About

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Hi!  I’m Jo!  Johanna when I’m feeling posh, I was always Jan to my Dad, and Joasiu to my Polish family.  A bit of a mix-up, I guess.  The one definite, however, is my restless nature.  I can’t be still for too long, unless of course it’s sunny and I’ve got a good book.  I love to travel and to explore our world.  It doesn’t have to be the big wide world- I can be ridiculously happy not too far from home, so long as I’m out there, just embracing life. I’m a North East of England lass, who loved our coastline and moorlands.  A wonderful place for walking.

The climate?  Well, that wasn’t so great, but I was lucky.  In November 2018 we made the dream come true.  We sold our UK home and moved to our place in the sun, in the unspoilt, Eastern Algarve.  We’ve owned our house in Tavira since 2004, so it wasn’t exactly an impetuous move, but it hasn’t been without its challenges.  I haven’t lost my restless nature, but we’re close to the Spanish border, so travel is on my doorstep.  I continue to drag my poor husband a-wandering, though he’s a home body really. (classic case of mismatching!)  

And the rocks below.

Coastal walking near Whitby in north east England 

Then there’s the Polish saga.  The family make me welcome whenever I can get there, and boy, do they know how to party!  You can follow the story on My Personal A-Z of Poland page.

Of course I still have a wish list, and it was to help me fulfil my dreams that I started to write travel guides for a venture called Simonseeks. I’d always kept a travel diary, and it was hugely satisfying both to share my experiences and make new friends with the same passion for travel. Simonseeks hit some troubles, but the writing bug never left me.  I’d become addicted to writing about my travels. So, the blog was born!  The blogging community are so supportive and encouraging.  I’ve made many new friends.  Come and be restless with me!  Why not?   

I’m also quite happy to write material for others.  I’ve travelled fairly extensively, so if you can use my services at all please contact me at johanna.bradley@outlook.com.

441 comments

  2. Hi Jo! Thank you for visiting my blog. You have an awesome blog and take great photos! Looking forward to more posts and also exploring more of your blog. Thanks for sharing 🙂 – Faye

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  3. Hi Jo, I just discovered your blog for the first time and am really enjoying it. I look forward to catching up on some of your older posts and following new posts in the future! Best wishes, Susan

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    1. Thank you very much! I appreciate you linking to my walks. Not everyone does and I certainly don’t insist, but it is a kind thing to do. I’m not very into awards- largely lack of time to visit everyone- but I’ll certainly hop over to ‘accept’.

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  6. Hi Jo – love the blog. We are not so far away from each other in the grand scheme of things! I know the North East well as I used to commute down from Edinburgh to a job in Newcastle for a couple of years. I loved the magical train journey along the east coast – one of the best routes in the country, I think! 🙂

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    1. I don’t get to Edinburgh as often as I’d like. It’s a fabulous city! Was last there the Christmas before last. (sorry, that sounds Irish! 🙂 ) I’d love to come back to walk some of the Water of Leith. 🙂

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      1. We love it here. We moved up from London 6 years ago and still feel like we are permanently on holiday!! Yes, the Water of Leith is a beautiful walk. Arthur’s Seat of course, Crammond, the Pentlands, let alone strolling around the nooks & crannies of the city itself….

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      3. My husband changed jobs (voluntarily) – it was unexpected but the best thing ever as it has turned out. We lived in central London (Pimlico) when we first got together and enjoyed ‘gallivanting’ (!) about for a while, before moving out to Ealing and pretending to be a bit more sensible 🙂

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  8. Hi Jo
    Thanks for dropping by my blog, and taking the time to leave a comment, appreciated :-). Perhaps your restless nature will prompt you to explore South Africa too 🙂

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  10. Hi Jo
    I believe you follow my wife’s blog navasolanature.wordpress.com
    We love the Alentejo coast too though only really know Sines, Aljezur and south – maybe the latter is the Algarve but still west coast.
    Also see you refer to having a retreat in the Eastern Algarve as do we – in Cabanas. Then you have a picture of Whitby whilst I have a house in Humberside. Sort of small world!

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  14. Hi Jo, just to let you know that I have nominated you for the 5 day – 5 photo challenge. Please take a look at https://annikaperry.wordpress.com. I realise it is a bit of a commitment but I thought of all the beautiful photographs in your posts and lovely vibrant writing so perhaps it will be of interest. With warmest wishes, Annika

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    1. Thank you very much, Annika. 🙂 I completed the 5 photos last month some time and did tales of my Polish family. At the time a few people said I should carry on and do another 5 but it’s a bit too tying to post daily. I enjoyed it though. Thanks for thinking of me. 🙂

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  15. Hi Jo, the main square photo in your window gazing krakow post really looks familiar so i thumbed through my library and there it was amongst several photos i took at the main square three years ago. 🙂 i thought it’s neat so i might post it in the 5-photos 5 stories challenge next week. i hope don’t mind.
    thanks again for your beautiful posts; sharing the world to us 🙂

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  17. I am glad that I came quite accidentally on your blog.
    And why are you back to us in the picture? 😉

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    1. It’s definitely my best side, and my husband took it when I was totally unaware. Welcome to my world, which has been a little chaotic lately. I’m newly back from Poland and will be trying to catch up in the next few days. 🙂

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  19. Hi Jo,

    I’ve nominated you to take part in the “five photos, five stories” challenge and do so hope you will accept. There’s absolutely no requirement to do so of course although I hope you will as you have some lovely stories and photos here on your blog. You can see your nomination here: http://wp.me/p3Prsl-xu and this will be published at 07:00 GMT on 25th April.

    Alison x

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    1. Hello Alison 🙂 I’m just back from the Algarve and desperately trying to prioritise as I’m off to Poland with Dad on Thursday. I’ll pop over and read your post tomorrow but I can’t promise to take part. 🙂 If it can keep till I’m back from Poland then maybe I can take part. Thanks for thinking of me 🙂

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      1. I don’t think there’s a deadline for taking part – it can be done at anytime! There’s also no obligation – it’s just a way of highlighting a few of your favourite blogs. Don’t worry if you don’t have the time, just enjoy the readers that may come your way via my link!! ☺

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  20. I spent most of the summer of 1966 in Lisboa but never made it to the Algarve. You’re fortunate to find a refuge there and to have so many scenic (and photogenic) things in the vicinity.

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    1. Hi Steve 🙂 Thanks for following me back here. As you’ll have seen I’m no photographer but I do appreciate the beauty that surrounds me. And yes, the Algarve is a wonderful and much needed refuge sometimes 🙂

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