At the end of 2021 we had no idea what was about to happen to us in just a few days... And our 2022 started in the most random way possible: postponing a flight to Thailand (which we had already delayed for 1 year) and getting on a flight to Barcelona with a crazy but clear idea... Buying a flat !
We had already lived in Barcelona for 5 years and, after a few years of travelling, of not staying at home, in fact of NOT having a home, now we were asking to put down roots in this city where we first arrived 14 years ago. After more than 10 years of living “on the road” we needed a place to call “home” and what better place than our beloved Barcelona.
We arrived in mid-January with a backpack and a lot of enthusiasm. Several weeks of intensive searching went by, visiting flats, going to croissant cafés and also rediscovering the city. Some got away from us, others were not what we expected, some we couldn't even visit... Until we found our little flat and it was right above a bar (as Albertucho would say) , although in reality what we have is not below but right in front of the Sagrada Familia itself! On the morning of February 4th we signed the papers and we can now say that we have had a gret adventure!
The idea is to base ourselves here and continue traveling, although this year we have taken advantage of the opportunity to replenish our energy and establish a routine that, after 11 years of nomadic life, we needed. Of course, now that we are doing this annual recap, we have realized that 2022 has given us some of that routine, but also a lot of backpacking 😉
But let's go step by step, here is our travel summary of 2022 with these 12 photos from the 12 months of the year:
January
The plans were very different and included a tropical start to the year in our beloved Thailand, but at that time it was necessary to apply for a special visa which, for some reason, was only approved for 50% of the couple. A few weeks later the permit would arrive for both of them, but it was too late and the die was cast: we already had an idea in our heads: to look for a house in Barcelona .
We started the year apart: me in Italy, Rober in Spain. But it didn't last long, in the middle of the month we met in Barcelona, we stayed at the Hotel Ilunion Auditori (much cheaper than Airbnb, gosh) and we spent hundreds of hours looking at ads on Idealista and every real estate portal in existence, visiting apartments and discovering first-hand that the housing market is a fucking jungle XD
February
Long story short: good luck. We found a bright, nice apartment that fit our budget and an even shorter long story: in less than 3 weeks we were already settled in the little apartment that would become our home sweet home where we would stay between trips.
February flew by with bureaucracy , internet contracts, electricity, water, furniture purchases, questions about why headboards are so extremely expensive, blog posts and a return to a routine that, frankly, we missed a bit. Living while traveling is great, but our bodies were asking for a place of our own and 2022 gave it to us.
March
Yes, our bodies were asking for routine, but only a little bit, don't think that Backpacking Around the World is going to stay at Backpacking Around the House... And in March we made some getaways, like the one that took us to one of our favorite cities: Rome .
It is always a pleasure to return to the Italian capital, to walk around the Colosseum, to walk through its monumental squares and, of course, to taste a good plate of amatriciana again.
April
The following month we continued the Europe-tour visiting Paris , since we had not been there for a few years and it was time to update the information for the blog and spend a few hectic but beautiful days in the city of love. It was a fairly quick getaway, with hardly any planning, but one of those that recharges energy and the desire to continue traveling.
May
“This year we are going to take it easy and go on short getaways and enjoy Barcelona” we said. But it didn’t last long… At the end of April we took the plunge and decided to go on a trip for a few months that would take us to three South American countries: Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia . Spoiler alert: a great trip.
Before leaving, we spent a week in Barcelona with my parents, it was the perfect way to say goodbye temporarily to our new home. Oh, you're so beautiful Barcelona *so intense and annoying, Lety*.
The first country we visited was Ecuador , and honestly, it was one surprise after another. Volcanoes with perfect cones, lagoons at 4,000 meters above sea level, colonial towns, diving in the Amazon, swings not suitable for people with vertigo. And then there were the incredible Galapagos , where, among other things, we snorkeled with penguins, sea lions, sharks, turtles and marine iguanas.
It's another world, a brutal, mind-blowing, incredible and addictive world: we don't know when, but we'll definitely be back .
June
And in June we crossed off our wishlist of dream destinations a country that we had been wanting to discover for years: Peru . We loved it, of course. Maybe it didn't have the same wow effect as Ecuador, because everyone knows that Peru is amazing, but every day was unique. From the Ballestas Islands to the Huacachina Dunes, from the Colca Canyon to the historic centre of Puno and of course the most famous ruins in the world: Machu Picchu .
