Well, that’s a wrap for 2023. It’s been quite the year.
Our focus for the first couple of months was our wedding. Travel took a back seat as we put the finishing touches in place, ready to tie the knot at the start of March. When the big day finally arrived, we enjoyed a magical, unforgettable celebration in North Yorkshire, surrounded by family and friends.
Then, the travel began.
From our first-ever visit to the Channel Islands to a grand return to the Balkans, here’s a roundup of our main trips through 2023.
A minimoon to the beautiful Northumberland coast
Immediately after our wedding, we enjoyed a delightful minimoon up to Northumberland. Based in the picturesque fishing village of Seahouses, we spent our time enjoying long strolls on the beach and watching the sunrise over the North Sea.
It was just the break we needed after a busy few months building up to the big day. Northumberland is an area of England that we’re very fond of. The coastline is beautiful, with sweeping sandy beaches and plenty of history – from Bamburgh Castle to Holy Island.
March was a perfect time to visit. We had one or two days of rain and wind but otherwise struck lucky with the weather. The beaches were deserted, and it was a lovely opportunity to escape the crowds.
Ferry hopping in the Channel Islands
Easter weekend proved to be the perfect time for our first visit to the Channel Islands. We began in Jersey, exploring the beaches and streets around St Helier.
Next up, we hopped on the ferry from Jersey to Guernsey. From the fortresses of St Peter Port to the vast beaches on the north coast, we loved exploring the island.
Guernsey proved the perfect size for a long weekend break. We found ourselves charmed by the clifftop walks, which offered sublime views over the water and led us to some magical secluded bays.
Meanwhile, St Peter Port was the perfect place to learn more about the history of the island, with the immense Castle Cornet proving to be a highlight.
A train journey across Slovakia
As thoughts turned to summer, our first trip to the continent saw us head to Slovakia for an adventure by train. We travelled east from Bratislava to Košice, with a stop in the Tatras Mountains near Poprad. A highlight here was our trip on the dramatic cable car to the summit of Lomnický štít.
Košice, meanwhile, was an unexpected highlight. We knew little about the city before we visited, but left delighted by Košice’s foodie potential and its picturesque city centre.
Read more: Our favourite things to see and do in Košice.
Dramatic hikes in the Lake District
Trips to the Lake District were, sadly, much reduced this year. However, Matt managed to spend a long weekend around Ullswater in June.
Hikes included Birks and Arnison Crag, and the beautiful waters of Angle Tarn high above Patterdale. He also tackled the famous Striding Edge ridge, which leads to the ever-popular summit of Helvellyn.
A musical trip to Denmark and Sweden
Our next foray to the continent was another adventure by train. After spontaneously buying tickets for Elton John’s final show in Stockholm, we set about arranging a route.
The most cost-effective option proved to be flying into Copenhagen and out of Gothenburg. Cue much scrambling to piece together a train route through Denmark and Sweden. Thankfully, Copenhagen to Stockholm to Gothenburg proved a relatively straightforward itinerary and made for a brilliant long weekend adventure.
We managed to squeeze as much out of Copenhagen as we could, taking a speedy walking route through the city centre. A train journey to Stockholm followed, where stunning weather and a brilliant concert made for a fun stay.
We finally made our way home from Gothenburg after a sweaty journey by Flixtrain from Stockholm.
Read more: An account of our visit to Stockholm.
Summer weekends in Berlin
As the year progressed, weddings came into the picture once more. Matt headed to Berlin for a stag do, visiting the little-known Mommsenstadion along the way.
Among the frivolities, he managed to squeeze in some early morning wanders to the Brandenburg Gate and Treptower Park. The latter was an instant hit, with the Soviet war memorial looking sublime in the sunrise light.
Discovering South Holland
A couple of weeks later, we both headed over to the Netherlands to celebrate a friend’s wedding on the island of Voorne Putten, just south of Rotterdam.
After the celebrations, Rotterdam proved to be an ideal base for day trips around South Holland. Highlights included exploring the gorgeous city of Delft and visiting the incredible Kinderdijk windmills by bus.
Exploring more of North Macedonia
Our big trip of the year was a return to the Balkans, with North Macedonia the first destination. Starting in Skopje, our packed itinerary saw us catching the bus to Ohrid before moving on to explore Bitola, home to Širok Sokak – perhaps North Macedonia’s most famous street.
From Bitola, we headed to the mountain city of Kruševo before taking a bus to Prilep. Prilep proved to be a surprise highlight of the trip, with plenty of things to see and do.
From Prilep, we caught the train back to Skopje and explored North Macedonia’s capital city again. This included a day trip to Tetovo, where the Painted Mosque and Dervish Lodge became instant favourites.
