Scratching the surface of this giant country we embarked on a 3400km drive from Vladivostok in the far East through Siberia to Ulan-Ude to allow entry into Mongolia, and a second 1000km trip leaving Mongolia transiting through the Russian Altai region to reach Kazakhstan. We felt privileged to experience a unique country with a secretive and closed history. Learning just a few sentences in Russian felt – well, cool. And we were amazed by the diversity of people, culture and landscape even across a few provinces, although some of the ex-Soviet hotels and their ‘welcome’ demonstrated their ability to be even more inhospitable than the Siberian climate. Further West, we found the mountainous Altai region and surrounds more friendly, and a shout out to Ivan at Land Rover Barnaul – actually the nicest man we met. Ever. A true credit to his brand and delivering service far superior to the one received at Land Rover’s ‘home’ in the UK. 

With a firm spot on my bucket list it didn’t disappoint. A country of immense diversity - lush forest, sparse desert, green plains, arid steppe, deep blue lakes, as well as the quite cosmopolitan capital city of Ulan Bator. In the main we slept in gers (Mongolian yurts/large round tent structures) owned by local families where we were treated to the most terrific hospitality, and a diet mostly of mutton, potatoes, dumplings and yak’s milk tea – yum... Oh and vodka, a little too much vodka. We also enjoyed a few nights camping in quite literally the middle of nowhere, with herds of yaks, horses and goats the only locals showing interest. Driving across the landscape, reaching the end of one breathtaking valley only to reach the next vast and unspoilt view before us was a truly cleansing experience and I loved it. The food, not so much.

We probably didn’t give this huge nation the chance it deserved. In our desire to reach the Pamir Highway (see Tajikistan) before the weather turned, we took a direct road route from North to South; little did we know it would result in three days driving through over 700kms of roadworks and the deepest, widest potholes I have ever had the misfortune to encounter. It was awful. Disco survived intact to deliver our shaking bones to Almaty the cultural capital. Occupying a stunning spot, nestled between snow-capped mountain ranges we enjoyed a superbly cooked Argentinian steak along with a pinot noir reigniting our taste buds for the first time in weeks.

Glorious snow-capped mountain scenery and attractive cities aplenty as we prepared for our trip along the Pamir Highway, which begins in the South of the country close to the border with Tajikistan. Muslim influences became more apparent in the culture, although we found the cuisine choices in Osh and Bishkek to be pretty international. Staying mostly in homestays and hostels we met a number of other travellers with whom we exchanged our Pamir route plans with excitement, including a number of hardy cyclists taking the rough, steep and often snow covered Pamir terrain on two wheels. Brave souls.

The main reason for our visit to this region was a 1500km drive along the ‘Pamir Highway’ – the world’s second highest highway. Disco and my driver (Jon) managed the terrain with aplomb, despite poor quality diesel and some ascents over 4500m. We acclimatised for the altitude by taking it slowly, took Diamox the week prior and managed to avoid sickness. Driving along the Wakhan Valley with Afghanistan just a stone’s throw away on the other side of a raging river was incredible. Narrow passages of gravel and in parts sand road balance precariously above the river. Negotiating to pass oncoming trucks, military checkpoints, overhanging cliffs, speeding US convoys and rock landslides were just some of the obstacles we overcame and we were rewarded with waves from villagers out working the lush pasture land throughout the valley, where we stayed with local families.

Here we entered Silk Road territory and began to meet many more other travellers on this popular tourist route. After a day or so in the rather uninspiring capital Tashkent our senses were rewarded with stays in the cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, once key stops on the network of ‘silk road’ trade routes connecting East and West – with their stunning collections of all the “M’s” – mosques, madrasas (Islamic colleges), minarets (prayer towers) and markets. Oh and a Martini or two. Quite a bit of shopping and eating completed here too. 

Such a bizarre yet completely fascinating country. I’m so glad we jumped hoops to be able to visit. Gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, google the president who also heads the country’s one political party and you’ll find the stories summarising his behaviour are unbelievable but true. Considered to be one of the top ten most censored countries only limited visitors are permitted each year, and it was compulsory for us to be accompanied by a guide at all times. If we strayed from the detailed itinerary we submitted, our guide would receive a phone call to ensure we returned to the agreed route. Mostly desert there are a large number of famous archaeological sites existing since the 3rd Millennium BC although largely destroyed by the Mongols, so my husband was a happy chappie with so many piles of very old rocks to clamber over. A number of cafes served up a decent latte though, so I was happy too.

“Welcome to Iran, where are you from?” was the greeting from almost everyone we met, usually followed by a request for a photo both of us and of Disco. It was a privilege to be able to feel so welcome in a country painted so poorly by Western media. Rising international tensions led to us employing a local guide Reza to accompany us. Thankfully bringing his entire Andre Rieu collection with him. We had a terrific time exploring this vast country and it joins China and Russia in being a country we’d like to explore more. The architecture is simply mind-blowing. Esfahan and Shiraz were highlights, Tehran was chaotic I had to keep my eyes closed whilst Disco negotiated the traffic. Check out the photos for more of a flavour. Speaking of which the food got better here – mostly as a result of Reza’s wife’s fantastic home cooking. Delicious kebabs and buttery saffron rice are the restaurant staples - in fact generally the only thing on the menu. Limited immigration means there’s no other international cuisines apart from the odd takeaway pizza and burgers. I don’t want to see another kebab for the next 12 months. 

