The Scriffiths

Lisbon (Lisboa in Portuguese) is Europe’s second oldest capital after Athens and is a city built upon seven hills. While steep hills and stair climbs are inevitable, even on a short walk, the city rewards those who are willing to venture up and down the hills and climb the dizzyingly steep staircases. The highest places throughout the city provide vast views of the city below: showing off the effortless blend of old and new and the pastel-coloured buildings dotted around the city in pretty shades of pink, yellow, orange and blue. »

The national animal of Scotland is a unicorn. While most countries would choose a real animal as their emblem, it seems befitting for Scotland to be represented by a mythical creature. This is, after all, a land so steeped in myth, legend, folklore and superstition. And in more recent years, the magical wizarding world of Harry Potter. I love Harry Potter. I generally don’t read fiction that much, but it’s a story that has had me enchanted since I first read it nearly 20 years ago. »

After two months of hotel (and country) hopping we were looking forward to finally settling into some longer term accommodation again to live a “normal life”. Our chosen location was Bucharest, in part, due to the lower cost of living and because it is not part of the Schengen zone, where there is a 90 day limit for travel without a visa. Dylan was particularly relieved to get back into a routine as the travel was starting to exhaust him and keeping on top of work was a real struggle. »

We went to Istanbul for a long weekend, leaving late Thursday night from Bucharest. It’s a short one hour flight. On the Friday morning we went to the Grand Bazaar, which I’ve been desperate to visit for years. It feels incredible to walk through a market place that has been trading for nearly 600 years. The floors are tiled and the ceiling is painted in yellow with beautiful blue and red mosaic patterns. »

It’s a warm evening and the sun is setting over the savannah, casting a golden glow behind the marula trees. A cloud of dust appears on the horizon — an open safari vehicle comes into view, carrying a pair of Aussies eager to see the African animals of Kruger National Park. One of the many beautiful sunsets in Kruger But only a few hours earlier, Dylan and I were sat on the side of the road somewhere between Johannesburg and Kruger National Park. »