We went to Westray for the puffins. They come to Orkney from May to August each year to breed and nest in crevices in the cliffs. Westray is an hour and a half from the mainland by boat, and so we went for a weekend with bikes and a tent. The best place to see them is Castle O… Read more of "Puffins in Westray"

Our day began with hiring bikes from someone's back garden (no need for a deposit and no, you won't need a lock), then tearing back to the port in Stromness to catch a ferry to the second largest island in Orkney, Hoy. We stood out on the narrow deck watching the birds above us… Read more of "Rackwick Bay and the Old Man Of Hoy"

As we neared the end of our four years of travelling, driving through the Atacama Desert in Chile, we talked about our favourite places. We narrowed our top fives down to top threes, and somewhere we kept coming back to was Orkney. Orkney is an archipelago off the north coast of… Read more of "A month in Orkney"

This time last year we drove around the coast of Scotland on the North Coast 500, along one track roads, Highland cattle lying on the verges, stopping off at empty white sand beaches, camping each night in our small tent. And almost every day we'd exclaim that this had been up… Read more of "Driving around Scotland (video edition)"

We arrived in Warsaw on International Women's Day in the middle of a protest, thousands of women walking through the centre of the city holding placards and carrying flowers. Warsaw isn't exactly pretty but there's something about it, an energy. It's an exciting place to be… Read more of "A Warsaw city guide"

Kraków is a beautiful city, with colourful buildings and gothic churches, as well as art galleries and secondhand bookshops and cosy restaurants. In some areas, the historic townhouses have been perfectly preserved and other parts of the city are still evolving, a little rougher… Read more of "A few fun things to do in Kraków"

And now, a city guide to Prague that's been hanging around in my draft folder for a while... I don't even remember why we decided to visit Prague in January now. But going in the winter turned out to be perfect. It has a bit of a reputation in the UK for being full of stag… Read more of "A Prague city guide"

We left England last summer knowing that this would be our last few months of travelling. We've had four incredible years of adventure, throwing ourselves into new experiences and learning about different cultures and eating everything from burnt ramen (better than it sounds) to… Read more of "A bit of news"

When I think back to our month in Orkney, I think of long, blustery walks on shingle beaches, my hair whipping my face, eating fish and chips from the little van that stopped in our village on Fridays, and huge hand-dived scallops, turquoise water and stone crofts and no one else… Read more of "Orkney (video edition)"

This year was split into two distinct parts. For the first six months we were in Europe – we had long stints in Prague and Warsaw, fell in love with Scotland and spent the summer at home. And then we went to South America, a continent that's surprised us in the very best way. We… Read more of "2017 in pictures"

So, it's time for my quarterly 'I'm back!' post. This time I'm kicking things off with a little video from our train trip across Europe last year. It was a wonderful few weeks, looking out at mountains and rivers and rolling hills, drinking thick black coffee in Sarajevo, going… Read more of "A European train trip (video edition)"

A couple of weeks after we got home, Festivals Edinburgh invited me to go back up to Scotland for the Edinburgh Film Festival. It was a fun 3 days of screenings, events and exploring film locations around the city. Edinburgh International Film Festival The Edinburgh International… Read more of "The Edinburgh International Film Festival"

It's been a while. A busy couple of months of remote living in Orkney, driving and camping around the coast of Scotland, spending time at home in London, watching two of our best friends get married in the countryside, and most recently heading back up to Edinburgh for the film… Read more of "I'm back!"

