cosy inside. It was a memorable day for sure.

📌 The rest of the trip involved eating delicious and cheap pastizzi, a walking tour, visiting the sauna and steam room at the hotel, drinks at the cocktail bar and more delicious dinners including Italian and another small family run Maltese restaurant where the highlight was the rabbit spaghetti.Meer informatie
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ReizigerLove it mate!! Glad you enjoyed 🇲🇹 🐇
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Cairo
19–22 jan. 2025, Egypte ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
📌 We arrived in Cairo in the early morning and the chaos started straight away at the visa line, people getting sent back for visas but we just went straight through and they weren't interested in checking ours. The chaos continued as we were introduced to the way of driving in Egypt, where the driver says there are no rules ☺️

📌 We found some good coffee the next morning (much needed) and headed to Coptic Cairo, one of the oldest areas, that houses the Christian community in Cairo. We wandered around a few churches and then headed to a cavern church built into a cave. Visiting this church was an event in itself, as we drove through garbage city, a place where the people of Cairo years ago started collecting garbage for a small price and now do majority of the recycling for the population of 25 million. Essentially, it was streets and buildings where people live full of garbage being sorted by hand, bags of trash were stacked atleast 10 metres high on the cars and buildings roofs.

📌 We ended day one with an incredible food tour through a very local area, we stood out very clearly. The tour included soooo much food, such as sheeps brains, shwarma, traditional breakfast such as fava beans, lentils, eggplant, desserts and meats with great flavours. The next day we visited the Islamic Cairo, visiting old citadels and mosques perched high above the city, it was really good to have it explained by a local. We then headed for middle eastern food for lunch, the charcoaled chicken and falafel were elite! We then headed to Giza to enjoy the afternoon on a random rooftop hotel looking at the pyramids, it was great but also super bizarre as we were the only ones there and the area was pretty sketchy.

📌 Finally we started the tour on day 3 where we headed to the highlight, the pyramids and sphinx. They were huge and it was great that we got there early as we were able to walk around the great pyramid with basically nobody. The size and what it must have been like is incomprehensible, the fact that the great pyramid was built so precisely means it is still not known how it was built and also not knowing what it still might contain is fascinating. We then headed to the museum which was also great as we saw many sarcophagus and even some mummies that were well preserved that they still had hair and facial features.

📌 Overall Cairo was chaotic, unique and fascinating to visit, it reminded us of India but perhaps a more Islamic version.Meer informatie
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ReizigerAmazing story Steve, very interesting read
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Reiziger That poor camel looks starving. 😬Beautiful
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Aswan
23–25 jan. 2025, Egypte ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
📌 We caught the overnight train to Aswan from Cairo, 12 hours in an old slow train that was fun and surprisingly comfortable. We did some trivia in the social carriage, basically just a smokers room which wasn't good for the lungs. The morning sunrise was gorgeous as we followed the Nile winding through the dessert, slowing watching local life starting up.

📌 We hung out on our own on day 1 and enjoyed a coffee on the river, watching the fellucas sail by. We then decided to suss out the quarry, where a lot of the pyramid blocks and obelisks were quarried. They actually found an unfinished obelisk here which would have been the largest of all, however the mining was abandoned due to fissures in the obelisk and thus wouldn't have been a complete single stone. It was incredible to see the remnants of the mining techniques and how they would have transported these huge blocks. We ended the day with a short Nile River cruise to a Nubian house for dinner. The Nubians were indigenous to northern Sudan and south Egypt and speak their own language.

📌 Day 2 we woke up early as we had a long day ahead, we were headed to Abu Simbel, the sunrise over the Sahara was beautiful as we drove along the dusty roads. Walking into and around the temples was incredible, the sheer size and detail of the preserved hieroglyphics was mesmerising to look at. It was definitely a must do for visiting Egypt. We enjoyed the drive back as the true vastness and dryness of the Sahara was evident in the hot midday. It was also fascinating to see and hear how irrigation from the Nile was being undertaken, with Ethiopia and Egypts supply dictated by dams further upstresm and also the drip irrigation of crops, turning the dessert green. We finished the day with some good Nubian food, a camel tagine for me, and then a few drinks at the hotel.

