World Capitals
15 Things to Know Before Visiting Marrakech
February 2024 It seems that no matter how experienced you are as a traveler, Marrakech will still be a mind-blowing destination. It was, at least for us. At the beginning of the
Tunisia: 5 Days Around Tunis
April 2019 I think we would not so suddenly have chosen Tunisia as our next destination if it was not for the circumstances – an old friend of ours moved there for
Occitanie : PHOTOS
Voici notre sélection des photos par département d'Occitanie.N'hésitez pas à consulter les articles d'où sont tirées ces clichés, peut-être quelque chose d'autre attirera votre regard.Merci beaucoup pour votre attention. X&V Ariège (09) Ariège
Tunisian Gallery: Our Best Photos From Tunisia
April 2019 Wow. Five years ago, Xavier and I went to Tunisia to visit one of his friends. It was an amazing trip full of delicious food and beauty. For me it
From Cancale to Cap d’Erquy – Visiting the Emerald Coast
July 2019 My parents have never traveled a lot, so my sacred mission was to make them discover something outside their daily life, especially knowing how unattainable such a country as France
One Day Outside Toulouse: Rieux-Volvestre & Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges
November 2023 This year was very poor in terms of travel for us - as usual, our plans got all confused and for some time we have been “lying low” in a regular
Visiting Cliffs of Moher From Galway
October 2023 As an exception, I’ve chosen to create a spin-off article dedicated to our day at the Cliffs of Moher. There are too many pictures that I love, but I couldn’t
Weekend in Mont-Saint-Michel Bay and Saint-Malo
March 2019 I was looking forward to posting this article because it marked the time I discovered what is probably my most favorite place in France. That’s a heavy title to bear, isn’t
5 Days in Ireland: Dublin, Galway, Cliffs of Moher
October 2023 I love France, I really do, but at some point, tired of French villages and fromage platters, my wanderlust was tugging me towards something fresh, exciting and NEW. The trouble
Côte Fleurie of Calvados: From Honfleur to Cabourg
June 2019 Our virtual trip to one of the most beautiful years of our lives continues, and this time we’ll take you to another iconic place in Normandy - la Côte Fleurie (Flowery
Family Walk in Korostyshiv
October 2019 Writing articles about Ukraine now makes my heart ache. Of course it does and it wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. I still have pages about Ukraine and R*ssia on the
5 Days in Provence : Lavender Fields and Luberon Villages
July 2023 As far as the lavender fields are concerned, they need no introduction. Along with Eiffel Tower, Etretat and Versailles, Provence lavender fields are without any doubt, one of the most
Carnac, Quiberon & Lorient – A Celtic Weekend in Brittany
August 2019 I keep going with our chaotic publication of our past travels. Today under my radar fell a very special trip. Special mainly to the overall circumstances and purpose – we
Into the Green in Lozère, Part 2 : Cévénnes
June 2023 As promised, I pick exactly at the same place I left the first part of the article. After two days in Aubrac we can move on with Cevennes. Cevennes is
Into the Green in Lozère, Part 1: Aubrac
June 2023 Per our tradition, birthday boy or girl deserves a small treat in a form of a trip. For my birthday it was an amazing van-trip to Catalonia and for Xavier’s 39
Mayday Weekend in Suisse Normande – Calvados
May 2019 One of the difficulties of putting online our Normandy weekends is that alongside with relatively big trips (Rouen or Etretat), there was plenty of small ones. One or two days in
Etretat and All Around: 4 Days on the Côte d’Albâtre
May 2019 I’m starting the series of Normandy articles with a great thrill. It’s weird that after 14 months in Normandy it’s only now, four years later, that I’m finally bringing myself to
Birthday in Domaine Tempier – a Provence Winery
May 2023 Last year in the article 30 Years in Ganties I told you about my extraordinary meeting in extraordinary circumstances that put us together with extraordinary people. In the center of
One Day Stopover in Chisinau
June 2019 Unexpected stopovers is always a treat, especially to the places you have never been, and frankly, have never had any particular intention to visit. Being curious about any country on the
5 Days in Costa Brava: Birthday Trip to Catalonia
April 2023 It took us a while to come back to travels in 2023 – we discovered that the routine does indeed have a quicksand effect . With probably the same lethal result.