It's somehow been 3 years – 1096 days – since we queued up at the check-in desk at Heathrow with a couple of bags and one way tickets to Hong Kong. We'd spent the weeks before selling everything in our flat, saying goodbye to everyone we love. Not sure if it would turn out to be… Read more of "Day 1096"

One of the upsides of visiting Prague when it's -12°C and snowing is that Czech food is perfect for winter. It's comforting and hearty, potato dumplings and rich beef goulash, Sunday roasts and sweet yeast buns. You can get pretty much any food you want in Prague, there are lots… Read more of "What to eat in Prague"

We spent the first two months of the year in Prague. It was long enough to get into a proper routine and three times a week we'd head out early and spend the morning working in one of the coffee shops near our apartment. Our area, Vinhorady, turned out to be full of coffee shops… Read more of "Five great coffee shops in Vinhorady, Prague"

Colourful Bavarian buildings, quirky museums, home to the pretzel and Germany's most famous Christmas market, Nuremberg is a wonderful place to visit. Here's how to see the best of the city in a couple of days: Day 1 Handwerkerhof Just inside the entrance to the old town, right… Read more of "48 hours in Nuremberg"

When we were planning our long trip home (four weeks, six countries, eight trains) we sort of forgot to factor in time to do things like work. So we arrived in Vienna tired and with minimal free time to explore, just an afternoon at the beginning and a morning at the end of our… Read more of "A whistle stop tour of Vienna"

This year I decided to make fun New Year's resolutions. For things I actually wanted to do rather than things I thought I should do. And, unsurprisingly, they've been much easier to keep. One of them is to read one book a week. When I told my sister (who's a brilliant… Read more of "A New Year's resolution"

I'm not going to tell you how long we spent in Vienna because this list of cakes is much bigger than it ought to be for such a short stay. Vienna has a long and delicious history of making sweets. There are bakeries and coffee houses all over the city, and they're especially… Read more of "Five Viennese cakes"

After spending the autumn in smaller cities and towns, arriving in Budapest felt energising. There's so much to do, so many museums, galleries, markets, restaurants. It helps that it's beautiful too, with wide streets and art nouveau architecture. When I was researching the city… Read more of "A few fun things to do in Budapest"

A snowy January is the perfect excuse to snuggle up under a blanket with a cup of peppermint tea and a pile of books. And that's exactly what I've been doing. My New Year's resolution was to read a book a week (more on that soon), and I'm just about to get started book seven… Read more of "Reading on the road #9"

Belgrade isn't the prettiest city, but it's definitely interesting. It's been razed to the ground 44 times in its history; it's still settling into itself, trying to find its identity. Street art is a part of this. You'll see it all over the city, some of it created through… Read more of "A street art guide to Belgrade"

We've been thinking about our 2017 travel plans a lot for the last few weeks and today they've finally all come together. This will probably be our last year of travelling full time. But it's going to be a good one. Here's what we'll be up to: January & February We've been in… Read more of "2017"

There are two sides to Kotor. Most of the time it's a quiet little town, almost like a village. Walking around you have the maze of alleyways to yourself, just a few cats, the odd person sweeping the street outside their house. And then the cruise ship rolls in. It happens a… Read more of "A short guide to Kotor, Montenegro"

We've been in Prague for a week now. I expected Prague to be full of beautiful old buildings and bridges and museums, but I didn't expect the rest. The coffee shops – yesterday our barista asked us about our favourite flavours so he could give us a personal coffee bean… Read more of "Hello from Prague"

I think it goes without saying that 2016 has been a pretty bad year. For the world and personally it hasn't been the best (and I realise that it doesn't always seem like that when you're looking at sunny beach photos on Instagram). Putting this post together has reminded me of… Read more of "2016 in pictures"

One weekend back in September we hired a car and went camping in north west Slovenia. We rowed to the island in the middle of Lake Bled, ate massive cream cakes, hiked up a mountain and drove along the Vršič Pass, necks craned up at the Julian Alps. Here's a little video of our… Read more of "A Slovenian road trip (video edition)"

I had no idea what Bosnian food was like before we decided to visit this autumn. It had never even crossed my mind. But after our first meal (cevapi in a cafe in Sarajevo), I couldn't stop raving about it – why aren't there more Bosnian restaurants everywhere? There's an obvious… Read more of "What to eat in Bosnia and Herzegovina"

