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FDA TRIP OF A LIFETIME
  • Wee Adventures

FDA TRIP OF A LIFETIME

Putting reality on pause with a little trip around Europaaaaa! 😁 Lue lisÀÀ
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  • Matkan aloitus
    16. helmikuuta 2022
    Wee AdventuresFDA TRIP OF A LIFETIMEMatkaaja

    Sydney - London ✈

    16. helmikuuta 2022, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    After a wild 2 months packing up our lives in Sydney, we flew the long haul flight from
    Darwin to London Heathrow. The trip we have been waiting for, planning for and longing for for 3 years!

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    Cotswolds & Cornwall

    24. helmikuuta 2022, Englanti ⋅ 🌧 4 °C

    Landing back on Mum’s bday was very special. We chilled with her in her new wee cottage in Spelsbury which is lovely.

    We then headed to Cornwall (Lamellan Estate) for a big celebration for Mum’s bday and James’s 30th. It was so good to all be together after so long and the house was amazing! đŸ‘đŸŒ Lots of tennis, booze and food and John even organised a surf lesson for us all (burrrrrrr) and an amazing lunch at the Pig at Harlyn Bay. đŸ·

    I then stitched everyone up by thinking cycling the Camel Trail would be a 2 hour jolly… turns out it was 80km+ return and it was absolutely pouring with rain! I was hated for the day…. Ollie & Arch pulled the pin half way running to Mummy, and Dan, James, John and I braved the cycle back. That bath at the end was the best thing ever. Sorry team!    Lue lisÀÀ

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    Malta đŸ‡ČđŸ‡č

    2. maaliskuuta 2022, Malta ⋅ ☀ 16 °C

    After a busy few weeks with the fam in Cornwall and the Cotswolds, we had 3 days to get to Malta and clear out our family house in Zebbug after it sold.

    9 skips and a whole lotta dust later and we were out! I was on Facebook market place duty to sell as much as I could. Dan and James then smashed up anything rotten or that we didn’t sell. Mixed emotions as we’ve been going there for as long as we can remember, but all for the best!

    We did of course have time to make it back to our fav local haunts for some sun, good food and wine. Recos below if you ever go:

    TO DO
    Valletta
    - Quick tour: Walk to the Upper Barrakka for the best view in Malta, (best to be there at noon to see the cannon being fired). Get a ticket to see St John’s Co-Cathedral, grab a coffee at Lot 61, a plate of pasta at Pastaus and a drink at Cafe Society.

    Mdina
    - Walk around Mdina, it’s beautiful inside the walled city
    - Go to Fontenella for coffee/cake/ice cream with amazing view

    Other
    - Take a few drinks and watch sunset from Dingli cliffs
    - Check out the market at Marsaxlokk - gorgeous old fishing village (our fav!) most of the lovely restaurants along the front are good for lunch, find a busy one!
    - Would highly recommend going to Gozo for the day - you can catch a boat from north of the island (St Paul’s Bay) and its much quieter with much better beaches and swimming
    - A tour to the blue grotto tour is amazing but very touristy in peak summer - would recommend a private tour if you can!

    BEACHES
    - Ghan-Tuffheia
    - Gjnegna
    - Armchair bay
    - Paradise bay (both a bit far and small so have to get there early)
    - Tigne beach club (check before you go, might be private now)
    - Rock pools: St. Peter's pool, Marsascala, Delamar which is just beyond peter's pool and a bit quieter

    TO EAT & DRINK
    - Taproom in Valetta - one of the best for food and cocktails. Try the mushroom tagliatelle
    - Vecchia taranto - great pizza but tiny place! Best to take away and eat it on St Barbara's Bastion while enjoying the view
    - Pastaus - terrific pasta
    - Trabuxu & Trabuxu Bistro - wonderful food and wine at the top of strait street. Try the fondue and San Niklaw wine at the first and anything at the second
    - Soul Food - great food, even for vegetarians/vegans
    - Noni - Best fine dining in Valletta and winner of a Michelin star
    - Giannini - fine dining with an amazing view
    - La Capanna in Marsaxlokk
    - El Fontanella for a drink/ice cream up on the bastions in Mdina
    - The Galley in Ta'xbiex
    - PALAZZO PARISIO (Naxxar) if you are feeling wealthy!!! THE BEST place to take people in Malta for a drink in the evening because it is just beautiful (be careful on weekends though, lots of weddings)
    - St Julian’s is fun for drinks if you want a wilder scene! Busy vibe, especially on the weekends    Lue lisÀÀ

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    Stresa, Lake Maggiore 🌾

    15. maaliskuuta 2022, Italia ⋅ ☁ 9 °C

    Stresa (lessa) was a welcomed change of pace. Winter by the Italian lakes = tranquility to a tee. Where is everyone?

