Me: a bit confused. “What tea? You know I only drink coffee.”

18 year old sister gives me side eye and laughs. “Nevermind.”

Me: “what? What? TELL ME!”

UGH. This basically sums up a good 10 percent of our conversations while travelling, and yes, I’ve never felt my 31 years more than this past June while in Spain with my 18 year old sister on her high school graduation trip. Sister travel, let’s do this.

I maybe be all big and famous on Instagram but the reality is that I’m still a dork and STILL out of the loop and have no idea what these youths are saying.

Turns out “tea” is a metaphor for gossip, for all you equally old and dorky folks out there. You’re welcome.

This is one of an infinite number of moments where I felt super old on this sister trip to Spain. You see my beautiful half-sister is enjoying her last summer before going off to college in the fall. Over a year ago I promised once she graduates high school, we could go on a trip together.

We’ve been looking forward to this for a very long time.

And the time finally arrived, and she wanted to go to Spain, a place that has long held a huge part of my heart, and I place where I really began to grow up and get my first taste of travel; where I learned to become independent. How amazing to share with my younger sister?

Cue all the nostalgia, all of the “oh I remember when…” moments from when she was born up until now. She’s so well-spoken and put together, much more than I ever was at her age.

I mean, I remember when she was a baby, and when she barfed on me once when she was a toddler at the beach and when she started school for the first time. And now she’s taller than me and going to college!

OMG I’m not ready!

If this is what having kids is like, count me out!

I first moved to Spain when I was only a year older than she was now. My first great adventure overseas was when I was 19 and I studied abroad for a year in Salamanca, Spain’s renowned university city, and also (equally important) home to the most bars per person in the country with a nonexistent drinking age.

I would call home and chat with her and she was only a little girl.

But back in the day, we didn’t have iPhones and used calling cards at internet cafes and you could still smoke inside the bars and Instagram wasn’t a thing, travel insurance didn’t even cross my mind, and flying by the seat of my pants was the only way I knew how to live.

If I had a couple hundred bucks in my bank account, I was stoked! I used to save money by couch-surfing and sleeping in airports, spending every euro on a trip or an adventure. Consumed by curiosity for the world and the newfound freedom of adulthood, I wanted to see and do it all!

I was unstoppable.

In retrospect, I also can’t help but reflect on all those crazy moments that led me to developing a lifelong passion and love for travel. And also all those memories where now I’m all like, man, how did I survive?

I won’t go into details (perhaps because I truly can’t remember) but your girl was FUN.

The very definition of winging it without a care in the world, I lived perilously close to the edge for a long time, convinced of my own immortality, with a very whimsical “c’est la vie” attitude that kept me going. The “what-ifs” and “oh shit” moments back when I was 19, didn’t seem to matter.

Consequences were temporary, but a damn good story lasts forever. Trust me, I’ve got heaps.

And so began my 10 day walk down memory lane with my sister through Spain, beginning and ending in Madrid with a jaunt up to Northern Spain for a week in between. Is there anything better than summer in Europe when you’re young?

It didn’t take long for me to utterly bore her with those “oh when I was your age…” narratives that promise nothing but eye rolls and deep sighs. I mean, I get it. No one likes that condescending life lesson from older people, it’s super annoying; and yet I couldn’t stop myself.

And therein lies the deeply personal conflict I felt on this trip – wanting to both bond and have an unforgettable time with my sister but also remembering how wild I was when I was her age and I would honestly lose my mind if I saw her do the things I did.

Lucky for me, she is a good egg, as we say in New Zealand, and the genes of wanting to push every single button possible and laugh while doing it skipped her generation. Phew!

Beautiful, sweet, kind but also fun, I couldn’t think of a better person to share my favorite country with. My face hurt from smiling so much to see her joy in visiting all of these cool places and watch her fall more in love with travel too.

It took a decade for me to hone my travel intuition and skills, a decade of screw-ups and unpredictable adventures, that taught me more than I could have ever learned anywhere. That’s what I hoped to share with her, to teach her travel skills and preparedness but also the sweet joy of spontaneity while on the road.

It’s a delicate balance in travel, walking that tightrope in between being prepared and smart AND not being too anxious or fearful.

It was in these moments that I truly felt my purpose, after a decade of inspiring you guys to travel more and step out of your comfort zones, here I had the chance to do the same firsthand with my own sister. I could teach her how to be an amazing traveller too. How cool is that?

“Christ. Don’t be an idiot and leave your purse out like that. You’re asking to be mugged. BE VIGILANT.”

Why is it that all tact goes out the window when you’re travelling with family and the people you love the most? Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever learn.

And so it began, a journey together in Spain. Visiting new places together and returning to some of my old haunts that shaped and made me who I am today.

It was so cool to return to places like Toledo, Bilbao and San Sebastián, where I used to visit in my ESL teaching days, before social media. I’m also not going to lie, it was pretty cool to go back to these spots from my early twenties now that I’m in my early thirties and not broke AF.

I also made sure to remind her all the time she was getting lucky now that I have reached a certain expectation of travel comfort, and therefore she reaped the benefits of it travelling with me, i.e. there’s no amount of money you could pay me now to step foot in a backpackers.

I told her how I used to never be prepared, how I’d travel with basically no money and end up in a shit creek on the regular, in the hopes that she’d be smarter and more practical than me in her future travels. Utterly ruthless in my anecdotes of being the cool older sister in Spain, I was determined to lead by example. Or not.

Taking the time to share my best travel advice and tips for her, like how I’ve always made sure I’ve had travel insurance for years. I told her about how now I buy an annual policy with Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI), my go-to provider for all things insurance related on all my travels around the world, and how I can’t imagine how reckless I was when I was her age to not look after myself like this.

Obviously I taught her other important things like how to drink vermouth like a local in Madrid and the importance of picking the right jamón serrano to eat, and how I just couldn’t bring myself to go to the discotecas to dance until dawn like I used to.

I LOVE saying yes to seemingly crazy new adventures and returning to Spain with her, and SCTI really gives me the freedom to explore the world with peace of mind.

So what’s the verdict? Have I empowered, inspired and shaped by beautiful sister into being an expert traveller at the tender age of 18?

Who knows but I can say at least I helped try and share how I travel around the world safely. Not to mention showing her how to prepare for overseas adventures.

I can also happily report there were no pickpocketings and/or muggings from our time in golden Spain. And most importantly, how to get your overweight bags packed with too many things from the Spanish summer sales checked in for free. You’re welcome, baby sister. Til next time!

Have you ever traveled with a sibling like this? Any good sister travel stories? Do you have nostalgia for a place like Spain when you were younger? Any advice to share? Spill!

Many thanks to SCTI for sponsoring this post – like always I’m keeping it real  – all opinions are my own, like you can expect less from me!

The post Nostalgia and adventure: returning back to Spain with my little sister appeared first on Young Adventuress.

Personally, I need to reset mine about once a month. But does that ever happen? Nope.

Thanks to my blog, I get to travel all over the world. Every day I wake up and am so grateful I’ve managed to turn my dreams into reality. But it takes it’s toll. Travel for the sake of travel or a holiday is not the same as traveling for work. And, when you’re job is to travel like a holiday? Well, that’s just downright confusing.

I’m not quite sure what I am saying except that I am almost never not working. Even when I’m traveling, I’m working 24/7, and it’s exhausting.

So for the first time in quite a long time, I decided to take a vacation. You know, like a real one.

I took a week for myself when I was in Europe in May after traveling with my parents around Ireland (exhausting), and did what normal people do, I booked myself a holiday.

Where does one go on holiday when she quite literally has the world at her fingertips? Back to one of my favorite haunts, Spain.

Spain is where it all began for me and this blog, seven years ago when I was an English teacher, and I have definitely left part of my soul there. I love Spain so much, and miss it a lot now that I live on the exact opposite side of the world – New Zealand.

And where in Spain was calling me the most? Asturias in the far north.

For me, northern Spain will always hold a piece of my heart. It’s a place that’s often overlooked by travelers to Spain, even Spaniards, yet it’s one of my absolute favorite places on earth. From wild beaches to beautiful mountains to quaint villages to delicious food and cider, Asturias has it all.

I booked myself a cheap flight down to Oviedo from London and rented a car. This was actually my first time driving in Spain, and I was ridiculously excited about it. When I lived in Spain in university and as an English teacher, I could never afford to rent a car, especially as I can only drive automatics (American over here) and those are much more expensive to rent than a manual car in Spain.

Needless to say, I felt very grown up. Especially when the nice lady at the desk upgraded me to a zippy red Audi.

Zoom zoom!

I booked an adorable Airbnb in an old village outside Villaviciosa.

I wanted to stay in a small quaint apartment where I could just hide away, cook my own meals and have a nice view and feel at home. I spent 40 euros on all my food for the week (quite a bit of it was cured ham and wine), again a nice change from the hundreds of dollars it costs to feed myself in Wanaka.

Don’t forget you can join Airbnb today using my code for $30 off your trip.

The last time I was in Asturias was two years ago, and I completely fell in love with it. I was excited to come back on my own on vacation and take my time there.

