Like many 21-year-olds before us, my boyfriend and I were on a budget when we travelled to Europe in 2016. We had decided we would spend no more than €100 each day on accommodation, food and transport. For the first few weeks of our trip, which we began in Italy, this was entirely possible.
We walked everywhere until we developed blisters and our feet bled. We stayed at hotels and bed and breakfasts, described as “rustic” and “charming” in online listings, though they were anything but. We carb-loaded to stay full: pastries for breakfast, paninis and panzerotti for lunch and pizza and pasta for dinner. We were having a wonderful time, despite the havoc the lack of fruit or vegetables was wreaking on our digestive systems.
