Rain, Vallecas, and Unexpected Madrid Moments: A One-Month Story.
Discover what it’s like to spend a month in Madrid’s Ensanche de Vallecas — from rain-soaked streets and long metro rides to local bars, cat cafés, and unexpected adventures.
Cádiz – trees, trains and more than one kind of trip
I almost didn’t go to Cádiz .
When planning my trip through Andalucía, Granada and Seville were definitely on the list—but Cádiz? It felt slightly out of the way, and tourist heavy coastal towns are really not my thing. Still, something about it tugged at me. Maybe it was the name.
Emergency Hospital Visit in Tbilisi. Bleeding in the Caucasus.
I guess my luck had to run out at some time.
Heart of the city vs the edge.
A case study from a long term traveller in Granada and Seville. Five Take-aways: Public Transport in both cities will be cheaper by card if staying longer term. In Granada a bus card can be bought for 2 Euros which brings the individual journey cost down from 1.60 to .45 cents. It doesn’t work […]
Crossing Continents on the 64 Bus: Two stays in Istanbul.
Istanbul, a city of over 15 million people making it bigger in population than Portugal and Ireland combined – with 2/3rds living in Europe and the remainder (including me for a couple of weeks) living in Asia.
How to find community when in recovery or travelling full-time.
In short: Community plays a pivotal role in recovery from addiction. Staying connected is vital for solo travelers to combat isolation and maintain mental well-being. Social media, local meetups, and networks like Couchsurfing can help build meaningful relationships while on the road. Community provides not just support but also a sense of belonging, making travel […]
The first city in Türkiye – An Edirne exploration.
Only 3% of Türkiye’s land mass is in Europe and only 15% of its population … mainly in Istanbul, but the largest city wholly in European Türkiye is Edirne and that was to be my next destination.
The good the bad and the silence … a music post.
I’m not sure if it’s because I am an old man now, but there is nothing I like better than a quiet place to eat and or drink.
Bulgaria – the good, the bad and the cheese.
Most Bulgarian pastry shops read like the cafe board in the Monty Python spam shop. They sell pastries with white cheese, with yellow cheese, with white and yellow cheese, with white, yellow and cottage cheese, with spinach and cheese, with ham and cheese. I’ve even seen hotdogs sold with cheese in the middle.
Rookie full time travel mistake – the wrong train from Romania.
Do I get on it or not? A split second decision. I shouted, “Bulgaria, Bulgaria” to the station manager as I was trying to make sense of it, but she just smiled and ushered me to get on … so I did.