Melissa Paul is very cool for a number of reasons: As we said, the first person to be granted the new DN visa in Croatia She runs the most popular FB group in Istria for ex-pats and Digital Nomads She rescues cats She's got a great story Even if you don't intend to live in Croatia, there are still some great lessons here for anyone wanting to live and work abroad. Follow her on Insta @melissapaul and if you live in Istria, join her FB group here.  

Thravellers - Travel tips, stories & advice for Travellers over Thirty

32: Meet Melissa, the very first DN visa holder in Croatia

We call her 'patient zero'. She calls herself Melissa. The world calls her the Digital Nomad OG! Coming up on Thursday, listen to our full interview with the very first Digital Nomad visa holder in Croatia. You're gonna love this one!  

Coming up: Meet the 1st DN Visa holder in Croatia

In this episode we talk about: - Top European cities for winter getaways - Our favourite Christmas markets in Europe (including one that you may not have heard of) - Current COVID travel restrictions to those markets (check before you book tho!) If you do end up going somewhere we recommend, tag us into your photos on Insta - @asidewayslife.  

31: Christmas markets and winter in Europe

Coming up in a day or so is our newest episode on wintering in Europe. We tell you where we've spent winter, what we like (and don't like) and also our favourite Christmas Markets.

Top places for winter in Europe (with Xmas markets!)

Looking for an Autumn city break in Europe? We've been to 159 towns & cities in the last 10 years and, naturally, we belie that we know the best places! In this episode, we count down (quite literally!) the top 6 places to choose for an autumnal city break. So what are you waiting for? Press 'play' you fool! Places we mention: Maribor, Slovenia The oldest vine in the world Wine museum (ask for Natasa or Marco)  Wine Festival (San Martin) on the 11th November Lake Bled, Slovenia Ljubljana, Slovenia Belgrade, Serbia Castle is Belgrade Fortress The rooftop bar we went to is SkyLounge Belgrade You have to try a burek! The cobbled area that's the cultural quarter is Skadarlija The cocktail bar that's like a speakeasy is the Riddle Bar Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina The old bridge in Mostar is a must! Čitluk is the village we mention with great wineries The monastery in Blagaj (outside Mostar) is this one We also mention this walking tour in Sarajevo  Istria, Croatia The towns we mention are Rijeka, Optajia and Rovinj In Rovinj, avoid the Monte restaurant (even though they have a Michelin star!) and instead go to Snack Bar Rio and get the truffle pasta Lisbon, Portugal This is the famous custard tart that Al couldn't remember the name of  The best chicken we ever had was from this takeaway shop (Google map) Listen to our full episode on Lisbon here. Salamanca, Spain The James Bond villain Al was trying to remember is Scaramanga, and the large lizard Leanne was getting confused by is the Salamander. Neither of these is a city in Northern Spain... Learn more about the Salamanca Feria in September here. (Usually second week in September) The square that we argued about is called Plaza Mayor  Our episode on Salamanca is here Please check COVID entry requirements as they seem to change hourly! 

30: The best places to go for autumn in Europe

Look out for this week's episode where Leanne and Al count down the best places to go if you want to enjoy autumn in Europe.

The best European cities for an autumn break..?

Worried about living abroad with children? What could go wrong? Will it have a negative effect on your family?  Don't ask us - we don't have kids! But our guest Yuliya does. Listen as she gives a brutally honest account of living the ex-pat (and digital nomad) life with a 3-year-old daughter. Oh, and go say 'hi' to her on Instagram @yuliyaxolina.

29: Travelling with kids - A brutally honest chat with Yuliya Xolina

Coming up in a couple of days is our recent interview with the lovely Yulyia who is currently travelling around Croatia with her 3-year-old daughter. I think you'll enjoy this one as she's really honest about the challenges of ex-pat and nomad life with a kid.

