Blogs | Features | Homepage - Dorset Echo

ADVENTUROUS Jenni Stevenson from Dorchester resigned from her job as a senior prison officer and has jetted off on a holiday of a lifetime. She is taking advantage of budget airline Ryanair's
offer to fly for £1 and she is taking 10 flights and visiting six countries over the next few weeks.
Starting from Bournemouth, the itinerary takes in Dublin, Cork, Glasgow, Paris, Madrid, Marseille, Fez in Morocco, Barcelona and Pisa.
Mrs Stevenson, who is travelling light with just one bag, plans to stay a few days in each city and sleep on camping sites.
This is her story.

The Italian who came to tea

Having couchsurfed my way around Turin in March, I was delighted to get a chance to return the favour when I got a request to surf my couch from a fellow couch surfer.

Olympic dreams

For my last night in Torino I am staying in the former Olympic village. Unless eating ice cream becomes an Olympic event it is without doubt the closest that I will ever get to being an Olympian. Having been Beardless for nearly a week I can't help but fantasise that maybe an Olympic bob sleigher may have stayed on and need someone to ride along with him.

The choco pass

So, down to the important business of Torino. Chocolate. I have bought a ‘choco pass’ is it me or does this sound wonderful? It reminds me of when I got my first credit card and I felt that Etam was my oyster.

Leading to a TV debut

If there is anything better than sitting in an Italian piazza under a blue sky with the sun on your face then I have yet to find it, well actually I think I have .

Riding the glass elevator

By nine o'clock it's already quite warm and the ladies of the Torino city gardening services are out mowing and strimming the grass in the park.

The wonders of couch surfing

I have walked under miles of lovely colonnaded pavements to get to the piazza which is rumoured to be the largest in Italy if not Europe. It seems like most of the people in Europe are here too as thousands of local chocolate lovers stream over the bridge into the square to enjoy the 10 day chocolate festival. There are dozens of stands all selling top quality chocolate in fancy shapes and big bow tied boxes. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Girl power in Italy

Today is International Women’s Day and in Italy they make qute a thing of it so hello and girl power to all my sisters.

Happy Burns Day

Xmas has come and gone and it is a new year and that means .......time for another Ryanair special offer. Hoorah !!!

Arriving in Barceloooooona

When I step off the plane it is tempting to yell “Barceloooooona” Queen style. But unusually for me I exercise decorum and restraint and just grin instead. I am sooo pleased to be here. A new city to explore, plus I'm back in the land of Chocolata and churros. Which pleases my gluttonous heart no end.

Pisa. Feeling the need, the need for speed

I am staying at a camp site that is ,wait for it ..... 400metres from the leaning tower !!! How great is that ! I booked it through hostelworld.com and for 20 euros a night I am in a shared two person tiny mobile home. It has just a bedroom and shower room with walls as thin as paper. Each unit is jammed up against each other but outside they have a little covered terrace with kitchen equipment and table and chairs.