Before we started researching areas, as possible places to buy a property and relocate to, I don't think we'd heard of Medina Sidonia before. However, the name resonated with us, creating visions of...
Travel…
We love to travel. And while we’ve been travelling, because we tend to veer off the tourist trails, we realised that we were discovering so many hidden gems, having amazing experiences and picking up tips and avoiding near-disasters, that we thought it would be a nice idea to have somewhere, where this could be shared. In March 2017 we finally realised our dream to relocate to the sunshine and moved to Istria, in northern Croatia. We continued to travel, and although the pandemic restricted where we could go, it gave us the opportunity to discover Istria and Croatia. Things took a very different turn in early 2024 when we decided to sell our renovated house, and take another big plunge – this time moving to Andalucia, and taking on the renovation of a traditional Spanish townhouse.
What we blog about is a good mix of wherever we go. If you love quirky places and things maybe a bit different from the norm, hopefully you’ll like what you find here. You can also pop over to Twitter, for the brief version!
And, we’re not being paid to mention hotels etc, & none of the blogs are sponsored – although, if one day, I could make a living out of travelling to gorgeous places…
recent travel blogs
hotel la almoraima : castellar de la frontera : andalusia
We're now increasingly finding that we need to be a bit more hands on with the house renovation, and need to factor in time to get across to Jimena de la Frontera to meet with Jose, the project...
punta paloma dunes : tarifa : andalucia
The shifting dunes of the south western coast of Andalucia, really are a sight to behold, perhaps the most dramatic being those located at Punta Paloma, the headland just to the north of Tarifa,...
smartr malaga centro
For a short stay in Malaga, we recently discovered a really good company, offering fully renovated apartments in the center of the city, located on Calle Santa Lucia, in one of the city's most...
the hard rock hotel : puerto banus : marbella
Well, this was definitely a new one for us. The Hard Rock Hotel. In Puerto Banus. Not really our usual less-is-more. More, more-is-more-and-the-brasher-the-better... So, it begs the question - why?...
ronda : andalucia : 2024
It's over ten years since we lasted visited Ronda, and that was a flying visit, as we were en route to Seville for Semana Santa. But it imprinted such a memory that we always said we'd return for a...
hotel tugasa castillo de castellar : castellar de la frontera : andalucia
Our roadtrip around Andalucia has introduced us to some incredible places, and definitely places we probably wouldn't have otherwise discovered, if we hadn't been "in between homes". One such place...
ático 73, victoria : medina sidonia : andalucia
Situated in the southern Andalucian town of Medina Sidonia, Ático 73, Victoria, is advertised as an adults-only hotel. Although we're not averse to staying in places which are child friendly, it's...
la guardia apartments : tarifa : andalucia
When we booked a four night stay recently in Tarifa, La Guardia apartments seemed a pretty perfect choice. Self-catering, right in the centre of the old town, in the middle of all of the action,...
tarifa : andalucia : spain : 2024
The last time we visited Tarifa, was back in 2014 and it was a flying visit. We were travelling back from Seville to Nerja and stopped off for an afternoon, vowing to return, because we loved the...
casa henrietta : jimena de la frontera : andalucia
We recently made a very exciting trip to Jimena de la Frontera, one Andalucia's white washed villages, deep in the south west of the region. More on why we were visiting here. We had to do an...
archidona : malaga province : andalucia
Archidona first came onto our radars when we caught an episode of "A Place In The Sun" and this was the location. Not many places on this TV programme immediately appeal to us, as many are in...
genoa : liguria : italy
Our trip from Istria, all the way down to Andalucia, has been an absolute adventure, revisiting places we've not been to in a long while, and taking in new places we wouldn't necessarily see. Even...
san servolo wellness resort : buje : istria
When the San Servolo resort opened again, post lockdown, it was clear they had been keeping themselves very busy. As well as the Steak House and hotel, it looked as if the company had been expanding...
poreč : istria : croatia
When we moved to Istria, we naively thought that our lives would be one long holiday. I mean, that's why people come to Istria in their thousands. To holiday. But we quickly got into a groove of...
cosy moods : trieste : italy
I'm never 100% sure about hotels or apartments with names like *Cosy Moods*. Although I should know to hold my judgement as we did once stay in an apartment in Alghero called "Holiday Fever" which...
pont du diable : river hérault : france
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is a village, Hérault department in the Occitania region in Southern France, renowned for its well-preserved medieval architecture and the Abbey of Gellone, a site of...
design hotel verbenicum : vrbnik : krk island
Vrbnik is a picturesque town located on the eastern coast of the island of Krk, which is part of Croatia's northern Adriatic region, known for its medieval architecture, stunning views, and rich...
the ruins of dvigrad : istria
If we take the motorway south, to Pula, through the Istrian peninsula, about halfway down, we cross a high road bridge. From this vantage point, nestled amidst the lush countryside, it is possible...