Whilst our #MacsMoment photo feed on instagram is a huge source of inspiration and positive feeling during the current pause on travel, telling stories is often best done in good old-fashioned prose! 

Here are some of the Macs Adventure team's favourite trip moments in their own words, capturing those little details that you remember, and tell the stories of on your return with great joy.

Sinead Cunningham

"I had just finished cycling from Pisa to Florence and travelled by train for 4 hours to Sutri to start walking the Via Francigena. I had the most amazing welcome from Beppe at the train station. We then arrived at my first B&B and met the most charming owner, Sara, who had set up Aperitifs in the garden. It was the most special place I've ever stayed it was obvious she treated every guest like a family friend.

In the morning she had breakfast set up for me in the garden and we spoke lots about the history of Umbria and Sutri, and what to expect on my walk. She even surprised me with a visit from 'Lola' her horse that lived across the road. I still 'LOL' everytime I look at the photo. I'm glad I have that memory!"

Sally Thompson 

"I was walking on the Kaikoura Coast Track and we spotted and heard a lamb bleating very loudly… it had lost its mother! We waited for a while but no mother appeared. So me and the lady that owns the farm (who created this trail) took turns carrying the lamb back to the farmhouse for a couple of kilometres. She then kept the lamb in her back garden. They named her Sally, and sometimes they still keep me updated how Sally the lamb…who is now a sheep, is doing!"

Rhona McGowan

"Literally the entire trip (Cycling in the Heart of the Cotswolds) from beginning to end was amazing! The weather was beautiful all week, which made for some amazing photos and coffee/beer stops with my Dad. Before I completed this trip I wasn’t much of a cyclist, but now I am out most weekends and for that I must thank the Cotswolds (and my Dad) for getting me hooked on cycling. I would love to go back and do this trip all over again so it is definitely something that I will be looking at when it is safe to travel again."

Frances McCann

"Cycling in Greece, my friend and I stopped into a small owner-operated vineyard on the route. The owner offered a quick vineyard tour, which was interesting but brief, as he was more concerned with sharing wine samples. We didn’t complain. The wine was absolutely delicious, but the conversation was the highlight. I think we solved the world’s problems over a few glasses of the produce accompanied by his 95 year old mother’s (unbelievably good) cooking, which was readily shared with us at no charge. We must have been there for hours. It’s the little unscheduled moments that make it for me. (Disclaimer: We applied moderation, and went for a good walk before moving on to ensure we could cycle safely!). I don't actually have a photo of that vineyard, but here's another (we stopped at more than one!)"

Craig Dickson

"Sibling one-upmanship makes these memories favorites! This is my younger brother Graham (who also works for Macs Adventure). Don’t be fooled by his confident leading stance on his bike in the picture…

The first Macs trip we completed together was the Biking to Barcelona itinerary. I had been the route-finder the first day, so gave Graham a chance of leading the way on Day 2. We had a GPS unit and simply followed a purple line on the unit’s display to our next destination – easy, right? Apparently not, as Graham managed to navigate us deep into a long grassy field - I can still feel the scratches to this day!

On our next adventure Pedalling in Provence: The Luberon Valley, Graham got a second chance to navigate. Everything went well and we completed a very enjoyable Loop ride in the French countryside. It was only when we reviewed the day over dinner that we had managed to complete the loop backwards…."

Erin Pattie

"When I was little I used to ride my bike down a huge hill in my hometown to get to the beach. Me and my friends would race down the hill as fast as we could with no feet on the pedals (and, for the braver kids, no hands on the handlebars!). Last year I went cycling in Catalonia (Beaches, Wine & Dali) and the quiet, winding roads that took us from vineyards to the coast everyday took me back to that hill and in this moment (captured by my bemused husband) I felt the urge to ride my bike like I was 10 years old again…totally carefree and loving it! I always feel like that when I’m on my bike now!"

Hattie Ryan

"Near Lisbon, Portugal I ventured into the gorgeous gardens of Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra. After touring the 5 story mansion, we wandered around the vast gardens on the property and eventually made our way to “The Initiation Well”, a spiraling stone staircase covered in moss leading down into the earth.

As we descended I felt as if we were in a fairy tale or I had travelled back in time! Once we reached the bottom and walked out of the tunnel we were welcomed back into the gardens as we walked across stepping stones across a small river. This is by far the most interesting and magical garden I have ever been to and I would highly recommend visiting!”

Head on over to our Facebook Community if you have stories to share, and to read stories from our travellers. It's a place for inspiration and positivity, to help active travellers through the ongoing travel restrictions (April 2020), and beyond.