I divided my time equally between just being a hermit in the apartment and going exploring. I returned to a few of my favorite spots from the last trip there and also spent some time wandering around back roads and taking in new sites.

While I certainly took photos, I didn’t take anywhere near as many as I would have had I been working or on a campaign. Instead I used my vacation as a change to really fall back in love with photography, shooting what I wanted to without an agenda or any pressure.

Sometimes I didn’t bring my cameras with me. And I definitely didn’t take photos of things where I just wanted to be present. It was exactly what I needed when I needed it.

Here are some of my favorite places, spaces and moments from a weeklong holiday in Asturias I wanted to share with you all, enjoy!

Have you been to Asturias or even heard of it? Where do you go when you need to hit the reset button?

Cudillero is definitely one of the prettiest seaside villages in Spain.

Don’t you want to live here?

Many of the seaside villages in Asturias are whitewashed and colorful like Cudillero.

First things first, dulce de leche ice cream in the sunshine.

View from my Airbnb outside Villaviciosa – it’s a tiny village and many of the historic houses are abandoned or being restored.

A church in Niembro, Llanes.

Seaside village of Llanes.

The mountainous village of Sotres.

If you visit Asturias, you’ve got to head into the Picos de Europa National Park.

It’s lush and full of hidden little spots like this bridge.

Mountains upon mountains await you when you travel Asturias Spain.

The iconic Naranjo de Bulnes peak in Asturias – unmissable.

Rocking my Blinders Optics sunnies, started by one of my college besties

Río Cares cuts through the mountains of Asturias

Hot wheels car! Very fun on the winding mountain roads in Asturias.

Checking out the seaside village of Tazones

Exploring the historic mountain site around Covadonga

The Sanctuary of Covadonga which commemorates the famous Battle of Covadonga, where Iberian Christians defeated the Moors for the first time in 722 and started the Reconquista

One of my favorite coastal towns in Asturias is Lastres

The post My Spanish summer holiday in photos appeared first on Young Adventuress.

I just realized it’s been way too long since I’ve written about my beloved Spain and I thought I’d share some of my reasons to love Madrid.

For those of you who are new to the blog, I lived in Spain for three years on and off before moving to New Zealand in 2013. Spain has always been one of my homes, and I hope it always will be. And while I’ve called Salamanca, Cordoba and Logroño home, I realized I have neglected to talk about a place where I spent quite a bit of time over the years – Madrid.

For me, Madrid is the heart of Spain and it’s a place I know really well. Geographically the center of the country, it’s also the center for travel and work and I pretty much am always passing through there over the years. It’s where many of my friends are and it’s a massive hub for expats. I know it well.

For some reason Madrid doesn’t always have the best rep – people tend to compare it to Barcelona a lot. Madrid versus Barcelona is more than just an epic soccer rivalry, and tourists tend to love the flashy beachside Catalán capital a lot more than traditional Madrid. Having spent a lot of time in both, I can safely say I hate Barcelona and love Madrid.

For me, Madrid is the real Spain. It doesn’t get anymore Spanish than Madrid. With great food, amazing arts and culture, historic neighborhoods, adorable old man bats, fabulous shopping and super fun events, not to mention it’s the center for just about anywhere, Madrid a very livable lively city. I have so much nostalgia for it, especially in summer!

Why have I not talked about this before on the blog? Why? Better late than never, I guess.

I visited Madrid for the first time in 2005, spent a lot of time there in 2007/2008 and finally lived there for the first time in the summer of 2009 which researching for my college senior thesis at the National Library and have been coming back on and off ever since.

Even though Madrid is a well-known city, for me it doesn’t feel touristy. It still has an authentic, traditional Spanish vibe that I love and adore. And while I generally always enjoy being in the countryside or small towns, I really also love big cities, especially ones that I know pretty well.

I spent over a week chilling out in Madrid a year ago and thought I’d piecemeal together some bits and pieces of my time there and why I love Madrid so much. I literally spent so much time there that I had to force myself to leave and head south to go exploring!

There are so many reasons to love Madrid. Far from being any sort of clear guide of what to do or what not to do in Madrid on holiday, and since I have never really gone to Madrid for a holiday anyways, I thought I’d go ahead and share personal reasons for why I love Madrid, what keeps bringing me back there and where my favorite haunts are.

Enjoy!

1. Pigging out on all the amazing food

It’s no secret, I love food; and Madrid has some banger Spanish food which by default means I love Madrid. And since Madrid is usually my first stop on my way to or from Spain, I always start my stay with eating my favorite Spanish food.

Bring on the ham!

Since I had left Spain, a good friend of mine Lauren from Spanish Sabores launched Madrid Food Tours which have grown massively over the years. I was so stoked to check them out when I was in Madrid. While I know a lot about Spanish food (mostly if it’s delicious or not and what wine to pair it with) I don’t know that much about the history behind it, which is why I wanted to give it a try and learn more.

I’ve known Lauren since the very beginning of my blog over six years ago when we were both English teachers and I’m so impressed with the business she has built out of a passion over the years.

I opted for the Huertas neighborhood food and market tour since it was I place I didn’t know that well. I am a big believer that you can learn a lot about a country through its food and traditions, so I recommend taking food tours whenever you get the chance as a introduction to a new place. It’s also a great way to experience a city like a local.

A morning tour, don’t eat anything before showing up! You’ve been warned.

Exploring all over Huertas, we got a literal and figurative taste for pretty much every aspect of the Spanish diet. From churros with chocolate to the mighty acorn-fed cured ham to the typical cheeses to tapas to drinks, you literally get it all with stories and history and interesting travel tips woven in.

It’s the perfect introduction to food in Madrid but also to Spain and great for people like me who just love to eat!

2. Airbnb on Gran Vía

My last trip to Spain I spent most of my time staying around Gran Vía. If I’m only there for a short amount of time I like to be as central as possible. Gran Vía is like the Broadway of Madrid, a huge ornate boulevard that sprawls through the center and is near the famous Plaza del Sol. But even though it’s big, it’s super easy to turn down a side street and get lost for hours.

Also Gran Vía has like every major shop you could ever want, and I always look forward to heading back to Spain and buying as much Zara, Mango and everything else that I can get my hands on. No shame.

I stayed in a super cute Airbnb right next to Gran Via, it was tiny and adorable, perfect for solo travelers. Airbnb’s are really affordable in Madrid and you can get ones that are very central. While I often stay in hotels on work trips and campaigns which I love, I tend to prefer apartments when I am on my own or have longer to explore a certain place. This time around in Spain I mostly stayed in Airbnb’s.

If you want something more intimate, my favorite other neighborhoods are Malasaña or La Latina – my friend Lauren has a good blog about neighborhoods here.

Sign up to Airbnb with this coupon and get $32 in credit! You’re welcome!

3. Hanging at the Prado

The Prado is Spain’s greatest art museum, and I first visited back when I was in high school over a decade ago – what?!

Seeing works like Velázquez’s Las Meninas after reading about it in my Spanish high school textbook is something that sparked my deep love for travel. The journey to seeing or experiencing something you’ve heard about for a long time is quite special for me. Like an art pilgrimage. I am a huge history and art nerd, so I absolutely fizz at museums and love spending a lot of time in them. Especially ones that have as great of collections as the Prado.

I kid you not, every single time I am in Madrid, I got to the Prado. And I often go back multiple times when I’m there, I just love it. By now I’ve been dozens of times, especially as you get free admission for the last two hours of every day.

Here is 16 year old me in Spain for the first time (green dress) – glad to see my posture hasn’t improved

4. Naps at Buen Retiro

El Parque del Buen Retiro is a massive old public park in the center of Madrid. As someone who loves green spaces, it makes me so happy to find one this big in the heart of an urban jungle.

There’s a lake you can paddle around in, so many gardens and terraces where you can sit out in the sun, or take naps in the grass after a long morning at the museums nearby. Though one of my favorite places is the old Crystal Palace.

Retiro is the kind of place that exists on any traveler’s must-do list for Madrid, but it’s worth it. And it’s big enough you never really feel crowded there and a great place to try out a siesta and sleep off a hangover. Cough cough.

5. Tapas at Mercado de San Miguel

If you find yourself in the center of Madrid with a hankering for tapas but have no idea where to start, head to the famous Mercado de San Miguel. While it could seem to be very touristy, and trust me, it can be. At the same time it’s a really traditional and affordable market.

While you can pick up your bits and pieces and get an idea of staple ingredients in the healthy Spanish diet, there are also plenty of tapas waiting to be had here.

Wear your stretch pants.

Source

6. Getting lost among the cute streets

My favorite pastime in Madrid is to wander and get lost amongst the cute streets and quirky neighborhoods. Madrid is a very walk-able city so it’s worth it to just wander around though you can always hop on the Metro if you need to go further.

Luckily Madrid has those in abundance. You could live there for years and never explore them all. Since I flew in from New Zealand I was incredibly jetlagged and tired once I got to Spain; I was wide awake around 5am which meant I went for plenty of early morning walks around the city. Oh how times have changed. When I lived in Madrid in my early twenties, the only time I saw the city at 5am was when I was stumbling home from the discotecas.

