A few from Madrid

Hola! It's been a while. And in that while, I've taken a bit of time out from London and headed to a different capital - Madrid. I spent a whirlwind 3 days there and I was sad to go. It felt like a second home by the time we left.

The Secret Garden and lessons learned

Our final day, we slowed down and took on the role of the flaneur. Which is just a fancier way of saying wandering aimlessly, i.e. being a tourist. After a lie-in and a leisurely breakfast, we headed towards another recommendation: The Secret Garden.

You can't go wrong with a cheeseboard

I'm not sure why we only really associate cheeseboards with Christmas in England. If I had it my way, I'd indulge year round - but then maybe I wouldn't appreciate them so much? The combo of cheese, crackers and chutney is my weakness; once I have one, I can't stop.

A few from Lisbon

My trip was well timed. As the season changed, I said goodbye to the last quarter of the year and what it represented to me, and hopped on a plane. Three hours later, in Portugal, I felt lighter. And as the warmth hit my skin, I could breathe deeper too.

Croatia with Medsailors: Bol, Stari Grad, Split

The morning after what was a late one for many in Hvar, we had a quiet breakfast before setting off to our next destination. We'd heard whispers that we might not be able to visit Bol, but nothing had been confirmed yet, so we were left waiting, waiting...