big adventures for tiny budgets
Back in March, in the heady warmth of the Alpine sunshine we roughed out plans for a big trip. It’s been 3 years since my last extended trip, a winter in Eastern Europe and 6 years since a long distance trip, living and working in New Zealand for two years, followed by 3 months in…
I love this time of year. The festive lights going up, town squares being transformed into ice rinks and sipping mulled wine in cosy locals. I’m often guilty of leaving my gift buying to the last minute. It’s so easy, we all know it, to jump on Amazon have a quick search and press buy….
Moving to a new area is a treat. When I knew I would be moving down to North Devon for the summer, I began swotting up on things to do in the area, downloading the Lonely Planet guide and taking a trip to the tourist information as soon as I arrived. I’m a geek for…
I’ve had my eye on visiting the Isles of Scilly for a really long time. But there has been one thing which has always put off: the cost. Not only is it £100 return on the ferry to even get to the islands, but the islands only budget option was camping. Now, I do love…
“And this said G the general manager, proudly, this is the staff accommodation”. We paused on the outside deck of a wooden chalet style apartment in the fading May light, tinges of red and orange streaked across the sky above the imposing Munro of Bidean Na’am Ban. I couldn’t believe this was my new home….
If your thinking of heading to the Isles of Scilly, you have two options to get to the islands. A short helicopter ride from either Lands End or Exeter or on board the passenger ferry Scillonian III. On our recent trip, we opted for the slightly cheaper option of the boat, despite dads fear of…
“I’ve wanted to go to Lundy Island since I about was 5 years old’ the woman in front of me excitably exclaimed as we handed over our boarding passes as we filed on to MS Oldenburg in Bideford. Having spent most of my time living in the Midlands, I had not heard of Lundy Island until…
It was dark, bitterly cold night when I arrived in Ardent on the last week of November. The flickering glow of lights from the dozen or so wooden chalets in the village providing the only light. It was my very first ski season, 2007 and I was 22. And I had never been to a…
The first week of September still brings out that nostalgic, back to school vibe in me, a time to reflect on the summer past before cosying down into autumn. I moved down to North Devon at the start of May with all the bounding enthusiasm of spending the summer by the sea. It’s been a…