    Stresa is a beautiful lakeside town with an incredible backdrop of the Alps. We were there in March so very much off peak and sleepy vibes, with nothing touristy open.

    Walk or ride along the water front and stop at the sweet wee towns along the way.

    Be sure to pop into @al_buscion for a taste of deliciousooooo local wines, meats and cheeses. Sensazionale đŸ€ŒđŸŒđŸ‡źđŸ‡č    Lue lisÀÀ

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    Domodossola

    18. maaliskuuta 2022, Italia ⋅ ☁ 8 °C

    We were following the train line to Geneva (where we were meeting Ollie & John to Ski in Verbier) and had a few days to spare…. Domodossola was a very random but great little stop on this route. The town itself is sweet, but the real highlight is the mountain hikes we found up above the town with many a cute mountain side village and an abundance of wild donkeys!

    Day 1 - hike to Trontano, have a local beer or aperol then catch the mountain train back down.

    Day 2 - hike up above Sacred Mount Calvary of Domodossola - amazing views from the top (bit of a hike but worth it!) there are many tracks from there but we opted for the one towards Villadossola…bit of a gamble but it was amazing! The walk takes you through old villages on the side of the mountain and spits you out at an incredible restaurant (see pics) LA CANTINA DI TAPPIA with views across the valley. What a reward! The scramble back down to Villadossola was an adventure, then we trained it home from there.

    If you are there on a Saturday, the town market is incredible and people flock there from Switzerland to stock up on cheaper cheese and meats! We stocked up for our trip across the Swiss border too… 🧀 đŸ„“đŸ·    Lue lisÀÀ

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    1

    Nendaz ⛷

    21. maaliskuuta 2022, Sveitsi ⋅ ☀ 6 °C

    The best thing about starting our Europe trip at the end of Winter is we caught the end of the ski season… John’s Auntie & Uncle have a chalet above Nendaz and insisted we go. We didn’t need persuading!

    The most gorgeous slice of mountain paradise awaited us, it was Dan’s first Europe ski trip and boy was he impressed….not by the snow (it hadn’t snowed for a few months) but by the vibrant European culture of 10am beers and long boozey lunches on the slopes in 15 degree sunshine… heaven. We bought a 4 valleys lift pass and made our way over to Verbier each day for a bit more variety.

    Nothing beats a March bluebird (aprés) ski trip in the Swiss Alps! ⛷    Lue lisÀÀ

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    London Fun

    26. maaliskuuta 2022, Englanti ⋅ ☀ 17 °C

    We flew back into London and spent 3 nights with JoJo & Abaco catching up with friends and exploring our new London local, Highbury!

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    Scotland Road Trip

    1. huhtikuuta 2022, Skotlanti ⋅ ☁ 4 °C

    After a few days chilling at home in the Cotswolds with Mum & James, we got Archie’s wheels ready for our 3 week friend and family road show across Scotland… strap in Dan!

    First stop - St Boswells to see Grandma who is almost 97! Auntie Ellie & Uncle Tony put on a spread for lunch then we had a good old dog walk along the river, lovely!

    That night we headed to Poppy & Stuart in COCKburnspath to check out their new mansion house they are doing up! That was a fun weekend of surprises. Lunch with Rosie Campbell (10 years later…!), football with the lads for Dan and a dinner party with Chowden & Mhairi which ended with a little too much sloe gin… we’ll leave it there!

    Next stop, Ullapool where we drove in the snow (with a little stop in Aviemore for some nachos and a lake walk). We had the most gorgeous week catching up with Scoobs & Lawrie & meeting Winnie-May & Moss, it was amazing! Durness swims, Rhidorroch estate, distillery tour and lots of hangs đŸ„°

    Next up, Tarbert to see Frannie & John (via a spot of ice climbing for Dan in Glencoe!) and their new house on the end of town, what a great job they have done! Plenty food & wine and a lovely walk the next day and we hit the road for Lochgoilhead to stay with the Campbell’s!