Christmas in Pau and a Little Bit of Béarn
December 2019 Posting the articles chronologically backwards is a funny and a bit weird experience. After rounding up the year 2020, which was mainly concentrated in Pau and its surrounding area, we
13 Things to See in Barcelona
May 2019 As we are approaching our first trip in 2023, its destination (Catalonia no less!) pushed me to star our 2019 retrospective with a post I kept postponing. Barcelona. Probably one
Autumn in the Basque Country
Autumn 2020 This is a very solemn moment as at last we publish our last article from 2020. In the previous one, Surf Summer in the Basque Country, I was complaining about
Surf Summer in the Basque Country
Summer 2020 We are on the finish line with the articles from 2020, so here come the two final ones. I was putting them off as long as I could for a
Lockdown in Pau – Our Happiest Times
Spring-Summer 2020 Sometimes I am seriously worried that even if I am only 30 years old, I have already reached the culmination of my life, which took place at the moment when the
On the Road to Bardenas Reales, Part 3: Back to Pau
October 2020 The last part of our Bardenas adventure will be about our road back to Pau. Somehow, it felt like a different journey altogether, probably because we crossed the most important
Back to England: Shot on Film
November 2022 Even if I still have some unpublished articles from our life in the UK, to hell with logic and chronological order, because I’ve just received the film from our last
On the Road to Bardenas Reales, Part 2: the Desert
October 2020 As promised, here comes the juiciest part of the trip. The part, which makes its whole purpose. As I said in the first article, it has been a while since
On the Road to Bardenas Reales, Part 1: Crossing the Pyrenees
October 2020 I have been postponing one of the final articles about 2020 travels for a while now, it’s just that I was too oppressed by hundreds of photos that needed a
14 Days in Crete Shot on Film, Part 2: East
October 2022 Aaaand here comes the second article about fantastic Crete. Really, I’m very proud of myself for putting it together within only two weeks after the first one came out! If you
14 Days in Crete Shot on Film, Part 1: West
October 2022 We have only once half-been to Greece in our life – three hours of a stop-over in Thessaloniki, does it count? No, I didn’t think so. Still, those three miserable hours
Getting Away From London #3: Deal, Sandwich & Dover Cliffs
October 2017 Sometimes I like following my whims and all of a sudden make an article on a trip from a past, which is very far from our current life and our current
Ile de Ré and a Bit More of Charentes
September 2022 Just like Camargue, it’s been years that I’ve been dreaming about île de Ré. It has a reputation of one of the absolute must-visits of France, but our path had never
Béarn Aesthetics by Bicycle
October 2020 As it very often happens, it's the place you live in that you explore the least. Or the last. Even if it wasn't completely our case, we waited until the last
Capbreton: First Trip After the Lockdown
May 2020 This will be a very short article about a very pleasant memory. The virus locked the whole world down for two months and even if we enjoyed every day of
Euskadi: Back to the Spanish Basque Country
July 2020 In the last post about the Basque Country, I promised that it would be the first one in the series and more will follow. When I saw 400 pics in the
Birthday in the Spanish Basque Country
June 2020 For the first time in 7 years (!!) of this blog we are up to date with the current year travels. Moreover, we are even up to date with the
Our May Road-Trip to Hérault
May 2022 While it seems we’ll be stuck in Toulouse for another year, the only thing left to do is keeping on exploring the region of Occitanie. Even if the amount of
Spring Weekend in Médoc
May 2022 All thanks to Xavier's job, we keep coming back to Bordeaux and using the occasion to explore Gironde. In February it was an amazingly beautiful trip around Bassin d'Arcachon, and
Bassin d’Arcachon – Last Trip Before Our World Changed
February 2022 So, this trip will once and forever be associated with our previous life, or rather pre-war life. The politic pressure was already quite horrible and half of this trip we spent
A Day Outside Toulouse: Saint-Félix-Lauragais & Revel
March 2021 It was March and we were already under a lot of pressure with our renovations that required loads of time, energy and money. So, in order to diversify those days, we
Ariège in Autumn : Lac de Bethmale & Vallée du Biros
October 2021 Even if we abandoned the whole idea of « useful » travel blogging and our Instagram account is falling in abyss, we still have some of that blogger’s knack than refuses
Summer Trip to Camargue, Part 3: Flamingo & Provence
June 2021 Last part of the trip to Camargue is finally ready and I am very happy to put it online before the trip’s anniversary in a couple of weeks. In this
Summer Trip to Camargue, Part 2: La Petite Camargue
June 2021 At last, I feel ready to resume the editing of our trip to Camargue. I published the first part of this beautiful part of France in February, just a week before
30 Years in Ganties
April 2022 In February we were all sure the war would stop before my birthday on April, 16. Unfortunately, it didn’t and as I’m typing these words, it’s still dragging on. They say
Saving the Rests of Our Sanity: Leucate
April 2022 On February 24, our life came to an end. Even 54 days later I can hardly believe I’m writing this, but this is our new reality - Russia started a full-scale
Summer Trip to Camargue, Part 1: La Grande-Motte
June 2021 Camargue has been my dream destination since the moment Xavier told me about it years ago. At that time, I didn’t have a clear understanding of the geography of France and
Ferme du Higas – Two Days on the Farm
May 2021 I was lucky to meet Flo during our life in Pau and we immediately got along thanks to our common love for chickens and farming. There was a tiny difference
Coming Back to Aveyron Six Years Later
August 2021 In 2021 our blog Independent People celebrated its 6th anniversary. Its concept changed multiple times, consumed hours of our lives, litres of tears before finally turning from a classic travel blog
A Breath of Fresh Air in Gruissan
February 2021 That was a long gloomy winter that progressively drove us mad trapping us into a limbo of lockdown restrictions, darkness and dust. After a quick breath of air in the mountains
Côte de Granit Rose – Pink Granite Coast
May 2019 It's time to man up and get down to a huge collection of articles that are hopelessly overdue. Thousands of memories from 2019 are being covered with dust and I told
From Toulouse to Sète: Hitting the Road to the Sea
March-April 2021 Just like the entirety of the world, we were much looking forward to the Covid-19-related restrictions to get softer. So, the moment they did, our van Robby II and us “avons