I definitely suggest building in time to just wander around and explore. You’ll find the cutest places that way. And definitely check out the Huertas neighborhood food tour with Devour Madrid – you’ll get to explore the old Literary Quarter of Madrid and get to eat well at the same time!

7. Rooftop sunsets

This last time I was in Madrid, I was really starting to get into my photography and wanted to go up to a beautiful spot for sunset. After doing a little research I realized that near where I was staying on Gran Vía is the Círculo de Bellas Artes which has an epic rooftop bar called Tartán Roof.

It’s amazing and has some of the best views of Madrid I’ve seen, enjoy!

8. Day trips galore

One of the best things about Madrid is that it’s geographically in the center of Spain and it’s very well connected to pretty much everywhere, especially by train which is my preferred form of transport. On most of my longer trips in Europe I end up traveling with an Eurail train pass which helps get me around. Since I was just in Spain I used the one country pass this time around.

Ever since I first started visiting, there were three places I would always end up going on day trips from the city. Toledo, Segovia and El Escorial. While I didn’t get around to visiting these spots on my last trip, they are still amazing spots that I want to go back to.

Toledo is an ancient city on a hill that has one of the best views in Spain and it’s an easy quick train ride from Madrid; you can even get there on the high speed train. Segovia is another favorite spot outside Madrid with an ancient Roman aqueduct and a Disney-esque fairytale castle. Finally another famous daytrip I often make is to El Escorial which was the historical residence of the king of Spain. Along with the nearby grim and controversial Valle de los Caídos, where Franco is buried, it’s the perfect daytrip from the capital.

9. Indulging at the Corte Inglés

No shame – I love El Corte Inglés – Spain’s major mega department store. I go into the one in Sol in the morning and can spend all day there AND not even buy anything! Just sucks me in!

10. Enjoy the Madrileño lifestyle

But above all I love Madrid because of it’s vibe. A very Spanish city that while it could be fast-paced and have a hustle lifestyle, it still manages to maintain a sense of peacefulness about it. I love hanging out on the terraces with friends eating and drinking after work, going shopping on the weekends, going on walks through the park and just enjoy being there.

Like most places in Spain people are friendly and social and enjoy being out and about instead of stuck inside. It’s cheap and affordable and beautiful to boot, what’s not to love?

Have you been to Madrid? Do you love it too? Madrid versus Barcelona? Where’s your favorite city to eat?

The post So, I really love Madrid appeared first on Young Adventuress.

Guys, I’ve been suffering from some serious nostalgia for a European summer.

This time last year I was lounging on the beach in the Costa Brava in Spain drinking mojitos and working on my tan. Now I am back at home in New Zealand, waking up to frosty mornings and lighting the fire to warm the house up and wearing my down parka and beanie inside waiting for the snows to come. Not the same, guys.

Both have their merits but man, do I miss those bluebird summer days in southern Europe, especially Spain.

I don’t think Europe is on the cards for me this summer, at least not the summery warm Europe I have been dreaming about. For some reason I keep planning snow trips. Why Liz, why??

Plus, I already had my getaway from the chilly winter down under by escaping to Sri Lanka and the Maldives for 3 weeks, and not even I am greedy enough to try and squeeze in another vacation haha.

But I still miss Europe. And I definitely miss living in Spain sometimes. I guess we always want what we can’t have right?

You guys know how much nostalgia I have for anything travel, so this comes as no surprise.

But it also leads to my next point which is a nice giveaway opportunity for you guys. Cheapflights is giving away $2000 for you to spend on flights to getaway from winter. Details at the end of the post.

I know where I would be going – straight back to the old world! I’d fly to London which is the gateway to Europe, and where so many cheap flights route through. I always buy my flights super last minute to get the best deals. And also I’m not that organized. When I flew home from Spain last summer I booked my ticket the day before!

Santorini? Southern Spain? The Turkish coast? The Swiss Alps? The Lake District? My list is enormous.

I’ve spent so many summers in Europe since becoming an adult, it’s almost become part of me. From backpacking in Croatia to sailing around Greece to trainhopping with a rail pass around Switzerland, I’ve left no corner untouched.

If I won, I would head back to Spain and rent a house by the sea. Sigh.

So come along and join me as I muse and go for a long leisurely stroll down memory lane and smile thinking about all the things I love about Europe in summer.

1. Flowers, flowers everywhere

Probably my favorite thing about the warmer months in Europe are the fact that there are flowers everywhere. It’s just so colorful. Heaven!

Almost anywhere you walk you get whiffs of flowers in the hot air, something that reminds me of my time living in Southern Spain where you can smell orange blossoms everywhere. It’s also the time of year where I start to get in trouble when I sneak into people’s courtyards following the flowers. I just can’t help myself!

Serious nostalgia guys. And easy Instagrammable shots.

2. Lazy days sitting at cafes outside

I could (and do) spend hours sitting at cafes in Europe outside in the sun in the summer watching people walk by and doing absolutely nothing except drinking coffee. Or wine. Or pastries.

And I LOVE IT!

Sometimes it turns into a big night out with friends, but most of the time I bring a book; I just love just spending my time soaking up the amazing euro cafe scene in summer. It’s the best!

3. Cobblestone streets

Ok ok, not particularly summery as streets are streets 365 days of the year, but it is something I am super nostalgic about.

I miss the cobbles!

Not that I am super fond of them when I am in Europe as they are a general pain in the ass to negotiate in heels, and quite frankly hurt. But I love the idea of cobbled streets, with my feet slapping away in leather sandals as I stroll about getting lost on purpose.

I must be a romantic at heart.

4. Chilled wine 

Chilled white wine or rosé on patios outside in the summer, is there anything better? Street musicians plating in the distance, a general hum and buzz of people moving about enjoying life? I love it.

5. Beach days on the Mediterranean

Nothing beats long summer days laying on the beach somewhere on the Mediterranean. Seriously guys, nothing beats it!

It’s also something I love because I’ve been doing it for as long as I have been coming to Europe because the beaches are just so cheap and accessible. It’s not all about sailing around on private yachts. They are totally affordable holidays.

From Paxos and Corfu, Greece to Nerja, Spain to Brindisi in Italy, I have so many fave beach spots. Take me back! And that water color, unreal!

6. Days that never end

Maybe it’s just Spain, but I love the long summer days where the sun doesn’t seem to set until 11pm. And that’s when the day starts.

7. Walking through forests and olive groves

If I’m in southern Europe, I love walking around the olive groves at sunrise and sunset. They just smell so good. Hot and fresh, and with the world still sleeping, you feel completely at peace.

If I am in other places I love going for easy walks in the dense forest. It reminds me of home back in Virginia.

See guys, serious nostalgia problems over here.

8. All the festivals

Facebook, which seems to know more about my life than I do, kindly reminded me this morning that 4 years ago today I was partying my butt off at San Fermín, the famous running of the bulls in Pamplona.

My head hurts just thinking about it, but in a good way.

9. Long meals outside

When I think of Italy, I think of food. All I do is eat when I’m there, I turn into a machine.

I have such great memories of cooking classes in Tuscany and long lunches and dinners with friends that seem to never end. It’s like time doesn’t matter there.

So refreshing!

10. Don’t forget to enter to win!

Giveaway details:

To help you escape the chills this winter down under, Cheapflights has a competition for you to win $2000 to spend on flights! You guys have a serious chance of winning, so be sure to enter.

It’s too easy:

• First post a picture on Instagram that represents your ‘summer dreaming’ and add a caption that best sums up the photo
• Tag @cheapflights in the post and use the hashtag #CheapflightsWinterEscape.

The competition is open to residents in Australia and New Zealand aged 18 years and over only. Entries close 18 July 2016 at 11.55pm BST, so get on it! You’re welcome!

UPDATE – contest is now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Many thanks to Cheapflights for giving me mad Europe nostalgia and for this competition. Like always, I’m keeping it real – all opinions are my own – like you could expect less from me!

The post Nostalgia for summer in Europe appeared first on Young Adventuress.

Oh man, has it been a while since I’ve written about what has become my favorite little corner of Spain: Asturias. Seriously guys, Asturias is Spain’s best-kept secret.

Honestly, I am kicking myself for only visiting last year for the first time, and not during all the years when I actually lived in Spain and it was right there!

Anyways, thinking back, if I had to hanker a guess as to why this little region in northern Spain tugged at my heartstrings so much, it might be because it ticks so many boxes of my favorite things. Cute villages, historic houses, delicious food, friendly people, big mountains, rolling green hills, and a wild coastline.

Seriously, Asturias packs a punch. What more could you want?

But what I might have loved the most was the amazing coastline along Asturias. The whole region stretches along the sea, so you are never too far from a beach or two.

I was also amazed at the diversity of beaches. There are sweeping sea cliffs that tower over wild waves that remind me of New Zealand as well as white sandy beaches with tropical blue water begging you for a swim.

And don’t even get me started on the quaint and colorful villages and towns that dot the coastline. I think I could pick up my life and move to any one of them and find myself content. That’s pretty much my standard measurement for how much I like a place.