Peru is a safe bet, a trip that we love to repeat with our families, an unforgettable trip.
July
The third country on this trip through South America was Bolivia , which we knew little about and which, after visiting Ecuador and Peru, we weren't expecting much from. Mistake! From the first moment Bolivia welcomed us with landscapes from another world that, when we arrived at the Salar de Uyuni , were transformed directly into landscapes from a parallel universe because no, that can't be planet Earth. Islands in the middle of nowhere with thousands of giant cacti, geysers, volcanoes, colorful lagoons and the most infinite, white and shiny salt flat that we have ever seen and will ever see.
Bolivia left us wanting more and who knows, hopefully we can return to explore it as it deserves.
July was also the month of the return and it culminated with a great celebration in Sigüenza for the wedding of Ire and Santi. Olé those handsome grooms and olé our even more handsome nephews 😉
August
Note: In Bolivia there were days when the temperature felt like -17º, so returning to Spain in the middle of summer, and what a summer, was stifling. “Next summer to Norway.” Holy crap, how hot it is -__-
So August was the perfect month to lock ourselves in and hit the keyboard: we had a lot to tell about the trip and a lot to plan hehe, the trips were not over, no way 😉 We also took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy Barcelona more (I think we have never seen so many museums as in August hehe) Have we already told you that we love living here and that we are like children with a new toy, but a toy the size of a city of 2 million inhabitants? Do you have any idea of the number of things to do here?
September
September was the month of two getaways, the first to our beloved Galicia (with Rober's parents, go for those seafood meals!) and the second was a getaway that we put off for too long: it was a crime to have been born a stone's throw from the Dolomites and never have been there, right?
It was 4 intense days, from which we got the most out of it. 4 days that made it clear to us that it was going to be the first time, but not the last: what a paradise, really. The landscapes, the houses, the flowers, even the cows are more beautiful in the Dolomites 🙂
October
After passing through the Dolomites we went down to my house to rescue my parents from the monotony and take them on a trip to a country so exotic and different that it still seems incredible to have it just a short flight away: Morocco .
We visited the pink city, Marrakech, we did a great road trip that took us to Ait Ben Haddou, the Todra Gorge, the Dades Gorge and, of course, we spent a night in the desert (pure magic). We ended up in an area of Morocco that we didn't know and that surprised us, the Atlantic Ocean coast is completely different from the rest of the country.
We always say it and after this second visit to Morocco we are even clearer: if you haven't been there yet, what are you waiting for? It is a luxury to have such a different place close to home.
November
We started the month with a getaway to Alcalá de Henares , where we were treated divinely and hey, we didn't know the city and we were very pleasantly surprised. November was also a month of visits : Rober's parents came to see us and we didn't miss the opportunity to take advantage of the city and we walked around it completely hehe.
In the middle of the month, taking advantage of a double baptism in my homeland, I decided to make a mini-getaway to Florence with two objectives: to see my friend Nancy and her lovely family and to visit the Uffizi. It was a great mini-trip, one of those that fills the spirit with good vibes and where you have such a good time that you don't even take photos XD I'm not even worthy of being an Instagrammer 😉
After spending a few days at home with the family, I returned to Barcelona and Rober and I finished the month working hard and enjoying the city and some of its star monuments (in November we went to the Sagrada Familia and La Pedrera, for example).
December
We are not used to spending Christmas in the same place, and this is the first time we are at home and we have taken it with the philosophy of soaking up the Christmas spirit a little ! And okay, we haven't played a single € in the lottery, but we have watched all the videos of the nice lad singing the fat one! Our new hero.
We have visited all the Christmas markets in Barcelona, and we also made a getaway to another city that dresses up in its best clothes at this time of year: Vienna . Cold, little sun, and few hours of light, but hey, there are sausages, wiener schnitzel and good beer!
We finished the month in Barcelona recharging our batteries to go to Thailand, this time for real, in January. Because yes, from time to time we appreciate a bit of routine, but we are backpacking animals!
What will 2023 bring us? We have a great year of travel in mind, but the truth is that 2020 has already taught us a lesson: little by little :-p For now, we do know that we are going to start the year in Thailand, so at least the beginning is going to be more than good.
And that's all: I wish you happy holidays, good trips and lots of happiness! Thank you for being there one more year 🙂