Amman on the Eve of the COVID-19 Pandemic
March 2020 It’s been several posts now that I mention the mysterious trip to Jordan that marked the end of an era and started something new and different. I'm talking about the thing
September Road Trip To Languedoc-Roussillon
September 2021 Since 2018, I promise myself to take time and write an article about our mini road-trip to Languedoc-Rousillon but times goes by, dozens of other trips pile on each other until
Getting Away From London #2: Town & Site of Battle of Hastings
July 2018 I keep going with those articles about England that I’ve been putting off for years. This time I was in a mood for one of our last trips in the South,
A Week in the Landes – Surfing, Bicycle & Pines
August 2020 Every post about 2020 would probably begin with a long speech about how unexpected that year was and how it totally ruined our plans. As well as the plans of
Hiking in Pyrenees: Pic du Taillon & Pic de Néouvielle
July & August 2020 In the previous post, we shared a short story of crossing off an important point out of our « French Bucket List » – Cirque de Gavarnie. However, it
Summer Hiking to the Cirque de Gavarnie
July 2020 Cirque de Gavarnie is one of the most famous natural sights of Occitanie and French Pyrenees, and Xavier has been teasing me with it for years. I admit, the photos looked
Getting Away From London #1: Whitstable and Broadstairs
August 2017 As any Londoner would confirm, getting away from the city is one of the biggest joys of living in the capital. It's been three weeks of our new life in London.
In Search of Snow in Ariège
January 2021 The year 2021 kicked off quite poorly. It started with my trip to Ukraine for Christmas-New Year-Christmas holidays but ended up getting THE Virus and instead of seeing friends and
Wine and Clouds – Discovering Gaillac Spontaneously
October 2020 It was October and we still couldn’t accept the fact that the summer – a particularly intense and rich despite all the virus hassle summer, was over. We weren’t ready. For
Christmas in the Carpathian Mountains: Snow, Ski & Cocooning
January 2020 This is the first post we publish after almost a year of a stand-by mode. We took this time to live through an artistic crisis and rethink in which direction
Sidi Bou Said: a Short Guide to the Blue and White Pearl of Tunisia
April 2019 Sidi Bou Said is a true pearl of the Mediterranean coast. Situated somewhat 20 km from Tunis, it’s an aesthetically beautiful destination, which is popular with both foreign visitors and
Rouen: a Weekend Guide to the Capital of Normandy
October 2019 Ironically, even if Rouen was one of our last trips in Normandy, it will be the first one to open a series of posts about the region that stole our
10 Great Things to Do in Rennes
September 2019 Rennes has for a long time been hidden in a shadow of its neighbor Saint-Malo in terms of tourist interest, but things are changing rapidly. Recently, Rennes made it to
Visiting Brocéliande – the Heart of the King Arthur Legends
October 2019 I’m sure that everyone has at least once heard about King Arthur, his sword Excalibur, Lancelot and Merlin the Enchanter, who inspired a “Merlin Order” in Harry Potter books. But
Medina of Tunis: Everything You Need to Know
April 2019 If you have ever set foot in Maghreb, you probably have a certain idea of what Medinas are. Medina means town in Arabic and is usually referred to the old
Weekend in Lourdes: The Most Unexpected Winter Escapade
December 2018 Attention, it’s not a clickbait title and we mean every bit of the enthusiasm we will express in this article about the most unexpected destination we have ever chosen for
Winter Holidays in the French Pyrenees
December - January 2018/19 Since our hiking to Coma Pedrosa – the highest summit of Andorra, we haven’t been back either to Spanish or to French Pyrenees at all, even if our
Top Things to See and to Do in Estonia
Here comes the final article about Estonia, and this time we will finally sum up all the best moments we had in this small but beautiful country as well as the things one should
Narva: Walking in the Town of Our First Expatriation
This is going to be a very personal and quite and outdated article that we couldn’t bring ourselves to write for over four years. It is going to be about our very first
A Day on the Seven Sisters Cliffs
British white cliffs is a trademark. “Albion” - an alternative and a little bit archaic name for Great Britain, was given precisely due to the white cliffs on the coast of Dover. However,
Visiting Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and Abandoned Town Pripyat
January 2019 Imagine for a moment: you take the explosion of Hiroshima nuclear bomb, then add the nuclear bomb thrown on Nagasaki. Then you multiply the result by 100 to have an idea
How to Spend One Day in Cambridge
Shortly after our visit to Oxford, we took the tickets to discover Cambridge - the second most famous university town of England, which hosted such talents as Stephen Hawking, Stephen Fry and even
Isle of Wight by Bicycle: 3 Days in Paradise
July 2018 We knew nothing about the Isle of Wight except for the fact of its existence, but for us it was a sufficient reason to go there and find out what
Alternative London: Best Non-Touristy Places to Explore
“Tired of London - tired of life” they say, and we couldn’t agree more. One can spend years in London and still have plenty to discover in this ever-changing city. If you are
Visiting Cadaqués – the Pearl of Costa Brava
During our regular visit to Toulouse, we took a car for two days to explore a bit the region of Languedoc-Roussillon (hopefully, the article about this short but nice weekend will see the
Travel Blogs That Always Inspire Us
We will be honest: we would never replace a guidebook by a travel blog. We never need the info like the local currency, the particularities of socket as all this we will find either
One Day in Brighton: Our Full List of Things to Do
It takes no more than an hour to get from Brighton to London, which means that the moment the warm temperature together with sun start dominating over the spring chill, comes the seasonal Londoners
First Time in London: The Ultimate List of Things to See
Even if you live in London on daily basis, seeing everything worth seeing, trying everything worth trying, visiting everything worth visiting can represent a serious challenge. That’s why I can’t stress enough on how
London on Budget: 22 Money-Saving Tips From the Insiders
Living in London put many things in perspective. What is considered big or small, far or close, cheap or expensive – our measurement system was shifted for a large number of statements. Most of
13 Things to Know Before Going to London
London was our third expatriation after two years in Estonia and a year and a half in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, the North of England. We were both excited and anxious to move to one of the
Our Photo Equipment and Co.