📌 Our final day in Aswan was a short 2 hour felluca sail boat ride along the Nile which was quite peaceful and warm in the morning sun. The drivers were hilarious and everyone had a go at driving the boat which goes in a zig zag pattern with the wind. We then headed to the Kom Ombo Temple, the temple dedicated to the crocodile God, it was a nice stop off as we were the only ones there basically. The hieroglyphics again were fabulous and included some script on how to mummify bodies.Meer informatie
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Luxor
25–28 jan. 2025, Egypte ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
📌 Our final stop in Egypt was Luxor, apparently a city with 1/3 of the world's ancient monuments and antiquities, it is the largest open air museum in the world. We went and got a dessert from a nice rooftop looking over the Luxor temple which was a grand view as the valley of the king's and temples were lit up.

📌 The main event was visiting the valley of the king's, 64 tombs of Kings are here and they suspect there may be a few more. The tombs were all robbed (except Tutankhamun's) but the colours and hieroglyphics were incredible, some of the tombs were 20m long whilst others were 100s of metres deep into the valley walls. The most incredible tomb was an under the radar recommendation from Mo, Ramses 5&6 which was very well preserved. We then headed to the temple of Hatshepsut which was a woman's tomb, potentially the first feminist in the world, she posed as a male pharaoh. This tomb was the most grand from the outside due to its large facade and it once had statues on every pillar. The afternoon was then concluded with a local lunch at the bus drivers house where the food was some of the best we had on the trip, orzo soup was the highlight.

📌 The last half of our time in Luxor included a visit to the Luxor temple in the evening, the large columns lit up at night was beautiful. Additionally, a visit to Karnak temple was another highlight as the sheer size of this location would have been amazing in its time, the pillars were huge and the hieroglyphic detail was great! Ultimately Luxor was a great stop and with amazing sites where it cannot be comprehended what they would have been like in their prime.Meer informatie
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Jordan: Amman to Petra
28–31 jan. 2025, Jordanië ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
📌 We departed Luxor into Cairo where we seperated from the rest of the group as about 6 of us were going onto Jordan. We had a long wait at the airport but eventually made it into Jordan. A fun side note, 2 people were questioned by police as they had binoculars and they're banned in Jordan. Our first impressions of Amman were that it was a lot cleaner, more organised and upmarket compared to Egypt.

📌 Our first full day started with a visit to Jerash, an old Roman city, one of the best preserved outside of Europe. It was lovely to walk around and admire the columns and streets. Our next stop was the resort area on the dead sea, it was a very unique experience as it sits 300m below sea level and hence you could feel the air pressure and increase in temperature. It was a fun afternoon, it's impossible to sink in the dead sea as it's 32% salinity creates great buoyancy, you can float so easily. The salty water burned if it got in your eyes or nose, and it felt oily, our skin felt very nice afterwards, particularly as we did mud bathing in conjunction. Additionally, it was also eerie being in this region as you could physically see the west bank and Israel from our side of the dead sea, a no go war zone. We finished the day with some cocktails and even a brewery, some rare finds in an Islamic country.

📌 Day 2 started early and we headed to some old religious sites of the Byzantine Empire to check out some mosiacs and apparently where Moses had died, mount Nebo. We then headed to an old fort that was mainly occupied by the crusaders around 1100 AD, as they attempted to convert the region from Islam to Christianity. We then drove further south into the desert where we headed to little Petra, this was a beautiful time of the day and the rock formations were lovely in the afternoon light.Meer informatie
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Jordan: Petra to Wadi Rum
31 jan.–2 feb. 2025, Jordanië ⋅ 🌙 5 °C
📌 We arrived in Wadi Musa, where Petra is located, a small city with a nice hotel. The agenda on night one was to visit Petra by night, a candle lit display of the iconic treasury. We enjoyed a maqluba, a delicious dish of chicken, rice and vegetables all cooked together and then flipped upside down. We then headed off to Petra by night which was a beautiful experience, walking approximately 2km along a candle lit path through the canyon was amazing, particularly as it opens up into the candle lit treasury. We sat here for an hour or so listening to music and looking at the stars, it was a beautiful perspective of one of the wonders of the world.