This oil rich nation on the shores of the Caspian Sea was welcome relief particularly after the conservative culture of neighbouring Iran. We hit the capital Baku, described as a mix of Parisian style and Vegas glitz with its international restaurants, cocktail bars and designer stores. Feeling almost naked in public after wearing a headscarf for weeks, we headed straight out for an Italian smorgasbord, drank our way through the restaurant’s cocktail menu, and subsequently experienced the worst hangover of the entire trip. That’ll learn us. Outside the capital the more mountainous and remote areas of the region bordering Russia are quite spectacular and we enjoyed our far too brief a visit.

Probably one of the capital cities we loved the most, Tblisi is completely charming and I’d recommend it as an easy city break for our friends in the UK. With Disco enjoying another service at Land Rover we spent a delightful five days staying in the old town. With the most superb food and wine options it’s a wonderful city through which to spend days walking the winding streets and climbing up the hill for awesome views. It was winter and waking early each day to head to the local coffee shop for a couple of lattes and some croissants in the chilly air and watching the city come awake was such a treat.

These little darlings are manti served throughout Russia and Central Asia and delicious with a little yoghurt. With rolling countryside similar to Georgia we spent most of our time in the capital Yerevan. Here we visited the absorbing National History Museum, the country has the most rich cultural history and we learnt more about the Armenian Genocide of 1915-18. Despite ongoing denial by the Turkish authorities, the total number of people killed has been estimated at up to 1.5 million. A deeply religious culture we also explored a number of monasteries, constructed in the most precarious spots in the countryside.

My 7th visit to a country I’ve loved since first visiting 30 years ago, this time driving along the Black Sea coast from East to West. A highlight was Amasra a charming seaside town, sitting on a stunning bay with a Roman castle on an adjoining island. From there we journeyed on to one of our favourite cities, Istanbul where we spent a weekend enjoying the sights by day and the life by night – we loved Bomontiada a cultural and culinary hub in an old brewery, including The Populist bar serving craft beer, wines and food with a DJ spinning tunes at weekends. Jon’s father Jack flew in from Australia to travel with us through to Germany where my UK based parents would join us for Christmas.

Our first snow fall! The ancient town of Plovdiv provided a striking stopover on our way through the country, followed by a quick visit to the capital Sofia with its Russian Orthodox cathedrals. It was pretty cold though at around -2C and with Jack still acclimatising from the 40C summer heat of Perth, Western Australia we shuffled back to our AirBNB, turned the heating up and tucked into a few Bulgarian reds. Much to my dismay Jon and his father managed to locate a military museum so I busied myself with researching dinner recommendations on Trip Advisor, settling for a mouth-watering traditional feast at Moma Bulgaria.

As well as a brief stay in the capital Bucharest, a visit to the forest castles of Transylvania was a major attraction for us here. We left before the last rays of sunshine. Just in case. Alas Jack and I both picked up a nasty bout of food poisoning we think after a slightly old chicken sandwich, then Disco caught a cold and spent half a day in ‘limp mode’ where he won’t go over 45kms per hour until you take him to a garage. We were in luck, with the locals sorting us and clearing out a blockage in the Diesel Particulate Filter. From here we intended to cross into Serbia and visit Belgrade, but were rather embarrassingly denied entry at the border as our European third party car insurance didn’t cover Serbia. A quick internet search didn’t provide us with any quick and easy options to obtain the paperwork, so we bypassed Serbia and travelled directly to Hungary.

A three day stay in Budapest bought us hearty goulash and palinka (fruit brandy), perfect for the wintry conditions. Known as the Paris of the East and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city was well worth a visit. We wandered the streets, crossed the Danube River dividing Buda and Pest and climbed up to the Fisherman’s Bastion to enjoy cracking views of the city, as well as exploring a multitude of cheery Christmas markets by night.

Although we didn’t spend much time here we enjoyed two nights in Bratislava the capital city. Again, Christmas Markets were on the agenda as well as a visit to Devin Castle, one of the oldest in the country. The castle stands just inside Slovak territory on the frontier between the Slovak Republic and Austria. Prior to 1989, the Iron Curtain between the Eastern Bloc and the West ran just in front of the castle. It was epically cold but the expansive views of the Danube were magnificent.

Prague had been on my ‘I can’t believe I’ve never been there’ list for some time and we rented a superb AirBNB with views of the city. Yet another memorable UNESCO World Heritage Site, visiting in Winter meant it was a little quieter than normal so we wandered the city feasting on hot chocolate, and enjoying a craft beer tasting session. We had a couple of fabulous meals including La Bottega Tusarova and The Eatery. We also hit the shops for the first time in a while, returning with new FjallRaven pants for Jon and a very long overdue eyebrow shape for me. Crisis averted.

