Inspiring Travels

There's something about a road trip that is different to a planned destination when you go on a vacation. I think its the freedom of having the ability to get in that car and not really know exactly where you are heading - it gives you the sense of exploration and the ability to change your direction depending of how you feel and what you see. There's nothing like it - its part of the joy of travelling and exploring - where you see some little gem of a destination that you may never have even heard of, or, it may have been a little dot on a map - and you just think, "you know what, lets just stop here" and it turns out to be something amazing. Giving you memories unplanned . This happened many times of our recent trip around Spain and Portugal. The driving leg from Madrid to Lisbon had us discovering  Trujillo in the region of Extremadura. Plaza Major The Plaza Major, when lit at night is said to be the most beautiful in all of ...

Ole to Madrid – what’s with the big paper Mache heads?? Arriving in Madrid the weekend of the Fiesta de San Isidro was not something we had planned but could not have worked out better. This is just one of many Fiestas celebrated throughout the year.     This city really put on a show for us but I get the feeling it’s really always like this – full of people young and old, fun and laughter. This is a really friendly place.    An easy metro ride and we were in the thick of things!  On our first night landing in Spain and raced to our tapas and history tour with   Devour Tours   which I had pre booked and I cannot recommend these guys enough. The tour leader Oliver was super passionate about the city, the food, history and culture of Spain and Madrid; you will not get a more in-depth and interesting insight tour like this anywhere else. (and I have been on a few!).  The tour took us though the main areas in th...

The entire area of Venice is a hidden treasure.   I just wish to share a small part of it with you from our resent, too short a visit. Arriving by train is the best!!!! Stepping out of this train station to the bustling canal open in front of you, sun shining, ferries jostling – it’s the best buzz. This place is alive and I was at my most happiest. This elegant lady of a city is full of art, fashion, style, history and the best people waiting place in the world! This place may be old – but the people and the latest fashion trends are not.  The latest fashion accessory here for 2017 is most definitely the dog! Ye the dog. We saw pooches crimped to perfection, styled with trims and tails - it was so most fun sitting back and looking at the parade of people and pets strutting their stuff with the hippest, funkiest fashion ever. For a more reserved historical and cultured feel, you only need to wander down a few quiet allays like we did and st...