WanderLeefy

11/08/2026

20 HOURS IN MÁLAGA! 🇪🇸✈️☀️

When you haven’t seen your two besties for a few months, what better excuse than a quick trip to Málaga for the day! ✈️❤️

Technically, I flew solo — leaving Keefy and Jazzy at home — while the girls flew over from Birmingham, landing just 40 minutes after me. Three besties, one city and 20 hours to catch up!

The plan was simple: catch up, beach time, Spanish food, local wine and cocktails. 🍹🇪🇸

I landed at 10:15am on Saturday and, once the girls arrived, we dropped our rucksacks (travelling light!) at the hotel and headed straight for the beach.

We had a delicious fish lunch, with the fish cooked on a BBQ inside an actual boat on the beach! 🐟🔥 Then it was a few hours of relaxing on the beach until 7pm.

Cocktails overlooking the harbour followed, before heading back to the hotel to freshen up and head into town around 9pm.

Tapas, local wine and plenty of catching up later, it was bedtime at midnight… before my taxi at 3am! 😳

My flight home was at 6am, while the girls were staying on for a few extra hours. By 9am Sunday morning, I was back home and reunited with Keefy and Jazz the dog! 🥰

A proper flying visit, but Ryanair ran bang on time both ways and we had a brilliant time.

Sometimes you just need to make the effort, jump on a plane and fit a little bit of Spain — and a lot of catching up — into 20 hours! 🇪🇸❤️✈️

23/06/2026

Mini-Break Essentials ✈️
Travelling with just a backpack? These are the items we never leave home without:

1️⃣ Cream Deodorant Stick

No liquid allowance required, saving valuable space in your airport liquids bag. https://amzn.to/4xv0WAs

2️⃣ Foldable Backpack / Beach Bag

Perfect for day trips, beach days and bringing home those extra holiday purchases. https://amzn.to/4eJhZHu. https://amzn.to/4eEE4qJ

3️⃣ Multi-Charging Cable & Worldwide Adapter

One cable, multiple devices, less clutter. A travel essential.
https://amzn.to/3Sq0Aee
https://amzn.to/44bbAyI

4️⃣ Neck Fan

A game-changer for hot destinations, sightseeing days and long queues.

https://amzn.to/4ebsROm

5️⃣ Pacsafe Crossbody Bag

Secure, comfortable and ideal for keeping passports, phones and valuables safe while exploring. I literally never take mine off whilst away!

https://amzn.to/4uHVEyJ

💡 These five items take up very little room but make a huge difference when travelling light.

What backpack travel essential would you add to the list?

Keep your important belongings close to your body for stress-free travels. Designed to be sleek, this crossbody with built-in wallet can hide discreetly under a jacket. Keep your passport, boarding pass, credit cards, and cash in the main compartment, which can be locked using the simple zip clip...

14/06/2026

🇬🇷 3 Nights in Athens: The Perfect Long Weekend Itinerary 🇬🇷

Looking for a short Greek getaway that combines history, beaches and stunning scenery? Here’s how we spent 3 nights in Athens and the surrounding area.

Day 1 – Athens City Day 🏛️

* Breakfast near the Acropolis Museum
* Explore the paths surrounding the Acropolis
* Visit the Acropolis (pre-booked tickets recommended- we booked 12:00)
* Lunch at Anefani on the steps in Plaka
* Explore the Ancient Agora area and temples
* Wander the streets of Plaka and central Athens
* Dinner with live Greek music at Lyra- includes a drink sat on the steps

Day 2 – Aegina Island & Beach Day 🌊

* Fast ferry from Piraeus to Aegina (30 minutes)
* Relax at Barracuda Beach Bar- we hired two sunbeds for €16, and enjoyed the attentive bar service to the sunbed!
* Seafood lunch at Kaliva (don’t miss the grilled octopus, or pistachio and cheese pie)
* Explore Aegina marina and sample local pistachio products
* Ferry back to Athens- careful when you book this; there are two ferry stops on the island which are on opposite sides of the island. We got caught out by this!
* Evening wine tasting at Finewine Athens
* Dinner and live music in Plaka around the steps

Day 3 – Attica Coast Road Trip 🚗

* Collect hire car in Athens. We used Avance, which was 5 mins walk from our accommodation. It cost £37 for the day, we paid additional €15 for additional insurance and spent €15 on fuel.
* Visit Marathon and the Marathon Tomb
* Drive the Attica coastline towards Cape Sounion
* Visit the spectacular Temple of Poseidon
* early dinner overlooking the sea in Palaia Fokaia
* Continue the scenic coastal drive
* Return car at Athens Airport before evening flight home

Why This Itinerary Works

✅ Ancient history and iconic sights
✅ A relaxing Greek island day trip
✅ Beautiful beaches and swimming
✅ Fantastic food and local wine
✅ A scenic coastal road trip
✅ Easily achievable in a long weekend from Stansted

If you’re visiting Athens for a few days, I’d highly recommend combining the city with both Aegina and the Cape Sounion coastal drive. It gives you a much broader experience of Greece than staying in the city alone.

