Let Food Be Thy Medicine

I've always loved food. As a child my parents were delighted that I would eat a wide variety of foods, yet also perplexed as to where my curiosity and obsession with food came from.

I love to cook

But my love of food goes beyond a mere enjoyment of eating. I love the growing of food, the cooking of food, the sharing of food (and yes, the photographing of food - although I refrain from subjecting my Instagram followers to that).

I can spend hours perusing recipes online and in books; I watch endless cooking shows, food documentaries and cooking clips on YouTube and I frequently trawl food markets and food halls or walk into posh delicatessens and green grocers just to take a look (despite the fact I find most other forms of shopping mind-numbingly dull).

I'm also very enthusiastic about budgeting and frugality, as mentioned in an earlier post. So food waste makes my blood boil (an article about Melbourne's disgraceful food waste here) and I'm always searching for novel ways to eat well for less.

Auf Wiedersehen Berlin - A Budget Travel Oasis

So after two turbulent and hedonistic months in Berlin it was time to throw on our backpacks once again and embark on a new adventure.

It was time to leave Berlin

 We felt that whilst Berlin was a wonderful (and relatively cheap) city to stay and play in, we were languishing in that lifestyle and I was yearning to replace the grunge bars and galleries and city cafes with some snow-capped mountains, turquoise-green rivers, alpine forests and a healthy dose of hiking...  

Fortunately, one country that ticks all of those boxes is picture-postcard Slovenia. Nestled between Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Italy it is indeed a little country; but punches well above its weight in terms of natural beauty and rustic charm.

The country's capital Ljubljana was (whilst small) perhaps one of the prettiest European cities I've seen, offering relaxation and culture and a wealth of sites and activities for a city of its size.

So for the next few weeks we'll be busy exploring the dramatic cliffside castles, serene lakes and tranquil mountain villages that Slovenia has to offer before flying to another party capital: good ol' London Town!

But, I digress - back to Berlin and the budget. How much did two months cost us, and how did we keep costs down?