A Georgian Journey - Part One

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A Georgian Journey - Part One

In September 2024 we spent three weeks travelling around Georgia, a country we’d been wanting to visit for some time. What did we know about Georgia before going there? We knew that Georgia is a small country sitting to the south of the Caucasus Mountains; that it had a history of winemaking going back thousands of years; that it was one of the first nations to declare Christianity as the state religion; and that it had been invaded many times by its much larger neighbours. But the Georgian people and their culture and traditions had remained resilient. We wanted to know more. Here’s what we found.

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The Canary Islands - Gran Canaria

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The Canary Islands - Gran Canaria

Dodgy Knees recently published a post from Ken’s brother Brett and wife Linda on their trip in 2018 to Chefchaouen – Morocco’s Blue City. On the same trip they also visited the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. Despite its reputation as a tourist hotspot they found it to be remarkably uncrowded and relaxing. Definitely recommended. Here is their report.

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Iberian Images

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Iberian Images

In April 2013 we did a three week road trip around the Iberian Peninsula - Spain and Portugal. Starting in Madrid we did a clockwise circuit including Cordoba, Grenada, Seville, Lisbon, Porto, San Sebastian, and Barcelona.

Three weeks was barely enough time to scratch the surface. We loved every minute and vowed to return one day. In the spirit of nostalgia here are some of our favourite images from that trip.

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Discovering Ikaria

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Discovering Ikaria

The Greek island of Ikaria sits in the northern Aegean Sea close to the Turkish coast. It doesn’t have the profile of a Santorini, Mykonos or a Crete. The advantage of this, for travellers who venture there, is that it doesn’t have the big tourist numbers of its better-known brethren.

We spent a few very enjoyable days there in June 2017 with our friends Ron and Ellen, who were holidaying on the island. We knew nothing about Ikaria before we went, but discovered a wonderful destination full of great locations and experiences. If you get a chance to visit, here are a few possibilities to put on your list.

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Spring Sunshine in the Western Balkans

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Spring Sunshine in the Western Balkans

This post describes a road trip we did traveling through the Western Balkans, that is the region that sits on the Eastern Adriatic and Ionian Seas. We started in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and moved south through Montenegro and Albania before arriving on the Greek island of Corfu. The trip took two weeks and was made in glorious late Mediterranean spring sunshine, with temperatures from the mid 20’s to the low 30’s.

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The Path of the Gods - Amalfi Coast (as a Day Trip from Naples)

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The Path of the Gods - Amalfi Coast (as a Day Trip from Naples)

The Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei) is a walking trail that runs along the monumental cliffs of the Amalfi Coast in Italy. It is 6 kilometres of some of the most spectacular coastal scenery you’re likely to see anywhere in the world.

We were keen to do the walk, which takes 2 – 3 hours, and to do it as a day trip from Naples where we were based. This post describes how we went about it and some comments on the walk.

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Ten Things We Learned in Malta

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Ten Things We Learned in Malta

This was our first visit to Malta. Ken’s dad, Don had moved there two years ago so our main motivation for the trip was to see him. We had just four days there but learned a lot about this small and fascinating island nation in that time. It has a very complex and interesting history along with a few quirky features that make it like no other Mediterranean destination.

Here are ten things we learned during our stay that helped to make it so enjoyable.

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The Most Serene Republic of San Marino

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The Most Serene Republic of San Marino

How can you be in Italy, yet not be in Italy? OK, so smarty pants people will immediately say “the Vatican”, and yes they are correct. But what about another country? What about tiny San Marino, embedded in the north east of Italy? It's full title is "The Most Serene Republic of San Marino". At only 61 square kms it’s one of Europe’s smallest nations. We felt that we just had to pay it a visit.

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Five Things to do in Oslo That Won’t Break the Bank

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Five Things to do in Oslo That Won’t Break the Bank

Oslo, the capital of Norway, is an interesting and attractive city. There is Viking history, world famous art, ancient castles, and excellent parks, just to name a few possibilities. But Oslo can be an expensive city, one of the costliest to visit in Europe. While you won’t get by without spending any money, here are five things to do in Oslo that are affordable for most people and represent some of Oslo’s main attractions.

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