    I hadn’t been to Fif’s for aaaaages so we got the full tour - holiday park, farm, new born lambs, puppies, we were in country heaven! Another amazing supper and lots of chit chat with Irene & Keith!

    We then made our way through to Edinburgh to stay with Fif in her new pad, what an incredible first house, we loved it! A few very chilled days here before we hit up St Andrews for Easter weekend to stay with Steph & Henry & wee Max! Burns Supper for Tara then beach walks, catch ups and a spot of golf! Was good to be back.

    The final leg was Northumberland to see
    Uncle David & Helen then Uncle Angus & Nicky. Again, lots of lovely catch ups after far too long, more delicious food and wine and a long 14 holes of golf in the rain!! Angus beat us at tennis then we headed off to see Nicky for a coffee before making our way south for the final family stop, Uncle Graham & Becky in Boston!

    An unforgettable 3 weeks of friends, family & fluffy things!    Lue lisÀÀ

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    Cambridge

    20. huhtikuuta 2022, Englanti ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    A great night and day exploring the beautiful old city of Cambridge! A few tips from our short but sweet visit!

    - We stayed at Turing Locke - a sleek, avant-garde style aparthotel in the sustainable district of Eddington. Perfect for a weekend stay

    - Punting on the river is a must! Take in the stunning university history and architecture on a punting tour @puntingcambridge. Dare you to give it a crack, it’s harder than it looks!

    - Eat anywhere on Mill Lane - you can’t go wrong. Or head to the @cambridgechophouse for a yummy steak

    - Grab an aperol on Mill Pond @anchorcambridge (Pink Floyd’s first hangout) and have a giggle at all the tourists trying to punt    Lue lisÀÀ

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    London Take âœŒđŸŒ

    21. huhtikuuta 2022, Englanti ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    A wee birthday trip to London and boy was it full of surprises! đŸ„° Thanks JoJo & Abaco for having us again, we love hanging with you!

    A delish bday dinner treat from the bros at Hawksmoor, drinks with JoJo, Jen, Caitlin, Zara, wee Jesse, James and a heap of Dan’s friends from school who live in London, so much love (and so many silly shots!)

    Did you know Dan’s friend Elliot is a pilot and has his own wee plane? Well neither did I… surprise number 1 - plane ride to Soho Farm House in the Cotswolds for lunch and a spa - absolutely amazing experience, thank you Dan & Elliot!

    Surprise number 2 (thank you Chris & Mike) the Lion King at the Lyceum, my absolute FAV! HAKUNA MATATA!

    We even managed to sneak in some proper touristing this time round, what a city! Oh and we can’t forget the amazing Big Green Egg pizzas 🍕 chef JoJo sure delivered the goods!! đŸ‘©đŸŒ‍đŸłđŸ·

    A gorgeous day trip to Oxted to see Lucy, Steve & the 3 boys then we were done! Back to the Cotswolds for a few days to unpack, wash and re-pack!    Lue lisÀÀ

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    The Algarve, Portugal

    1. toukokuuta 2022, Portugali ⋅ ☀ 23 °C

    The start of our summer European adventure and boy was it needed after catching up with so many people over the last month!

    We booked what was advertised on booking.com as a 5* resort…it was more like 3* but that didn’t matter, it was on the beach, we had a room with a view and we were there to do nothing and catch some much needed sunshine after 10 weeks away from Aus. 10 weeks! Can you believe it!

    There was some extremely good people watching as we quickly realised we were 10 mins from Albufeira New Town, aka ‘The Strip’. Very entertaining indeed…let’s just say there was an abundance of sleeve tattoos and blue hair and no one got out of bed before lunch time!

    Next stop… Lisbon. We got the bus which was an easy 3 hour journey (would have been easier if I didn’t insist the bus went from a campsite in town, only to discover 2 mins before it left that it was from the bus station… who’d have thought?!)    Lue lisÀÀ

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    Lisbon, Portugal

    5. toukokuuta 2022, Portugali ⋅ ☀ 23 °C

    Did you know Lisbon is not only one of the oldest cities in Europe, but it’s also one of the sunniest, with 2,800+ hours of sunshine per year. A match made in heaven 😎

    We absolutely fell in love with the incredible buzz of the place! It has culture, history, natural beauty, landmarks, GREAT food and wine with a slightly rough-around-the-edges feel to it. 💛

    There were so many highlights, but I’ll keep it short and best tip is to just embrace the lost stroll!

