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...

What better way to banish the bleak January blues than with a weekend getaway? We opted for one of the UK’s most historic cities that we’ve yet to explore: Oxford. Known as the City of Dreaming Spires for its 38 grand university colleges, the compact city has a walkable, medieval centre packed with history. From staying at a riverside inn to scaling towers and discovering...

Happy New Year from the UK, where we’ve just spent Christmas with family in Wales and Hampshire. The days have been filled with drizzly dog walks, baby time with our growing horde of nephews and nieces, festive TV and (perhaps too much) delicious vegan food. As per usual, now’s the time to take a look back at 2019 – which marks the end of a...

It’s dark, bleak and rainy outside. For the first time in nearly eight years, we’re back in the UK for autumn and winter. Wondering what we’re doing here when we could be on a tropical beach somewhere? Life has certainly changed for us over the past few months, so I thought it was time for an update post. Here’s the lowdown on what we’ve been...

I can feel the familiar itch of excitement that only a new adventure brings. This weekend we’re saying 'Goodbye Portugal' and moving on. So where are we off to next? Here’s the lowdown on our plans for the rest of the year, which include a South Africa road trip, vegan campout, housesitting in London and possibly (fingers crossed!) a trip to India.After our Easter break...