A year ago we left Tunisia, a warm and welcoming country where we made fantastic friends and installed a banging stereo system. These were our thoughts:
Tunisia
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InTRANSIT Festival 2016!
We’re back at InTRANSIT Festival for one night only! Join us for positive tales, Moroccan tea and food: Powis Square, 7-8.30pm, Friday 24 June. FREE tickets available here
Book available online!
Our Shifting Sands book is now available online – get your copy here!
Shifting Sands books for sale!
Our Shifting Sands book is now on sale in Lloyds of Kew, Kew Green, and Open Road Bookshop, Stoke-by-Nayland, Suffolk. Massive thanks to Helen Edwards and David Charleston for making this happen!
Interview at the end of InTRANSIT Festival
Here is our interview with James Yabut: City Living, Local Life at the end of the InTRANSIT Festival
Opening the first box…
…slightly terrifying!
Books!
So this is how much space 1000 Shifting Sands books take up…51 boxes, 740kg…not sure how we’ll fit them into Landy
An interview with InTRANSIT Festival today
InTRANSIT Festival interview Only four days to go!
Audio jacks recorded :)
Exhibition is coming together! 19-28 June, central London.
Exhibition less than two weeks away!
Please join us in central London, 19-28 June. See our website for details. Thanks
Thoughts from Turkey
The last country where we were in project mode before our long drive home through Europe, Turkey was a place we knew little about and we were excited to explore. We were also slightly preoccupied. Massive problems with our brakes…
Huffington Post Maghreb…
… is talking about our exhibition! Huffington Post Maghreb
Thoughts from Lebanon
Getting in to Lebanon was a bit of a gamble. We’d been warned that privately owned diesel vehicles were prohibited and our subsequent research had mostly supported this warning. With Syria off limits, the only way in by car was…
This time last year…
…we were just leaving Libya! These were our thoughts: https://shifting-sands.com/thoughts-libya/
Algeria
We left Algeria a year ago today…what an incredible country. These were our thoughts: https://shifting-sands.com/thoughts-algeria/
Happy Birthday Landy – 44 today
Sorry the barn is not as exciting as Algeria where you spent your last birthday but we’re hoping to liven things up again soon!
Thoughts from Morocco – one year later
A year ago today we left Morocco for Spain and drove up the coast to Almeria to catch a midnight ferry to Algeria. Our two weeks in Morocco definitively shaped how our project progressed from this point, giving us a shared sense of purpose as we fluctuated between…
One year on from first crossing to Africa
Can’t believe it’s a year since we crossed from Europe to Africa at the beginning of our expedition around the Mediterranean. We had no idea what adventures lay ahead nor how many incredible people would befriend and look after us…
Thoughts from Israel, Palestine and the Golan Heights
‘One of the golden rules for successful travelling is to avoid discussing religion and politics.’ So spoke our guidebook in its infinite wisdom. But as we were soon to discover in Israel, Palestine and the Golan Heights this advice would be…
Landy in the spotlight! In Land Rover Owner International magazine (December issue)
We’re on Sidetracked TV Expedition News!
http://www.sidetracked.com/tv/
Lebanon sketches
Homebound: Step 9 – UK!
Arriving back in the UK at the crack of dawn we headed homeward where we hoped a hearty breakfast would await. We weren’t disappointed – Lucy’s parents had a giant Union Jack hanging out the window and a some Bucks…
Homebound – Step 8: France
We reached Marseille and promptly got lost in the one way systems, road works and pedestrian areas of the city centre, finally being rewarded with a stroll through the old town where we treated ourselves to a delicious seafood meal…
Homebound – Step 7: Monaco
Having driven from Split non-stop we approached Monaco around 9am – this would be the last new country for us bordering the Med. The smallest country by far we only planned to stop for a very necessary coffee along the…
Homebound – Step 5 and 6: Slovenia and Italy
Having left Croatia jsut as the sun set – we stopped for a brief but enormous hamburger in Slovenia before crossing into Italy around 11pm. Driving past Trieste, Venice, Verona and Brescia we headed towards Genoa and the Mediterranean coast.…
Homebound – Step 2: Albania
Homebound – Step 4: Croatia
Entering Croatia in the early hours of the morning we swept past Dubrovnik at 3am seeing the stunning town only from the motorway. On we went spurred on by our deadline of surprising the Rigamontis in Split the following day.…
Homebound – Step 3: Montenegro
Top tip #4 for driving faster across Europe: aim to surprise Landy’s previous owners as they arrive in Split, Croatia
Homebound – Step 1: Greece
Our first leg homeward! 12hr overnight drive across Greece
2 years of planning, 22 countries, 174 days, 100s of new friends, 1000s of km, 2 women, 1 Landy, 1 Med – WE MADE IT!