It’s too good not to share, so sit back and enjoy my little impromptu guide to the amazing coast and beaches of Asturias, Spain!

Asturias wins at beach names!

1. Lastres

Honest to god, I can’t pick a favorite place in Asturias, but for some reason I really really loved Lastres. I loved the look of the town, the amazing cider there and have great memories of how lovely everyone I met there was.

The burnt red roofs of the white hillside stood out to me wherever I walked and the cobbled streets made me feel like I stepped back in time.

This was a place I really want to get to know better.

2. Playa del Silencio

What a spot, what a spot!

I remember the road to the Playa del Silencio (Silent Beach) was rather tricky, and parking even trickier, but man oh man was it worth it! It’s like as if Asturias dreamed up the perfect beach, and poof, it appeared here.

15km from Cudillero, It’s a perfect rocky cove with a sandy beach and crystal clear water. It’s a bit of a walk to it, but it’s worth it.

3. Cudillero

I’ve already dished about this amazing little fishing village, but it MUST be included. Cudillero is probably the most picturesque place in Asturias, and it’s fairly well-known and considered “touristy.” That being said, I think you have to take that with a grain of salt because tourist in Asturias is not very touristy at all.

Colorful shutters, whitewashed houses, a bright blue harbor and amazing terraces where you could sit for hours in the sunshine sipping cider and thinking about nothing. Heaven.

Take me back, Cudillero, por favor!

4. Playa de Gulpiyuri

How many places in the world can boast of a landlocked beach? A beach without a view of the sea? And did I mention it’s in the middle of a meadow?

Well guys, it exists, and it’s Asturias, at a magical place called Playa de Gulpiyuri. A flooded sinkhole near Llanes, it’s 100 meters from the sea, but thanks to a series of tunnels and caves, it’s connected to the sea so there are tidal flows and even waves.

Though you can’t see it in my photo, imagine that you can hear the sounds of the sea as the tide ebbs and flows.

5. Llanes

Another beautiful fishing port, Llanes is tucked away almost on the border of Cantabria with great views to the foothills of the Picos de Europa mountains. It’s the gateway to many of the wild beaches that make Asturias so freaking special.

6. Playa de Torimbia

Playa de Torimbia is one of the most epic places I’ve ever watched the sunset. Endless rocky outcrops and beachy coves and little islands dot the coastline as far as you can see from the lookout above.

The waves roll in the most perfect sets and make me want to try my hand at surfing again here.

7. Ribadesella

I had really moody weather for my time in Ribadesella, but it was ok. This colorful town was beautiful and full of old casas indianas, mansions styled after colonial houses in the Americas jutting against the dense greenery.

8. Niembru

Niembru was one of those places we just were passing through but I had to yell “stop stop”and get out and explore a little bit. The sun was setting and the sky turned bright orange over the still waters of the estuary as the tide began to move and the little white church perched on it’s edge felt like something out of a fairytale.

It couldn’t have been more otherworldly.

9. Luarca

Luarca is another one of those beautiful white seaside towns in Asturias with dots of color everywhere. Seriously, Asturias?! I can’t keep all these amazing places straight! There are too many!

Luarca definitely had the most picturesque harbor filled with old wooden boats of different colors dotting along the bright blue water.

We grabbed a massive seafood lunch outside in the sun here and just enjoyed Luarca for what it was.

I fell head over heels in love with Asturias when I was there, and so many of these seaside beaches and towns had a big impact on me. As much as I love living in the mountains, there is something just so natural about being by the ocean. Combined with everything else Asturias had to offer, it’s no surprise really that I want to live here one day.

Sigh, I better start saving.

Have you heard of Asturias before? Are you a seaside person too? Do any of these spots sound appealing? Share!

Many thanks to Tourism Asturias for hosting me in Spain, like always I’m keeping it real – all opinions are my own, like you could expect less from me!

The post An impromptu guide to coastal Asturias in Spain appeared first on Young Adventuress.

Sevilla is one of the first places I ever visited in Spain, way back when circa 2004. The heart of Andalucía – it’s the typical Spain you envision. It has it all. Flamenco. Old stuff. Warm weather with hot winds that smell like orange blossoms. Honestly, it is all kinds of ridiculous.

Sevilla is bright and colorful and it’s everything I love about Spain.

When I lived in Spain, Sevilla was one of those spots I’d pass through a lot. I have such amazing memories from there. It was one of those places that made me fall in love with Spain. If you ever visit, you’ll understand. Southern Spain is the best.

I was so excited to pass through Sevilla on my trip to Spain last summer. It was the first time I would be back in years and years. I love returning to my old haunts with fresh eyes, especially after becoming a blogger.

I’ve shared some postcard shots and snippets of my favorite stories from a couple of days returning to beautiful Sevilla last June – Enjoy.

Early morning walks around the barrio Santa Cruz

Because Sevilla is so classically beautiful, it means it’s popular. It’s like the Florence of Spain and come summer time, boom it’s busy busy busy.

I’ve never been a people person or a fan of crowds, and now after living in one of the least populated places on earth, it’s become even worse. I didn’t even try to take photos during the day around Santa Cruz, the main touristic and historic neighborhood.

But here’s a secret – if you go walk around early, there will be nobody around. 8am in Spain is like 6am in the rest of the world – it’s absolutely dead out and you’ll have the place to yourself.

Sneaking into the Catedral de Sevilla in before hours

On Instagram everyone asked me how I took these photos without people in them. Easy. I took them at 8am.

Are you ready for another secret? You can get into the famous cathedral before they open in the mornings while they set up for mass. Oh, and it’s free. Granted, some of the lights won’t be on and you can’t go up the Giralda Tower (that I know of) but you can get inside and ogle the amazing architecture and stare at Columbus’ tomb with nobody else around.

For some reason I can’t find any info about this online and maybe I am completely wrong and just walked in an open door and nobody noticed me. But even if that’s the case, there’s hope for you too. Good luck!

Falling in love with the charming Corral del Rey

Sometime in June, I caught a cheap bus into town with Busbud and headed down to the oldest part of the city to check into my room at the Corral del Rey, one of the cutest boutique hotels I’ve ever visited.

Without a doubt one of the things the miss the most about living in Europe are all the historic buildings. We don’t have a lot of Renaissance palaces or Roman tombs down here in New Zealand, and I sure miss them.

I lived in a historic apartment in Logroño in the medieval quarter, and OMG I miss it every day. I definitely took it for granted when I was in Spain.

The Corral del Rey is in the most beautiful restored 17th century building a few minutes from la Giralda and cathedral in the cute Barrio Alfalfa, so just my cup of tea. I fizz over buildings like this tucked away down narrow cobbled alleys, one day I hope to own one myself to restore a la Under the Tuscan Sun.

I guess I should work on being able to afford rent first though, right? Haha.

Woah, am I really thinking about a mortgage? What is happening to me?

I also just have to add that the Corral del Rey had one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had in Spain, which is saying something.

At least for me Spanish breakfasts usually leave something to be desired. I’m a brunch girl through and through and holy crap did I miss weekend eggs or fresh fruit muesli when I lived in Spain, as much as I love the traditional tomato bread and olive oil toast in the south.

The breakfast here was really impressive and beautifully displayed, so I had to mention it. I don’t know if you can dine in if you aren’t a guest, but it’s worth asking.

Sunset at the Plaza de España

Another thing I miss about living in Spain is the walkability. I loved being able to walk wherever I wanted to.

My last night in Sevilla I took a long walk towards the iconic Plaza de España. It had been a hot day and I was eager to visit this open space late in the afternoon once it began to cool down.

It looks so different from the typical patios in Spain, I was keen to return. I don’t think I had been since I visited with an ex in 2011.

I’m obsessed with the colorful tiles around the plaza and looking for the cities where I’ve lived:

Salamanca – Córdoba – Logroño

So many memories. I love (and often hate) returning to places that have a tie on my heart.

Tile love from Sevilla

I freaking love the tiles and patterns around Spain’s mudejar architecture. Swoon!

Patterns make me happy, is that weird?

Don’t answer that.

Getting my Game of Thrones on at the Alcazar de Sevilla

Hands up if you love Game of Thrones as much as me? Anyone? Anyone?

Well, if you are a fan of Fire and Ice, then you probably already know that the Water Gardens of Dorne were filmed in Sevilla. And not just anywhere, at the famous Alcazar (palace). Holy crap!

Oberyn Martell, where you AT?

The Alcazar de Sevilla is not really a hidden gem or secret. In fact it’s probably one of the most visited places in Spain. The first time I visited was back in high school and I took photos with a disposable Kodak camera, so you can probably imagine I was pretty stoked to go back with a big girl camera (and you can read all about what I’ve got in my camera bag here!).

Even though it was crowded as hell which basically just frustrated me to no end. But that’s summer in Spain for you. I spent hours taking my time to wander around the gardens which is my favorite part of the grounds.

After that I caught up with my friend Cat from Sunshine and Siestas for an afternoon of walking, tapas, beers and ice-cream. As it should be, right?

