The Al Hambra had been on my wish list since leaving the UK and with four years since my last big adventure I was going to make a decent trip out of it. I planned a route from Milan through Lyon to Montpellier, then stopping in Madrid, Granada and Seville before spending two nights in London on the way out.

The first stop was a special treat as my Finnish friend came down to meet me in Milan. We rented what seemed like a fairly typical Airbnb apartment and strolled the streets for two days catching up, eating pizza and taking pictures. When she left I hadn’t fully recovered from the jetlag and was desperate to be by a pool so was lucky to find a magnificent local Lido hidden in the backstreets where swim caps were mandatory and the boys were arguing with the girls about the best use for deck chairs – sunbathing or building forts.

Design was a big part of why I was interested in visiting Milan, so the ADI was top of my list where backtracked through the history of Milanese design, including the Metro, and soaked up what I could about relational, systematic and regenerative methods before attempting to live the local life, aka aperitivo at 5.

From here it was time to hit the road, or I should say rail, but my transport had been cancelled due to a (apparently fairly regular) Italian train strike. Thankfully having used Trainline in the past, I’d learnt it was the easiest way to book tickets in English for Europe and was back on track not much later, albeit now making three stops in Ventimiglia – Nice – Marseille, before arriving in Montpellier. A much longer journey, but a good mental challenge and very pretty!

Montpellier was a magical surprise. I had initially wanted to stay in one of the luxurious coastal towns, but upon realising I’d booked over the Rugby World Cup, quickly had to make a plan b and I’m glad it worked out this way. This laid back inland city had all the charm of a French town without the pomp of tourism. I got lost in the alleyways, bathed in the Komorebi (Japanese for the scattered light that filters through when sunlight shines through trees) and played the token Kiwi at a locals’ dive bar.

Madrid was largely the metropolis I didn’t need at this stage in my trip but I did have one amazing night at Tablao Flamenco where I cried, overcome with emotion at a dance form I’d been wanting to see performed live since studying it in year 13. Many people don’t know that music is also a big part of Flamenco culture and can be performed alone.

Finally it was time for the ‘pièce de résistance’ – Granada. And starting with an unexpected hike. Little did I know nearby was also the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains, quite alike Yosemite. I took an afternoon trip with a tour from my hostel.

At 8am the next day I ascended to the Al Hambra. Perspiring by the time I reached the front entrance. Atop a hill overlooking the town sits this centuries-old palace, the accumulation of various rulers adding extensions and their own cultural specialities. It’s absolutely stunning and a real pleasure to peruse.

Rail travel in Spain was absolutely amazing. I’ve never experienced a better network and some really gorgeous carriages. From Granada, I popped through to Seville for tapas, a tour of their Flamenco dance museum, and a day trip to the beach at Cadiz plus great entertainment of the rooftop of our accommodation.

Honestly, I didn’t expect to have such a good time in London. Having lived here already I gave myself two nights and I could have made it a week! Stopping by Shoreditch Art Club, Wicked the Musical, and the London Design Museum – what a treat.