sebbo on tour - around the world

Mumbai welcomed me exactly as expected: loud, hot, humid, chaotic - and somehow still incredibly charming. It took almost two hours for immigration after two A380s landed simultaneously (night-arrival efficiency: denied) and at  at 5:30am I  collapsed at Naman’s place for a much-needed reboot. The next five days were a immersion into his world: constant change of plans, food craze & lazy lunches, rooftop football, late-night movies in recliner chairs (yes, complete with the national anthem), and meandering through Colaba, Bandra and South Mumbai. Mumbai is a city of contrasts - leafy calm around the apartment, and two streets later, full sensory overload: traffic, horns, people, life everywhere. I escaped the heat with café breaks, sampled my way through street food (wada pav instantly entered the top tier), and let the city do what Mumbai does best: overstimulate and embrace you in the same breath. Landing in Kerala felt like switching from fast-forward to slow motion....

After years of flirting with the idea, a couple of weeks deciding on the route, and a few days of - loosely - preparing, the day had come to finally embark on the Camino Portugués.  The alarm went off at 4:30 a.m. 😴 Excitement and a touch of fear made sleep elusive. A quick ride to the airport, a short nap on the plane, and by 8:45 a.m. I found myself in sunny Porto - the perfect welcome to lighten my mood. At the Sé Catedral I picked up my Camino credentials, followed my first yellow arrows, and rewarded myself with a warm pastel de nata and a cachorrinho (local hotdog) recommended by my Uber driver. Too tired for the city crowds, I hopped on an early train to Vila Praia de Âncora - my chosen starting point. An evening by the beach, early dinner, and quiet time at the hotel helped me feel mentally prepared, physically overpacked 😂, and ready for whatever lay ahead. Day 1 – 28 km / 6 h 10 min I left at 8:30 a.m., the sun already rising over the rugged coast. The signs were...

Schiphol at 7pm, quick lounge dinner by 8, and - surprise - another delayed flight at 9:45pm. We landed in Athens by 2am, luckily with a pickup waiting, and reached our downtown hotel by 3. The hour of half-sleep on the plane didn’t really count.  After a short night, we kicked off with our signature move: a free walking tour. Walter delivered a lively three-hour crash course through Athens’ compact historic center - myths, ruins, revolutions, and all. The 30°C sun was a welcome change from autumnal Amsterdam, if also a sweaty one. Lunch in a local taverna revived us before a quick nap (Seb) and IT troubleshooting (Didi). Later we climbed the Acropolis, soaked in views among the crowds, and ended the day with Greek dinner and an early night.  Saturday began slower: a walk to Exarcheia and the National Archaeological Museum, full of treasures from thousands of years BC. A quiet climb up Lofos Strefi offered Acropolis views (and slightly sketchy vibes). We wandered through marke...