Top tip #5 for driving faster across Europe: have a delicious incentive waiting on the table
Top tip #3 for driving faster across Europe: keep yourself entertained
Top tip #2 for driving faster across Europe: stop only for fuel and coffee
Top tip #1 for driving faster across Europe: cut out floor beneath accelerator pedal
Istanbul to Ipsala – Greek border!
Brilliant afternoon with Leo Lunatic and Alexandra giving the Landy her final makeover before heading home!
Landy’s makeover complete! Thanks LeoLunatic and Alexandra
Istanbul!!
Super cool night stroll and fascinating chat about life in Istanbul with Sertaç and Fatih!
Gulner, hope Hüsmen enjoyed our company – thanks so much for letting us stay in your wonderful flat!
Amazing tour of Istanbul with Serhat – Thanks for setting us up with all your creative contacts!!
Konya to Istanbul
Konya – Home of the Whirling Dervishes and the kilim
Tasucu to Konya – Turkey
Becharre to tripoli
Thanks Joe, Ali, Mohammad and Zainab for taking us in and finding mechanic Abess with his useful long 13mm socket!
Baalbek to Bcharre – Lebanon
Landy meets Leo in Istanbul!
Zahle to Baalbek
Beirut by night tour courtesy of Ziad – finishing off with the local delicacy of Almaza beer!
Beirut to Zahle!
Another amazing Armenian meal this time with Venetia, Zeina and Ed in Bourj Hammoud
Amazing night and fantastically delicious Armenian food with Gressy, Stephanie and Jimmy
Beirut!
From the old to the new – this city has it all!
Wow! We met Noor from the Speed Sisters, the first all-woman car racing team in the Middle East
Landy’s response to being told she looked military
With huge thanks to Soulafa, Samia and Omayma Ydlibi from the www.theartworkshop.net
Tripoli to Beirut – Lebanon road trip
Haifa to Beirut – 130km distance only took 6 days!
Crossing the Med in style – a beautiful night under the stars
Thanks Ira for an amazing tour of Jerusalem – you rock!!
Israel, Palestine and Golan heights : sketches by Anne-Laure
Jerusalem
Thoughts from Jordan
In Jordan it’s all about the car. We arrived in Aqaba by ferry from Egypt innocently enough. We had a few plans and thought we knew roughly what to expect from Jordan, looking forward to a slightly easier and more…
Thank you Shaked & Ofer for sharing your wonderful home and taking us for a great meal at the Ethiopian restaurant!
Golan Heights to Jerusalem
Each fire hydrant has its own peronality…
Which is your favourite?
Sheikh Hussein border crossing to Tiberias
Thanks for a great night Motti, Dorit, Gali, Claire and Mark!
Did any of you get better pictures?!
Problem solved :)
Something not quite right here…
Scrummy halwa in Mahane Yehuda market, Jerusalem
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jerusalem
Selfie with friends in the Golan Heights :)
Our welcome to Tiberias
Amman to Sheik Hussein border crossing
Abu Alanda to Amman downtown
Jordan sketches by Anne-Laure
Wadi Musa to Abu Alanda, Amman – Jordan road trip
Aqaba to Wadi Musa – Jordan road trip
Our beautiful new Bedouin bed!
Changing the oil filter in Wadi Musa
Finally up! Libyan curtains custom made for us in Tripoli.
Mechanic at work!
Landy has found her Egyptian voice!
Landy at the hammam
Thoughts from Egypt
Famed as a country of contrasts with the delta of the world’s longest river snaking through immense dry deserts, crowded cities in great swathes of emptiness, ancient monuments, flashy modern cars, and a huge disparity between rich and poor, Egypt…
Cairo to Nuweiba – Egypt road trip
Egypt sketches – Anne-Laure
Egypt sketches – Lucy
Maadi to Cairo downtown
Alexandria to Cairo – Egypt road trip
El Salloum to Alexandria – Egypt Road Trip
Making friends in Cairo!
Relaxing after a crazy drive into Alexandria!
