PRISON officer turned budget traveller Jenni Stevenson is continuing to see the world while also beating the credit crunch.

Jenni’s latest adventures – described in her amusing blogs posted on the Dorset Echo website – saw her visit Turin in Italy for a week and sample the delights on offer at the annual chocolate festival, CioccolaTo.

Again, Jenni kept costs to a minimum, taking advantage of a budget airline’s offer to fly for 1p and signing up to a scheme which provides free lodgings around the globe.

She said it demonstrated that travellers don’t have to splash out when going abroad.

Mother-of-four Jenni, 43, of Dorchester, planned a trip around Europe and North Africa last year after hearing about Ryanair’s offer to fly for £1.

She couldn’t get time off from her job as a senior officer at the Verne Prison on Portland so she resigned.

Since then she has also taken advantage of cheap flights to America and Edinburgh, and now Turin.

Jenni, who is married to Andrew, hopes to establish herself as a travel writer – but admits she will have to start looking for a ‘proper’ job if that doesn’t take off this year.

In the meantime, though, she is enjoying seeing the world on the cheap and is busy planning more trips in the next few months.

She said: “When I book my flights I don’t have a date in mind, I just go on the internet and see what’s available.

“I bought a return ticket from Bournemouth to Turin for two pence – which added up to £10.02 after bank charges – then later discovered by happy coincidence I’d be there for the annual chocolate festival.

“I’ve signed up to a website called couchsurfing.com which is basically a network of people around the world who are willing to put you up for free, and if you’re lucky, give you something to eat as well.

“I stayed at two different addresses in Turin and they were really nice hosts.”

Jenni explained she reciprocated on her return to Dorset when she welcomed a woman who was keen to follow the Lawrence of Arabia trail.

Jenni added: “Turin was fantastic. It’s industrial but it’s also very beautiful.

“You can walk under colonnades for over two miles and it is a cultural gem with lots of museums and galleries.

“Italian chocolate is a well-kept secret and during the festival you follow a ‘choco path’ exploring all the shops that sell gorgeous hand-made chocolates.”