Seriously, the Alcazar Gardens just blow me away.

And they are big enough and if you have enough time to wander around them, you will find a corner of peace and quiet. So bring a book if you can.

And maybe you’ll run into the Prince of Dorne. Fingers crossed.

If I can, I love returning to places that have special moments for me, which was certainly the case with Sevilla.

Time always brings fresh eyes, so in some ways it’s like going to a new place, know what I mean?

Have you ever felt that way about a place? Have you been to Sevilla? Is it on your bucketlist?

Many thanks to Corral del Rey for hosting me while I was in Sevilla, aand there are some affiliate links in this post (I gotta pay the bills!) – but like always I’m keeping it real, all opinions are my own. Like you could expect less from me. 

The post Escaping to colorful Sevilla, Spain appeared first on Young Adventuress.

I have never been much of a city girl, always preferring the quiet wide open spaces of the countryside and green spots of the world. But that being said, there are a few cities here and there dotting the globe that I not only like, I love.

Surprise, surprise, Oviedo is one of them.

Tucked away in northern Spain in my favorite little region that packs a big punch – Asturias – Oviedo is a place that almost doesn’t seem real. It’s perfect.

Here are my reasons for loving this random city in the north of Spain – Enjoy!

1. Thank you Woody Allen!

Woody Allen once described Oviedo as “…a delicious, exotic, beautiful, clean, lovely, tranquil and pedestrianized city…It’s like it doesn’t belong to this world…as if it did not exist…Oviedo is like a fairytale.”

Too many adjectives, Woody, but I can’t help but agree!

While I had heard about Oviedo since I first moved to Spain in 2007 (man how time flies!) it never stood out to me until I watched Woody Allen’s classic – Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Remember when Javier Bardem invites the girls to visit Oviedo for a weekend jaunt from Barcelona? How can you not fall in love with it?

Woody Allen has called Oviedo his favorite city in Spain and there are hints and traces of him everywhere. His love for this part of Asturias is dated long before the movie – back in 2002 he won Spain’s most prestigious art prize, the Prince of Asturias award.

It’s so much fun walking around town and trying to pick out places from the film, like the Hotel de la Reconquista where they stayed in Oviedo.

Oh and don’t forget to go pose next to the Woody Allen statue which you can find here, on Calle de las Milicias Nacionales (street) across from the city’s main park. Depending on when you visit, he might have glasses or not, as they are often thieved.

2. The ridiculously awesome food

It’s no secret, one of my favorite things to do while traveling is to eat. I think the one of the best ways to experience and begin to a understand a culture is through it’s food, and in Asturias, the food is exceptional.

After living in La Rioja for a year, another great region in northern Spain, I absolutely fell in love with the food which is so different from the typical ham and potatoes that you think of when Spanish cuisine springs to mind. The food in northern Spain is elaborate and extraordinary, and Oviedo is no exception.

Considering most of Asturias is along the coastline, there is no shortage of amazing fresh fish and seafood. FAVORITE!

One of my favorite meals in Oviedo was in a very nice restaurant with a kickass menu called Restaurante Gloria. I let their staff pick for me so I could get the best of everything, many items being innovative traditional regional cuisine. I left feeling fat and happy.

3. Beautiful and squeaky clean

Let’s be honest here guys, there are beautiful cities and there are ugly cities, while most fall somewhere in the middle. Oviedo is really beautiful in its own way, and I mean that in the nicest way possible.

It’s not ostentatious. It doesn’t scream “look at me look at me” like some other places I could name. Oviedo has an old, subtle traditional beauty that if you pay attention and listen closely, you will spot it.

But the thing that stood out for me the most about Oviedo? It is well cared for. It is clean and green well loved and well taken care of. In fact it has been named the cleanest city in Spain and one of the cleanest in Europe, which is pretty impressive considering how filthy the rest of Spain can be. Hardly any dog shit, ciggys or party vomit anywhere!

I was impressed!

4. So fresh and so green

Another thing I just loved about Oviedo was how green it was. There are beautiful trees and parks and plazas galore, and just outside the city is one of my favorite spots – Monte Naranco.

Besides cider, this is another Oviedo must-see, and the views are just amazing.

A mountain/hill outside the city center, Monte Naranco is an easy drive up or a very long walk which I don’t recommend. Along the way to the top you’ll pass a few of the most important historical sites in Asturias – Santa María del Naranco, a church that was originally a palace built around 848, as well as San Miguel de Lillo, a church also built around 848.

Of course these were featured in Vicky Cristina Barcelona in case you were wondering.

5. The deep history

While Spain has no shortage of historical spots to visit, Oviedo has them in abundance. The only region of Spain not conquered by the Moors in the Middle Ages, it was the heart of the Reconquista and has the churches and palaces to back it up.

I don’t want to bore you with the details as I can’t imagine many of you are as big of medieval history nerds as I am, so I will just tell you, that Oviedo has some of the oldest Christian buildings in Spain owing to its significance in the famous Reconquest.

And if you look closely you will see the impact of much more recent historical events around the city, like marks from the Spanish Civil War.

An unexploded shell buried in this church

6. The fabulous Hotel Barceló Oviedo

Tucked away in a restored 20th century mansion, Hotel Barceló Oviedo Cervantes was a great introduction to the city. Super central and having everything you could want plus an awesome jacuzzi tub (always a win for me haha), I was pretty thrilled to get to rest my head here for a couple of days while I got to know Oviedo.

I really loved the mix of a historical facade with the shiny glass windows of the buildings around it.

Though, I think the pillow menu sealed the deal, can you blame me?

7. All the cider!

Asturias is known for its hard cider, or sidra in Spanish, and if you do only one thing when you are in Oviedo, make sure it’s to visit a sidrería (a Cider House).

I think I had been Oviedo for approximately 2 hours before the cider started flowing after I met up with some locals who took me out. I cannot stress this enough, it’s the PERFECT introduction to Asturias!

SHOW ME THE CIDER!

I’ll be writing a lot more about this soon, but in the meantime I just had to mention my dinner at Tierra Astur Sidrería on the outskirts of the city. Walking inside this warehouse sized building, I was immediately met with facing what was clearly a massive locals party night.

Watch your toes when I am pouring the cider haha

While there is a restaurant in the front with normal tables, in the bank there were long tables with no chairs piled high with local food buffet style free for all next to enormous casks of cider surrounded by dozens of locals having a blast. Holy crap. Intimidating and awesome.

Being an introvert at heart, walking into those kinds of situations, ESPECIALLY in a foreign country, always make me nervous, but the best thing about Asturias is how friendly everyone is. And good food and good cheer is a universal language, am I right?

*I’ll add that that kind of service isn’t every night. I am double checking but I’m pretty sure it’s called an espicha, which is a special meal with light tapas and cider shared with friends. Any asturianos out there who can confirm?

But anyways, I digress. An espicha is something every typical in Asturias and if you want a truly local experience, figure out how to get to one when you’re there. Thank me later.

8. Shutters and balconies oh my!

I have a secret to confess. So…I…um…. have a pretty strong obsession with beautiful wooden historical shutters and old world style balconies. Oviedo has these in abundance which means I was absolutely fizzing walking around the town.

Those windows! Those shutters! Those balconies! Those potted plants! Someone stop me please!

Now try to imagine me explaining this to my guide in Spanish. Trust me, it was hilarious.

But seriously, how pretty are these???

9. Getting fat eating carbayones

Oviedo is one of the most traditionally Spanish cities I’ve ever been to, if that is even possible. I’m sure the locals will hate me for saying so, but it’s true. A conservative place where memories run for a long ass time and people don’t forget, it makes sense that the most famous pastry in Oviedo has a story to go with it.

A carbayón is sickeningly sweet pastry made from egg, almonds, sugar, and cognac, with a hard icing of lemon and cinnamon. It’s tasty as hell and if you aren’t careful, you can easily eat a handful and feel extremely ill. Not that I have any personal experience with that…

Back in 1879 there was a humungous oak tree in the middle of the city nicknamed El Carbayón which was controversially torn down to make room for one of the main promenades. A local baker at Camilo de Blas Pastelería invented this pastry in honor of the tree that people still talk about over 130 years later. Memories are long in Spain, that’s for sure.

At least this led to something delicious.

10. Random Statues

Besides old Woody downtown, Oviedo seems to be a city of statues. Seriously, they are everywhere.

It’s as if Oviedo is one giant open air museum.

I don’t really know why there are so many sculptures around Oviedo. It adds to the mystery and my inner competitive child that just HAS to find them all.

Have you ever fallen in love with a city live Oviedo? Have you been? 

Recognize Mafalda?

Many thanks to Tourism Asturias for hosting me while I was there – like always, I’m keeping it real, all opinions are my own, like you could expect less from me.

The post From Oviedo with Love appeared first on Young Adventuress.

I don’t know about you guys, but I love coming full circle when traveling. It’s one of the main reasons I often return to places I’ve been to before. Each time I go somewhere again, I feel like I can dig a little deeper and get to know it better. It’s like I am making lifelong friends with destinations. Cheesy as hell, but I don’t care.

