Richard
Richard shares travel stories and practical guides from family adventures and journeys with friends.
About the blog
About Us
Hello, we are Richard and Marina
We travel with our two teenage girls, and over the years we've covered a lot of ground together — long road trips, ferry crossings and more than a few early mornings getting to the airport.
In August 2021, our five-year-old son, Olivier, was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Seven months later, in 2022, we lost him. Losing Olivier changed our family and every part of our lives. Nothing can take that grief away, and travel certainly cannot fix it. But travelling together gives us space to breathe, a temporary escape from the weight of everyday life, and something positive to plan and look forward to as a family.
We started this blog to document our travels and, more importantly, to keep our notes honest.
Here you'll find honest accounts of travelling as a family of four, how long journeys actually take, which places are worth the effort, and which ones perhaps look better in photographs than they feel in real life.
Most of what you'll find here grows from our own travels. We share the stories, photos, practical details, good experiences and occasional disappointments that help make each guide useful.
Home is currently in South Wales, UK. From here, we plan our trips and head out whenever we can — exploring the UK, travelling across Europe, and venturing further afield when the time and budget allow.
This isn't a blog about perfect holidays. It's about real family travel, real experiences and the practical details that can help you decide where to go next.
Who writes the blog
Meet the authors
Marina
Marina shares travel stories and practical guides from family adventures and journeys with friends.
Part of our story
Our son, Olivier
In August 2021, our five-year-old son, Olivier, was diagnosed with DIPG, a rare and aggressive brain tumour. Until then, he had seemed like a happy, fit and healthy little boy, so the diagnosis came as a terrible shock. Seven months later, in March 2022, we lost him. Losing Olivier changed our family and every part of our lives. Nothing can take that grief away, and travel certainly cannot fix it. We have always travelled as a family, but travel has felt different since losing Olivier. Travelling together gives us space to breathe, a temporary escape from the weight of everyday life, and something positive to plan and look forward to as a family.
There is not a day that goes by when we don’t think about Olivier. We miss having our little boy here with us — his voice, his laugh, his funny little ways, and simply having him as part of our everyday lives. Olivier was bright, funny, affectionate, adventurous and full of curiosity. With his blond hair, big blue eyes, long eyelashes and cheeky smile, he brought so much joy into our family. He loved to laugh, climb, run, dance, play with his sisters and find humour in the smallest and silliest things. He was incredibly bright, loved numbers and books, and was always curious about the world around him. Two of the last questions he was able to ask were, “How big is Mount Everest?” and, a few weeks later, “How big is space?”
He loved being part of our family and travelling with us. He explored beaches, mountains, lakes and glaciers, learnt to ski, rode in cable cars and climbed sand dunes like a little goat.
During the final months of his life, Olivier showed extraordinary courage and patience. As DIPG gradually took away his physical abilities, he adapted without complaint and continued finding ways to enjoy the things he could still do. We grieve for the years he should have had — the adventures, milestones and possibilities that were taken from him far too soon.
Olivier will always be part of our family and part of who we are. We hold on to the hope that our separation is temporary, that he is now beyond illness and pain, and that one day we will see our little boy again — smiling, laughing and running towards us. Until then, we remember the simple words of his sister: “The most important thing is that we love Olivier, and Olivier loves us, forever.”