The chance discovery of his parent's journals was all it took to upset Matthew's plans for a sedate life. In 1967's Summer of Love, they had abandoned their jobs and set out across a Europe wrestling with post war confusion and new philosophies. Braving earthquakes, riots and juntas to explore their new frontier, they navigated through the ashes and optimism, learning that teabags are the only true currency. Miraculously, this was all achieved without mobile phones, satellite navigation or Facebook.

But is there any of that raw adventure or romance left under the slick veneer of modern...