Even if we try to travel with as few things as possible, the camera gear is still our number one priority. For anyone who might find it helpful, here is our full photo (and
A Weekend in Champagne: Spontaneous but Rewarding
And here we were in Ardennes with several free days, when an idea to visit Champagne dawned on us. After all, Champagne and Ardennes used to be two parts of the same region, which
3 Amazing Trips Around Marseille
Marseille is not only a separate and independent destination for a city-break, but being the capital of the region, it also offers a great possibility to deepen into the nature and discover some truly
Our 13 Musts of Marseille
May 2018 Marseille is probably the most controversial city of France, which in 99% of cases leaves a mixed love/hate feeling. The second biggest city of the country has a particular fame
Tallinn in Winter: What to See and What to Do
Winter travels are very underestimated, and in most of the cases they are limited by flying to a tropical island with a whole-year-round summer, or spending a week in a ski resort. We are
Trans-Ardennes: 120 km by Bike Through the Forest
Xavier’s career adventures brought us to the most improbable and the least expected destination in France, which even three weeks before, had been completely out of our travel radar. Ardennes. Geographically speaking,
7 Reasons to Love Malta
Malta is one of the smallest countries in Europe and nevertheless it is absolutely authentic and can’t be confused with anything else. Hardly noticeable on the map, it still attracts thousands of visitors per
Our Top 8 Places to See in Valletta, Malta
I already confessed that Valletta wasn’t a city which stole my heart, and what is worse, I can’t even explain why. Too touristy but empty at the same time, too small, bicycle unfriendly, stuffed
How to Spend a Day on Gozo, Malta
Even if Malta is considered as an island of paradise, Gozo appears to be even errr paradiser. All who knew about our trip to Malta, were immediately asking if we were planning to visit
Malta in 5 Days: Tips and Itinerary
It’s been years that I have been dreaming about Malta. A tiny group of islands, but still a separate country with its own language, own history and culture. Its position halfway between Europe and
Nature Wonders in France: Visiting the Dune of Pilat
May 2017 The Dune of Pilat (also known as Pylat, Pila and Pyla, but we stick to the official name, shall we?) is definitely one of the least expected natural miracles that
8 Things That Surprised Us in Mallorca
Before going to a trip, one can’t help imagining how this place (whoever or whatever) will be, basing on all kind of information that can reach the traveller in question. We are not an
7 Best Things to See in Palma de Mallorca
April 2018 Palma de Majorca is not exactly a destination, rather a gateway to all the natural wonders of the island. Still, we were surprised to find out the contrary. In fact, spending a
7 Days in Mallorca: the Full Road Trip Itinerary
The trip to Mallorca was one of the most spontaneous in our travel life, still it is one of the few that went on 100% smoothly. In fact it was wonderful. We are far
Our 17 Favorite Memories From Mallorca
It’s not a guide, it’s not an itinerary, it’s not a list of tips or a points to put on your “When in Mallorca” diary. It’s our precious Mallorcan memories that we
Exploring Austria in 8 Days: Road Trip Itinerary
April 2015 When I google “Road Trip Austria”, all that I get back is the road trip in Germany with a short stop in Innsbruck. And you know what? This is unfair. Because
Weekend in Norfolk: Meeting the Seals
Norfolk is a blank region in the travel guides – that was the reason number one why we wanted so much to go there. Another reason was an Instagram account of a “gentleman-farmer” who
One Day in San Sebastian
Apparently, our destiny is to explore the Basque Country bit by bit as two years after our first trip to the French and a tiiiiny slice of Spanish Basque Country
One Day in Oxford
Slowly we are approaching to our third year in England, which means that we mercilessly kill one destination after another. After a long silence in our England section, we are
One Winter Day in Bergen
On our trip to the Western fjords, we had just a tiny glimpse on Bergen the first day. Needless to say that it was already dark and scary, so the only thing we
Skiing in Norway: Voss and Myrkdalen
When choosing the ski resort, one rarely thinks of Norway as a skiing destination, this privilege usually being left to the Alps. Skiing in Austria, France or Italy sounds reasonable, skiing in Norway
12 Things to See in Norway: Winter in Western Fjords
Winter is not an easy time for planning a splendid journey in Norway. Many of the activities, scenic routes or hiking trails are closed and unavailable for the off-season time, or the most
Winter Road Trip to Norway: Western Fjords Itinerary
The only way to have a great winter is to go to a place, which has a proper one. Thus, we pointed at the map and declared that it was the right moment
A Travel Guide to Naples – the Soul of Italy
November 2017 We left Naples with one simple question: how on Earth does this city manage its existence? How? Gorgeously beautiful in its disastrous decay, Naples looks like an autonomous organism which
2 Destinations From Naples: Procida & Ischia
November 2017 It’s difficult to believe how different can be two places situated close to each other. How claustrophobic the hectic and crowded Naples could make us feel and how peaceful and
A Visit Guide to Pompeii
Pompeii is the town that almost everybody at least once has seen in the historic books for children. A mysterious place whose population was killed by the volcano eruption in 79 AD.
