That Was 2025
As has become our custom since retirement, the closing of the year signals a retrospective look at everywhere we travelled to and through, and how the year unfolded. 2025 saw us travelling for a total of 262 days during which we visited 12 countries, 6 of which were new ground for us.
262 days isn’t a new record, falling short of the 270 we travelled in 2023, but we did equal our bed record, sleeping in 92 different beds through the year. We also travelled on more than 35 trains, drove rental cars in 4 countries and caught 30 flights (easily a record) with 14 different airlines.
It’s 6 years since we retired now. During those six years we’ve travelled a total of 1,312 days and seen 46 different countries, bringing our lifetime totals of countries visited to 71 (Michaela), 70 (me) and 66 (together). Of all the wonderful journeys we’ve taken and magnificent places we’ve seen, this year’s trip through Peru and Bolivia rates as one of our very best.
Definitely not finished yet, bring on 2026.
Well, 2025 went like this:
JANUARY
Days travelled: 20
Countries visited: Qatar, Philippines.
Bed count: 6
Route: home-Worcester-Padstow-home-Doha-Manila.
Dining out stories: Quad bikes in the desert, grit in Manila, active volcano.
FEBRUARY
Days travelled: 28, year so far 48.
Countries visited: Philippines.
Bed count: Month 12, year so far 18.
Route: Manila-Vigan-Baguio-Sagada-Banaue-Baguio-Pasay-Guinobatan-Cebu-Moalboal-Carcar-Alona
Dining out stories: Ancient rice terraces, lots of rain, hanging coffins, an awful lot of rain, Mayun volcano, amazing seafood in Moalboal.
MARCH
Days travelled: 25, year so far 73.
Countries visited: Philippines
Bed count: Month 5, year so far 23.
Route: Alona-Balabag-Puerto Princesa-El Nido-Coron-Pasay-home
Dining out stories: Paradise beaches, diverse cultures in a single country.
APRIL
Days travelled: 0, year so far 73.
Countries visited: 0
Bed count: Month 1, year so far 24.
Route: home-Derby-Kettering-Derby-home
Dining out stories: A birthday at home!
MAY
Days travelled: 28, year so far 101.
Countries visited: Peru
Bed count: Month 10, year so far 34.
Route: home-Lima-Paracas-Nasca-Huacachina-Lima-Filadelfia-Puerto Maldonado-Cusco-Aguas Calientes-Ollantaytambo
Dining out stories: Eating guinea pig, the incredible Nasca Lines, an oasis town in giant desert dunes, the Amazon jungle, learning to live at high altitude (over 5,000m), llamas, a Peruvian football match, the wonder of Machu Picchu, the incredible Sacred Valley, climbing Rainbow Mountain, Peruvian cuisine.
JUNE
Days travelled: 30, year so far 131.
Countries visited: Peru, Bolivia
Bed count: Month 12, year so far 46
Route: Ollantaytambo-Cusco-Arequipa-Chivay-Puno-Copacabana-La Paz-Uyuni-Candelaria-Polques Lagoon-Uyuni-Potosi-Sucre
Dining out stories: Colca Canyon and its condors, the floating islands of Lake Titicaca, witches in La Paz, fighting Cholitas, the unforgettable journey through the amazing Uyuni salt flats, going down a silver mine. Peruvian cuisine.
JULY
Days travelled: 25, year so far 156.
Countries visited: Bolivia, Portugal.
Bed count: Month 9, year so far 55.
Route: Sucre-Samaipata-Santa Cruz de la Sierra-home-Gosport-home-Porto-Pinhao-Porto-Lamego-Amarante-Braga-Obidos.
Dining out stories: Karma in the warmth after being sooooo cold, having my wallet stolen, boat up the Douro River, train back, beautiful towns, the charm of Amarante. Port wine, Douro wine, food.
AUGUST
Days travelled: 31, year so far 187.
Countries visited: Portugal, Spain, Italy (Sardinia).
Bed count: Month 9, year so far 64.
Route: Obidos-Sintra-Setubal-Lisbon-Carvoeiro-Olhão-Alghero-Bosa-Fonni-Orosei-Palau
Dining out stories: Castles and palaces, loving Setubal, beaches and holiday vibe on the Algarve, overnight ferry across the Mediterranean, lovely Bosa, Fonni the town of street art, the beautiful island of La Maddalena. Sardinian wine.
SEPTEMBER
Days travelled: 30, year so far 217.
Countries visited: Italy (Sardinia), France (Corsica), Italy, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Bed count: Month 15, year so far 79.
Route: Palau-Castelsardo-Alghero-Santa Teresa Gallura-Bonifacio-
Porto Oro-Calvi-Bastia-Siena-Trieste-Udine-Cremona-Milan-Trieste-Ljubljana-Bled-Vopovlje-Sarajevo.
Dining out stories: The unexpected beauty and drama of Corsica, fabulous Italian cities, seeing Siena again, four football matches in one weekend, unabated rain in Ljubljana, the outrageous beauty of Lake Bled.
