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The McDonald's Big Adventure
Explore. Learn. Give.

It’s impossible to pick a favourite museum but t

It’s impossible to pick a favourite museum but the Guggenheim in Bilbao is well and truly on the short list. Personally, I could’ve spent days immersed here. Frank Gehry’s masterpiece of a building is just that, a masterpiece. His signature “disruptive” design is nothing short of mesmerising as are the unexpected ways the building demands your attention. They should have just called this place, mouth agape.

Inside, we loved watching the way the children interacted with the art. From comments like, “I reckon I could’ve done that” through to the confusion around why Pinocchio was lying face down in a pool (for those interested, Maurizio Cattelan’s “Daddy, Daddy” is about a filial plea gone unanswered - light stuff), to questioning whether some installations were in fact art and then what constitutes art?

Beyond the academic and existential, there were plenty of lighter art discussions around contemporary and pop art styles they’d never seen before from Koons and Rosenquist to Lichtenstein and Warhol. Did they like them? And why or why not??

Scale and size were also discussed. Does something big make it impressive and worthy of inclusion or is it more about the materials used and/or what the artist is trying to convey? The trip to Bilbao was worth it just to go to this museum and have these conversations.

The art journey continues.

#bilbao #guggenheimbilbao #popart #contemporaryartwork #art #artgallery #spain #frankgehry #frankgehryarchitecture #explore #learn #fgy24tour

“My Brother’s Hand” Photo of the day by Ar

“My Brother’s Hand”

Photo of the day by Arabella McDonald.

Guggenheim, Bilbao.

#potd #nofilter #guggenheimbilbao #bilbao #frankgehry #architecture #modernart #popart #explore #fgy24tour

The Botafumeiro - you may have heard of it or seen

The Botafumeiro - you may have heard of it or seen these fantastic images before? Let me tell you it’s incredible to see in person.

Its history at the cathedral in Santiago dates back centuries, when they’d use incense regularly as a symbol of purification. Practically, it was also used to mask the smell of pilgrims who’d end up here after bath-less months on the road.

These days, the botafumeiro is rarely used - just Christmas and the feast of St James - so we were incredibly lucky the day we arrived for the pilgrims’ mass to see it come out.

Some fast facts: This botafumeiro is more than 150 years old, it’s operated by eight men called tiraboleiros who pull ropes to set the censer in motion. The censer swings in a 65-metre arc (or the length of a football field) and reaches speeds of up to 68 km/h.

I told you it was impressive.

The body of Saint James is also here, right under the altar. Even if you haven’t walked the Camino, if you’re in Santiago it’s a must visit.

#camino #caminodesantiago #botafumeiro #santiagodecompostelacathedral #santiagodecompostela #learn #fgy24tour

Camino - Part 2 What an unforgettable last five d

Camino - Part 2

What an unforgettable last five days it’s been. We’ve walked, we’ve talked, we’ve laughed and most importantly, we’ve listened; to each other, to ourselves, to nature and to the celestial whispers that have been our constant guide.

The Camino has been everything we wanted it to be and more. Speaking of, we definitely want to do this again, perhaps taking another path next time. Let’s see…

To those thinking about whether this is for them, the answer is a resounding yes, it’s for everyone; young, old, fit, unfit, religious and non. Your only regret will be not doing it.

#camino #santiagodecompostela #wayofstjames #spain #pilgrimage #familytime #explore #learn #fgy24tour

Day 5 of the Camino and it’s a solid walk today,

Day 5 of the Camino and it’s a solid walk today, 15kms to the busy town of Melide.

Yes, a lot of the rural scenery does look very similar to previous legs and some might find that boring but I’m actually grateful, I think scenic continuity makes for really focused reflection.

Speaking of reflection, we’re now half way through and we’ve noticed there’s a groove you get into at this stage; a sort of physical and metaphysical rhythm. Your feet seem to follow at a pace you’ve already set and your mind is able to go deeper into whatever it is you want or need to contemplate.

That’s when it struck me that when fellow pilgrims pass you and extend a “buen Camino”, which they do all the time, I think what they mean is not so much “good walk” as “good reflection”. Love that.

One of the other great things about the Camino, besides all that “quality thinking”, is who you meet. We talked to so many wonderful people from all around the world but wouldn’t you know it, the two best Camino companions were Australian. Thanks @vanessagorman0 and @publicart_works for some great chat!

We got to Melide pretty shattered but after a rest we were ready to explore. If you want to eat local, you have to try pulpo or octopus, one of the most popular dishes in this part of Spain. And as everyone knows, nothing goes better with pulpo than a bowl of wine. Yep, you read that right. Who needs glasses anyway?

Bring on day 6!