This autumn we've been travelling around Europe by train. Some of these journeys have been long (like, 10 hours long), but it's such a nice way to get around. Wrapped up and cosy, with a stash of biscuits, mountain views and a good book. It's meant I've been reading a lot more… Read more of "Reading on the road #8"

The bus journey from Sarajevo took us through the mountains in the south of Bosnia, through valleys and forests, all autumn oranges and reds. Mostar itself looks like something out of a fairy tale, surrounded by hills, with an emerald river running through it and an Ottoman white… Read more of "Three things in Mostar"

We spent almost a week in Sarajevo, but because of a hectic work schedule we only ended up with one day to explore it properly (I feel like I start every post with something like that at the moment, but there we go). It's one of the most interesting places we've been. There's a… Read more of "A day in Sarajevo"

After rowing around Lake Bled and eating a huge cream cake (here's part one of our road trip if you missed it), we drove northwest to the Julian Alps. It blew my mind, I've never seen scenery like it. Vintgar Gorge We made a quick stop at Vintgar Gorge on the way. A wooden… Read more of "A Slovenian road trip: Vršič Pass"

Our Slovenian road trip came in the middle of a really busy time with work. The last thing we felt like doing was going camping, but we'd already booked the rental car so we packed it up and headed off for the weekend. Slovenia is pretty small. It doesn't take long to get… Read more of "A Slovenian road trip: Lake Bled"

You don't hear much about Slovenian food. Or at least I hadn't before we got there. But with influences from Italy, Hungary and Austria, it's a varied and interesting cuisine. Here are a few dishes we enjoyed during our month in the country: Burek Let's start with one of my faves… Read more of "What to eat in Slovenia"

We arrived in Ljubljana just as we both started new work projects. For the first couple of weeks it seemed like we wouldn't end up seeing much of it at all. Then, at the beginning of October, Colin's parents came to visit. We took some time off and spent a lovely week walking… Read more of "A Ljubljana city guide"

At the end of August we spent a week in Florence with my family. Compiling this post, it's no wonder we were all so tired by the end of it – we did so much. It's a city with a lot of things to do, art galleries, markets, viewpoints, eating your weight in gelato. So if you're… Read more of "Things to do in Florence"

I've been a Wes Anderson fan for a long time (favourite film: The Royal Tennenbaums, or maybe Darjeeling Limited, but The Grand Budapest Hotel was great too, ok I love them all). So when we ended up in Milan for a couple of days this spot was at the top of my list in big capital… Read more of "Special Places: Wes Anderson's Bar Luce in Milan"

France was our first stop on round three of this adventure. We got the ferry from Poole to Cherbourg with friends and drove down to Nice. It took a bit longer than we expected (we might have underestimated how big France is). But it was a fun few days, guessing who picked what… Read more of "Nice times in Nice"

I used to think of holidays in the UK as a bit of a second-rate option. Better than nothing, but only if you can't make it somewhere more exciting with better weather. But after two years of travelling and learning about other countries, I'm finally starting to appreciate my own… Read more of "Camping on the north Norfolk coast"

After a couple of months at home, with a lot of work and access to a TV, I'm back to reading again. I've just started Olive Kitteridge (loving it) and I've nearly finished Amy Schumer's audiobook, which is surprisingly emotional. Anyway, here are some of my faves from the last… Read more of "Reading on the road #7"

When we were back home this summer, we went on a road trip around the North Norfolk Coast. We camped in the countryside, ate fish and chips and walked along stormy beaches. I'll be writing a full post with all the details next week, but for now here's a taster of what we got up… Read more of "A Norfolk road trip (video edition)"

On our way home from Mexico we ended up with a day to spare in Boston. It's not somewhere I'd really thought of visiting before, but it surprised me. It's filled with great neighbourhoods, you can walk everywhere and the lobster rolls are really something. This is what we got up… Read more of "A day in Boston"