We’d spent a few weeks rambling around Germany in 2017, so weighing up our options for the festive period we decided to bunker down in Bavaria for the Christmas week, and invited my parents to fly from the UK to join Jack, Jon and I for a family ensemble. We rented a lovely house for a week in Tutzing which is about an hour from Munich and tucked into pork, pork and more pork, and a fairly large selection of alcoholic beverages. In between courses we visited mad King Ludwig II’s Linderhof Palace and his famous and somewhat ostentatious Neuschwanstein Castle, Disney’s inspiration for the castle in Sleeping Beauty. The wonderfully named Restaurant Pfaffenwinkel was a great spot for dinner, as well as numerous BrauHofs in Munich and mulled wine at the Weihnachtsmarkts (Christmas Markets). Vielen Dank an Deutschland für ein schönes Weihnachtsfest!

The parentals left for their own homes and we dropped my folks at Salzburg Airport, allowing Jon and I an overnight stay in this beautiful city. On the way we climbed up through the mountains in the Berchtesgaden National Park. It’s in Germany but only kms from Salzburg so I’m cheating by including it here. Anyway, we hit snow, lots of it. It was so beautiful. You can drive through the area, park on the side of the road and ski from your car. Very convenient. We celebrated with a late afternoon spatzle (divine German egg noodle) and schnapps at this amazing spot. Although I’d forgotten to get more cash and as the restaurant was remote and couldn’t accept credit cards we had to share one of each between us. Doh. We had a gorgeous walk around Salzburg in the evening, with more gluwein in the central square followed by dinner at Zipfer Bierhaus tavern one of the oldest buildings in the city. Any thoughts of a healthy diet now long forgotten.

It’s wonderful when you hold limited expectations and places surprise and delight you. The city of Luxembourg did just that. We thought we’d just call in (to a whole country!) on the way to Belgium for New Year.  There’s a terrific walking tour of the spectacular historic city centre that’s well sign posted, and I literally had to drag Jon away - the photographer’s options within this hugely photogenic city are endless and we had only a three hour parking ticket. Taking advantage of good pricing out of season we overnighted at the fabulous Hostellerie du Grünewald, a design hotel a drive out of the city but boasting a great restaurant and a yummy cocktail bar. Luxembourg definitely deserves another city break visit sometime in the future.

Plotting our plans for New Year’s Eve we opted for a few days in Brussels, choosing Bruges as a possibly quieter and cheaper option. The old town is glorious, so pretty with canals and cobbled streets and we over-indulged on chocolate, beers and waffles. To be honest NYE itself was a bit of a damp squib. It was cold and we hadn’t been able to book anywhere for dinner. After maxing out our patience standing to watch live bands in the square we made do with a couple of extortionately priced gluweins and less than traditional kebab and chips and retreated back to our hotel well before midnight! Thankfully we had a lovely day on New Year’s Day exploring the markets for cheeses and cold meats and finding a great restaurant for dinner.

A quick meander through France found us mainly in Normandy where Jon was able to satisfy his military history interests with visits to Dunkirk, Villiers Bretonnex and Omaha. We visited the resting place of Jon’s great grandfather Mark Gregor killed in action in June 1918 aged 35, one of 2100 Commonwealth servicemen from WWI buried or commemorated at the Bretonnex Cemetery. The adjacent Australian National Memorial has an impressive interactive display and is well worth a visit. We had glorious stays at the Chateau du Landin outside Rouen and the Chateau du Bois Guy in Brittany, and spent our time rambling around the abbey atop the lovely Mont-Saint-Michel and the defending walls of the historic port at St.Malo. Goes without saying that the food in France was to die for and we hot footed it to Cherbourg to catch the ferry before our pot bellies would no longer squeeze into Disco.

Arriving in Portsmouth was apt – the birthplace of my grandfather whose lifelong career in the Royal Navy and working stints in Adelaide had inspired my original interest in travelling to Australia. Dashing to a recommended breakfast place we tucked into a Full English to see us through the day before heading to the Mary Rose and HMS Victory. A quick trip to London got our US visa application underway and the majority of time was spent resting up at my parent’s place near Bristol, Somerset and catching up with family and old friends here and in London. We embarked on a quick trip of the UK countryside taking in Derbyshire and the Peak District, the Scottish borders and Hadrian’s Wall, as well as Edinburgh and Glencoe in Scotland. Our route home took us through Snowdonia in North Wales before returning to Somerset.

We took the car ferry to Ireland and whistle-stopped our way through Donegal on the West Coast, as well as Galway, Dingle, Killarney and Dublin. Our highlight here was the Ring of Kerry coastal drive around Country Kerry in the South West, taking in one of the most Westerly points of Europe. The time of year meant this normally busy tourist route was super quiet, the rain held and the freshly caught seafood was sublime as well as the obligatory pint or four of Guinness. Worth waiting for.