Our Freedom Years

Financial independence, early retirement & slow travel

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    • Europe
      • Albania
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      • Czech Republic
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      • Serbia
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  • Real Costs,  Spain

    A Month of Spanish Food, History and Culture at a Surprising Price

    January 23, 2022 /

    Spain is a country that we’ve been dreaming about forever. Finally we had our first taste: a whole month here in the city of Valencia.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 4 Comments

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We arrived in Vienna only to discover that our vis We arrived in Vienna only to discover that our visit was going to feature rain - lots and lots of rain. Never mind, we said to ourselves. We’re only here for a week, and we’re going to make the most of it. It turned out that we couldn’t have picked a better city to visit during inclement weather. Vienna has an incredible number of world-class museums and galleries, and we could easily fill every day.
We were on a high when we left the Czech Republic We were on a high when we left the Czech Republic but quickly crashed down to earth when we realized that our visit to Vienna was going to feature rain -- lots and lots of rain. It turned out that we had arrived exactly on time for an unseasonably wet May, and it was going to last for our entire stay.  Never mind, we said to ourselves. We’re only here for a week, and we’re going to make the most of it.  We popped the dogs in their rain gear, grabbed our umbrellas, and headed into the historic centre for a very damp, self-guided Rick Steves audio tour. It was a morning of struggling to hold onto umbrellas and wet poodles in the pelting rain while simultaneously trying to say something noteworthy to the camera. Not exactly our most cinematographic YouTube video but full points for effort.  That said, we couldn’t have picked a better city to visit during inclement weather. Vienna has an incredible number of world-class museums and galleries, and we easily could have filled every day. Of course, the admission prices are also world-class, so we limited ourselves accordingly. I spent a delightful afternoon wandering the Leopold Museum, famous for its Klimt and Schiele collections. Meanwhile, Gillian tackled the Sisi Museum, featuring the personal effects of the popular Empress. Miraculously, just as we left Vienna for our weeklong hike through the scenic wine region of Wachau, the clouds parted and the sun came out. This particular hike never made it into our YouTube videos but offers relatively easy inn-to-inn hiking in the hills overlooking the Danube. It’s yet another of Europe’s lesser-known gems for a decent multi-day hike and makes our recommended list -- especially if you like ending a day on the trail with a shot of apricot schnapps. Then it was time for a break. We’d slept in at least 15 different beds in the past month and were ready for a change of pace, ideally in a country that was a lot less expensive than Austria.
Prague is a beautiful gem of a city. Every buildin Prague is a beautiful gem of a city. Every building seems to have a story to tell. Unfortunately, even in shoulder season, it’s bursting with tourists. We followed the crowd to the city’s blockbuster’s sights - the Astronomical Clock, the Charles Bridge, Prague Castle -- but happily peeled off in search of a more local experience.
We limped back to Toronto after six months in Sout We limped back to Toronto after six months in South America. The region had offered up many wonderful experiences -- hiking to the rim of Ecuador’s Quilotoa Crater, recharging in Colombia’s coffee region, adventuring in Minca -- but it had also come with a lot of challenges.  The reasons were many. A month in Medellin was draining; we were forced to change our Peru plans due to political unrest; the admin and vet visits required to import and export our dogs seemed unending; finally, we got stranded at the Santa Marta airport. All of it took a toll. We were ready for travel to feel easy again, particularly traveling with our dogs. It was time to head back to Europe, where we could cross borders just by flashing the dogs’ EU Pet Passports. We cooked up a highly ambitious itinerary that covered a cluster of countries we’d never been to before: Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. The best part was that we wouldn’t need to step onto a plane the entire summer; it was train travel all the way.   We decided to speed through the most expensive destinations -- Prague and Vienna -- and then slow down to our usual snail’s pace. And we were determined to fit in as much inn-to-inn hiking as we possibly could. It’s the kind of adventure we love the most and Europe is the very best place for experiencing it.  First, there was Prague, a beautiful gem of a city. Every building seemed to have a story to tell. Unfortunately, even in the shoulder season, it was bursting with tourists. We followed the crowd to the city’s blockbuster’s sights - the Astronomical Clock, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle -- but happily peeled off in search of a more local experience.  We took a train just a couple hours out of town to explore the Bohemian Paradise, an extensive nature reserve where we could walk through stunning geological formations by day and tuck into cosy inns at night. It was the perfect start to our time in Europe -- then our luck ran out in Vienna.