Returning to Kosovo
We were delighted to return to Kosovo. Our first stop was Prizren, the cultural heart of Europe’s youngest country. Under the shadow of the town’s impressive fortress, we enjoyed riverside coffee breaks, lazy strolls and a wonderfully warm welcome.
Read next: 6 brilliant things to do in Prizren.
Next up was Gjakova, home to one of Europe’s longest bazaars. Whilst Gjakova may lack the size of Kosovo’s bigger cities, it is a charming place to stop. The workshops of the Old Bazaar are a particular highlight.
A short bus journey from Gjakova is Peja. It was our first visit to this small city, which is tucked away in the foothills of Kosovo’s Accursed Mountains.
The highlight in Peja was our visit to the UNESCO-listed Patriarchate of Peć Monastery. This Serbian Orthodox site has a history dating back to the 13th century and boasts some of the most spectacular frescoes we’ve ever seen.
We would have loved more time in Peja to explore the nearby mountains. From hiking trails to via Ferratas, there’s plenty to keep outdoor enthusiasts busy. We both agreed that there is huge potential for adventure tourism here.
Read next: Our favourite things to do in Peja.
Wrapping up our Balkans tour in Pristina
Pristina was the final stop on 2023’s Balkans adventure. We treated ourselves to a stay in a comfortable hotel right in the city centre. It was the perfect base to explore the city.
From our previous visit to Pristina, we remembered that strolling along the grand, pedestrianised Mother Teresa Boulevard was a highlight of the trip. We were pleased to see that the pedestrian zone had been extended to include George Bush Boulevard, creating a wonderfully walkable city centre.
Late afternoon was a perfect time to head up the tower of the Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa. With views over the city, including down to the National Library of Kosovo, it was the perfect way to sign off our overseas travel for the year.
Read next: Our four favourite cities to visit in Kosovo.
A stormy visit to North Norfolk
Our final multi-night trip saw us head down to the North Norfolk coast. Staying in a charming cottage a short stroll from the coast, we explored from Cromer to Cley and beyond.
The weather wasn’t always the kindest to us. Storm Babet struck during our stay, creating epic conditions down at Cromer Pier as the waves crashed against the sea wall. A perfect excuse to retreat to the Cley Marshes Visitor Centre and watch the wild conditions from the comfort of their cafe.
Read next: The best things to do in North Norfolk when it rains.
Thankfully, the weather didn’t stop us from exploring some of North Norfolk’s best beaches and enjoying a series of lovely walks inland. It’s a beautiful part of the world and one that we hope to return to time and time again.
Our standout moments of the year
We’ve been lucky to enjoy some special moments and unforgettable experiences during our travels this year. Here are six of our highlights.
1) Sunrise and sunset in Ohrid.
Matt: We couldn’t have asked for a better place to stay in Ohrid. Our apartment had unbeatable views of the city’s iconic church, which stands atop rocky cliffs looking over the lake. It made for a wonderful sunrise and sunset spot during our time in Ohrid.
2) The cable car to the top of Lomnický štít
Matt: Having visited the Tatras Mountains on a solo trip in 2019, I couldn’t wait to show Lucy some of the highlights. The cable car trip to the summit of Lomnický štít, one of the tallest mountains in the High Tatras, was the (literal) high point of our journey by rail through Slovakia.
3) The walk to Bamburgh Castle
Lucy: A few days relaxing on the Northumberland Coast was the perfect minimoon, with a favourite moment being walking along the vast, sandy beach between Seahouses and Bamburgh Castle. We had the beach almost to ourselves, stopping frequently for snack breaks and to take photos of the Farne Islands and the outline of the castle emerging on the horizon.
4) Returning to the Balkans
Lucy: The Balkans is a special place for us, as it was where we spent three weeks travelling back in 2015, in between finishing final exams at university and getting our degree results. It was wonderful to return to North Macedonia and Kosovo 8 years after we first visited and explore these amazing countries in a bit more detail.
5) Delft
Lucy: I’d wanted to visit Delft for quite a long time, mostly because of its iconic ceramics. It was, therefore, my top choice of day trip when we stayed in Rotterdam, and it completely lived up to expectations. We strolled along the picturesque canals, admiring the city gates and main square. Of course, I couldn’t resist buying a classic blue and white tile to bring home as a souvenir. In fact, we enjoyed visiting Delft so much that we went twice during our time in the Netherlands.
6) Kinderdijk
Matt: When I found out that we would be travelling to Rotterdam, I immediately started planning day trips and activities. The Kinderdijk windmills, just 45 minutes from Rotterdam by public transport, were too good to miss. We visited just as the sun was setting and got super lucky with the conditions. It was a magical evening.