One Day in Strasbourg
Besides all this Christmas hustle and bustle, Strasbourg is a charming little place which is always a good place to visit both in cold and hot time of the year. It’s not easy to
One Day in the Black Forest
April 2015 Schwarzwald – Black Forest – is so far the most romantic place that we had a chance to visit in Germany. Probably because of the name itself, Black Forest evokes something
German Christmas Markets Itinerary
Christmas is a time for magic, love, warmth and hot wine, which tastes the best in… German Weihnachtsmarkt – Christmas market. A home country of the famous Nutcracker, Germany is the place
22 Most Beautiful Places of England – North
It's surprising how little can we travel around our own country being attracted by something far and exotic. I'm talking not only about Britain, but about any country at all. Which is a bit
Farewell to Saltburn-by-the-Sea
It’s difficult to believe, but our era of Saltburn is already over. Though it seems to me that we moved there two months ago, time passed faster than one could have expected, Saltburn’s page
Best of Industrial England
One of the most common associations with England is the Industrial Revolution, red-bricked houses, Oliver Twist and loads of other miseries. Truthfully, the industrial past is not entirely in the past, and even in
The Beauty of Teeside: Our Favorite Pictures
Before we end up with the North England articles and pass to London life we still owe you couple of posts. Middlesbrough. You won’t find it on any tourist guide as it isn’t
Guide to the Cycling Tour Along the Hadrian’s Wall
Our last trip in the North of England was a cycling week consisting on two not really standard Coast to Coast roads. From Saltburn till Bowness and then along the Hadrian’s Wall up to
Northumberland: Your Week-End Guide
Even the name of the region – Northumberland - sounds longing and a bit sad. Empty, flat and very nostalgic, it’s far from being the first destination in England, but it’s just the matter
Farne Islands: the Most Beautiful Scenery of England
It’s been one year and a half since we moved to the UK, but only now did we discover the most stunning scenery seen in Britain (so far!). Farne Islands. A well-kept secret, as
15 Unusual Places to See in the South-West of France
When talking about South of France to a foreigner, the first association would be definitely lavender fields, Cannes festival, Nice and similar paradisiaque spots on the Côte d’Azur. Provence and Co in one word.
What to See and Where to Go in Lake District
"Lake District. Absolutely Lake District. The lakes, no doubt." That is the only answer we were given to the question “what is the total must-see spot in England, in your opinion?” As the result, we were
5 Gorgeous Trips Around Toulouse
As promised, we’ll tell you about couple of destinations that are easily reached from Toulouse by train or by BlaBlaCar (God bless it!). Just a quick reminder that the full article about Toulouse can
Toulouse: the Insider’s Guide
Funny, how difficult it is to write about a city, where you lived or where you are a frequent guest. We come to Toulouse at least two times per year, not mentioning 4 months
One Day in Manchester: Industrial and Beautiful
To be honest, the only impressions we heard about Manchester could be resumed in “nothing much too see” and “just another industrial city” or “like Liverpool, but worse”. Still, we couldn’t miss
InstaRome: a Trip to the Eternal City With an IPhone Camera
Long story short, I went to Rome. It’s been ages since my last truly “solo female travel”, but I decided that this trip would be typical besties weekend and nothing more. That is no
Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp
Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp is not a place of attraction, and I hate that it appears in every other guidebook about Krakow. It’s not a place of fun, of selfies and of gift shops, and
Portland Reflector: Product Review
Erik Roby, the founder of Portland Reflector, solicited us test his new range of reflectors. We are used to this kind of equipment, as when we were living in Estonia, it was mandatory by
5 Things to Know about Krakow
Straight after visiting Warsaw, we hit the road till Krakow, where we decided to play 100% tourists. Besides, in such touristic place it turned to be close to impossible to find a CouchSurfer on
Sea Kayaking on the Isle of Man
If there is something that you have to try on the Isle of Man – it would be kayaking. For a simple reason, that the beautiful landscapes and cliffs of the
Isle of Man: Full Cycling Guide
I must say that the Isle of Man seemed to us extremely attractive since long time ago. Situated in the Irish Sea, the island doesn’t actually belong to any of the kingdoms of the UK
What Makes Warsaw so Special
Warsaw surprised us a lot. In a very good way. It happens that Poland was one of the countries that suffered the most from the Second World War, and the old town
Estonia off the Beaten Path: Tartu and Peipus
Small how it is, but with so much to discover – this time we will tell you about beautiful things you can see in the eastern part of Estonia and namely all around
Hiking in the Yorkshire Dales
Once we were told that England is a country of diverse sceneries. At first our reaction was scepticism – we crossed the country from South to North and from East to West, and
5 Cities You Can’t Miss in North of Italy
To explore Italy as it deserves, a lifetime can be not enough. However, we keep trying to do our best, so every year we come back to this amazing country to discover something new.