#camino #caminodesantiago #melide #pulpo #explore #reflect #familytime #fgy24tour

Camino Day 4 Our destination today is Palas de Re

Camino Day 4

Our destination today is Palas de Rei, just 11kms away. That said, there are quite a few uphills so it’s definitely felt longer.

A few surprises along the way including eucalyptus trees, thousands of them.

Turns out a Galician monk brought them to Spain after a trip to Australia in the 1860s. Fast forward 160 years and they cover nearly 15% of the total land here.

As always, the road gave us a lot of time to think, to meditate, to contemplate as well as to spend quality and uninterrupted time together. It’s been such a gift and I’m not sure we’ll ever experience something like this again. Talk about grateful.

#camino #caminodesantiago #pilgrimage #familytime #explore #eucalyptus #galicia #fgy24tour

Camino Day 3 Today, most pilgrims will walk the

Camino Day 3

Today, most pilgrims will walk the full 24kms to Palas de Rei but we’re splitting the journey into two easier stages of 13 and 11kms. For us, it’ll still be a good five hour walk which, as a family, is perfect.

#camino #caminodesantiago #caminofrances #pilgrimage #familytime #explore #fgy24tour

Day 2 of the Camino and our destination today is P

Day 2 of the Camino and our destination today is Portomarin.

We’ve had a good night’s sleep, make that a very good night’s sleep. We’ve also had our guilt-free hot chocolates and are ready to set off.

When you’re doing the Camino as a family, a piece of advice; there’s no need to get up pre-dawn with the rest of the pilgrim pack. I for one have no interest in starting a hike in the dark, let them all go ahead, I say.

There’s so much beauty on the path, I think you’re mad not to take it all in during daylight hours. And if you’re hiking 15kms a day or thereabouts, you’re going to make it to your next destination before dark anyway.

So, why set off pre-sparrow? Some of it is about accommodation. Today, the Camino is becoming so popular that a lot of albergues or hostels fill up and people can find themselves at the end of the day in a town with no vacancies.

To that, i’d say, forget about wanderer romance and just be practical. Everyone’s walking the same route. Look at the map, decide how many kilometres you want to go and book ahead, then you can relax and know you’ve got a guaranteed bed.

Those of you wondering how you get on when you’ve got a suitcase to lug, or in our case four, that’s very simple too. Just fill in a taxi form at your hostel the night before and your bags will be couriered to your next destination by the time you arrive. It’s incredibly efficient.

A quick mention about Portomarin, it’s a beautiful town, right in the heart of Galicia.

Back in the 1960s when Miño river was damned, the whole town was threatened with submersion. The response? A bold move to relocate the entire village to higher ground including a 12th century church, which they did, brick by brick. Extraordinary.

#caminodesantiago #portomarin #pilgrim #hike #explore #fgy24tour

The Camino, you may have heard of it? The full nam

The Camino, you may have heard of it? The full name is actually the Camino de Santiago or Way of Saint James. In theory, it’s considered a spiritual pilgrimage following in the footsteps of the late saint and covers hundreds of kilometres, largely across Spain.

But these days, it’s undertaken by both religious and non-religious pilgrims alike because it’s really a journey of self-discovery and often, healing. Today, people from all over the world are increasingly choosing this type of break as a way to rediscover, reconnect and recharge.

We’re starting in Sarria, which is about 114km from our final destination, or the pilgrim’s end, Santiago de Compostela. This is the last eligible stop to collect a pilgrim passport, which you fill with stamps along the way. Now, you don’t need a passport to complete the journey but it is a lovely reminder and souvenir of the journey.

We’re hoping to do this in 10 days but it’s not a race, far from it. We’re all going to walk at our own pace, each one of us ready to discover what the path has in store.

#sarriaspain #spain #santiagodecompostela #thecamino #thecaminodesantiago #wayofstjames #pilgrimage #explore #fgy24tour

My #50for50 tour continues, this time in Madrid wi

My #50for50 tour continues, this time in Madrid with the legendary @lastminuteluxury

Raili, my gorgeous kindergarten bestie surprised me with the most decadent joint-birthday breakfast @rosewoodvillamagna

They say friends are around for a reason, a season or a lifetime, no guessing which category this girl falls into. Happy birthday to us and here’s to the next 50 my beautiful friend 😘

#madrid #birthday #milestonebirthday #lastminuteluxury #breakfast #rosewoodvillamagna #fgy24tour

Ahhh, Madrid you are a beauty. There is literally

Ahhh, Madrid you are a beauty. There is literally nothing I don’t love about this city.

The people, the history, the architecture, the shopping, the food, all of it a reminder that this is one of the most romantic and beautiful places in Europe.