Living abroad (or travelling) with kids? This one‘s for you

We're gonna be really honest on this episode and explain exactly what it costs to live abroad. We talk about: Cost of rent & bills How to find cheaper long-term accommodation The cost of driving a UK car abroad What we do about healthcare Let's get cracking! Resources mentioned: Safetywing.com for emergency medical insurance Cigna for premium healthcare and outpatient care Njuskalo is where we found our current house (far cheaper than the sites aimed at ex-pats) Stuart Collins insurance for long term stay in Europe (or try Saga if you're over 50) Credit cards that we use with no currency fee: Halifax Clarity & Santander Zero We use Starling Bank for our day to day banking (We use the debit card to get cash out at ATMs abroad) We use wise.com (formerly TransferWise) to send money from UK accounts to other European accounts (like paying landlords etc) Numbeo.com for cost of living in other countries NomadList.com to decide where you want to live Don't forget: if you want the 100+ Airbnb hacks ebook, send us a message on Instagram - @sidewayslife

28: How much does it REALLY cost to live abroad? We get really honest...

Coming up: Let‘s talk about the cost of living abroad

Let's just start by saying, we're not trying to put you off living and working abroad! It's actually the opposite. We want to give you all the downsides we've found of living and working abroad so that you can be prepared if you take the plunge. Please do give us feedback (even if it's bad!). You can find us on Instagram (@asidewayslife) or email asidewayslife@gmail.com. 

27: The downsides of living & working abroad (honest talk!)

The sun was shining, the gin was flowing, and we so we thought we'd take a month off work and just enjoy the summer. And we're not even sorry... In this short trailer we'll tell you what to look forward to now we've dusted off the microphones and are back in the podcast saddle.

Where the F*** have we been? We took a holiday....

Spending a Sunday with a chef of Michelin star calibre was an absolute treat! The star of this episode is Fanni, who worked with Tommy Banks in Roots, York and now travels the world, working as a private chef for families who love great food.  Not only does Leanne talk about food (and watch Fanni make us an amazing lunch), but we talk about what it's like to work as a private chef abroad, and what life is like cooking in a van... "A van..?", you ask. Yep, Fanni is previous guest Andrew Bosomworth's partner (episode 23: How to drive around Europe in a campervan). How did they end up at our house? We first interviewed Andrew remotely when he was in Hungary, and then they turned up in Pula, Croatia a few weeks later. We immediately made up the spare bedroom, stocked up on beers, and sent an invite. We all got on so well, and Fanni was such a great chef, that Leanne had to record an episode. So if you want to be a guest (and possibly end up drinking Gin & Tonic with us!), then drop us a DM on Instagram. Nearly forgot... if you want the recipe card, go to ASidewaysLife.com/ep26.  How to find Fanni: Instagram: @jas.on.the.explore TikTok: @jas.on.the.explore

26: Nomadic Michelin Star chef cooks us lunch

Spending a Sunday with a chef of Michelin star calibre what’s an absolute treat. The star of our next episode (out soon!) is still a secret, but this little teaser gives you some clues to her identity. (We’ll also be sharing her recipe so you can make fabulous food in your very own kitchen.) And it’s vegan too! The new episode is out in the next few hours...   ps. Did Leanne really just say 'the episode will drop'..? Embarrassing.

A chef from a Michelin Star restaurant... in OUR kitchen? Yep, that happened...

Welcome to another great interview with a lovely guy called Patrick, who left his hometown of Dallas, USA to live and work in South Korea. Join us as Leanne talks about: How Patrick blew up on TikTok (thanks to literally wandering into a random house one day) Meeting KPop stars on the street The truth around mental health and living abroad Plus lots more... Go follow Pat on: Instagram - @theexpatpat TikTok - @theexpatpat YouTube - YouTube.com/c/TheExpatPat 

25: Ex-pat Pat, and what it's like living and working Seoul

Thravellers is a podcast for travellers over thirty. Join us as we interview full-time travellers, share stories and talk all things travel.

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