How to Cycle in the North York Moors
One of the undoubtful advantages of living where we do is the proximity of all kinds of stunning places. North York Moors National Park is one of them. A huge territory of forests, valleys, heather
10 Reasons Why Turin Rocks
When talking about Italy, Turin is never mentioned as a must-visit spot. Even more, Turin is one of the Italian cities that looks everything but Italy as we like to imagine it. Lazy sunny
Visiting the Brontë World in Haworth
The Brontë Sisters are probably the most famous talented siblings on the planet in the literature domain. Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall – these novels are if not read
Nordkapp: Photo Memories
We have already told about the journey to the North Cape, Nordkapp in Norwegian. The most northern point of continental Europe is exactly as dramatic as it sounds, but I’m afraid
Why You Shouldn’t Miss Ukrainian Winter
Dec-Jan 2016/17 Winter must be cold. It’s my strong conviction that I won’t trade for any warm and sunny days on the planet. Unfortunately, putting aside the rare exceptions, England doesn’t offer us
Taking a Walk in Moscow
RUSSIA IS A TERRORIST STATE COMMITTING GENOCIDE IN MY HOME COUNTRY – UKRAINE. PLEASE, CONSIDER DONATION TO UNITED24 People are divided into two groups: those, who love,
England of Your Dream: a Walk in Yorkshire Moors
January 2017 When you forget why exactly you are still living there, where nothing retains you anymore, the solution is to go walking. Fortunately, England offers various walking trails, and lucky us
Where and How to Spot and Photograph the Northern Lights?
Winter is on its way and it means the best time to chase the Northern Lights is coming. Less than 10 years ago, a mere possibility to go to the extreme north would sound
3 Ideas for a Winter Weekend in Estonia
2 years in Estonia and so many memories, that we find it difficult to classify them in any kind of order. However, winter is drawing nearer and that’s why we want to recall
7 Things That Upset Us in Saint Petersburg
RUSSIA IS A TERRORIST STATE COMMITTING GENOCIDE IN MY HOME COUNTRY - UKRAINE. PLEASE, CONSIDER DONATION TO UNITED24 Petersburg is one of those cities that can cause any kind of feeling
Winter in Saint Petersburg: Your Weekend Guide
RUSSIA IS A TERRORIST STATE COMMITTING GENOCIDE IN MY HOME COUNTRY - UKRAINE. PLEASE, CONSIDER DONATION TO UNITED24 Our relationship with Russia has never been simple. Especially with Saint Petersburg. When
One Day in Blackpool: the Most Famous Resort in the UK
Is the grass greener on the other side? Is the see bluer? Is the West better than East? We went to Blackpool to find out the answer. Just in case, I remind
Autumn Week-end in Estonia: in Search of the Silence
We continue our nostalgic trip to Estonia, and today we want to remind ourselves how gorgeous Estonian autumn was. The Nordic country of forests simply cannot be not splendid in red and yellow.
Travel Guide to Whitby
There is hardly any place in Yorkshire as charming as Whitby. And it looks like hundreds of tourists invading it every sunny day agree with us. Still no matter how crowded it can be,
25 Years of Our Independence
Ukraine lives through difficult time these days. Or rather – these last years. However, we are still keeping our heads up hoping, hoping and hoping again. Hoping for changes, hoping for understanding and support from
Discover the Amazing Setos from Estonia
In the southeastern part of Estonia, there is a country inside the country. We are talking about Setomaa – a place, where lives an ethnic minority which is admired for its determination to
2 Pearls of Yorkshire: Robin Hood’s Bay & Scarborough
We continue our exploration of Yorkshire coast pearls, so this time we visited two charming towns –Robin Hood’s Bay and Scarborough, which are both worth of traveller’s attention. That’s definitely one of
Soomaa: Unbelievable Scenery of Estonia
There is a place in Estonia that is simply breathtaking. And completely unusual for Estonian landscape. It’s called Soomaa national park which means “land of bogs”. Its peculiarity stands in its name, as
A Walk Along the Bridges of Newcastle
Newcastle-upon-Tyne can’t show off with a particular tourist flow. Still, it has the reputation of the most festive city of England, being known for completely crazy parties on Friday and Saturday night.