Well, I've finally done it! This is my last post from our 6 months in Mexico. Guadalajara was a bit of a weird one. It wasn't really what we'd expected, and it was hard not to keep comparing it to Mexico City. But looking back, there were quite a few things that we did enjoy… Read more of "Five things in Guadalajara"

When we look back on this crazy adventure, I know that one of our favourite memories will be of San Pancho. With one main street that leads to the beach, San Pancho is tiny but it's filled with restaurants, cafes, little boutiques and juice bars. People walk around barefoot… Read more of "A guide to San Pancho"

I think Mexican food might be my favourite. And I'm writing this in Italy so you know I'm serious. We spent 6 months in Mexico. From our first meal (where our waiter laughed at us as he bought out bowl after bowl of tortilla chips because we ate so much guacamole) to our last… Read more of "What to eat in Mexico"

I'm writing this on the train to Bournemouth. We've packed up again, said goodbye to our families and we're off for round three. It's always bittersweet to leave home, I hate goodbyes and I’ve really enjoyed being back in England. But the anticipation of the next adventure is… Read more of "The next adventure"

Sayulita is a small surf town on the west coast of Mexico. Compared to the big resorts in nearby Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan, it's very relaxed, people walk around bare foot and all roads lead to the beach. But if you're coming from San Pancho, like we were, it's practically… Read more of "A short guide to Sayulita"

I read a lot in San Pancho, stretched out on the beach, toes in the sand. Then we slowly made our way home and 4 flights later I'm finally working my way through all the unread books on my kindle. Here are a few of my favourites: A Little Life This book blew me away. It's 70… Read more of "Reading on the road #6"

Now that I've been back in England for a few weeks (and it's rained almost every day), looking at these photos feels like a different world. One where it's always sunny and the air is filled with ranchera music and everywhere smells of corn. Oh, Mexico! The place I miss the most… Read more of "Five trips from San Pancho"

It's been a while. The last few weeks have been busy. We said goodbye to San Pancho and Mexico after 6 months of sunshine, tacos and ranchera music. It's one of my favourite places and I've got lots more to share from our time there. Then we went to Phoenix and spent a long… Read more of "Home"

When we lived in London, every Saturday we'd stroll around the farmers' market at the end of our road. Coffees in hand, chatting and browsing (but never actually buying, London is expensive peeps). So it was lovely to pick up this little tradition again here in Mexico at the… Read more of "Sayulita farmers' market"

We recently passed our two-year travelversary (that's a thing right?). We've seen a lot in that time and travelled to different parts of the world, as a couple, with groups of friends, with family. We've been on buses and overnight trains, gone on road trips and camped, stayed in… Read more of "Travel tips from two years on the road"

Breakfast is big in Mexico. We're talking eggs, baskets of handmade corn tortillas, shredded chicken or beef, refried beans, lots of salsa. Before we arrived, my knowledge of Mexican breakfasts started and ended with huevos rancheros, but there are so many more and they usually… Read more of "A guide to Mexican eggs"

I loved putting this one together. We spent a month in Cuba, exploring the crumbling neighbourhoods of Havana, horse riding through the Viñales valley and listening to music in crowded trova houses. It was fascinating, busy, maddening at times, but so fun. Our route: Havana –… Read more of "Adventures in Cuba (video edition)"

Today we have officially been on the road for two years! It's hard to believe we've been travelling for TWO WHOLE YEARS, and yet it does feel like a long time. Memories of life in London, the 9–5 and the 393, are hazier now. Our second year away has been very different from our… Read more of "Day 731"

In Mexico City, there’s a market for everything. Similar to the streets in Hanoi, there are areas dedicated to buying specific things, like a whole street full of stationary stalls or bookshops. There are so many markets around the city, and they're great places to learn more… Read more of "Five great Mexico City markets"

One of the things I've enjoyed about spending longer in one country – we've been in Mexico for 4 months now, our longest stint yet! – is getting a better understanding of the culture. We're starting to pick up on things that we might not have noticed on a shorter trip. My… Read more of "¡Buen provecho!"