Places aren’t stagnant, just like people. People change, grow and evolve over time and you get fresh eyes and new perspectives, and the same can be said for wherever you are visiting. Rarely have I gone back to a place I’ve been to before and said, wow, nothing’s changed. Never.

Let’s rewind 4 years almost exactly. I had just finished up my first year teaching English in Córdoba, Spain and it was around my one year blog anniversary. Who knew I could commit for that long?

After May, Córdoba in southern Spain becomes unbearably hot and the locals make their way to the coasts. My lease was up on my apartment and somehow found someone who still had a month left on their lease in Málaga on the southern coast and was looking for a subletter. Win win, right?

To the beach!

My work was finished and I had a month to kill before flying home for the rest of the summer before then returning to Spain in the fall for another year of blogging and teaching little Spanish munchkins how to count to 10 in English.

So why does that matter? Because when I look back on who I was that summer in Málaga and where I have come since, I couldn’t be more shocked or amazed.

Not to mention I was ridiculously tan.

Since I wasn’t working, I was living off of the little bit of money I had saved for the summer, barely making ends meet. One day as my time living the dream on the beach was coming near, I decided to take a day trip to nearby Nerja, a smaller beach town that I heard was beautiful.

Little did I know I would be blown away.

I was so broke back then I paid for my bus ticket in change and splurged on a bocadillo de tortilla (sandwich) and an Aquarius to bring with me to the beach.

Thinking back, I can remember that I literally had about 10 euros to spend to my name; it’s definitely the poorest I’ve ever been. And obviously it made sense to spend it on buying a sandwich and going to the beach, right? My money management skills haven’t really changed since then either.

Oh well. I’m sure we’ve all been there, unless you are a serious type A personality which I can’t even begin to comprehend.

Thinking about it, I realized my story of Nerja is the perfect post for one of my last features for the Visa #notatourist campaign for various reasons. While Nerja now has changed quite a bit and has definitely become more visited with tourists, that doesn’t mean you have to be a tourist when you go there, or anywhere else, not matter how well known it is.

This time around, I didn’t feel like a tourist at all; I bridged the divide between being a local and a visitor, between the past and the present. It’s up to you to decide how you travel.

Also looking back, I can’t believe I lived in Spain with only two debit cards –  one for my American bank account and one for my Spanish bank account, both of which were usually running on empty (and no emergency cards – a mistake I haven’t made in years). Now I always have my Visa with me, keeping my money secure and allowing me to get off the beaten track and explore like #notatourist.

But even though I am sure I was horribly stressed at the time, and didn’t even have any credit cards (mom cut me off at that point boo) and had to take care of myself, I still had the best time in Nerja.

My memories of that tiny little beach town are just perfect.

It was the nicest beach I’d been to in Spain, the water was warm and crystal clear, and I just loved the views of the town and surrounding countryside. I was so sad when I had to catch the cheap local bus back to my shitty sublet on the outskirts of Málaga in time for our nightly house game of how many cockroaches can we get (the winning answer is 7 – ew!).

Fast-forward 4 years and finally I’ve returned to Spain to revisit my old haunts and discover some new amazing places. And while Málaga wasn’t exactly at the top of my list, I knew I really wanted to go back to Nerja.

So I made my way down there this time in 1st class with my Eurail train pass, and a nice bus I booked online with Busbud. I booked myself into a nice hotel in the main square and set off to explore, and obviously head down to the beach to work on my nonexistent tan mentally wondering if I could fit into the bathing suit I would have worn back then.

No point in dwelling on impossible dreams though, am I right?

While the setting had changed a little bit, the biggest change I noticed was within myself, and not just from a financial perspective.

That summer in Spain was a big in between for me. It was the summer when I would really fall in love with blogging, and fall out of love with someone back in the US. Little by little my dreams shifted and I realized how important travel was to me and that I loved sharing my stories online with friends and family (ok, my mom). But it would be another year before I found out that travel blogging could actually become my job one day.

Nerja had also changed. This time around the storms caused the water to be a lot murkier, the air was colder, and the town had become much more developed. I heard English more than I heard Spanish, something that fundamentally upset me, and the old town was packed all the time.

But of course it still had much of the charm I remembered.

This time around my eyes had changed too, and now I am a photographer and on social media, eager to capture the beauty of Nerja to share with you guys with more than just words.

Back in those days I still had an old slide pink plastic Samsung pay as you go phone and I definitely wasn’t on Instagram.

Walking along those seaside cliff walls a few months ago really put all of that into perspective; what a difference 4 years can make when you decide to put your happiness first and follow your dreams.

Have you ever returned to a place you loved after a long time? How had you changed?

Many thanks to Visa for hosting me in Nerja – like always I’m keeping it real – all opinions are my own, like you can expect less from me!

For more tips from Visa on exploring the world like #notatourist, visit Travel with Visa and visit Visa online for more information on the benefits of traveling with a Visa card.

The post Oh how times have changed in Nerja, Spain appeared first on Young Adventuress.

Guys, are you ready?

I know this is a bold statement, but I am pretty sure I’ve just found Spain’s prettiest seaside village. And maybe even the prettiest village in the whole country. And definitely the prettiest fishing village, for sure, no question – hands down.

Cudillero in Asturias in northern Spain. Put it on your bucketlist now!

40 minutes northwest from Oviedo as the crow flies, you’ll find a teeny tiny fishing village called Cudillero tucked away on the wild Asturian coast. Blink and you’ll miss it, so be sure to pay attention!

As part of a project called #NotATourist with Visa, over the next few months I’ll be sharing some of my best travel secrets for exploring beyond the usual landmarks. All of my cards are Visa which is a bonus if you travel as much as I do, both for all the extra travel benefits involved as well as the fact that they’ll replace lost or stolen cards wherever you are in the world. Word.

I wanted to share one of my favorite memories from my time in Asturias – getting to finally lay eyes on Cudillero, one of Spain’s most off the beaten track spots.

I’ve dreamed of visiting Asturias for years and years, never having time to go when I lived in Spain, even in the north. Well this time around, I wasn’t going to miss it. If you follow me on Instagram – you will know that I was borderline obsessed with it, and I’ve been posting photos nonstop from my week in Asturias since June. Can I go back now?

Cudillero definitely has a reputation within Asturias as being one of the most picturesque fishing villages, but beyond Asturias, I think it is less well-known, and outside of Spain? Well, it’s totally waiting to be discovered!

After catching a very very long train to Oviedo this summer with my Eurail pass, I ended up getting around with a rental car in Asturias. Too much to see, not enough time.

Asturias is so far off the beaten tourist path in Spain it can be hard to get to. It’s not really on the way to anywhere, if you go there, it’s because you WANT to.

We parked outside the town, as cars aren’t allowed in the center anymore and walked our way in along the new harbor. Colorful fishing boats bobbed along here and there and I was waiting for the “wow” moment to happen.

Then, as we turned the corner, the colorful village popped into view at the end of the twinkling blue harbor and my mouth dropped open with a loud “oh díos mío” in Spanish to my guide. Oh my god! What a place!

I literally stopped in my tracks and took it in; it was as if everything beautiful about all the small villages around Spain were combined together in a single moment to create the beautiful pueblo of Cudillero.

Whitewashed houses mishmashed together and piled on top of each other, each one standing out with its own brightly colored shutters. I’m told this corresponds to each family’s fishing boats, which are painted the same.

Beautiful terracotta roofs stand in stark contrast to the white houses that tumble down to a tiny little harbor with turquoise water.

Seriously guys, this place feels like it should be swarmed with tourists, it’s quite possibly the most picturesque place I’ve seen in Spain, but, thankfully, there was hardly anyone about, and many of the typical houses are crumbling down and abandoned, just waiting for someone (like me) to swoop in and save it!

A fisherman’s town through and through, things start to pick up in the late afternoon (Spain time!) when the boats come back in with their catch and they head to the market to auction them off.

Along the walls by the harbor you might even see lines of fish stretched and hanging in the sun to dry called curadillos – these are very typical and are actually small sharks; a common dish in Cudillero. The skin even becomes like sandpaper when dried and are used to sand down the boats.

This was one of the many moments in Cudillero that made me feel like I had stepped back in time.

By the time we had to leave, I almost had to be dragged by my hair from the village. Who knew that such a tiny little town could make me want to stay for a year just to explore; getting to know its winding narrow streets, moss covered cobbles and back alleys overlooking the sea.

I wanted to sneak onto the fishing boats that head out before sunrise and learn all the local slang and vocabulary. I wanted to live in one of those white houses, open green shutters every morning, and try all of the seafood. YUM!

So yes, at least for me, Cudillero is Spain’s prettiest seaside town. Well, until next time.

Have you ever heard of Cudillero? Ever been? Have you ever felt this way about a place you’ve discovered while traveling? Share!

Many thanks to Turismo Asturias and Visa  for hosting me in Cudillero – like always I’m keeping it real – all opinions are my own, like you can expect less from me!

For more tips from Visa on exploring the world like #notatourist, visit Travel with Visa.

