Number 29

Thank you all for the lovely birthday messages over the course of the weekend, it certainly was a good one!
Now, as I promised, coming up over the next month or so are my 29 best travel experiences and moments (thought I could do this in a day's blog post, but that would be crazy), and what travel has done for me. It's a very rewarding thing, you'll always get something out of it, but how much depends on how much you're willing to give...
Kick starting us then is my earliest travel memory and first ever time abroad with my family. We stayed in Albufeira (Algarve) in May 1992 when it was just a sleepy village, but I hear it isn't so much nowadays! To be honest, we could have gone anywhere and I would have been equally as excited. The first night we arrived, we had to split the family and take 2 taxis to our apartment. The taxi with my mum and both sisters got lost, which meant my brother and I picked the best bedroom - score! Something that is so important when you're a kid. Anyway, after all the kerfuffle, we headed down to the beach so my parents could unwind I suspect ;) All I remember is it was the early hours, pitch black and we could hear the waves lapping right next to us, but we couldn't see them. Looking up to the cliff top, I could see the twinkling lights from the bars and tavernas playing music I'd never heard before. A very magical moment when all your senses come alive because of the newness of it all.