📌 The next day we had another early start, which was tough, however, it meant that we were the first people into Petra in the morning. We learned about the Nabateans who inhabited the area, had the treasury and monastery to ourselves and we explore the colourful rock tombs. It was an amazing place and definitely a wonder, the size of the city and how they carved everything into rock in the middle of the dessert mountains was incredible to imagine. By the end of the day we had walked about 15km and we were glad that we had started early as we avoided the crowds and the peak sun.

📌 After a long day in Petra, we had decided to go ahead with the Turkish bath, something we skipped in Turkey but is popular throughout the former ottoman empire. It was a hilarious experience, I had never been exfoliated so roughly, and the massage was intense, he put all his effort in, unfortunately for Chloe and the girls (who are seperated), their experience seemed less authentic and a bit lackluster. It was worth doing to know what the traditional experience is like ☺️

📌 Our time in Petra came to an end after a well earned sleep in, we were heading to the nearby dessert of Wadi Rum for a night in dessert accommodation. We checked in and headed off for a sunset/desert 4wd exploration. The dessert was beautiful, the rock formations and colours were mars like and it only got prettier as the afternoon turned into sunset. It was obvious why films such as Dune, Star Wars and The Martian were filmed here. In the evening we had a traditional dessert meal, Zarb, where meat, rice and vegetables is cooked in the sand in a large barrel for hours. It was delicious and we were glad to have a fire in the cold dessert night, where it was made the most of by toasting marshmallows.Meer informatie
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Jordan: Aqaba to Amman
2–6 feb. 2025, Jordanië ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
📌 After a fairly chilly night in the dessert we were off to the resort town of Aqaba, a town in the south of Jordan on the red sea where you could see Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. We had another great hotel and the city had a really nice vibe about it, coffee shops and nice restaurants. We headed out on a bougie yacht to do some snorkeling, it was a nice 25 degrees and the water was super clear. It was quite interesting to be so close to so many borders, particularly as we were not allowed to film or photograph when near the Israeli border.

📌 The snorkeling was a little rough, it was also quite close to some man made structures which felt less picturesque, however it was surprisingly nice in the water. There were many colourful fish, including clown fish, some colourful corals and also many many purple harmless jellyfish which were majestic to watch floating around. We headed back and everyone was keen for a sunset drink on the rooftop before heading to a local seafood restaurant. After a pretty good feed we ended up at an English pub of all places for a few Jordanian beers.

📌 We had a long drive back to Amman where we stopped over in a small village for one of the best lunches we had on the trip. It was a local farming village where money was going into the education and development of the community. Once we arrived in Amman, we headed out for a farewell dinner, this was delicious, we had a huge sharing spread of dips, meats, rice, veges. It was another great meal, even though Chloe had to help with a mild anaphylaxis ☺️

📌 The last 2 days we chilled out in Amman on our own, we visited the citadel, had a great insight into the history of the middle east at the Jordan museum, enjoyed some coffee and some more delicious Jordanian food including a flaming Mansaf. It was kind of sad to be leaving Jordan as it was a great trip coming to an end. It was nice to have met people and seen a part of the world that we had always dreamed of, definitely somewhere everyone should visit.Meer informatie
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Wales: Working in Neath
8 feb.–31 mrt. 2025, Wales ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C
📌 The next working chapter, we arrived back from Jordan, gathered our things over the next few days and Chloe headed to Oxford whilst I headed to Neath in Wales. We will be about 2 hours apart for the next 3 weeks, however working lots to keep us busy before heading to Norway. The best thing about Neath is the old but quiet and comfortable accommodation it comes with, saving us extra money for travels.

📌 I had a brief wonder around Neath on arrival, the Welsh language is very foreign but intriguing, the river alongside the town is lovely and the old castle from 1200 is a nice addition. The town is compact, has good access to supermarkets and a gym, and it will be nice to make day trips when Chloe comes to visit.

📌 Whilst working in Neath I picked up a few extra shifts around Swansea and also up in the hills which was a nice way to see a few more towns and experience the Welsh culture a little bit out of the city.