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I’ve been home for a month, and I’ve been dragging my feet about writing my first post introducing Asturias, Spain. Not because I didn’t want to or anything like that, but mostly because I didn’t want to share it!

I am so selfish!

There’s a first time for everything, and this might be one of my first big travel moments of not wanting to divulge the secret of a destination simply because I don’t want the word to get out because it is THAT amazing.

I really don’t understand it, but this little region of Asturias has to be Spain’s best-kept secret (map here). How it is not the most visited region is beyond me. I found myself constantly surprised, I took about a million photos and I had the biggest grin on my face the entire time. And man, when it was time to leave? I basically cried on the train all the way to Barcelona.

For me, all of Asturias is a fairytale, a place unchanged by time and unaffected by the outside world.

I’ve held Asturias on a pedestal in my mind for years and years, a place I knew I’d love but never had the time, money or means to get up there. I’ve always had this viral photo in the back of my mind for Asturias, and I’ve loved northern Spain ever since I spent a year in La Rioja. As a cheap backpackers and broke English teacher in Spain, it was not the easiest place to travel around, mostly because you need a car to see it properly.

Though there is plenty of public transport and I did travel there and back by train with my Eurail pass to Oviedo, I knew I wanted to do a road trip. The last hour of the train ride through the mountains I basically had my faced smooshed against the window ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the amazing landscapes thinking GET ME OFF THIS TRAIN! I wanted to see it all!

Finally getting to visit this region of Spain I had been thinking about for years was a dream come true! While I might have been nervous at first that it wouldn’t live up to my imagination, it actually blew me away to the point where I wanted to move there.

Here are 10 reasons why I fell in love with Asturias, Spain.

1. Climbing among the Picos

One of the main reasons I really wanted to visit Asturias was for the mountains. A lush green region filled with snowcapped peaks, it is definitely not the stereotypical image you might have for Spain. It looks more like Ireland or Switzerland than dry southern Europe. And Asturias’ horizon is defined by the beautiful Picos de Europa (the Peaks of Europe) mountains, with the Naranjo de Bulnes mountain dominating the skyline.

Especially since I moved to New Zealand, I have become obsessed with mountains. I love looking at them, climbing them and just being in alpine environments. And the mountains of Spain had been calling to me for years and years.

While I write more in depth about the walks and beautiful spots I explored in the Picos on this trip, there are three spots I MUST mention now because they completely and utterly wowed me.  And I just have to share. Even though I don’t want to.

The first is this village above, called Sotres.

It’s the highest village in the Picos de Europa mountains and it’s the most picturesque, historical mountain town you could ever possibly imagine. Picture crumbling old farmhouses covered in wildflowers beneath snowcapped mountains, lambs frolicking about and beautiful stone houses tumbling down the hills with terracotta roofs with cowbells twinkling in the distance.

Basically the entire time I was there, I kept thinking, this place CANNOT be real. It’s too perfect.

The second place was hiking to the Refugio de Urriellu, a mountain hut at the base of that iconic mountain peak in the national park. I adore hiking and have barely explored hikes in Spain, so it was a dream come true getting the opportunity to walk among these beautiful mountains and through historic farmland.

And finally, another beautiful hike was walking to the historic village of Bulnes, another beautiful mountain village in the mountains. And until 2001, the only way to get there was to hike. Yes, hike. Since then a tunnel train funicular has been built in the mountain for the few locals that are left, but if you have time and it’s a beautiful day, you should take the old route along with the mountain goats.

It is really an amazing experience and means you definitely earn a beer in the village at the top.

2. Trying out the local cider culture

Mar, montaña y manzana – or the three “m”s that I kept hearing over and over again while in Asturias: “sea, mountains, and apples.” If there are three words to describe Asturias, it would be these. The beautiful mountains of the Picos. The incredible coastline and seaside villages that define it’s northern borders, and then the amazing cider culture.

While living in other parts of Spain, I quickly became familiar with Asturian hard cider, mostly from the dramatic way it’s poured. There is an amazing culture around la sidra asturiana that I’ll delve into in another post, but it was worth mentioning here because it’s one of the things I love about the region.

All over Asturias you’ll find sidrerias, cider bars, where you go with friends after work for a snack and to share a green bottle of cider, which is poured in a specific way to aerate the cider. Unless you’re me, then you just spill it everywhere.

3. Falling in love with the colorful fishing towns

Because the entire northern side of Asturias is wild coastline, there are dozens and dozens of the most picturesque seaside fishing villages I have ever seen. There are so many it’s hard to keep them straight!

Colorful houses and bright shutters decorate these little towns and the water around them is usually tropical turquoise, not something I was expecting at all!

Brightly colored boats bob around in the calm harbors waiting for their turn at sea, and life moves around completely unchanged in these towns. It really is extraordinary!

Luarca

Ribadesella

Cudillero

Lastres

4. Reliving the history there

In the Middle Ages, Asturias was its own separate kingdom in Spain. Because it was tucked away so far north, it never really came under Muslim rule and eventually became the heart of the Reconquest of Spain by Christians. I majored in Spanish and focused on Spanish history in college so it’s a place I’ve been reading about for years and years.

In 722, the Christians had their first victory over the Muslims in a place called Covadonga, which is now a holy site in Asturias in the mountains. There are two stunning mountain lakes you can visit and walk around.

Trust me, this place looks like Switzerland more than Spain.

5. Meeting the friendliest people

While I’ve found Spaniards to be a generally friendly bunch, at least once they get to know you, that being said, I found the asturianos to be exceptional. I wanted to hug and be friends with everyone here! Which I did, and trust me, nothing baffles Spaniards more than when you go in for a big old American style hug instead of the polite cheek kisses.

More hugs!

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that Asturias, like New Zealand, has a small-town feel to it. Even the cities like Oviedo feel small; it’s like you know everyone. While places like this are my absolute favorite types of travel spots, sometimes I get nervous because I hate being the outsider, something amplified in Spain due to my American-ness. But luckily I didn’t have any problems at all and everyone I met, seriously everyone, was just extraordinary. So friendly and open, helpful and patient.

To me, nothing speaks more volumes about a place than the kindness and attitude of its locals. In that respect, Asturias is a winner!

6. It’s the stuff of legends

Is it just me, or do you guys think all of these photos could be used to illustrate a children’s fairytale book?

I mean seriously Asturias, stop it. I don’t have enough memory cards to handle all the beauty you threw at me in a week. Misty mountain sunrises, crumbling abandoned ruins covered in vines and flowers, moss covered bridges (that trolls definitely live under) and fairytale mansions left, right and center. Not to mention every great place and every beautiful spot had an amazing story to go along with them.

Oh, and did I mention it’s home to some of the most amazing animals? Bears and wolves still roam the mountain forests in Asturias and it’s even home to an endangered historic mountain pony called an asturcón. Seriously?

7. Tasting the most amazing seafood

I am going to have to keep this part short and sweet because it not, I am going to cry because I miss Asturian food so much!

I absolutely love seafood, something Asturias has plenty of, my god. I made sure almost every meal had some type of seafood in it and it all blew me away.

Take me back!

8. Discovering Casas Indianas

Around 100 – 150 years ago there was a big wave of immigration between Asturias and Central and South America (The East Indies), to places like Cuba, Mexico and Argentina. Those Asturians who became wealthy over there, maintained ties with their homeland and built enormous colonial style houses in Asturias called Casas Indianas.

It’s frankly a bit jarring to be driving through the lush green Asturian countryside with its medieval villages and stone houses and then to come face to face with a four story pastel colored mansion that looks like something you’d see in downtown Havana.

I absolutely love them and kept looking for them all over Asturias, especially because so many of them are totally abandoned. It’s like a time warp. Seriously, I couldn’t believe these amazing historic homes have been left to the weeds.

9. Exploring old Oviedo

I am not going to lie, Oviedo has been on my radar since I first watched Vicky, Christina, Barcelona and Javier Bardem whisked away the leading females for a spontaneous weekend in Oviedo. Um, yes please!

Thank you Woody Allen!

A beautiful small city in the mountains of Asturias, Oviedo had a little village feel to it, and it was a place where you felt like you could really get to know it. It was a quirky, livable city.

10. Walking along the wild beaches

I was expecting harsh, wild rocky coastlines in Asturias, something I imagined for the north coast of Spain, an area unprotected from the heavy strong Atlantic. But what I wasn’t expecting was to find plenty of soft fine white sand beaches and clear blue water AND crazy wild coastline.

It felt almost tropical!

11. It’s as if time stands still

Apart from its fairytale landscapes, beautiful green rolling hills and sharp tooth mountains fading in and out of the clouds in the distance, Asturias feels almost like time stands still, that things tick away in the same way as they always have, for thousands of years.

Pastors walk by with their sheep. The famous cabrales blue cheese is aged in ancient caves in the same way it always has. There is this feeling of simple, clean living in Asturias that is so far removed from the hustle and bustle of bigger cities.

It’s really hard to put into words, but I feel like I’ve never been in such a mellow place.

12. And of course, it’s Spain’s best-kept secret – no one there!

And of course my favorite thing about Asturias is that it really feels like one of Spain’s best-kept secrets. There are hardly any tourists, and definitely not very many foreigners. I didn’t speak English the entire time I was there.