8 Things to Love about York
York is a fairy-tale town. It’s exactly one of those places that you start liking as soon as your train stops near the platform, and we love
Cycling Around the Estonian Islands – a Flat Paradise
May 2014 Estonian islands on the west of the country are considered as one of the most beautiful spots and absolutely a must-see spot in Estonia. But what is even better about them
Six months in England
Simply impossible to believe, that it’s been no less than 6 months since we moved to England. It feels as if it happened yesterday, or actually centuries ago. We were so immerged
Hoverla Hiking: the Highest Summit of Ukraine
Not everybody knows that the Carpathian mountains are not limited by Romania and Slovakia, but they also form a small stripe in the West Ukraine. And just there is located the highest Ukrainian summit
Durham: North England Gem
Former capital of North-East England, Durham is a small, but historically rich town, whose university can rival with Oxford and Cambridge. Apart from this, it’s a charming place for a day-trip. Let’s see what
How to Spend a Weekend in Oslo For 80€
Norway has a reputation of one of the most expensive countries in the world. Sadly, but it is true. In the sake of experiment, we had set an objective – to spend as less
10 Reasons to Love Tallinn
I think that within two years we’ve been to Tallinn around 15 times. And not a single time did we have a thought like “oh nooo, Tallinn again”, even if it was 209
Mini Kyiv: Photo Walk
Tilt Shift effect is the best way to make any place at all look cute and "aaaaawwww". We were so curious about how it feels to get what you see in
Reportage from Grand National: Ladies Day
There are things that are better to be seen once than told ten times. Grand National is definitely one of those. Grand National is an annual Horse Race that takes
Interrail Train Itinerary: 5 Countries in 10 Days
Train travelling remains the most authentic, scenic and romantic way of exploring the world. Personally, I can’t help thinking of Jules Verne’s “Around the World in 80 Days”. Even if nowadays the cost of
Several Thoughts about Liverpool
Using the occasion of Grand National Race, we went to spend a weekend in Liverpool area. Liverpool was the first big city of England that we really visited and not just passed by, spent
Staithes: The pearl of Yorkshire #1
Finally, finally we are settled, all the redecoration are definitely over, the weather gets better every day (well, kind of), and we started exploring the North of England, and even more precisely –Yorkshire Coast.
Portraits from Iceland. Thank you
No one will deny that people are the heart of the country, and meeting the locals is one of the most important parts of any journey. After all, people are so
One Day in the Castle of Carcassonne
December 2014 La cité de Carcassonne is one of the most visited sights of France, so, if you happen to be a fan of everything medieval, Carcassonne is something you should see
13 Fun Things to Do in Reykjavik
Let’s be honest, Reykjavik is far to be the most unforgettable city that you’ve ever seen in your life, I think you agree with us. Excluding museums and similar time-consuming things, we would recommend
Pic del Coma Pedrosa: Hiking in Andorra
September 2013 Xavier and I were invited to a wedding of his university mate to Barcelona. As from Barcelona we were planning to visit Toulouse (and meet for the first time my
Two Great Day Trips From Stockholm
I think it’s impossible to get tired of Stockholm, but if you want to escape “big city” atmosphere, Sweden offers great possibilities! We tried two of them
9 Musts of Stockholm
No doubt – Stockholm is the most beautiful Scandinavian capital. With all our love to Copenhagen, there is no question where we would prefer to come back or live. These
Winter Farewell: Roseberry Topping
So there is snow in England! Three months in our new country passed like a week, we even didn't notice winter come and go, but we did notice the total absence of snow! Which
Stopover in Torshavn, the Capital of the Faroe Islands
October 2015 If you happen to travel by ferry from Iceland to Denmark, you will have a generous 6 hours stop In Torshavn. In the previous post we told you everything about our sad ferry experience, which is why
From Iceland by Ferry: 7 Reasons Why it Was a Perfect Hell
October 2015 I hate that day when we decided to come back to the continent, and more exactly, to Hirtshals in Denmark by ferry. I hate it. Why on Earth did we listen
5 Reasons Why We Are Happy to Have Chosen a Bicycle to Travel in Iceland
Cycling in Iceland was not at all the easiest thing in the world, though human nature helps to get used to everything, even to the cold, to the heat, to the pouring rain and
A Guide to the North Cape: the End of Europe
As it’s not every day that we walk above the polar circle, we decided to push even further and actually reach the North Cape – the most northern point of Europe. From Finland, we
All About the Winter Road Trip in Finland & Norway
Okay, this is Robby, and he is our house and vehicle for a mind-blowing road trip to Finland and Norway, which is so far one of our craziest trips ever (even crazier that cycling
Postcards From Estonian Winter
We start the series of articles about Estonia, where we spent two happy years, with our most favourite winter sceneries taken in Narva, our town. Narva and Ivangorod castles Narva Panorama Beach
Saltburn-by-the-Sea: Our New Home
Originally, we were supposed to live in Middlesbrough, but once we saw Saltburn-by-the-Sea, we changed our mind. Partly because Middlesbrough isn’t extremely likeable town, partly because Saltburn is so much likeable. I never imagined
25 Photos of Iceland for your Wanderlust
This is the way we saw Iceland and want it to stay in our memories. Enjoy it too! Where?: Thingvellir, South-West. Where?: The road 36, South-West
Arctic Hiking: Climbing the Laplanders’ Sacred Mountain
Have you ever climbed a mountain beyond the polar circle covered with a meter of snow when the wind blows like mad and the temperature is far
10 Winter Musts of Finland
In our life, we’ve experienced lots of amazing trips, but the journey to Finland in winter was one of our best ones. To sum it up – an
Visiting Wool Factory ISTEX
There is hardly anyone who wouldn’t like to learn how to knit after visiting Iceland, as it’s a real paradise for wearing cozy sweaters, woolen scarves and gloves. Knitting is a part of local
We are Moving!
