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From the Cotswolds to Dublin — our May adventures (+ why rest days matter)
Published 11 days ago • 4 min read
The Monthly Newsletter From Wandering Works for Us
News and posts from Shelley and Beth
Three weeks, two countries, four friends, and one very important travel lesson we learned the hard way.
Wandering Works for Us — May 2026
Three Weeks, Two Countries, Four Friends
May was, in a word, epic — and also, honestly, exhausting. We spent three weeks travelling through the UK and Ireland with some of our favourite people in the world, and we are only just now recovering back home in Serra d'El Rei with strong coffee and zero itineraries.
The first leg took us through England with our wonderful friends Julie and Ann. We started in Oxford, wound our way through the Cotswolds, stopped in Bakewell (yes, tart was consumed), continued to York, on to Corbridge, and finished in Edinburgh.
The second leg, with our dear friends Chris and Sheila, took us deeper into Scotland, across on the ferry to Belfast, and finally down to Dublin to round out the trip.
It was full, it was beautiful, it was occasionally chaotic, and we wouldn't change a thing. Except, and we say this with hard-won experience, we would absolutely build in at least one or two rest days next time.
More on that below, but the short version is: slow travel isn't just a philosophy; it's a survival strategy. More stories, guides, and a podcast or two are coming from this trip — stay tuned.
Top: Us with Sheila and Chris in Strathaven, us at the Giant's Causeway, and Us with Julie and Ann in Gloucester.
**Wandering Works for Us contains affiliate links and is part of Viator, Get Your Guide, Booking.com, TripAdvisor, Expedia, Awin, and Amazon Services Associates Program LLC. If you make a purchase using one of the links, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Now, let's get into what else is going on...
Quick Tips and Guides
While we were out exploring ancient castles and drizzly highland roads, our Portugal content kept growing on the blog. Here's what's new and updated at wwforus.com:
A great addition to our itineraries! This one takes you from Lisbon to Porto and a few places in between. It even has suggestions for day trips. Check it out!
A tip from the road: After three weeks of non-stop travel, we came home genuinely depleted. Normally, we always build in one or two light days when we travel; it's core to how we do things.
But this trip was two back-to-back journeys with friends whose schedules couldn't flex, and somewhere in the excitement of it all, our slow travel philosophy got left at the door. We were reminded the hard way that it matters, even, especially, when you're travelling with others.
Our advice: protect those rest days. A slow morning, a wander without a plan, a long lunch — these aren't wasted days; they're often the ones you remember most. Slow travel isn't just about the destination. It's about actually being present when you get there.
Products we are Using and Loving!
We have been travelling with our TravelPro suitcasesfor years now, and this last trip put them through their paces like never before.
Three weeks. Two countries. Multiple hotels and AirB&Bs. And, we're not going to pretend otherwise, two bottles of gin, two jars of mayonnaise (a very specific gift from friends in the US), new clothes, and a solid collection of souvenirs all crammed in alongside the usual travel essentials. The zippers held. The wheels still roll perfectly. Nothing broke.
Beth's suitcase: click to purchase
We use the smaller sizes for European travel, and they've genuinely never let us down.
Well-built, sturdy, and thoughtfully designed — these are not the suitcases that fall apart after three trips. If you're in the market for luggage that actually lasts, we can't recommend TravelPro enough.
Shelley's is Blue and hard-cover, perfect for checking with gin and mayonnaise! Click to purchase
New on the Podcast
Our latest episode is one we think you're really going to enjoy: Trips Beyond Lisbon (Part 1), where we explore four destinations that are perfect for day trips or short stays — Cascais, Santa Cruz, Vimeiro, and Lourinhã.
This month's recommendation goes to Get Your Guide, which we used extensively while planning our Scottish Highlands excursion.
If you've ever tried to piece together a Highland tour from scratch, you'll know it can be overwhelming. GetYourGuide made it genuinely easy — with a wide range of tours, clear descriptions, solid reviews, and straightforward booking.
We found our Highlands day trip through the platform, and it delivered exactly what it promised. It's one of those tools that works just as well whether you're a first-time visitor or someone who travels frequently and wants to add a well-organised experience to an independent trip. Highly recommend bookmarking it for your next adventure.
Until Next Time!
We ended this trip in Dublin, James Joyce's city, and it felt fitting to leave you with one of his lines. Four words that somehow sum up everything a good journey with good people feels like:
"They lived and laughed and loved and left." — James Joyce
That's exactly what May was. We hope your month had a little of that spirit too. Now if you'll excuse us, we'll be horizontal in Portugal for at least another week.
We are bloggers and podcasters who love to talk about travel, food & drink, and culture & entertainment. We live in Portugal and trael all over Europe. Subscribe and join over 1,000+ newsletter readers every week!
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