Each pilgrim in the hostel made an effort to wake us up, by loudly packing their bags, talking to each other or flinging their belongings across the cramped room. My brother hit the nail on the head when he described the youth hostel as being odd because there were no youth there. Most guests were... Continue Reading →
Being woken up by strange noises in the church, didn't stop us from lounging around in our godly room all morning. Eventually at 11.30 am we packed our rucksacks and left. We enjoyed a thick creamy hot chocolate and a warm cheese croissant for breakfast in the bakery next door - it was divine. Arming... Continue Reading →
Everyone slowly shuffled out of their bunk beds, put on smelly walking clothes and went downstairs for breakfast. My brother and I decided to start at the leisurely time of 10 am to avoid the morning rush. We walked from the ghost town Fao across the river to Esposende - a much larger town. While... Continue Reading →
After a packed day of sightseeing in Porto, it was time to begin our pilgrimage to Spain. In the 9th century the tomb of St John was discovered in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Following this the Romans built a network of roads leading the way from Portugal and France to the tomb in Spain. Today,... Continue Reading →
Our adventure in Portugal began in a taxi with a friendly Uber driver. Despite speaking next to no Portuguese, we managed to fill the twenty minute journey with interesting conversation. This was in a mixture of Spanish, Portuguese and the occasional word of English. Luckily, Portuguese is very similar to Spanish, so we could understand... Continue Reading →
As zero waste week draws to a close, I wonder what I can do to reduce the amount of disposable items I use. I consider myself pretty efficient; I never buy water bottles, I refuse straws and I always take my keep cup with me when I buy coffee. However, I am far from living... Continue Reading →
'I would like to gift you this shower bath bomb. It is something called a little act of kindness. I feel that we have really connected and had such a positive experience together. This is a present for you,' the lovely retailer Libby said to my mother and I. Libby had sat with us for... Continue Reading →
A sharp, silver, slither shot down from an ominous cloud. It met the top of the mountain adjacent to where I was standing. I blinked, and it was over. The lightning was gone as quickly as it arrived. Moments later another tremble reverberated along the valley floor. Meanwhile, handfuls of heavy hail pounded my face.... Continue Reading →
Inhaling with all my might, I was trying to feed my body with as much oxygen as possible. Meanwhile, my leg muscles were screaming at me to stop. 'Blimey,' I yelled in exasperation. The hill was never ending. Cyclists whizzed down in the opposite direction. I looked up and smiled at them through gritted teeth.... Continue Reading →
Yogurt coated oats and coconut flakes melted in my mouth. The sweet granola was complemented by sour berries. This was washed down with a turmeric latte. The spice kicked the back of my throat cleansing my pallet. Sitting on the river-side we watched the world go by. It was 9.30am on Saturday. Consequently, there wasn't... Continue Reading →
We are going on a bear hunt 