NEY IN NEW YORK.. AND THE WEDDING OF A LIFETIME
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ver thought about visiting, but p being my favourite place to round. mazing cities, great street art ul beaches. The only place I was ed with was Cuba. oo expensive to travel around didn’t meet our expectations. gs like going online were almost and it was difficult to get a bus.” le also planned to visit Costa AUSTIN SALT FLATS
Budapest food tour – meats, soups and cakes washed down with Hungarian wine. You get a perfect few hours of eating with the help of a local guide.
Hungarian goulash or langosh – I’ve started making goulash at home.
Craig Craig Craig Craig
Craig and I attended eight of our friends’ weddings the year before we left. They were lovely but just didn’t feel like us.
“We saved up £20,000 to do this trip. The average UK wedding costs £25,000, so you can see where we’d rather spend our money. My gran said to me, ‘ I knew it, Gemma. You’re just too cheap to spend that kind of money on one day.’
“Our wedding photographer was amazing and he took lots of photos with street art
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in the background. It’s something a bit different but it sums us up perfectly.
“We felt like Hollywood stars on our wedding day. It couldn’t have been more special.”
For their honeymoon, they travelled to Hungary, Slovenia, Serbia and Portugal, documenting all their adventures on their Two Scots Abroad blog.
The website carrying their chronicles, videos, advice and travel guides has now also become a source of income.
Although they said they could not pick favourites, destinations that made a particularly strong impression include Granada in Spain, where they were paid to dog-sit, and Bucharest in Romania, where they fell in love with the majestic architecture.
Gemma said they encountered “unbelievable hospitality” in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where families would invite the couple into their homes to chat over tea – or even stay the night.
When asked what they missed about their old lifestyle, Gemma said: “The distance from family and friends could be difficult but that is less relevant now with the ability to communicate online.
“You do miss luxuries you have at home but you learn to adapt. It has completely changed my world view and understanding of what is important in life.”
They have written advice for other people considering making travelling a way of life and say they try to make readers of their blog realise that what most people dismiss as a dream is, in fact, attainable.
Gemma added: “‘ It’s been amazing sharing this experience, plus it’s opened our eyes to future opportunities.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned is how to start a website from scratch, which was a whole new world to me.
“Far from satisfying our longing to see the world, the adventure solidified our resolve to make travelling a way of life.”
The Society Hotel, Portland – it’s a modern boutique hotel and also a walking museum with a lovely view of the city.
Big Berry glampsite, Slovenia – nice location next to the Kolpa river. Comfy and cosy houses that make your stay close to nature even better.
Salt flats in Bolivia, above – the legacy of a prehistoric lake that went dry, leaving a desert-like landscape of bright white salt rock formations.
Hiking Mount Trebvic – we got to see the abandoned bobsled track in Sarajevo which is covered in street art.
Vancouver – it has beaches and hip neighbourhoods. The food is amazing and it has thriving arts scene.
Budapest – get your camera ready for the Roman ruins of the Aquincum Museum, Heroes’ Square and Statue Park, and the 300ft dome of St Stephen’s Basilica.