    Grab an Air BnB in Barrio Alto or Chiado - central location with great vibes & cool restaurants.

    TO DO
    - Get lost through the back streets of Barrio Alto & Chiado neighbourhoods
    - Walk East into the old city Alfama with windy streets up to the Castle. Take in the hilltop vistas from here
    - The oldest library in the WORLD - Bertrand bookstore
    - Take Tram 28 up to Castelo de Sao Jorge - a great experience
    - Walk up to Miradouro de Santa Luzia and get the best view of the city
    - Praça do Comércio
    - Grab a pineapple pina colada from the waterfront whilst taking in the view of the striking Golden Gate-style bridge from Cais das Colunas
    - Take a scooter or bike along the water front to Belém, the home of Pastel de Nata (the Portuguese tart)
    - Torre de Belem on the water is cool

    TO EAT
    - Don’t miss the mushroom risotto at Cantinho do Avillez - such a yummy restaurant
    - Check out the Time Out Market - the best food in Lisbon all under one roof!
    - Hit up a Mesa de Frades - local dishes with Fado
    - LX Factory for arty vibes
    - Pastel de Nata (Portuguese tarts)
    - If you’re game, try the Frachesinha which is the classic sandwich in the region. We didn’t manage, it looked pretty full on! Will save it for Porto…
    - Hit up Bohemia Cerveja for a real local experience - a seafood institution run by the same family for 40 years - we still dream of the garlic prawns!

    TO DRINK
    - Portuguese wine is delish (and cheap) so defs tuck into that. We loved the reds from the Douro region
    - Vino Vero is a cute wee natural wine bar
    - Head up to Park Hotel rooftop for sunset drinks
    - Barrio Alto has a few streets where all the night life happens, it’s fun to wander around
    - Always have a Super Bock mini in hand! We bought them from local shops as we strolled around the place

    âœŒđŸŒ    Lue lisÀÀ

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    Cascais, Lisbon

    7. toukokuuta 2022, Portugali ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We did a day trip here from Lisbon. It’s an easy train or bus but we caught an Uber so we could stop along the way. They are super affordable too.

    Cascais is such a cool place. Touristy but we loved the buzz on all the wee beaches with bars and restaurants all along the front.

    Walk around Cascais downtown and check out Praia de Rainha & Praia de Ribeira de Cascais.

    We also stopped at Carcavelos and Guincho to check out the surf but too windy!

    Other recos we didn’t do: eat at Hifen (good sunset dinner), Roulote hot dogs cascais (food truck on side of road with amazing view), breakfast + pastel de nata at Pastelaria Garrett in Estoril    Lue lisÀÀ

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    Van Life: Lisbon - Sagres

    8. toukokuuta 2022, Portugali ⋅ ☀ 23 °C

    Cruising Portugal in a VW camper, surfing at every beach we come across has been on the bucket list for a while… it definitely did not disappoint. ✅

    Would highly recommend Siesta Campers in Lisbon! Wild camping is now allowed in Portugal meaning we could pull up wherever we fancied (a part from National Parks and no camping areas of course)!

    Only one hairy beach road that left our wheels spinning đŸ˜”‍đŸ’« a few bits of damage to the tyres that we spent the rest of the week figuring out how best to disguise 😩 Lesson: don’t take surf beach recos from a hard core surf local!

    **Toll roads in Portugal are very $$$ so we tried to avoid where possible! The longer routes off the highway are often prettier too - so many cute local towns and markets to explore

    Places worth stopping Lisbon âžĄïž Sagres:

    📍 Costa da Caparica - busier near Lisbon so we moved on but meant to be nice waves
    📍 Comporta - great beach with fun beach bars
    📍 Porto Covo - cute wee town with amazing crystal clear beach just north. We camped up on the cliff edge at Praia da Samoqueira which was an incredible stop for the day/night!
    📍 Aivados beach - our absolute fav! A secluded beach down a dirt track with great surf and no one there a part from walkers passing by on the Rota Vincantina. We camped up here for the day/night
    📍 Vila Nova de Milfontes - sweet wee town for coffee and to stock up on groceries!
    📍 Odeceixe - really cool, busy but worth a stop and gets amazing beginner waves
    📍 Praia de Arrifana - amazing view from the top with great waves
    📍 Bordeira - dramatic beach amongst the sand dunes. We camped here for the night up at the top - amazing board walks to see the wild waves & coastline
    📍 Praia do Amado
    📍 Praia do Cordoama - super rugged with cool little cafe/restaurant
    📍 Lighthouse of Cabo de São Vicente - most south-westerly point of Europe looking straight out to America! Great sunset view from here
    📍 Praia do Beliche - gorgeous beach with good waves when there is swell
    📍 Praia da Mareta - cool beach with great little waves (for me!), we had a great surf here
    📍 Praia do Camilo - we ran out of time but would have loved to get along here and Praia da Salema    Lue lisÀÀ