Three food highlights from 2023
Food always plays a big role in our travels. From classic kebapi to a brilliant breakfast, here are three of our highlights from the year.
1) Prilep Kebapi
During our latest Balkans trip, we were lucky enough to tuck into many (probably too many) dishes of delicious kebapi – grilled sausages of ground meat. Both North Macedonia and Kosovo had their own twist on this classic dish. However, few meals rivalled our one in Prilep, a three-hour train from Skopje. The portions at Sokache were enormous – so huge that Matt couldn’t even finish his plate. And believe us, that never happens.
2) Seahouses Kipper Sandwiches
During our minimoon to Seahouses, we (Matt in particular) became a little bit obsessed with kipper sandwiches. The Swallow Fish smokehouse, tucked away down a quiet back street, is the home of this famous seaside snack. A smoked mackerel fillet, slathered in butter, placed in a freshly baked bun. Unmissable.
3) Breakfast in Tunbridge Wells
When visiting friends in Tunbridge Wells, we enjoyed one of the best breakfasts of the year at the charming Juliets cafe. When we arrived, the queue snaked out of the door – and, believe us, the food was worth the wait.
Lucy still raves about her smashed avocado toast, whilst Matt’s scrambled eggs were a masterpiece. We couldn’t resist taking away some of their excellent cakes when we left, either—a real treat.
And the not-so-highlights…
Of course, things don’t always quite go to plan. Trips are never perfect, and there are normally one or two minor mishaps behind the scenes. In the interests of balance, here are three things that didn’t work out as hoped.
1) Our delayed flight to North Macedonia
“We’re sorry, your flight has been delayed”. It’s not quite the message you want to receive when sitting in the departures lounge at Luton Airport. Our flight to Skopje was pushed back by two hours – not the end of the world, but it did lead to some extra frustrations:
1) It wasn’t long enough to qualify for any food or drink vouchers. In the end, we gave in and splashed out on expensive airport burgers. Normally, we would settle for a cheap meal deal or hold out until reaching our destination.
2) We would now arrive in Skopje too late to catch the last bus to the city centre. Ultimately, this meant shelling out an extra €25 on a taxi.
3) We would now arrive too late to check into our apartment, and we never received any instructions or messages from our host after informing them of the delay. Not wanting to arrive in Skopje at 11pm to find we couldn’t get into our accommodation, we had to cut our losses and book a hotel. Apartments are by far the cheapest accommodation option in Skopje, so switching to a hotel at the last minute added even more expense. However, this decision turned out to be a real positive one as the hotel, Hotel London, proved to be an excellent choice.
2) The Backcident
Another Skopje-related mishap occurred on the morning we were due to catch the bus to Ohrid. Matt had packed his camera gear and set his alarm, ready for a sunrise walk through the city centre. After throwing on some clothes, he left the hotel room.
Unfortunately, his back gave in within five steps of leaving the hotel room. It completely went. Barely able to move, he dragged himself back into the room and onto the bed.
Somehow, after a couple of hours of careful stretching and contorting, he managed to twist his back into good enough shape to wander down to breakfast. We even managed to catch our bus as planned.
3) Fishy business in Rotterdam
We both like to think of ourselves as fairly adventurous when it comes to food. Matt will eat pretty much anything, and Lucy is of a similar mindset (although Matt’s portion sizes are typically double Lucy’s).
Every so often, however, something comes along that just doesn’t sit right. For Lucy, this was a raw herring sandwich at a fish stall in Rotterdam’s Markthal. Raw herring is a Dutch delicacy and is typically enjoyed during the summer season. The best way to eat it is vertically, dangling the fish into your mouth. Bread might be cheating, but it does make it somewhat easier to eat on the go.
Unfortunately for Lucy, one tiny bite of the herring was enough to defeat her. Maybe it was the texture, taste – or both. Either way, it meant more food for Matt, who happily accepted an extra portion.
A look ahead to 2024
Plans for 2024 are coming together nicely.
Matt is currently freelancing, which gives him more flexibility to take on trips and commissions. Meanwhile, Lucy will be making efficient use of her annual leave allowance. Together, this should give us plenty of scope to travel together whilst also having a solo adventure or two.
So far, we’ve lined up trips to:
- Tuscany
- An overland adventure to Albania
- Filey on the Yorkshire coast
- Edinburgh
- Milan and Bergamo
So, Italy is going to feature heavily. These will be our first trips there since 2018, when we headed to Bologna, Padua and Venice.
We’re also thoroughly looking forward to returning to Albania, where we had some brilliant times back in 2022. We’ll be heading there on an overland adventure through Europe.
And, being based in Yorkshire, we’re always excited to explore more of our home county. Bring on 2024!