📌 My time in Neath and at Afon Vets came to an end quite quickly, time flew by and it was actually probably my favourite practice I have worked so far. The team were great to work with, the practice was busy and challenging and it was nice to feel social and have some fun at work. It was a sad departure, and I found myself hoping I'd get the opportunity to go back for another block of work.Meer informatie
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Weekend in Bath
22–23 feb. 2025, Engeland ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
📌 We both had the weekend off so we booked a night to meet up and explore Bath. It was so nice to see Chloe again after 2 weeks, it felt like we were dating again, living separately and meeting up for dinner and drinks ☺️

📌 We were blessed with a clear day so we made the most of it, wandered around Bath admiring the old gothic and Georgian architecture. We found some tasty sandwiches and headed for a park for a long lunch with lots to talk about. We then headed to the iconic Roman baths, and despite their costly entry, it was worth a visit as it was something we haven't seen a great deal of despite seeing lots of Roman ruins on this trip. After lots of reading, it was about time to go and wet the whistle, so we searched for a pub which was a little challenging as they were super busy watching the Wales vs Ireland rugby. We eventually found a cider house and enjoyed a drink before heading to the accommodation to get ready for an evening out.

📌 We started at a little wine bar that was cosy and warm, catching up on the weekly trivia we had missed whilst enjoying some cheese. We had a late booking so we enjoyed a few more drinks and then headed onwards to a napalese restaurant highly regarded in the area. We were seated on floor seats and cushions, and we were served a delicious aromatic lamb and chicken curry with daal, however, the highlight was the dessert, a delicious semi Freddo and chiya Icecream (similar flavours to chai).

📌 It was a lovely trip to bath, capped off by a nice brunch in the morning, a wander around some shops and a beer in another cosy pub. We parted ways at the station as Chloe headed to Oxford and me back to Neath, keen for a week's time where we are headed to Norway and Sweden!Meer informatie
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Bristol for the night
1 maart 2025, Engeland ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
📌 A good flight option to Norway from Bristol meant a good excuse to see another city for a day. The weather turned out to be on point so it was a nice day to have a look around and enjoy a few drinks outside.

📌 We were staying a cheap shared Airbnb outside the city so we checked in and got ready to come back late that evening. We headed to the popular central market which was packed for lunch, it had a great variety of stalls where we ended up with a delicious Turkish wrap and Chinese milk buns. We then headed to Gloucester road, a strip of independent shops and pubs that had similar vibes to Fitzroy or Collingwood. Bristol was giving off a very trendy city which had a great vibe. Bristol is also the home of cider in the UK, so we headed to a cidery by the river doing so many ciders! It was great.

📌 Dinner involved another trendy bustling place at an authentic Cuban restaurant that was loud, cosy and delicious. They served beautiful rice, meats and great cocktails! Enjoying ourselves, we decided to kick on at a brewery along the river for another drink, another vibrant place with delicious beers. Bristol was definitely worth a visit before the airport and it would be a great city to get some work later in the year.Meer informatie
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Tromso
2–5 mrt. 2025, Noorwegen ⋅ ☁️ -1 °C
📌 We were blessed with an incredible view as we flew into Tromso! The fjords and rugged snow capped peaks in the afternoon sun may be the most amazing plane landing view we have ever seen!

📌 We checked into our small but cosy accommodation hungry and ready to explore. We grabbed a cheap frozen pizza as eating out in Norway was not on the agenda. We then headed out of the city on a bus to try and catch the lights ourselves. There was a park a few KMs out of town with less lights but despite a clear sky, unfortunately our efforts of standing in the cold wind had no success. Day 2 involved a wander around town, the cloud cover was very thick so our enthusiasm for the night minibus chase was low! Despite this, we enjoyed a wander around the beautiful harbour, a few Norwegian hotdogs and a relaxing day.

📌 That evening we set out on our first guided aurora chase, this involved thermal suits and boots that keep people warm in negative 30, so we were super cosy. We left at 6pm and drove throughout Norway and headed into Finland in chase of clear sky. We had some small success in Finland but mostly the clouds seemed too thick or the aurora too faint. Despite this, we enjoyed a fire, some camp food and some quiet in the middle of finish Lapland. We ended up getting back at 4am!

📌 Our final full day involved a fjord minivan tour, the weather was a little clearer and it ended up being a fabulous tour. We drove towards some of the islands a few hours away, enjoying the views of the fjords, waterfalls and the small villages on the islands around the coast. That evening after dinner we went looking for the lights again but the chances were low and we didn't have much luck, so we headed for bed with hopes for Sweden.