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    Van Life: North of Lisbon

    10. toukokuuta 2022, Portugali ⋅ ☀ 17 °C

    After an epic south coast trip and 20 + beach stops, we headed north of Lisbon for 📍 Beleal & Peniche, home to one of the best breaks in Europe…SUPERTUBOS (lol). đŸ€™đŸŒ You can only imagine Dan’s excitement levels…

    Peniche itself isn’t much to write home about and it was super windy meaning our beloved Supertubos was blown out… sad Dan.

    It was busy in town so we headed up the coast a bit to find a secluded spot on the cliffs at📍 Praia da Almagreira. đŸ‘ŒđŸŒ We woke to amazing waves there…happy Dan! Too big for me so a beach run and my book were on the menu…

    We explored 📍 Beleal the next day which is a very cool wee spot. Good, fun surf and the beaches are lovely with little rock pools over on the island.

    Yummy seafood around too. After 7 days and nights of cooking all 3 meals in the van, we treated ourself to some sushi from Sushi Fish… so yummy! 😋

    Our last day with the van and I think we are just about ready for a hot shower! It was a big day…We stopped for a swim and a beer at 📍 Ericeira - an world heritage surf town with surf schools, camps, outlets everywhere, we wondered why Byron doesn’t have so much as the surf capital of Aus!

    A spot of inland touristing was then on the cards with 📍 Obidos - a walled medieval town with an epic castle. The local cherry liquor in a chocolate cup was a must here, along with the sardine shop!

    Finally, we stopped and parked up at 📍 Sintra - a misty magical little town with so much history perched up in the hills! Amazing road up to the Pena palace and Moorish castle. Snack at Piriquita II!

    Things we didn’t do but got recommended: walk around Colares, visit Adega Regional, eat at Restaurante Azenhas do Mar, see Cabo da Roca    Lue lisÀÀ

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    Lisbon - Nazaré

    16. toukokuuta 2022, Portugali ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    It was bye bye to our beloved green van with a very high stress hour while we awaited the cost of our tyre incident (after playing the victims and saying we got run off the road by a big log lorry!) đŸ€« So far so good, but I’m sure the bill will come!

    Now for the road trip to Porto, via Nazaré in a slightly different ride - an old school Fiat ‘convertible’. Of course as soon as we picked it up it started raining, and of course Dan wanted to drive the whole 3 hours with the roof down… soggy!

    So many interesting Portuguese smells followed us up the coast to Nazaré, the world’s biggest wave and a must see for us surf enthusiasts! đŸ€Ł The huge swell is only there in October so with pretty flat conditions now, it was hard to imagine it as big as the footage shows. A look around the cool wee museum at the lighthouse and we were off.    Lue lisÀÀ

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    Porto, Portugal

    17. toukokuuta 2022, Portugali ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We weren’t sure what to expect from Porto, the home of Port and the huge Francesinha sandwich. Everyone we met en route said it was like Lisbon on steroids… still unsure of what that meant we were glad to check it out for ourselves.

    It was cool. Very cool. More rugged on the north of the river where we stayed, but with an amazing old town to explore and vibrant night life along the water. Lots of wandering (see list below) and even a cheeky local barber experience for Dannos!

    Our Air BnB was great and the rainforest shower was definitely appreciated after the van life!

    Things to check out:
    - MUST get to O Afonso and eat a famous Francesinha sandwich… you get them all over Portugal and we finally caved! Full on but delish!
    - Stroll along the river and take in the views and live music đŸŽ¶
    - Port tasting in Porto is obvs a must. We went to Graham’s which is worth it for the amazing view
    - Wander the old town of Ribeira
    - Eat the best roast pork roll from Casa Guedes Tradicional
    - See sunset from top of Jardim do Morro or the Yeatman Hotel
    - Check out the traditional grocery store - A Pérola do Bolhão for yummy cheese & meats, the one opposite is pretty good too
    - Park das Virtudes was pretty cool

    We wanted to go to Cozinha Cabral but couldn’t get in, was very busy! If we had more time, we’d probably have got a boat down the river too!

