One for dachshund lovers and armchair world travellers. Lisa may as well have packed me in her suitcase! From the beginning I felt like I was right there, exploring exotic locations along with her and her extended family. Lisa also poignantly tracks the grief felt at the unexpected recent loss of one of the beloved family dogs. During the long planned trip she is a tour host extraordinaire, acting not only as tour organiser and bridge between the generations, but emotional barometer for all, too. As a mother myself, I could relate. :) Sprinkled throughout the travelogue are very funny accounts of the dachshund spotting competition which rages between family members. I had to know who would win! ( )

This was a cute little travelogue. I found the Australian perspective on the magic of winter and Christmas entertaining. And what a trip of the lifetime! To take 3 months to travel throughout Europe, part of the US, and end up in New York in time for the winter holidays! I love that the extended family was able to be part of much of the trip, complete with a massive (27 people!) family get together at one point.

I did like the descriptions of Russia and the Balkans the most, as there was a hint of danger or uncertainty. Estonia seemed both bleak (especially near the border) and full of mystery. Of course, all the food descriptions were entertaining – sometimes delicious and sometimes full of mystery as well (ha!).

Parts of the tale did lag a little for me because they seemed a little empty, a little vapid. I wanted a bit more substance here and there. The dachshund spotting contest was cute at first but then got a little silly. Still, it was fun for the family and that’s what matters most for this book.

In the end, the family makes it home safely to Australia where the hunt for another dachshund begins (one of there dear beasties having died shortly before their adventure began). I was a little sad to see how fixated they were on getting a dachshund puppy, calling all the breeders three times over until they got the object they desired. After all, there’s plenty of pups and older dogs looking for good homes and getting hung up on a specific breed feeds into puppy mills, etc. So, for me, the tale ended on a sad note. It wasn’t about the dog, but about the object. 3.5/5 stars.

The Narration: Stephanie Macfie was a lot of fun for this book. I feel she nailed the author’s voice perfectly. I also liked her voices for the family members and the occasional side character. Her male voices (which admittedly weren’t required often) were believable. Her pacing was perfect and she was upbeat and engaged for the entire book. 5/5 stars.

I received a copy of this audiobook via The Audiobookworm in exchange for an honest review. The gifting of this book did not affect my thoughts on the book. ( )

After 2 years of planning, Australian Travel Blogger Lisa Fleetwood and her husband Anthony are taking their 2 teenagers, her mom, and his mom and dad on the vacation of a lifetime: 3 months over the Christmas Holidays through multiple countries. As the time gets closer to their departure there is one thing making them anxious; they can’t take their 2 dachshunds, Charlie and Coco, with them on the trip. Even knowing that good friends will be taking care of their furbabies they still will miss them terribly. Then right before they leave a tragedy happens and their little girl dachshund Coco dies. They are devastated and more anxious about leaving Charlie who will be missing Coco, but it’s too late to change travel plans, so with heavy hearts and tears they start out.

In each country they visit they look for dachshunds; they call it the Dachshund Spotting competition! Not only does Lisa show and tell us about all the amazing places they traveled, but we can also feel the excitement of the chase as they find doxies in different areas. Okay I admit I’m a doxie lover, with 3 of my own—so this book appealed to me, but it wouldn’t be such an entertaining story if Lisa wasn’t such a good writer—and she is. I loved they way she looks at life with her family, and her classic “mom sarcasm” when it comes to teenagers, and most of all the way she invites the reader along on the journey. I read this on Kindle, so at the end I could click on the links that took me to her blog and pictures from the trip. This is a great story for dog enthusiasts, travels, families, and anyone who loves Christmas…oh wait I didn’t tell you about that part of the story then you’ll have to read it to find out. 5 stars. ( )

Following the sudden death of a parent, Lisa begins plans for a 3 month holiday for 3 grandparents, 2 parents and 2 kids touring many countries around the world from their home in Australia. The trip was incredibly well planned, but the sad note just before the onset of the trip was the sudden death of one of their 2 dachshunds. The recounting of places, sited, joys of children (tongue firmly in cheek), and sighting of dachsies is a delight to share. Near the end of the trip, they were (this was also planned) joined by other family members and friends (bringing the total to 27!) in NYC for Christmas. It was a wonderful time, and there was a lot of laughter throughout. A truly enjoyable read!!!
This ebook was provided by the author or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of ReadingDeals. ( )

The Fleetwood family (mom, dad, teen son, and tween daughter) along with two grandmothers and a grandfather embark on a three month long trip. They start in Australia, travel to Singapore, Turkey, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Paris, London, Dublin, New York City, and Disney World. The memoir manages to strike a good balance between where they went and stayed, what they saw, how they got around, humorous stories and incidents, and issues that develop when a number of people travel together.

Just before they embark on their three month trip, one of the Fleetwood family's two dachshunds is killed by a snake. (The remaining dachshund is left with a neighbor who had originally agreed to care for both dogs.)

This family is dachshund crazy! They even have a travel game where they try to be the first to spot a dachshund. Each sighting provokes much excitement! The sightings also remind them of the dog they lost and the one waiting for them back home. ( )