As a family, there are three things we like to do in every big city; a hop on hop off bus, a monument/gallery visit and a food tour. We ticked all three in Madrid and all three were stupendous.

#madrid #spain #tapas #gourmet #hoponhopoffmadrid #history #learn #fgy24tour

Like a lot of mums, I look back at old photos of m

Like a lot of mums, I look back at old photos of my kids and think, geez their birth feels like a long time ago. Then again, I can still remember every detail like it was yesterday so that must mean they’re still little, right?? Boy oh boy, there’s nothing little about them, no siree, they have minds, hearts and opinions all of their own and I love it.

They were the ones who decided that today was just as much about giving as it was receiving, getting up at dawn’s crack to prepare sandwiches for underprivileged kids. The rest of the day was spent having fun, just as birthdays were intended. There were a couple of presents too but just tokens, because they know as well as we do this year’s biggest gift is travel.

There have been so many wonderful memories made and we’re forever grateful for this experience, but more importantly, we’re forever grateful for them. Happy 12th birthday, C&A 😘

#birthdays #travel #familytraveladventures #givingback #explore #learn #fgy24tour

If you’ve seen our last reel, you’ll know one

If you’ve seen our last reel, you’ll know one of the things you have to do in Barcelona is eat, and you can’t really say you’ve eaten here unless you’ve had churros.

These deep-fried long doughnuts are every bit as sinful as they look. And then there’s no going back to virtue once you’ve dipped them into a cup of the thickest dark chocolate imaginable.

You’ll find this delectable dish served everywhere here but there’s no better place to try them than on Carrer Petrixol or as it’s nicknamed, Chocolate Street.

But just who serves the best churros in Barcelona? Xurerria in Carrer dels Banys Nous. It’s definitely a 9/10.

#barcelona #spain #carrerpetrixol #churros #chocolateconchurros #learn #explore #fgy24tour

(Warning: this reel comes with significant calorie

(Warning: this reel comes with significant calories)

This is the third time I’ve been to Barcelona and the third time I’ve missed out on tickets to La Sagrada Familia. It’s by no means the only reason to visit Barcelona but let’s be clear, Gaudi’s unifinished masterpiece is its biggest drawcard, so to say we were disappointed is an understatement. Lesson: book tickets ahead of time and by that I mean months ahead of time.

As travellers, particularly family travellers there are obviously other lessons to be learned here including, “don’t let one disappointment ruin the whole experience”, “be grateful we’re even here at all”, “we still get to marvel at it from the outside” and my favourite, “everything happens for a reason”. For the record, I’m still trying to work out what that reason is? Maybe it’s as simple as, the universe conspiring to make us come back again? If it is, ok, we’re on board.

In the meantime, what do you do when a third of your one day visit to Barcelona is effectively cancelled? First, you visit the old town, which is glorious. The shops (minus the horrendous tourist fare) are fabulous, and this is maybe the best city in Europe other than Paris for people watching. No one throws an outfit together better than the Spanish, talk about sartorial splendour!

Strolling down the famed, La Rambla is a delight (when locals aren’t denouncing tourists and wishing they’d go home). Plus, any lack of hospitality is always made up for by the delicious food delights Barcelona has on offer. From churros to empanadas and of course, jamon. Honestly, if you’re dieting, skip Barcelona because you can’t blink without having something calorie-laden assault your senses.

The biggest highlight, other than the food, is a visit to the Picasso museum. It’s beautifully laid out and well spaced so you’re not falling over one another to see everything. There are more than 4000 works on display so you’ll need at least two hours here.

After that, head down to the waterfront for a leisurely stroll and a sangria and forget about those tickets you missed out on. Still not over it.

#barcelona #spain #larambla #churros #picasso #explore #familytraveltips #fgy24tour

How it started…..how it’s going The great Ba

How it started…..how it’s going

The great Barcelona churros challenge coming soon!

#barcelona #churros #chocolateconchurros #spain #eatlocal #sugarhigh #explore #learn #fgy24tour

Country 10 and we’re in Spain! Viva!! If you’

Country 10 and we’re in Spain! Viva!!

If you’ve read a bit about our backstory, you’ll know that we started our planning for this trip by picking one place in the world each of us one wanted to go. For Nick, it was Spain and walking the famous Camino.

Of course, we won’t be doing the whole thing - not enough time for that - just the last 115kms from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela, which is the finish line for most pilgrims. Hopefully, our Nepal trekking legs still remember how to work??

We’ve got plenty of other places we’ll be exploring too from Barcelona and Madrid to Pamplona, Bilbao and San Sebastián so, vamanos muchachos!!