We are ready for a new life period. Several days ago Xavier got a new working contract and this time Independent People are moving to (drum-roll)… England! We’ve visited the
Iceland Patterns: Photo Essay
Here is the proof that Iceland is gorgeous even up to the smallest details. Seltun geothermic area Harpa concert hall, Reykjavik Volcanic ground near the lake Kleifarvatn Cliffs of the East Fjords Behind Seljalandsfoss Stone
So authentic! 11 things to try in Iceland
It’s not a secret that travelling doesn’t include only visiting sights and enjoying sceneries, but it also means to discover a culture that can be much different from
Venice: Personal Photo Essay
What is the best way to explore Venice? Just take your time and get lost. As much and as long as you can, because for us 5 days were not enough. During this stay
12 Things That Surprised Us in Iceland
How many times does it happen that what we imagine or fantasize appears to have nothing in common with cruel reality? How many times do the girls dreaming about Paris-the-city-of-love get disappointed because there
41 Days Cycling in Iceland: Facts and Figures
Days in Iceland How many days on and off the road ? Weather in iceland How much rainy and windy day did we face ? Accomodations Where did we sleep ?
Our 7 Iceland Favourites
Before coming to Iceland we made one big mistake – we looked through hundreds (but feels like millions) of articles and photos entitled “best sights of Iceland”, “top-10 things to see in Iceland”, “5
Around Iceland by Bicycle: Equipment, Itinerary and Tips
“Do you know how we call the cyclists who travel around Iceland? We call them crazy nutters.” (c) Well, we must admit that after 7 days of cycling we started to understand that
Travelling to Ukraine from France by Train
Our today’s world is so modern that it can make any journey around the world last not only less than 80 days, but even less than 80 hours. Planes with the most unexpected connections
7 Reasons to Visit Ukraine
Now we’ll talk a lot about Ukraine. Writing about Ukraine is very difficult as it’s my Motherland and perceiving it objectively is not the easiest thing. But we all know that the more
How to Spend a Week-end in Pau
We came to Pau to visit another pack of aunts and uncles and using the occasion to have a look around the city with such a remarkable name. Pau is another example of a
Skagen: Where the Two Seas Meet
August 2014 Skagen was probably the most important part of our cycling trip in Denmark. Well, probably “important” is not the right word, but rather a culmination point – when the trip comes
What and Where to Eat in the Basque Country?
The Basque cuisine is famous, if not within the whole world, but at least in France and Spain for sure. The basque chicken, the basque cake, the basque cheese – there is something to
Basque Country: 3 Days Itinerary
One of the most popular tourist destination in France is the Basque country, whose biggest part is in Spain and only a small one in France. And it’s been so long that we were
Denmark: What to See in 14 Days
Two weeks in Denmark for a cyclist is not enough. Not only did we have to take a train several times to catch up with all things we wanted to see, but we actually
9 Places to See in Copenhagen
The beginning of our Denmark cycling adventure was in Copenhagen! Copenhagen is a lot like Stockholm – you fall in love with the city the moment you set your foot there. It is a
Denmark by Bicycle: Tips and Itinerary
The short rides to the beach and back are over! From now on we are pride owners of a tremendous tandem, and the choice of the destination for our first serious biking trip was
One Day in Bordeaux
We happen to be in Bordeaux occasionally, either for family reasons or on our own. Bordeaux is a gateway for various little trips in the region, including the famous Dune du Pilat or the Canal
Canal de Garonne: the Cycling Guide
In the South of France there is a charming place called Canal du Midi which starts in Toulouse and ends in a Mediterranean town Sète. It was created for commercial purposes during the reign of Louis
How to Spend a Weekend in Aveyron, France
After having left Estonia, we settled for a bit in Toulouse, which is a marvellous city, but it was high time to discover the provincial beauty of France. Our life here started slowly turning
Our Cycling and Camping Equipment
Cycling equipment Tandem Lapierre Touring 2014 An amazing machine-locomotive ! Very different from usual bicycles – tandem is more cosy and comfortable. Advantages: The average speed can be up to 21 km/hour with 100