I got married in October 2022 and my partner and I travelled to Mauritius and then Reunion for our Honeymoon. I didn't take many photos as it was mainly a relaxing, chill by the beach type of holiday. However we did explore the southern part of Mauritius and take a helicopter flight over the cirques and volcano in Reunion.
On returning from Uzbekistan I realised I had a load of leave to use before the end of June otherwise I'd lose it. So after a quick search of places to go I opted for a trip to the Balkans - mainly North Macedonia with a small bit of Bulgaria and Kosovo through in for good measure. It was a tough trip in many respects with a lot of driving and single night stays in each location, but the landscape and many UNESCO sites were interesting to see. However it was frustrating…
My Balkan Odyssey: From Leaky Minibuses to Beekeeping Adventures Sofia greeted us with a warm embrace...and a rather damp one, thanks to a leaky minibus roof. But hey, a little rain couldn't dampen my spirits for this Balkan adventure! History, frescoes, and food – my travel trifecta – awaited. Day 1: A Foodie's First Impressions After drying off at the Sofia Palace, we dove headfirst into the local cuisine. Vegetarians, rejoice! There were plenty of options, and cheese lovers would be in paradise as everything seemed to come with it. Braving the…
Uzbek Odyssey: A Land of Ancient Cities and Silk Road Secrets Uzbekistan, a land steeped in history and exotic allure, had been on my bucket list for years. Finally, in April 2022, after countless covid lockdown delays, I found myself on a plane bound for Tashkent, the capital city. Uzbekistan Airline’s slogan is "Good luck!" I wasn’t sure if this was a wish of benevolence, or a cryptic warning? Monuments and the Metro Landing at 3:30am, bleary-eyed but brimming with excitement, we navigated customs and baggage claim. After a brief two-hour nap…
Part of the ancient silk road between China and Europe. The ‘stans are somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for a while and there’s still a few others to explore. Many Persian cities took advantage of the commerce between East and West as the Silk Road developed and in Uzbekistan Bukhara and Samarkand eventually became extremely wealthy cities. In 327 BC Macedonian ruler Alexander the Great conquered the region, followed by 7th century conquests by the Araba who brought Islam to Uzbekistan. In the 13th century Genghis Kahn invaded and the region changed with culture…
Wanting to get away for a Christmas break we drove to West Ireland and travelled down part of the Wild Atlantic Way to Killarney. From here there's a great drive called the Ring of Kerry which passes through some stunning scenery. We did the whole ring in one (very long) day, but I'd recommend doing it over a couple of days and taking your time to explore the landscape!