Last summer, I started a Special Places series, and then promptly forgot about it. Well, it's back! And with one of my very favourite discoveries from our time on the road. El Pendulo is a small chain of bookshops with a couple of branches in Mexico City. And the one in Polanco… Read more of "Special places: El Pendulo, Mexico City"

Last week I wrote about things to do in Mexico City, and today I want to tell you about my favourite neighbourhood there. After three visits, it's actually become one of my favourite neighbourhoods anywhere. Roma Norte is in the southwest of the city and it's pretty much the… Read more of "A Roma Norte neighbourhood guide"

I've read some great books lately. Books that I couldn't put down and whose words have stayed with me. My reading list is getting bigger and bigger, so expect another instalment soon. Dept. of Speculation The author wrote this book with the intention to say as little as possible… Read more of "Reading on the road #5"

We've been to Mexico City three times this year. On our first trip we got the bus up from Oaxaca to meet friends for New Year's Eve. Well, it turns out New Year's Eve isn't such a big deal in Mexico. With everything closed, we ended up eating crisps in a hotel room and watching… Read more of "Things to do in Mexico City"

This morning we woke up before sunrise – which is super late here in Mexico now that the clocks have gone forward – and headed out for an iced coffee at our new favourite coffee shop, Cafe Mañana. Then we stopped by the weekly market to pick up leafy greens and quiche for lunch… Read more of "Right now"

Querétaro, or Santiago de Querétaro as it's officially called, is a large city 3 hours from Mexico City. It's somewhere we visited because we needed a base for a month and found a good apartment. We didn't really know much about it before we arrived. Everyone we spoke to said the… Read more of "A Querétaro city guide"

Ten years ago, my philosophy was the more the better. I was moving almost every year and each time I packed everything up into boxes. Things that I knew I wouldn't need again, things that were broken. Sometimes even things that were literally rubbish. It was just easier than… Read more of "Minimalism"

We woke up early on day two, grabbed a cup of the world's worst coffee at our hotel and had a quick look around Jalpan before getting back on the road (catch up on day one here if you missed it). Jalpan de Serra Jalpan de Serra is a pretty little town surrounded by mountains and… Read more of "A Querétaro road trip: day two"

I was recently asked what my favourite travel experience is and I didn't even have to think about it – road trips! I love the sense of freedom and adventure of having your own vehicle and being able to stop in places you'd never normally see. Singing along to a fun playlist or… Read more of "A Querétaro road trip: day one"

Our guidebook described San Miguel de Allende as "a Disneyland for American retirees". And yep, that's about right. Walking around, we were the youngest people by about 40 years. So this isn't the best place to come if you want to experience "real Mexico". But sometimes it's… Read more of "Slowing down in San Miguel de Allende"

Three years ago, sitting in our Stoke Newington kitchen, I pinned a picture of Guanajuato on Pinterest. I didn't know much about Mexico then – I had this idea that it might feel kind of dangerous (it doesn't) – but I loved the look of this colourful town. I didn't know whether I… Read more of "Guanajuato: the prettiest town in Mexico"

Oaxaca is a colourful city. The buildings are bright yellow and orange and blue. Women in embroidered huipiles sell tropical fruits in doorways and VW beetles of every colour whizz down the streets. And then there's the street art. Walk around the city for any length of time and… Read more of "A street art guide to Oaxaca, Mexico"

Oaxaca itself is fairly small, but there are lots of great day trip options close to the city. It's surrounded by indigenous villages, mountains, waterfalls and ancient ruins that are all fairly easy to get to using public transport or taxis. Here are three we enjoyed during our… Read more of "Beyond Oaxaca: three day trip ideas"

We've found it difficult to figure out what to do this year. In January, Colin's long-term contract came to an end, which left us undecided about what to do next. Should we continue south to Ecuador and Columbia as planned? Or would it be cheaper to stay in Mexico? Should we add… Read more of "Making plans"