Berlin
February 22 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
Berlin is the first stop of our European tour in 2026.
making friends with a local [Linda]
Heading North
February 27 in Finland ⋅ ☁️ -7 °C
From Berlin, we head north to Finland. We flew first to Helsinki, then to Ivalo, where we were picked up by our guide and driven 2 hours to our accommodation in Utsjoki. It was -7° on our arrival... 🥶
The Reindeer Cup
February 28 in Finland ⋅ ☁️ -8 °C
We were lucky enough to be in Utsjoki on the weekend of the annual Reindeer Cup, held on a frozen lake.
A really interesting event embraced by the Sami people here in the north. This would make aRead more
Dog Sledding in the Cold
March 1 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ -10 °C
A beautiful, sunny day today, but with clear skies come cold temperatures. -16° this morning.
Anyway, today is a treat as we drove up into Norway to try our hand at being a musha for a team of sledRead more
Aurora Borealis
March 1 in Finland ⋅ ⛅ -13 °C
The main reason we're here freezing our butts off is to see the northern lights. The first 2 nights were overcast and we were starting to get worried, but it came good on the 3rd night.
The auroraRead more
Helsinki
March 3 in Finland ⋅ ☁️ -1 °C
We depart the far north of Finland to explore Helsinki.
The harbour was frozen over, but not enough to hamper the ships. Cold but... 🥶
Had some delicious food in the harbour markets. We then tookRead more
A Day in Tallinn
March 4 in Estonia ⋅ ☀️ 2 °C
While in Helsinki, it was recommended we take the ferry across to the old town of Tallinn in Estonia.
The ferry was pretty flash, more like a cruise ship. But we put up with the comfort to be able toRead more
Stockholm
March 5 in Sweden ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C
From Helsinki, we stopped in Stockholm for a few days explore.
A very interesting city with lots of history. Still a bit cold, but at least above 0° most days.
Paris
March 10 in France ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
One of the big destinations for our trip was Paris. We allowed ourselves 5 days and we could easily have spent another week. There is so much to see and do. We'll have to come back
Anyway, the firstRead more
The Louvre
March 11 in France ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Today was rainy and a good day to be inside and visit a museum. Why not the Louvre?
So unreal to see all this famous art in person.
Versailles
March 12 in France ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Rain stopped today, so we decided to visit the palace at Versailles. Unfortunately there was a cold wind and walking the gardens wasn't all that pleasant, but still nice to see the grounds.
Saint Jean de Luz
March 16 in France ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
Our next destination was the small-ish fishing town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a pleasant change from the hectic Paris streets.
San Sebastian
March 20 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
Next stop is Spain, visiting the lovely coastal city of San Sebastian. It's a big town, but has a lot of history. Not to mention the beautiful beach.
A bit too cold for a swim, at least for us. ManyRead more
Pintxos
March 20 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
One of the wonderful aspects of San Sebastian is the food. In particular, Pintxos (peen-chos), a Basque version of Tapas.
The big difference from Tapas is the variety of delicacies. Every bar hasRead more
Madrid
March 24 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Madrid is a seriously large city but full of delightful architecture, history and of course, food.
Toledo
March 26 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C
We did a day trip from Madrid to the old town of Toledo. A great place for history, but being perched on top of a small mountain means everywhere is uphill.
One of the more interesting stops was theRead more
Porto
March 30 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Our next destination is Portugal. First stop is Porto, known for its architecture and colourful buildings.
Aveiro
April 3 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Next stop is Aveiro, known as the Venice of Portugal.
Tomar
April 7 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 16 °C
Next stop in Portugal is the old town of Tomar, famous for being the home of the Knights Templar. One of the highlights was visiting the Convent of the Order of Christ and castle on the hillRead more
Lisbon
April 9 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Next up is Lisbon. A beautiful city where every street is an uphill climb.
Nazaré
April 13 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
Next on the list was a quick stop to Nazaré, famous for the biggest waves on the planet. Unfortunately the big waves don't come until November, but it was still s pretty impressive surf.
Pena Palace
April 14 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Just outside Lisbon is the town of Sintra, home to the beautiful Pena Palace and acres of gardens.
Moorish Castle
April 16 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
While at Sintra, we also visited the old Moorish castle on the top of the hill.
Óbidos
April 17 in Portugal
Next stop in our Portugese adventure is Óbidos, a lovely walled town on a hill north of Lisbon.