Our time in Cartagena was a whirlwind. It’s the Our time in Cartagena was a whirlwind. It’s the country’s most spectacular city but also seems to be the most crowded. At the crack of dawn, the city was blissfully cool and quiet and we could take a few crowd-free photos of the colonial architecture and colourful street art. As the day wore on, the temperatures soared and the streets absolutely teemed with tourists, touts, and vendors. Fortunately, we could escape the crowds by chartering a private boat for an afternoon on the water.
Our last few weeks in Colombia was a whirlwind tou Our last few weeks in Colombia was a whirlwind tour of the country’s north end. We started in Cartagena, which is the country’s most spectacular city but also seems to be its most crowded.  At the crack of dawn, the city was blissfully cool and quiet, and we could take a few crowd-free photos of the colonial architecture and colourful street art. As the day wore on, the temperatures soared, and the streets absolutely teemed with tourists, touts, and vendors. It was an effort to keep up with our group for a tour of the historic centre and discussion of Cartagena’s sad history as a prominent slaving port.   We were glad to have seen Cartagena but equally glad to say goodbye and head off to Palomino, a laid-back beach town. Palomino is becoming more popular but still retains its off-the-beaten-track vibe with plenty of vegan smoothie bowls and backpacker hostels to go round. Here we were finally able to relax, whether poolside at our swanky villa or wandering the endless coastline.   The last stop on our journey was the most memorable. We made our way to Minca, an adventure town located in the Sierra Nevada mountains that offers waterfalls, hiking, and birdwatching. We stayed in a stunning eco-resort located on such a challenging trail that only a local jeep could make the trip. This remote stay gave us a chance to learn about the Wiwa, an indigenous group that has lived in the region for centuries. The entire experience was magical, and we couldn’t recommend it more. We were on a high when we arrived at the Santa Marta airport for our flight back to Canada. Unfortunately, our happiness soon evaporated when we discovered that the airline had lost our pet-in-cabin booking and we wouldn’t be able to board the plane. Suddenly, we were stuck in Santa Marta with no flight out and nowhere to spend the night. After three stressful days and countless hours on the phone with customer service, we finally secured our flights back to Toronto. By then, the travel burnout had truly set in.
We said goodbye to Medellin and hopped on a plane We said goodbye to Medellin and hopped on a plane headed to Colombia’s Zona Cafetera, or coffee region. This part of Colombia is famous for its coffee farms and colourful villages, including showstoppers Salento and Filandia. Along the way, we stayed in a series of haciendas that all featured the trademark architecture of the region: white walls, red trim, tiled floors. Naturally, we had to include a tour of a coffee plantation that ended with tasting a series of truly strong brews. And we couldn’t miss hiking our way through Cocora Valley, which features the tallest palm trees in the world.
With great relief, we said goodbye to Medellin and With great relief, we said goodbye to Medellin and hopped on a plane headed to Colombia’s Zona Cafetera, or coffee region. We’d had our fill (and then some) of big city living and were hoping to discover a different side of Colombia.  We started with a two-week tour of the region, famous for its coffee farms and colourful villages, including showstoppers Salento and Filandia. Along the way, we stayed in a series of haciendas that all featured the trademark architecture of the region: white walls, red trim, tiled floors. We also had our fill of rustic home cooking including the formidable bandeja paisa, a weighty platter of beans, rice, arepa, chorizo, plantain, chicharrón, avocado and beef, topped with a fried egg.  Naturally, we had to include a coffee plantation tour that ended with tasting a series of truly strong brews. And we couldn’t miss hiking our way through Cocora Valley, which features the tallest palm trees in the world.   Next, it was time to recharge. Spending a month in fast-paced Medellin while re-doing all our carefully constructed travel plans had taken a toll. We rented a spacious, modern hacienda that was a 20-minute jeep ride from the nearest town and stayed there for five gloriously quiet weeks. We spent our days working out, wandering the hills, researching our next adventures, cooking, or just soaking in the view from our dining room.    The reset worked. When our time in the Zona Cafetera was up, we were ready to face down the crowds in Colombia’s most popular tourist destination.
Medellin is certainly an exciting and unforgettabl Medellin is certainly an exciting and unforgettable city. We checked out the neighbourhood of Communa 13, once the scene of violence during the 1980s and 90s but now a family-friendly attraction complete with break dancers and food vendors. We got an introduction to Colombian tastes on a food tour through Laureles. We also got an overview of Medellin’s history and toured the key sights, including Plaza Botero -- a place where police officers stopped our group to remind everyone to keep an eye on their belongings. 😅
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