Thoughts from Libya
From the very beginning of our project planning Libya was perceived as a big red and orange blob, a vast and dangerous territory to be survived or bypassed. Everything we’d heard about it related to guns, kidnappings, executions, extremists, checkpoints…
Cyrene – Libya
Leptis Magna
Libya sketches – al
Libya sketches – Lucy
Apollina
Benghazi to Apollonia
Misratah to Benghazi
Yefran to Misratah
Tripoli to Yefran – Libya
Tunisian Border to Tripoli – Libya
Contemporary Libya
Traditional Libya
Landy on Saharan sand!
Landy on Saharan sand!
Cosmopolitan Tripoli
Cosmopolitan Tripoli…home to sensational coffee but terrible wifi
Our Tunisia experience – Al Maghreb Huffington Post!
Our Tunisia experience in the Al Maghreb Huffington Post!
Thoughts from Tunisia
A much visited small country sandwiched between two giant enigmas, our relatively well informed build up to Tunisia was in complete contrast to our blank-canvas introduction to Algeria. Whilst neither of us had previously been to Tunisia we had heard…
Wow wow wow – Sabratha Libya
Tunisia sketches – al
Tunisia Sketches – Lucy
Hello Libya!
Fourth Tunisian Road trip – Ksar Ghilane to Tataouine
Third Tunisian Road trip – Matmata to Ksar Ghilane
Second Tunisian road trip – Tunis to Matmata
Tunes at last!
This post is dedicated to the man in the car radio shop in Colchester who said it was impossible for us to wire up our own music system!
Homage to Tunisia…
…Home of Star Wars
First Tunisian road trip – Tabarka to Tunis Ville
Sketches from Algeria
Tunisian mates
Overloading the lift at the Tunis Hotel International with awesome new Tunisian mates
Pumping diesel in Tunisia
Friendly Tunisian guy at the pumps dancing for joy having found Lucy’s lost earplug!
Huffington Post!
We made the Maghreb Huffington post!! http://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/2014/04/23/algerie-anglaises-road-trip_n_5196921.html
Thoughts from Algeria
Where to start? We’d had no idea what to expect from Algeria, a country completely new to us and unknown to almost everyone we’d asked in 18 months of planning, with people in the UK, France and Morocco…
More road trip…
Thank you family Chekchak!
Thank you Mustafa, Nisa and the whole Chekchak family for inviting us into your beautiful home near Algiers and for showing us around town
On the road again
Tarzan
We’ve heard that Tarzan was filmed here (Jardin d’Essai, Algiers)…here’s auditioning for the sequel 😉
Jardin d’Essai
Thank you Ilhem for showing us the stunning Jardin d’Essai on our last afternoon in Algiers
Diesel sign
Our sentiments exactly… thank you Algiers kasbah signage for the vote of confidence!
Thank you family Chekchak!
Thank you Mustafa, Nisa and the whole Chekchak family for inviting us into your beautiful home near Algiers and for showing us around town
Fuel coupon
Diesel = 9p/litre until a friendly passerby gives you a ‘welcome to Algeria’ coupon – just filled up 55l for free!
Spanner
Doing some mechanical work…and noticed that we’ve got an interesting make of spanner
Saharan sand!
Saharan sand flying over our heads in Algeria on its way to England!
Our Algerian family
Our Algerian family: Halima, Fatima, Sihem, Ikram and Yahya Mbarek, and lovely neighbours Meriem, Aissa and Abd el Ilah. Thank you for your wonderful hospitality and for showing us around Oran.
Thoughts from Morocco
We made it to Africa. A smooth crossing and warm evening sun welcome us to Tanger Med, the commercial port 30km from the centre of Tangier. We don’t blend in that well on the boat amongst the well-used Moroccan cars piled…
Algeria tomorrow!
Very excited about heading to Algeria tomorrow! Morocco was wonderful – blog post coming as soon as we get more wifi
4WD again!
Back to 2 working diffs, 2 prop shafts fitted and 4WD! All done today whilst freezing under the car…turns out it rains in Morocco too
Differential
Diff has finally arrived in Marrakech having been stuck in customs for a week. Fitting it tomorrow just in time for departure to Algeria!
Marrakech
Marrakech: making friends with artists, cultural activists, writers, craftsmen, costume designers, acrobats, ironmongers & snake charmers
Thoughts from Algeciras waiting for our ferry to North Africa
Sitting in the port with a cafe con leche, we are recovering from yet another super early start and mulling over the journey ahead and the journey we’ve had already that brings us to this point.
…and we get dirty!
…and we get dirty!
Landy gets some TLC…
Landy gets some TLC…
Clips and Trips
Putting sponsorship packs together…should we be worried that it took our mechanic 15 minutes to figure out how to use the clip dispenser??
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