📌Just before heading to bed Chloe had a look out the window in hope and saw some faint green. We rushed out with not much warm clothes on and suddenly the aurora dancing started! It lasted for about 2-3 minutes and included streaks and waves, it was beautiful and we were so fortunate to look out the window at just the right time! Tromso gave us one last show before leaving!Meer informatie
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Abisko, Swedish Lapland
5–7 mrt. 2025, Zweden ⋅ ☁️ -7 °C
📌 Our next stop on our chase for the northern lights was Abisko, in Sweden. In order to get there we had to bus down to the border and meet the artic train through the fjords. We caught the bus down to Narvik, a Norwegian town on the border surrounded by fjords. We enjoyed a beautiful seafood lunch whilst awaiting the train. Once on board the train we had 90 mins of one of the most beautiful train journeys I have ever been on. The train winded along the cliff side of stunning mountains alongside the fjords before passing through small villages blanketed in snow. Just before getting into Abisko, we spotted some moose and it's calf in the snow!

📌 We were welcomed to abisko with a beautiful small quiet town with only several accommodations, one supermarket and a huge frozen lake. Our accommodation was warm, it had a beautiful view, a Swedish couple and also a older Swedish woman staying there named Sanya, who was extremely nice and over the next 2 days would have long conversations with us. This eventually ended in her giving me a list of her favourite movies and her email in case we were ever in Sweden again.

📌 Whilst in Abisko we went down to the lake for the sunset, we enjoyed some cooking at the guesthouse and we caught the northern lights from the carpark on night 1. The next day was our big day, dog sledding started early where we drove to Kiruna. We put on our thermal suits as it was approximately -11 degrees and we were greeted by some very excited dogs who were very vocal about getting out to run. There were approximately 4 sleds and thus 40 or so very loud howling doggies. Chloe was at the front and sledding through the woods and open icy lakes was beautiful. We were able to then have Fika and cuddle the dogs halfway when we stopped at the lake. It was an amazing experience to see how the dogs worked together with the driver and how much stimulation they got from the exercise.

📌 That evening we headed out for a northern lights chase with the same company, as soon as we started the lights were showing so we made a short drive to the darker area outside of town. This is where we were treated to some absolutely amazing auroras, the whole sky was going, the corona was showing and even some red colouring. It was our last and best viewing yet! Abisko was definitely worth it, the nature, the remoteness and the beautiful lights!Meer informatie
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Stockholm
7–10 mrt. 2025, Zweden ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C
📌 We bid farewell to the snowy Lapland and the lovely swedes we met in Abisko, and headed for the warmer capital of Sweden. We arrived in the evening and headed out to a trendy restaurant/bar doing chicken in all kinds of ways. This meal was incredible, fried gochagang cauliflower, some of the best hot wings and an insight into the vibe of Stockholm.

📌 As we were in Stockholm for the weekend, the city was buzzing. We wandered around the beautiful waterside areas, the old town, and the trendy sodermalm. The cafes were great, everyone was out and about in the sunny crisp weather, the city had a very vibrant feel. We ofcourse had an afternoon drink in a busy bar that was even serving a home made cola known as Koala Kola of all things. That evening we enjoyed more delicious food at a tasty Mexican place that was getting us excited for the end of our year trip, going home via Mexico. We ended the night at a small microbrewery, enjoying some local Swedish brewed beers.

📌 Our final full day was relaxed, another sunny and clear day that involved a wander around the city. We finally got into the busy meatball restaurant, which was incredible food again! All kinds of Swedish meatballs that would melt in your mouth, served alongside delicious ligonberry jam and some of the best mashed potatoes. We enjoyed another walk through the old town before heading to the Vasa museum. This museum was based on a shipwreck that was submerged for 330 years from 1600s to the 1900s, where it was then surfaced and preserved. It was an incredible museum as the detail of the ship was amazing, the wood was intricately carved and would have been extremely colourful as the ship was one to show off the Swedish power and pride back then.

📌 We ended our trip on a high with a intimate and friendly wine bar, some tasty Italian food and an early night for our 7am flight the next day. Stockholm was a highlight, potentially one of my favourite cities in Europe and definitely in Scandinavia so far. One final memory was on departure where the immigration was the slowest and strictest we have ever seen!!! We ran to the plan with about 5 minutes until boarding, thank god we asked some people to skip the line, people definitely missed the flight being stuck in customs.Meer informatie
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