Having arrived at the Quinta do Barranco da Estrada — better known as “Paradise in Portugal” — I stood and gaped at the image in front of me. A perfect blue lake — actually a reservoir — surrounded by green-gold trees, a perfect blue sky filled with chubby clouds overhead. The most amazingly fresh air. […]
Finding Paradise in Portugal — the Quinta do Barranco da Estrada Read More »
I was at the train station in Santa Clara e Velha, Portugal, waiting for the thrice-daily train to take me to the city of Faro, where I would catch a bus to Spain. I had just spent three glorious days at the Quinta do Barranco da Estrada — better known as “Paradise in Portugal.” How was
Paying it Forward in Portugal Read More »
It’s 4:00 AM in Évora and I haven’t slept a wink, despite the heaviness of my eyelids. I am too scared to fall asleep. I’m not afraid of anything specific; I just feel a deep, looming sense of dread. Something is not right, and I can’t allow myself to become defenseless. Is it irrational? Some
Sometimes, I get scared. Read More »
“Here, our bones lie, awaiting yours.” This is the macabre welcome to Évora’s most famous attraction — the capela dos ossos, or bone chapel. The bone chapel was my primary reason for visiting Évora, and it’s well worth a visit. The chapel was built by a Franciscan monk in the 16th century during the Counter-Reformation. Its purpose
Creeped Out at Évora’s Bone Chapel Read More »
When I added Évora to my Iberian itinerary, I didn’t have many expectations. I heard it was a lovely town, but my main goal was to see the Capela dos Ossos, the bone chapel. Anything else would be a fringe benefit. Sometimes, going into a place without expectations is best — because I was absolutely bowled
Évora: The Unexpected Beauty of Portugal Read More »
“Oh, you simply MUST go to Sintra!” If you’re planning on visiting Lisbon, chances are you’ll hear the above statement at least once. Of all the day trips you can take from Lisbon, Sintra is the most famous. Since I had a full week to spend in Lisbon, I decided to take the 40-minute train
Sintra — As Seen By iPhoneography Read More »
This past summer, I visited Liechtenstein and declared it one of the weirdest places I’ve ever been. But after visiting Shetland, I chucked that theory out the window. Liechtenstein is delightfully quirky — the Zooey Deschanel of principalities. Shetland, by comparison, is Bjork laying an egg on the red carpet. I had the time of
Shetland: The Strangest Place I’ve Ever Been Read More »
For my second Portuguese destination, I headed straight to Porto, the largest city of northern Portugal. I didn’t know too much about it — it was a smaller city, apparently very nice, and the ancestral home of port. What shocked me was that Porto was not only beautiful, but astonishingly so. The Ribeira neighborhood of
Porto: The Land of Port and Bridges Read More »
When I jump-started my full-time traveling, the timing could not have been more fortuitous. Not surprisingly, it was in the middle of an endless New England winter when I decided that I would leave home and head for the heat and humidity of Southeast Asia. Little did I know that the upcoming winter, the one
Making Peace with Winter Read More »
When I arrived in Lisbon, two things struck me immediately: how beautiful the city was, and how insanely hilly the city was. Like as hilly as San Francisco, only with cobblestones. The more I got to know Lisbon, the more comparisons I drew between Lisbon and San Francisco. It was hilly, of course, but it
The Sunshine of Lisbon Read More »