Entering the new year we had no plans to go anywhere until a trip to Portugal in early March but you know what they say about plans. A great deal with Iceland Air saw us heading to Iceland for a short four day break at the end of January. What a trip it was, a huge fall of snow the day before we arrived made a true winter wonderland. Cold with clear blue sky by day and the right atmospheric conditions to see the northern lights at night. Iceland is a magical place and re have tentative plans to return in the summer months and drive a circuit of the country.
We had two trips to Portugal in 2019, the first in March saw some pleasantly warm days which we used to good effect to explore parts of the Algarve by train. The result of dipping out toes into the region in spring was that we booked a much longer trip for November, renting an apartment through Airbnb for a very favourable out of season rate. The short November days were sunny and pleasantly warm and this time, with the help of a hire care, were able to really explore the region. At the end of our stay we took the train from Faro to Lisbon for a few days and had a great time exploring the city but the weather was rather changeable.
A return to Berlin in the late spring had been much anticipated and the city did not disappoint. Having done the main touristy the previous autumn this trip allowed us time to explore the neighbourhoods of Friedrichshain and Kreutzberg. We are real fans of walking tours and an excellent tour of the street art of Berlin was one of the highlights of the trip.
The wedding of friends in Provence in early July gave us the opportunity for a slow meander across southern France on our way there. Flying into Toulouse we enjoyed the medieval city of Carcassonne and the wine growing regions of the Languedoc. A visit and tasting at Mas de Daumas Gassac was probably the highlight here. Provence itself was very hot but a very enjoyable weekend of celebrations was had by all. As with the Algarve a trip to the sights of Provence is probably best enjoyed out of season and we plan to return as soon as we can.
Finally a trip to Krakow in early September and what an amazing city it was and so cheap compared to many cities in Europe. There is so much to do in the area but visits to the salt mines at Wieliczka and the former concentration camp at Auschwitz should be at the top of any must do list for visitors.
As we begin 2020 we’re finalising plans for a return trip to Australia so there is lots more to come.