Hard to say exactly why we’ve been spending more and more time in Europe over the years. Age, maybe, as we slowly become a little more interested in comfort (our own room and bathroom, at least) and less worried about travelling on a shoestring budget (we’re no longer strictly cattle car class on trains, for example), which makes Europe a much more appealing destination.
We have fallen in love with Spain over the course of a couple Caminos de Santiago, spent a memorable stretch of time locked down in Portugal during the pandemic (shared trauma that will connect us forever, surely) and after hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc we are completely obsessed with hiking in the Alps. The Greek Islands immediately struck as both as a place we could actually live someday, Italy is always great, the Balkans fascinating and affordable, Ireland fun and funny. And don’t get me started on Gozo. Needless to say, Europe is going to be our first post-pandemic stop.