#spain #country10 #espagna #explore #camino #caminodesantiago #family #lifegoals #fgy24tour

Like us, if you only have three days to visit Malt

Like us, if you only have three days to visit Malta, don’t despair, you’ll still see a lot. Here’s a suggested three day itinerary:

✨Valletta
Take one day to explore the city and visit St John’s Co-Cathedral, see the Malta Experience, check out the old Infirmary. Taxi it out to Sliema and enjoy late lunch on the waterfront before taking a ferry back to Valletta.

✨Mdina and Rabat
Spend a half day in each and make sure you visit to the catacombs. I’d do Medina first to avoid the crowds and have lunch there before heading to Rabat.

✨Gozo and Comino
Take a private charter or take a ferry and enjoy a full day visiting the Blue Lagoon, and waters around Gozo and Comino. Next time, you’ll want to explore Gozo by land as there’s plenty to see here.

What do they say in the classics? Always leave them wanting more? Mission achieved Malta, mission achieved.

#malta #visitmalta #valletta #mdina #rabatmalta #history #explore #fgy24tour

Imagine walking 10,000 miles on foot? That’s the

Imagine walking 10,000 miles on foot? That’s the equivalent of London to Istanbul return or Africa top to bottom and back again. I think even the most avid hikers would agree, that’s a long way. And it’s a trip that would no doubt feel even longer without solid shoes, distractions like music and podcasts, multiple food and beverage stops and a comfortable place to lay your head at night.

I can’t imagine doing it today, let alone in 60AD but that’s exactly what St Paul the apostle did in his mission to spread Christianity. Yes, he did it over 14 years but man he covered a lot of ground. We’re talking Jerusalem to Syria, Cyprus to Malta, Greece to Turkey, just to name a few.

Malta wasn’t part of his plan but it ended up being a very happy accident. Remember, at the beginning he wasn’t on board with the whole Christian thing, in fact he persecuted believers for years. Then, on the road to Damascus he experienced a profound conversion and there was no stopping him after that.

He ended up getting arrested in Jerusalem but begged to go on trial in Rome, which Caesar granted. On the way, his prisoner vessel became shipwrecked off, you guessed it, Malta.

Miraculously, he survived and when the islanders found him, they were said to be very welcoming. Paul ended up spending three months here, preaching and, according to testimony, performing miracles. This is where he stayed, in this grotto in Rabat, which has been beautifully preserved and today sits right under the cathedral that now bears his name.

Next to it, you’ll find St Paul’s catacombs, a fascinating underground complex dating back to the 3rd century BC. Later, they were used by Christians, first in secret when under persecution and later as a shrine. It’s fascinating to walk around and explore these chambers. More than 1000 people were buried here and in fact human remains can still be seen.

As for Paul, well, he ended up back in Rome and was eventually martyred, but he left behind an extraordinary legacy as a theologian as well as an influencer of art, literature, philosophy, and ethics.

#malta #rabatmalta #catacombs #stpaulscathedralmalta #history #religioushistory #fgy24tour

There are no real fitting adjectives to describe t

There are no real fitting adjectives to describe the colour of Malta’s water, none. Believe me, I’ve tried finding suitable words to capture the iridescent beauty that is the Mediterranean Sea but they all fall short. There is quite simply no other water like this in the world, not even in my beloved Australia.

And it’s not just the colour, it’s the temperature, surroundings and ocean floor too, all of it sublime.

The whole island tour experience was also helped by having a good captain and they don’t come better than David from @bahricharters

He took us to all the secret spots from secluded beaches on Gozo and Comino to the magical Blue Grotto Caves, and really just made us feel like we had the whole Med to ourselves. He also does a mean cheese platter 😜

Thanks for a perfect day out and another excuse to return to magical Malta!

#gozoisland #bluelagoonmalta #cominoisland #malta #bluegrottomalta #explore #bluewaters #paradise #fgy24tour

What do Game of Thrones, Popeye and The Count of M

What do Game of Thrones, Popeye and The Count of Monte Cristo have in common? They all feature scenes shot in Mdina.

And no wonder, this medieval, fortified town looks and feels every inch like a movie set, from its stunning Baroque buildings to its palaces and churches, including the magnificent St Paul’s Cathedral, not to mention its little winding streets.

Fun fact; Mdina has been inhabited since antiquity - we’re talking 2500 years of continuous populations. Today, there are 300 people living here.

Second fun fact, this was Malta’s original capital during the Roman period until the Knights of St. John moved the capital to Valletta in the 16th century.

And, as information is always best served in three’s, here’s the third: Mdina is known as the “Silent City” as it’s virtually car free.

So go, roam, enjoy the views, soak in the ancient atmosphere and get lost in her streets, you won’t regret it.

#malta #mdina #mdinamalta #baroque #moviesets #history #explore #fgy24tour

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