Stories
All travel stories, practical guides, reviews and first-hand experiences from the trail to Europe and beyond.
Europe by Train – Learning to Stop Worrying and Enjoy the Ride
What started as one of the most intimidating parts of our Europe trip eventually became one of our favourites. From learning platforms and carriage numbers to navigating delays, strikes and spontaneous day trips, train travel gave us freedom, scenery and a completely different way to experience the places between the destinations.
Girona – Fortified by Battle, Softened by Peace
Girona was the perfect final stop: a medieval fortress town softened by gardens, families, pintxos and wine. After weeks of crowds and constant movement, its walls, winding streets and quiet evenings gave us space to simply exist before one final storm turned the journey home into an adventure.
Palermo – Where We Stopped Looking and Started Living
Returning to Palermo four years later, we found a city that felt both familiar and completely different. This time, we stopped chasing sights and started living — wandering without maps, eating simple food, finding local streets, learning the stories behind the architecture, and discovering how deeply Palermo is shaped by community. Somewhere along the way,…
Valley of the Temples — Second Chances
Four years after a rushed first visit, we returned to Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples with time to slow down, learn, and finally understand what we were seeing. From Concordia and the Telamons to the landscape itself, the second visit turned ancient ruins into a living story.
Catania – Lava Stone, Etna Wine and Finding the Rhythm of Sicily
Catania felt like Naples with the volume turned down — busy, gritty and full of movement, but somehow never chaotic. Between black volcanic stone, quiet Sunday streets, Etna vineyards, the fish market, almond wine and a tiny restaurant with Nonna still in the kitchen, the city slowly revealed a rhythm all its own.
Calabria – Cosenza, Scilla and the Danger of First Impressions
Calabria kept challenging our first impressions. Cosenza went from cold and overbuilt to somewhere we wanted to return to, while beautiful Scilla slowly revealed the strain of overtourism beneath its postcard views. Between rain-soaked dinners, bergamotto, quiet old streets and one unforgettable final meal in Villa San Giovanni, Calabria turned out to be one of…
Salerno to the Amalfi Coast: Walking the Path of the Lemons
A day trip from Salerno took us by ferry to Minori, then on foot along the Path of the Lemons to Maiori. Between terraced hillsides, sea views, lemon groves, countless stairs, limoncello spritzes, sorbet and lemon pasta, it was a peaceful taste of the Amalfi Coast that felt worlds away from Naples.
Naples: Chaos, Contrasts and Pizza Worth the Trip
Three nights in Naples gave us noise, traffic, contradictions, crumbling streets, grand architecture and some of the best pizza we’ve ever eaten. We never quite fell in love with the city, but Naples felt unapologetically authentic — a place worth experiencing once, even if we were ready to leave when the time came.
Ten Days in Florence: Food, Art and the City Between the Sights
Ten days in Florence gave us time to look beyond the crowds and famous sights. Between late dinners, local markets, Tuscan food, the Uffizi, quiet side streets and evenings along the Arno, the city slowly became familiar again — less like somewhere we were visiting and more like somewhere we briefly knew how to live.
Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens: Where Art Mirrors Nature
Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens reveal two sides of the same Renaissance idea: art shaped to mirror nature, and nature carefully transformed into art. From ornate Medici galleries and intricate stone tables to symmetrical green gardens and surreal grottoes, this was one of Florence’s most fascinating contrasts.