It felt like I had the place to myself to explore! Undiscovered, hidden gem, off the beaten path. You name the travel cliche and Asturias hit the mark.

I’m already planning a trip back!

Have you heard of Asturias, Spain? Ever been? Have I convinced you to visit? Have you ever felt this way about a place you’ve discovered while traveling?

Many thanks to Eurail for getting me to and from Asturias and for Tourism Asturias for hosting me while I was there – like always, I’m keeping it real, all opinions are my own, like you could expect less from me.

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If there was an award for one of the most beautiful places in Spain, the Alhambra in Granada would probably take home the gold.

A sprawling 14th century palace and fortress complex tucked away in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, a trip to southern Spain would be incomplete without a visit the the Alhambra. I’ve been making regular pilgrimages to Granada since I was 16 years old, and I knew this summer I couldn’t skip it.

Especially since I had all new gear from Canon Australia to play with. I still can’t believe the first time I visited I used disposable cameras! Man, that feels old just writing that! Agh!

(More about what gear I am shooting with here)

It’s fiendishly difficult to get tickets to the Alhambra, and the Spanish websites are pretty messy, so I decided to hop on a skip-the-lines tour with Viator instead and miss out on all the complications of doing it independently.

The last time I was in Granada was 2011 when I was teaching English in Córdoba. I went with a friend for a weekend in the spring and I have such good memories of spending a day wandering around the Alhambra. The wisteria was blooming and the whole complex smelled like flowers.

Spring in Spain is all kinds of glorious.

As you guys probably have already picked up on over the years, I am not a fan of crowds or popular tourist attractions. That being said, the Alhambra will always be a special place for me, even though it’s like the Vegas of Spain.

You have to wonder even though they have a specific number of tickets sold per day to keep the number of tourists down, that number must be in the millions.

That being said, I found that if I was patient and took my time and waited, I could often get the photos I was looking for without people in them.

For me, Andalucía (southern Spain) is one of the most fascinating spots because of it’s eclectic and culturally diverse history, and Granada being the prime example of it. The Alhambra is a relic of Spain’s amazing past when Spain was occupied by the moors.

For me, it feels like east-meets-west and it remains a legacy of a bygone age.

There are few places like it left in the world, especially Europe. You have to visit if you get the chance!

It also reminds me of my very first trip to Spain in high school and when I fell in love with this part of the world. I can remember skipping through the gardens in the hot summer, drinking liters of water trying to stay cool and sneakily dipping my toes into the fountains everywhere when the guides weren’t looking.

Who knew that moment would inspire years of traveling and living in Spain for me?

Here are some of my favorite snaps from my recent trip to the Alhambra in Spain with Viator! Enjoy!

Have you ever been to the Alhambra? Is Spain on your bucketlist? Do you have a favorite place that is touristy?

Many thanks to Viator for hosting me on this tour of the Alhambra, like always I’m keeping it real, all opinions are my own, like you can expect less from me!

The post The Alhambra in Photos appeared first on Young Adventuress.

So I have been back in Spain for 2 weeks now, and it’s basically like I never left. How how does that even work? I think it’s weird, really weird.

All the old familiar words in Spanish have come back to me, the sounds, the daily routine, even the smells of Spain have triggered a massive wave of nostalgia and love for a place I called home for years. Until someone blows cigarette smoke in my face and I step in dog poop while waiting in line for an hour. Then I remember why I left.

But that’s besides the point. Back to España.

I spent my first week chilling in Madrid with my friend Lauren from Spanish Sabores and Madrid Food Tour before catching the train down to Córdoba, my old stomping grounds. I lived in Córdoba for a year from 2010-2011, and it was both an amazing and terrible year, and likewise, I was both nervous and excited to return.

5 years is a long time, and colorful Córdoba has changed a lot, and to be honest, I’ve also changed a lot too. Not to mention that was the year I started blogging. Oh man. If anything, I was excited to return as a professional travel blogger and Instagrammer, to see the city with news and have fresh experiences, return to places I loved and to find some new cool spots and update my photo library.

And, you know, find my way around again. Time to log back into Trover!

I had only 3 days to explore Córdoba, and I wanted to make the most of it. That’s where Trover comes in.

I introduced you all to Trover my favorite travel app, a year and a half ago (has it really been that long?) and showed you how it worked, well, at least how I used it and why I loved it. Six months later I shared with you guys how I used Trover to plan a 2 week road trip around New Zealand in winter. Obviously, I’m a fan.

But before I get ahead of myself, if you aren’t already on Trover (tsk tsk) especially as I have been talking about it for over a year, you can download it for FREE here in the App store or here on Google Play.

But now, I want to share with you guys a much more localized way of using the Trover App and how I used it to make the most of my time revisiting Córdoba, a place I already knew fairly well.

So while I was on the train (I love traveling by trains BTW) from Madrid, I created a list within Trover called Córdoba Inspirations. When I was living there it was 5 years ago and I still used a flip phone. There was no data on it and my only lists where ones I wrote by hand.

Don’t get me wrong, I am still old school and make lists of things to do by hand in one of my bajillion notebooks.

But I am also a digital nomad through and through and I like to have things organized out easily with maps and everything on my phone.  That’s one of the main reasons I love Trover – the maps. But more on that in a minute.

I’ve also built a more general list for ideas for when I am traveling in Spain this June here.

I create a list in advance pinning posts from other Trover users for 3 main reasons:

1. Places I want to go (so. many. places)

Whether they are places I want to go that have been in the back of my mind that I want to put in one place or scroll through the maps and location feature to get an idea of what’s nearby or what’s near where I am headed, I like making a list of things I want to see and do in advance to help me plan. This helps enormously when you are also on a time constraint and don’t have a year in a place to see things. Most of my city breaks are for 2-3 days or a weekend, and I want to take it all in.

2. Places to eat (OBVIOUSLY)

I also like to make a list to get an idea of where to eat. This is secretly one of the most important things for me on the road. I would rather starve than eat a shitty meal. I’ve also found that when you are traveling in very popular tourist destinations, you can’t always trust Tripadvisor with foodie suggestions. Of course sometimes they the target, but I find more often than not they miss it by miles, with the most popular place with the most reviews just being a very well-known tourist restaurant.

This happened to me in Córdoba. There weren’t enough places to eat reviewed yet on Trover, and I ate at some of the popular ones on Tripadvisor and they SUCKED.

3. Photo ideas (it’s the ‘grammer in me)

Finally, the third way I use Trover (which is quite sneaky actually, don’t know if I should be admitting this publicly oh well) is for photo ideas. Now that I have gotten really into photography and Instagram, sometimes I search for photo ideas online. Whether it’s for lighting, composition or just generally photogenic places, Trover is a great way to keep all those ideas in one place.

So how did that work out for me?

Pretty well actually!

1. Places to go (the reality)

For example I found this post about the Murallas de Córdoba and the Puerta Almodovar. I am not sure if this is the case, but I don’t remember those fountains and pools around this area and Calle Cairuan AT ALL. In fact, I used to walk this way to get a ride to work in the mornings um, every single day. Maybe I was just oblivious, but I definitely wanted to check it out this time around- you can see my post here.

2. Places to eat (the unfortunate reality)

While there weren’t that many good foodie spots to chose from, I did have a chance to grab a traditional arabic tea while in town thanks to this post. Córdoba was the capital of Islamic Spain and I love all of the amazing arabic influences you can find around town, like the teterias. I added my own spot which was pretty central and had an amazing and local tapa menu here.

3. What to photograph (wahoo fave part!)

Ever since I got a Vanguard Tripod I’ve been doing a lot more night photography. I’ve seen the most epic shots of famous Puente Romano (Roman Bridge) leading towards the Mezquita all lit up at night and I’ve been determined to get that shot one day for myself. Seeing it here on Trover, I had to save it straight away on my inspirations list.

So what else?

Basically I had a blast in Córdoba and made the most of my time with Trover which allowed my inner OCD goddess to shine. Thank you for that.

I love lists more than anyone on the planet (no, don’t argue) so this takes the cake for me. Once I was leaving Córdoba, I started to build my own list for future travelers interested in exploring Córdoba for themselves one day. I started, as usual, on the train to Ronda, and also as usual, finished it about 30 minutes ago.

Be sure to check out my Best of Córdoba, Spain list and also give me a follow once you’ve signed up or logged into your account. And please don’t unfollow me if you’re tired of hearing me talk about Trover. Good. Thanks.

Also I’d like to add that Trover has monthly scholarships for $500 where you don’t have to do ANYTHING except be an active user – they monitor the usage and the Trover-er who is showing the best engagement in the community wins. Easy peasy. I have known half a dozen of the winners personally so I can vouch that it’s totally achievable.

Also they have monthly contests with prizes around $500 to $1500, and again, I’ve known people who have won, though not me. Yet.

Are you on Trover? How do you plan your trips?

Many thanks to Trover for helping me travel around Spain. Like always, I’m keeping it real, all opinions are my own, like you could expect less from me!

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