    âœŒđŸŒ    Lue lisÀÀ

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    Porto - Sintra

    18. toukokuuta 2022, Portugali ⋅ ☁ 18 °C

    We had one night spare before we dropped the car back in Lisbon, so we decided to head back to the mystical town of Sintra and took the day to stop at some gorgeous wee towns along the way.

    📍 Aveiro - known as the Venice of Portugal, not sure I’d quite agree but definitely a cute stop!
    📍 Costa Nova - charming fishing village with cool striped colourful houses
    📍 Coimbra - oldest university in Europe, the library is worth doing

    Driving the back streets and towns on this route is a must!

    Our last minute Air BnB booking in Sintra was an absolute win! Would definitely recommend the boutique hotel, La Quinta Dos Lobos. We had the most gorgeous sunset from our room with some delish local wine gifted by the hotel. 😋 The perfect end to our Portugal road trip. We absolutely LOVED it and will definitely be back!

    Earlyish start, quick garden sweat and we were off to Lisbon to fly to Balcelonaaaaaaa for the F1!    Lue lisÀÀ

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    Barcelonaaaaa

    19. toukokuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    After an incredible 3 weeks in Portugal and endless amounts of road trip Duolingo, it was time to put our (Dan’s) Spanish to the test…

    If you just want Barca tips, skip straight to the bottom, otherwise strap in for the unexpected but hilarious F1 weekend!

    Our Barca Air BnB wasn’t a great start (our first bad one of the trip!), but it slept 4 of us (with Fif & Jen) and we decided it would be more of a luggage storage facility anyway, right?

    We had a night solo before Jen, Fif, Rosa & Giff flew in to join us for the F1 so we thought we’d test out the local tapas and wander the old town for some local wine… what a hustle there was, F1 fans everywhere!

    Then the fun really began… the gang took to the streets of Barca on Friday! A few sights (the only good thing about our place was it was next to the Sagrada Família) and a few sangria stops later, we were well and truly stuck in to the Spanish lifestyle, so naturally dinner was at 10pm! Bar Brutal (thanks Andy for the amazing reco).

    Saturday morning the gals strolled La Rambla, hit the famous Boqueria and drank more sangriaaaa by the water. Divine. It was now time to get out to the track for qualifying and boy were we shocked to discover what was in store for us…

    …a desert heatwave of 35 degrees, no water, no alcohol and a 5 hour adventure to get home!! ABSOLUTE CHAOS! Turns out Barcelona wasn’t quite prepared for the 300,000 F1 fans that descended…a 5km walk to the nearest train station to find a massive, static queue and no additional trains, no taxis or alternate transport. The only option was to sit on the grass, drink beers and watch it all unfold! After a few false starts (including a big purple limo) we made it back to the city around 11pm. The only positive was we knew how to be prepared for race day.

    Race Day: Dan, Giff and Rosa were too traumatised from the day before, so decided to stay local and watch from the comfort of the aircon (lameooooossss!!). Being our first F1, it was gals on tour as Jen, Fif and I stocked up on agua, gin and snacks, fully prepared for the day ahead.

    The 36 degree heat and huge queue to get in that met us wasn’t a great start, but that didn’t burst our bubble! The gin was successfully smuggled in and we found a spot to pitch up on what was to be corner 4 and little did we know it would be the best action on the track! We had an absolute ball as cars flew off the track right in front of us, zoom after zoom. 🏎 We were slightly nervous about how to get home, but we knew the only strategy for exit was to pitch up in the rauchas beer tent outside the track, make some friends and wait it out with pitchers of sangria and plates of potatas bravas. We couldn’t believe our luck when 5 hours later we had bagged a taxi right outside the gate! What a win and boy were we smug returning to the gang in the city for a late Mexicanoooo feast.

