travel | My Food Odyssey

Jun 5

On the Way

I love a good road trip. I love wide, open spaces and diverse scenery. I would far sooner be in a car travelling through stunning countryside than on a city tour, no matter how beautiful the architecture. Some of the most surprising and spectacular sights are between places of interest rather than in them. These are some of my favourite “on the way” shots from our European road trip two summers ago. Taken in Rioja, Spain, within a 15 minute period, they demonstrate the enormous variety of landscapes in the region. Think we might be due another visit. Read more

Apr 19

Rosslare Harbour | www.myfoododyssey.com

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Afloat

In the early morning sunlight we watched as the boat pulled away from the shore, leaving Ireland in our wake. As the coastline slowly faded and disappeared we turned to look ahead. Wales would be first, we knew, then England and France. After that we had no plan – we’d just have to see where the road took us. So far, so good. Read more

Apr 11

Surfing on Manly Beach in Sydney, Australia | www.myfoododyssey.com

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Blur

When do you stop being a kid and start being an adult? Eighteen? Twenty One? Read more

Mar 30

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Why did the elephant cross the road?

Picture the scene. You arrive in the world’s smallest airport on the world’s smallest plane and step out into sweltering heat. Your guide arrives to take you to your campsite and you look forward to your first glimpse of wildlife. Read more

Mar 22

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The end of an era

Without any fanfare, she drove away from the house. The sky was grey and sleet was falling at an acute angle, spurred on by an intensely cold wind. I watched from the warmth of our conservatory as she rounded the corner and disappeared from view, Arūnas smiling and waving from the wheel. That’s it – she’s gone. Read more

Mar 18

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Wall

If you saw this wall around your holiday accommodation would it inspire confidence or fear? This was the wall surrounding our hostel in Johannesburg, South Africa. Similar walls enclosed all neighbouring buildings. We had driven all the way from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth through towns and vast areas of countryside and we had felt completely safe at all times. When we arrived in Jo’burg, where we were only staying for one night before an onward journey, we were immediately struck by a sense of fear, between the appalling driving of our host (in a car with no seat belts) and the ominous walls and fences around almost every property. We ventured out for about 5 minutes to buy a phone card and I have never felt so threatened and uncomfortable in my life. The lions and leopards we subsequently encountered on our safari were pussycats by comparison. Read more

Feb 10

Olive Groves in Cazorla, Spain | www.myfoododyssey.com

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Scale

Sometimes it’s hard to put your finger on why you prefer one thing over another – a place, a product, even people. Research has shown that when asked to explain our preferences we often unconsciously make stuff up. I love that idea. Perhaps it’s a kind of natural defence mechanism, to prevent us from looking weak or foolish in front of the rest of the herd. I digress… Read more

Feb 2

Bloukrans Bridge Bungy Jump | www.myfoododyssey.com

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Express Yourself

Not for all the tea in China would you get me to jump off a 216 m (706 ft) bridge into open space. While researching our honeymoon in South Africa I discovered the world’s highest commercial bungy jump off Bloukrans Bridge on the famous garden route. From the moment I mentioned the jump to Arūnas insisted he was going to do it. We travelled a little out of our way to get there and when the bridge eventually came into view and Arūnas saw a person dangling in mid-air he froze with fear. I spent a good hour talking him into jumping as he’d probably never have the opportunity again. Read more

Dec 29

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Warmth

I think the week between Christmas and New Year is probably my favourite week of the year. The stress of Christmas is behind us, tummies are full, hearts are happy and the fridge is full of leftovers. The weather is just cold enough that I don’t feel guilty curling up with a good book and a hot whiskey but not so cold that I can’t get out for a long walk with the dog to work off some of that stuffing. Read more

Dec 10

Sunset near Jerez, Spain | www.myfoododyssey.com

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Gone…

But certainly not forgotten. This photo was taken on our epic road trip round Europe last summer. We set out with a plan and a map, but got so sucked in by the beauty of Spain that we ended up spending most of our time there. We were enjoying the road so much we always left it quite late to find somewhere to park for the night. This had its advantages – no one really minds if you park in a forest or supermarket car park for just a few hours after dark. It also meant we saw numerous glorious sunsets, such as this one near the town of Jerez in southern Spain. I had spent a few happy hours earlier in the day sampling sherry at Tio Pepe (to ease the pain of the 22 mosquito bites I got the night before, you understand). This sky was so captivating we pulled over to take photos and ended up staying for the night. The memories from this trip will stay with us for a long time. Read more

Nov 26

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Angular

For those not accustomed to it, it’s hard to imagine Christmas in the sun. Growing up in Ireland, December was a dark and dreary month, made cheery only by the festive lights that decorated streets and homes, twinkling in the frosty air. Since my sister moved to Australia, however, we have spent a number of Christmases in the sun. Although it’s definitely a little strange, it’s hard to complain about good company, warm sunshine and wonderful food. Read more

Nov 23

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Achievement

Finally – got that damn itch. Read more

Nov 6

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Descent

We’re off on our travels again. The car is packed with sleeping bags, food for the journey and a month’s worth of clothes, books and DVDs. We’re making what is becoming an annual trip to Denmark where we will work for a family that grows Christmas trees and runs a Christmas shop. Arūnas will be working in the fields, cutting and collecting the trees, while I will be working in the shop and hopefully doing some cooking for the family. It’s an intensive month but one we’re very much looking forward to. A change is as good as a rest, as they say. This photo was taken from our bedroom window during last year’s trip. We were both tired from a day’s work and watching the sun’s slow descent over the horizon was very soporific. We both slept well. Read more

Oct 24

Mountain water spring | www.myfoododyssey.com

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Refraction

The well was dry beside the door,
And so we went with pail and can
Across the fields behind the house
To seek the brook if still it ran;

Not loath to have excuse to go,
Because the autumn eve was fair
(Though chill), because the fields were ours,
And by the brook our woods were there.

(From “Going for water” by Robert Frost)

Travelling round Europe in our camper van, much of our time was spent in search of clean drinking water. Sometimes our quest brought us to the most beautiful places – mountains, woods, fountains, streams. We found so much more than water. Read more

Sep 25

White water rafting, Zambezi | www.myfoododyssey.com

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Endurance

There’s nothing like testing a marriage right at the very beginning. These photos of us white water rafting on the Zambezi were taken on our honeymoon. I had recently recovered from a serious back operation and was clinging to the raft for dear life. Arūnas was a little braver, resulting in him being thrown into the rapids on more than one occasion. At one point he grabbed my arm just as I was about to go overboard, saving me from almost certain injury. We endured the rapids and the marriage is still going strong. Read more