🇬🇷☀️

28/12/2025

❄️ Sweden in winter is more magical than you can imagine…
You can read all about it, and see our “off the beaten track” visit to the Arctic circle this December

https://wanderleefy.com/2025/12/28/a-winter-journey-through-sweden-🇸🇪❄%EF%B8%8F/

19/12/2025

🇸🇪Exploring Stockholm

Our flight landed early, and we wasted no time sailing through passport control and hopping on the Arlanda Express—the fast and efficient train into central Stockholm. Our hotel, the Radisson Blu Waterfront, was just a stone’s throw from the station, and we were delighted to be offered an early check-in.

After dumping our bags, we set off on foot for Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s historic old town, about a 15-minute walk away. We found the main square and stopped for lunch, enjoying some classic Swedish meatballs that were absolutely delicious.

Next came a wander through the Christmas market, which was charming and full of unique Swedish items. We picked up some local cheese before starting a GPS My City walking tour of the old town. The cobbled streets, narrow alleys, and colourful buildings were utterly enchanting—so atmospheric and full of character. We paused for a beer in a cosy historic pub before retreating to the hotel for a nap, the early start finally catching up with us.

Revived, we headed back to Gamla Stan for a historic pub crawl. We popped into the cathedral to watch evensong, then crossed over to Kaffegillet, a remarkable historic pub with a stunning 14th-century cellar complete with a secret passage leading to the cathedral. Candlelight, stone arches, and a cold beer made it feel very special. We also sampled a small plate—Lappkata—toast topped with smoked reindeer and horseradish cream. Delicious… sorry, Rudolf!

Our next stop was Movitz Bar, another atmospheric old pub with wooden walls and a great buzz. We enjoyed some bar snacks, including chorizo sausage, before moving on.

From there, we descended into Aifur—a Viking-themed bar hidden in the cellars of Gamla Stan. Warm, lively, and delightfully eccentric, the staff were dressed in Viking attire and drinks were served in clay bowls. Live traditional music added to the medieval feel, and the menu was full of local specialities. We couldn’t resist ordering the meat-sharing board, which included yet more reindeer—and even reindeer heart. Surprisingly (and wonderfully), it was absolutely delicious.

We finished the evening with a gentle walk around the quieter perimeter streets of Gamla Stan, admiring the beautiful architecture before heading back to the hotel for a final Swedish whisky dram.

A brilliant first day exploring Stockholm—an incredible city and a fantastic place to visit.

10/11/2025

Dreaming of twinkling lights, snowy streets, and the scent of mulled wine? Join us on a magical Christmas road trip through Germany’s most enchanting towns.

Read about it here 👇

https://wanderleefy.com/2025/11/10/✈%EF%B8%8F-🎄-a-winter-fairytale-exploring-germanys-christmas-magic-in-bremen-goslar-quedlinburg/?frame-nonce=26b1b855d5

01/11/2025

Thinking of exploring Iceland in winter? Read our four-day itinerary packed with real experiences, honest tips, and everything we wish we’d known before we went.

Full blog Blog below 👇

How to spend four unforgettable days in Iceland — from Reykjavík’s food scene and Sky Lagoon sunsets to glacier lagoons, waterfalls, and the Golden Circle. A detailed winter itinerary with where to…

27/10/2025

Our second day trip from Reykjavík was with Bus Travel Iceland through , on the “Golden Circle with Secret Lagoon” tour.

It was an incredible experience, taking us to Kerið Crater, The Secret Lagoon (Iceland’s oldest natural hot spring), the Geysir geothermal area, the breathtaking Gullfoss Waterfall—spectacular amidst the snow and ice, though absolutely savage in temperature!—and Þingvellir National Park, where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet and where Iceland’s parliament was first established in the 900s.

The snowfall caught everyone by surprise but made the day even more magical. Iceland is truly stunning! ❄️🇮🇸