    The fun doesn’t stop here…Dan had spent the day setting us up with a club night at Carpe Diem for a boogey. Very nice. Sexy dancers, champagne on fire, grey goose everywhere and a sneaky appearance from none other than Charles Leclerc! Rosa spotted him walking through the D floor but given she isn’t an F1 enthusiast, the boys weren’t so convinced she’d seen right. I mean why would he be casually walking through a club (after bombing out of the race) with no crowds following him? Bizarre. The detective work began with a game of fingers and the loser having to go and see what’s what. Captain subtle, Dan decided to walk on over and ask straight up. It was him. We were all giddy and in disbelief, so of course we started taking group photos with his head tactically positioned in the background. He then got up to leave and now was our time to pounce. He agreed to a photo with us “sorry you must get this all the time but please can we have a photo with you” đŸ«Ł and the gals (particularly Jen) were in heaven! Shiny foreheads, shadow moustaches and all. What a day. What a night!

    All feeling a little broken, we went our seperate ways for a day of either beaching or sight seeing before re-grouping for an incredible final supper at Cal Pep, a local seafood tapas joint that Rosa & Giff had been with their parents. It was amazing. No menu, they just serve their best dishes. They even treated us to some Spanish cava and ‘special’ liqueur shots. We certainly finished the trip with a bang!

    A few of our must do’s:

    TO EAT & DRINK
    - Nomad coffee lab - cool place, yum coffee
    - Granja Petitbo - yum brunch & coffee
    - Bo De B - incredible sandwich shop
    - Cal Pep - amazing seafood tapas, an absolute must
    - Bar Brutal - delish dinner & natural wines
    - Dow Jones - stock exchange inspired bar
    - Boca Grande - cocktails on roof. Expensive but great food
    - Dr Stravinsky - cocktail bar
    - Oaxaca - amazing Mexican
    - 1898 rooftop bar
    - Carpe Diem - epic club for a big night
    - The El Born area is great for late night drinks/food/street salsa

    TO SEE
    - Sagrada Família
    - Arco de Triunfo de Barcelona
    - Cathedral of Barcelona
    - Park Güell
    - Casa Batlló
    - Wander the back streets of the Gothic Quarter
    - Wander the waterfront, check out the super yachts
    - La Boqueria
    - La Rambla    Lue lisÀÀ

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    Ullastret, Costa Brava

    24. toukokuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ☁ 19 °C

    After a wild weekend in Barcelona, we escaped to the Spanish countryside with Fif for some much needed R&R!

    Our Air BnB, Mas Blanc was absolute bliss, hosted by a lovely Spanish family and senor fox (the dog!). We had the perfect mix of chilling by the pool and exploring the gorgeous Costa Brava. Wow those med sea colours are amazing!

    Our friend from Aus, Flick was in town for a wedding so we met her at Llafranc for the day which was lovely. That and El Golfet were our favourite little beach discoveries.

    A fab week of exploring, pool chills, cycling to local towns, beach outings, games, wine and BBQs. ✅ We will definitely be back. We loved the Costa Brava and can’t understand why no one has raved about it before?!

    We had the day in Sitges, the gay capital of Barcelona, before our ferry to Mallorca and absolutely loved it! Cutest little place with lots of nice cafes, restaurants and walks. The beach is 1000 times nieces than Barca, the perfect day trip!    Lue lisÀÀ

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    Mallorca

    29. toukokuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Mallorca was absolute paradise! We loved it!

    Well, we loved everything other than the 7 hour overnight ferry from Barcelona with 100 screaming kids on school camp 🙀 let’s just say we didn’t get much sleep given that and our ‘lobby bar floor space’ tickets!

    We had 5 nights to start in a lovely spa resort in a random spot north east of the island. Lots of Germans, lots of naked Germans, lots of German sausages in the sauna. đŸ€Ł

    There are the most amazing blue water cove beaches along the coast, our favourite was Cala Mitjana, a hidden oasis amongst a massive estate. A hike to get there but well worth it as we watched the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations and tripped on every rock going!

    Elliot & Jess joined us from London for a weekend of fun. We had lunch at Cala Deià where the Night Manager was filmed (amazing!), rented a boat from Port de Soller which was a must do (thanks JoJo!), pulled up at Cova de Sa Sal, watched the boys struggle to anchor (thanks for the drop off) and had lunch on the cliff top at Sa Foradada - the best view, paella and sangria. What a day!đŸ‘ŒđŸŒ

    Port de Pollença was our next highlight. Cute little beach front town with endless cafes and restaurants. The headland north of there was also amazing, we followed the windy road for as long as we could to get the most epic views. Platja de Formentor for chills. Cala Figuera for walks and views from the top.

