Saalbach: paradise for kids and parents

Austria and children, it's just such a perfect combo that you'll be recovering from it for a long time. We left our ambitions of longer and more challenging treks at home this year and planned this holiday so that Jony and Nina would enjoy it the most. Specifically, we hiked the Saalbach area, which I'll cover in this article + the Flachau area, more on that next time.

I'll tell you right away that both met our expectations 100%: mountain cinemas, water play in streams, themed trails full of challenges, awesome playgrounds at every turn and everything passable with a carriage... what more could you ask for? In short, an absolute paradise for children... and thus for parents, who don't have to do much to come up with activities. Or at least for us, with children of less than two and less than five years, it was true...

Travel mums: Rimini + Bologna

Here we go - travel mums vol. 2! I didn't let the failed flight to Poznan, Poland discourage me (see the article here) and insisted on a girls' trip with Nina only. This time, I invited Niki and Hynek to join me in this contraption, and the flights to Italy fit our schedule and price. The vision was clear: 3 days, 3 nights, where we would enjoy coffee for €1.50, gelato, pizza, pasta, playgrounds and the sea, all without frantically ticking off the sights, in short, let the little ones have the fun. I'll tell you right away that we're arriving at the airport with a full complement of people, so finally a success, yay! Let's get to the details...

Cotswolds: the most beautiful villages in England

Imagine a typical English countryside with honey-coloured brick houses, flowers in bloom and sheep grazing as far as the eye can see. No meccas far and wide, no Starbucks just cosy cafes and stylish guesthouses. Well, that's exactly what the Cotswolds is, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful areas in the whole of England. 

Not surprisingly, many of the villages and specific houses and nooks and crannies have served as film locations, so you may actually "know" the Cotswolds already. You may have seen snippets of it in films such as the Bond film Don't Die Today, the TV series Downtown Manor, or the more recent (and my favourite) Slow Horses and Stardust, among many others.

Bristol and surroundings: 5 day itinerary

One of this year's Ryanair news is the regular Prague-Bristol connection, and when I came across cheap tickets, I didn't hesitate too much. I must admit that I had more than one doubt about the weather during the March dates, but you never plan for England anyway, so I automatically pack my kids' gumboots and we just fly to try it... 

Gibraltar: all you need to know

One of the places you shouldn't miss when visiting Andalusia is this little piece of England. Surrounded by Spain on one side and washed by the sea on the other, Gibraltar really does belong to the UK, so if you have an irresistible urge to take a photo in the iconic red phone box or grab a proper English breakfast, you've come to the right place. However, the biggest draw here isn't the typical English stuff, but rather the Gibraltar Nature Reserve, where you'll be the only place in Europe where you can spot wild monkeys.

Trips from Malaga vol.2 - coastal edition

It follows on from the introductory article with practical information about Malaga and the first part of the trips focusing on the inland. In this post, I will mention places along the coast that I think you should definitely not miss. Let's do it!

 

Best trips from Malaga - inland

In my introductory article about Malaga, I detailed where to rent a car, where to stay and what to see. Now where to go next? How to spread your time? Will it be worth it? Of course, no one can give you the exact answers, but... I've written down my top places in Andalusia, including a bunch of photos, links to accommodation and the main attractions, which might be at least a small hint. Unfortunately/unfortunately, I've collected so many travel tips that I've had to sort them - thus the categories INLAND, which we'll look at below, and COAST, which you can find here. May it be of use to you! :)

Malaga: practical info + itineraries

Or another in a series of articles about off-season travel. We have visited Andalusia three times already, each time in winter and each time it was absolutely amazing! Not that we don't enjoy shoveling snow and ice off the car on the way to and from work, but... what can we say, every degree above zero and every ray of sunshine on your face comes in handy in January. Andalusia has won us over with its unique hilly landscape full of beautiful views, mountains and slopes covered in the ubiquitous olive trees, hiking opportunities and on the other hand, urban walks and historical sites. The perfect combination. 

The most beautiful medieval towns and villages in Catalonia

One of the reasons I wanted to rent a car in Barcelona and venture out of the metropolis was to visit the medieval villages. I absolutely loved them and really wanted to see them, which was simply not an option without a car as their accessibility is not exactly ideal. I've already shared our itinerary, including a tip on renting a car, in my previous article 7 Top Trips from Barcelona and you can take it as a kind of inspiration on how to manage your time in this area. 

But for now, let's take a look at the specific places that I think are not to be missed in Catalonia. Just a note that today I'll let the photos do the talking, rather than going into any historical details. Of course I'll try to mention the practicalities, but I like to get lost in these types of towns and villages rather than ticking off a list somewhere in my head to see if we've seen everything.

7 TOP trips from Barcelona

Do you know any better place to enjoy and not survive the winter days than Spain? Sure, snow-capped hill lovers will probably object, but we've been desperately seeking the spring rays since about December with frostbitten hands, even though it's still above freezing... we get it. In order to delay this moaning at least a little this year, I bought tickets to Barcelona for Advent, with the aim of sort of pre-stocking myself with that sunshine.