OCTOBER
Days travelled: 9, year so far 226.
Countries visited: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia
Bed count: Month 4, year so far 83
Route: Sarajevo-Mostar-Split-home
Dining out stories: The brutal history of Mostar.
NOVEMBER
Days travelled: 5, year so far 231.
Countries visited: None
Bed count: Month 0, year so far 83.
Route: home-Padstow-home-Derby-home
Dining out stories: Not a lot.
DECEMBER
Days travelled: 31, year total 262.
Countries visited: India
Bed count: Month 9, year 92.
Route: home-Delhi-Sawai Madhopur-Jaipur-Jodhpur-Udaipur-Mumbai-Candolim-Benaulim.
Dining out stories: Seeing tigers (and a leopard) in the wild, the history and majesty of Indian cities, amazing forts and palaces, the lake city of Udaipur, never ending curry onslaught, booking the wrong town, beach life.
26 Comments
Eha Carr
Also read and responded on the first day of the New Year, absolutely amazed that I can say a huge ‘thank you’ for ALL of what you have written. Coming back to the small screen after a horror health year before, the cataracts which, amongst other matters, had nearly blinded me must have just been fixed when I ‘discovered’ you and was able to brag of my ‘new’ knowledge of the Philippines to some of the then carers stemming from there . . . your posts making me very popular indeed when they should have been attending to other matters 🙂 ! How far you have allowed me to travel with you and how much I have learned and, after the event, been able to look up and look up afterwards is absolutely wonderful to look back . . . Of all the travels I also cherished the days in Peru and Bolivia the most followed by the familiarity of Lake Bled and reaching the Mostar Bridge of which I had heard so much . . . as you say, you have not done with travelling yet . . . awfully selfishly, I do hope you have not done with writing about it either. . . . on this first day of a new year which promises so little good world-wide . . . it will be such a joy to find words and photos of where we also would love to be fall in our boxes . . . may all go well, may you enjoy, may you pass a wee bit of that over to us also . . . to both of you, thanks and blessings . . .
Phil & Michaela
You make me feel very humble, Eha. To have brought you joy through our posts is a huge pleasure. Thank you so much for your lovely and very welcome comments through the year, and for following our wayward wanders!
Suzanne@PictureRetirement
Phil and Michaela, thank you for bringing the world to my laptop this past year. You guys are the perfect pairing of talent, presenting each location honestly through your words and photos – even the gritty bits. I wish you good health and big adventures for the new year. Many blessings.
Phil & Michaela
Thank you, Suzanne, those are lovely things to say and are very much appreciated. Happy New Year to you all, enjoy your year and your travels through ‘26.
Toonsarah
Seen altogether like this your 2025 travels are super impressive! I enjoyed your month-by-month summaries, especially the ‘dining out stories’ 🙂 I also rather liked seeing what Canterbury SHOULD have looked like had we been able to see it better through the rain!
Phil & Michaela
That was such a washout, and Canterbury is so lovely…still, we did the pubs justice 😃
Toonsarah
Very true – and we can always return on a nicer day!
Helen Devries
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to see life from this damned wheelchair….real travelling as opposed to the puff stuff in the media.
Phil & Michaela
Cheers Helen, here’s wishing you a new year burst of freedom from the constraints of your chair…
Helen Devries
Thank you…..trying to walk again…slow process but i’ll get there!
grandmisadventures
What an incredible year of travel you’ve had and what a delight to follow along with you! You have set the bar for what retirement should be. Can’t wait to keep following along with you in the new year to see where you take us all next! Happy New Year to you both with love from us 🙂
Phil & Michaela
Woooo… setting the bar for retirement…I liiiiiike that! 😄
restlessjo
I’m sure you’ve had worse years, Phil. Wishing you and Michaela many happy wanderings in this one xx
Phil & Michaela
Cheers Jo, happy wanderings your way too 😁
Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle
Happy New Year! I love how slowly you’re able to travel, cheers to new adventures and travel in 2026
Phil & Michaela
Cheers Rochelle, Happy New Year to you too!
WanderingCanadians
262 days travelling may not be a new record, but it’s still impressive! Maybe you’ll reach a new record in 2026! Happy New Year!
Phil & Michaela
Maybe! Happy New Year to you three too !
Monkey's Tale
It’s been a full year for you. It feels like ages ago that I read your Philippines posts, was it just this year? Wishing you both a wonderful 2026. Maggie
Phil & Michaela
Very best new year wishes to you guys too!
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
Wishing you more safe and happy travels in 2026!
Phil & Michaela
Ta! 😁
The Flask Half Full
What a great travel year you guys had! Looking forward to reading your 2026 adventures. Happy New Year and Cheers!!
Phil & Michaela
Cheers Kirsten, same to you on all fronts!
Lookoom
Another wonderful year of travel. I admire the diversity of destinations and envy the length of the stays you get to enjoy in each place.
Phil & Michaela
Last year was definitely diverse in terms of destinations, it certainly felt that way…