    8 days just wasn’t enough! So many places and recommendations we didn’t have time to get to, so we’ll definitely be back.    Lue lisÀÀ

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    Rioja Region, Spain

    7. kesĂ€kuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Luckily a more successful ferry back to Barca, but a less successful accomodation choice… hilariously Dan booked a ‘love’ hotel which he claims was an accident! Many a giggle and we were out of the creepy mirror covered room pronto and on the road north to the Rioja region.

    A quaint little guest house perched amongst the most magical nature awaited us. Not an English speaking person in sight so luckily our Spanish has progressed…a little. Local cuisine consisted of pork pâté (ew) and fried goats cheese salad (yum) with lashings of delicious €1 Rioja of course.

    A few winery stops (with fancy automated wine tasting ooolala) as we headed north to Bilbao to meet Ollie & John for another weekend of fun! đŸ€©    Lue lisÀÀ

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    Getxo & Bilbao, Spain

    10. kesĂ€kuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    A wonderful weekend with Ollie & John filled with exploding kittens (it’s a game don’t worry!), pintxos, cervezas, salsa, kebabs and endless broken Spanish and giggles!

    We stayed in Getxo, a random little seaside town half an hour from Bilbao. Turns out it’s where all the old, rich peeps live so we brought the average age down by 50 years! It was a win for us as no tourists = cheap fun. We felt like locals in no time as we frequented our local cafe 3 times a day which was always pumping (with all the oldies of course), crossed the terrifyingly high Puente Vizcaya (the bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel) and got involved with the local medieval festival that was on in Portugalete to celebrate 700 years of the Basque Country (we think, can’t be sure!). đŸ‡Ș🇾

    A big Saturday night pintxos crawl through Bilbao with many sangrias, cervezas, shots, games of fingers, local salsa clubbing and kebabs left us rather broken, so we hit the nearby beach of Sopelana for a Sunday surf, swim and lunch on the cliff top.đŸ‘ŒđŸŒ

    We said goodbye to the boys and went to our first museum of the trip… the Guggenheim. The car exhibition made it well worth every penny!

    A few coastal stops at Mundaka to check out the surf, and the famous Game of Thrones filming location, San Juan De Gaztelugatxe, which was pretty epic (last few photos), and we were bound for the highly anticipated San Sebastián.    Lue lisÀÀ

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    San SebastiĂĄn, Spain

    13. kesĂ€kuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    San Seb was 10/10!

    I’ve always wanted to go and Dan had been before but didn’t have the best time, so we were going in with mixed emotions! đŸ€Ł It was a rocky start as turns out parking near our apartment was going to mean we starved...it was a tense few hours as Dan did laps of the main town on search of a free spot, whilst I soaked up the sea view from our balcony 🙃…he ended up a 50 min walk away, not a happy chappy!

    Despite the initial hiccup, it certainly delivered and after a few days exploring, surfing and eating more pintxos and local seafood, 🩑 we were dying to stay longer. 3 days is never enough, particularly when Dan reckons he spent half that time trying to park. đŸ€ŁđŸ™„    Lue lisÀÀ

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    Andorra

    16. kesĂ€kuuta 2022, Andorra ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Goodness me time is flying! 😬 So quickly that it’s time for us to leave the EU and head for Andorra. Partly because we have to (bloody Brexit). Partly because the mountain biking is epic.

    We had 8 days here which is the longest we have stayed anywhere so far… it was a very welcomed long stay and detox.

    We stayed just outside La Massana, a ski resort by winter, a mountain bike haven by summer. Everything was at least a 20 min walk UP hill! We eagerly picked up our bikes and headed up the gondola 🚠 for an epic 2 days on the mountain. I tried to keep up with Dan for 6+ hours each day, topped off by the longest downhill of 100 turns to the bottom (x2) which left us both completely broken and in need of a rest day by the pool!

    Dan rented a road bike for the next 3 days to test out a couple of the Tour de France sections which are basically ALL uphill. Climb after climb after climb. I couldn’t rent bike shoes so had to give it a miss… shame! Lots of amazing trail runs and hikes kept me occupied instead. Sooooo much to do, we barely scratched the surface.

    On our last day, we rented a scooter đŸ›” so Dan could show me all the amazing Cols he had climbed. The views were absolutely incredible!

    What a magical place. We’d always wanted to mountain bike a ski mountain in summer. Another bucket list item ticked off. ✅    Lue lisÀÀ

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