Travel Adventure Couple – Erik and Kate

Welcome to our another exciting and thrilling edition of the Travel Couple Series. Today's feature is little different, bit adventurous and bit adorable. Well yes, we are going to present before you an interview with a Travel Adventure Couple – Erik and Kate. Mention any adventurous and challenging activity and you can find them say Yes we have done it. Isn't it amazing, the zeal and enthusiasm they have within them are superb and incredible. The reason we thought of coining the term Adventure Couple for them.

Our today's Travel Adventure Couple symbolizes true love and bonding, that strengthens them to explore the world in their own unique fashion. We are sure our readers will appreciate their travel ventures and grab inspirations from their journeys. Their travel experiences are awesome, as you can check from their interview that we will share with you today.

The Interview

Where did you first time travel as a couple?

Our very first trip together was to Barcelona.

How many places have you travelled together?

In total we have explored 12 countries together (Italy, USA, Croatia, Spain, Hungary, Portugal, France, Carribean, Greece, Germany, Netherlands and Denmark). That includes 35 cities or villages and 8 islands plus many of the Keys from Key Largo to Key West.

Share some of your travel experiences and memorable moments

We have very fond memories of Sicily. Friends had told us to be careful because they had been robbed or conned in that area. We booked a ticket to Catania and wanted to rent a car to drive up to our first destination Milazzo. Unfortunately, renting a car turned out to be difficult since the insurance gets very expensive due to theft in that region. So we decided to take two busses. We tried to keep an open mindset and not get influenced by other traveller‘s stories.

When exploring Milazzo we got lost on our way to the tip of this beautiful peninsula. We wanted to visit the breathtaking Piscina di Venere. On our way up, there were no shops or restaurants in sight. We should have rented a motorbike on-site in retrospect 😉. After miles of walking, a lady from a campground saw us and offered help right away. We were thirsty and hadn't thought of bringing any water. She got out two bottles of water and explained to us where we were and best could get to the piscina. She didn't accept the money we offered for the water bottles.

We finally found the piscina and were amazed by the spectacular beauty of this natural sea basin. At the top, there was finally a restaurant where we had drinks, great coffee and focaccia. After that, we realized how exhausted we were and since it was quite remote didn't know how to get back down to sea level to Milazzo town. There were no cabs available. We waved at a local driving by who seemed to be heading back to town. We explained our situation, he laughed and couldn't believe we had walked all the way up 😊. He happened to be a DJ and played us some of his music. We chatted and felt so much love at that moment – that was a very lovely experience.

The Journey Continues of our Adventure Couple….

For the next two days, we ate incredible food and explored Milazzo town. After that, we got on a ferry to Volcano Island. We stayed on the Aeolian Islands for ten days and explored Vulcano, Lipari, Stromboli and Panarea. We took sulfur mud baths, drove around with the quad, climbed up to the Gran Cratere in Vulcano, went kayaking, took a boat tour to view Mt Stromboli spit lava by night, shopped, visited churches and more. In the wink of an eye, our trip to the islands was over. We had made friends on the islands, we even got gifted a mallow liquor.

Our next trip was a ferry back to Milazzo and from there we would have to take the bus again in order to get to Catania. After arriving back in Milazzo, we realized I (Kate) had forgotten my passport and cash at our rental in Vulcano. Our host contacted the captain of the next ferry and gave him an envelope. She told him I would be waiting for him at the port in Milazzo. Everything turned out well – nothing was missing. We couldn't believe it – after all, we had heard from friends and colleagues!!

For the last two days in Sicily, we had booked a hotel in Catania which we thought was close to the airport and beach. On Google maps, it stated it would be a ten-minute walk through a park from the bus station. As we arrived it turned out that the whole area between us and the hotel was private property. We weren't amused when the cab driver told us he wanted 30€ since he would have to drive around the private property which seemed to be an army base and not a park. We declined. Again, we must've looked lost 😊 as a young girl asked us if we needed any help. She called her sister who spoke better English and we explained to her sister the issue. She understood and knew the hotel we were staying at and offered to drive us!! Wow!! Again, so lovely!!

Hope you are enjoying the fabulous experience of our Adventure Couple – Erik and Kate

The beach in Catania was sadly very polluted but we tried to accept it and not go by our standards and therefore visited the old town. It totally surprised us – we haven't since encountered such a beautiful old town. Long story short, we weren't robbed, conned or coerced into any dodgy deals. On the contrary, we met only loving, generous people in Sicily and it goes to show to always travel with an open heart and an understanding for the region and the people. We love you Sicily!!

What are the essential things you should take care of while travelling as couples?

You are not only responsible for yourself, but also for your loved one. On the other hand, you always have each other back. Forgetting our passport in Sicily was an exception 😊 we usually double-check each other's belongings and make sure we‘re all set. Mostly I plan the trips and choose the destinations we visit, but as soon as we arrive Erik takes over. He has a way better sense of direction and is more organized than I am. Basically, I stop thinking and he does the rest. It shouldn't be that way though, he is also on vacation 😊 therefore I have learned to support him more over the years by organizing myself a bit better during our stays.

Another thing is, I take very long to get ready in the morning, that means I need to wake up ahead of time for us to leave early. Erik doesn't take very long. As soon as the sun rises I want to get ready in order to explore on time. Erik would rather sleep a little longer, after all, he is the one driving and when you drive around in the US for instance, the distances get quite big. I remember one of our Airbnb hosts saying it was like we weren't even there because we would be gone by sunrise and return after sunset and I should give Erik a break 😊 haha. Basically, when travelling together, take into account that you can't always have it your way but in the end, you wouldn't want it any other way!! 

What is the difference between travelling with your family vs travelling as a couple?

In a group or family you let go of all control and just go with the flow. It's a totally different dynamic. Traveling in groups or with the family might be tiring at times, but it's also a lot of fun. The only thing is, that it's way less romantic 😉.

What are your future plans for travelling?

As of now, we have no plans. We totally respect others travelling during the pandemic. But rather not take the risk ourselves though. We wouldn't feel safe at the moment. South-East Asia is definitely on our list, hopefully in 2021. Let's see what the future brings.

Who or what inspired you to venture into travelling?

My former job at an airline company. There are such lovely people in that industry. I would book tickets for customers to places I really didn't have on my radar. Erik and I felt inspired from there on.

Thats ends our interview with Travel Adventure Couple – Erik and Kate. Do follow their social media pages and handles for a stunning experience of their travel journeys together.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/erikandkate
YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCJeNTZpbj4FTPA4ZNlqqWjA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erikandkate/