Tag: Travel Page 1 of 5

Top 10 Places to Return

On June 3, 2024

Top 10 Places We Want to Return

We’re travelers at heart, always seeking to uncover the hidden gems that make destinations unforgettable. Recently, we had a conversation about the places we would most like to revisit on the Go See Do Explore Podcast. While our wandering feet have carried us to incredible corners of the world, some places linger in our memories more vividly than others – calling us back to rediscover their charms. From rugged islands to vibrant cityscapes, these are the spots that ignite our wanderlust anew:

Jordan Pond House

Acadia’s Coastal Majesty
The craggy cliffs and crashing surf of Maine’s Acadia National Park have a magnetic pull that’s impossible to resist. We were instantly enchanted by the park’s windswept trails and sweeping ocean vistas during a visit in 2019. With more hikes beckoning, we yearn to return and delve deeper into Acadia’s untamed beauty on Mount Desert Island.

Sylvan Lake

Black Hills Grandeur
An oasis of lush pine forests amid South Dakota’s arid landscapes, the majestic Black Hills left an indelible mark on us. From the chiseled granite faces of Mount Rushmore to the bison-dotted meadows of Custer State Park, this region warrants a longer sojourn to uncover its myriad wonders fully. Camping under star-studded skies tops our must-do list.

Enjoying a Glass of Wine at Bonobo

The Siren Call of Traverse City
With its sparkling beaches, award-winning wineries, and vibrant arts scene, Traverse City exerts an irresistible pull on us. This idyllic Lake Michigan town has become a home away from home, its natural splendor and culinary delights providing a welcome respite from everyday life. No matter how often we visit, we find ourselves longing to return.

U.S. Capitol Building

Washington D.C’s Monumental Allure
The cherry blossoms in peak bloom, the world-class museums of the Smithsonian – Washington D.C. is a cultural powerhouse that we would love to experience in full. A whirlwind day trip years ago only whetted our appetite for the nation’s capital, with its dazzling diversity of cuisine and history beckoning for a more immersive exploration.

L.A. Cetto Wine Barrel Fountain

Valle de Guadalupe’s Vinous Paradise
An off-the-beaten-path gem, Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe wine region left us spellbound with its sun-drenched vineyards, olive groves, and world-class vintages. From savoring robust reds to wandering medieval-style villages, this Baja California valley promises an immersive experience unlike any other wine destination.

Marigot from Fort St. Martin

St. Martin’s Joie de Vivre
The mere mention of St. Martin conjures up memories of languid days spent beach-side, sipping crisp rosés and feasting on Nicoise delicacies for us. The island’s dual Dutch and French personalities infuse it with an irresistible je ne sais quoi that has us dreaming of a return to soak up more of its inimitable charms.

Toledo train station

Toledo’s Timeless Romance
Like stepping into the pages of a historic novel, the ancient Spanish city of Toledo casts an unbreakable spell. We were utterly captivated by its winding cobblestone lanes, Moorish architecture, and centuries-old traditions during their visit. To fully immerse ourselves in Toledo’s living museum is a dream we are determined to realize.

Lagoa do Fogo

The Azores’ Wild Allure
Adrift in the Atlantic, the remote Azores islands are a nature-lovers paradise that stole our hearts. From hiking kaleidoscopic crater lakes to savoring wines with a hint of sea salt, this Portuguese archipelago is a feast for the senses. After a tantalizing glimpse, we yearn to immerse ourselves in the full Azorean experience.

Paseo del Morro

Puerto Rico’s Vivacious Spirit
Pulsing with an infectious energy and vibrant culture, Puerto Rico has us hooked on its charms. Whether strolling the azure streets of Old San Juan, kayaking through bioluminescent bays, or savoring mofongo, the island casts a spell that has him fantasizing about putting down roots in this Caribbean paradise.

Quinta das Carvalhas on the Douro

The Douro Valley’s Vinous Serenade
Rolling hills cloaked in lush vineyards, charming quintas plying world-class ports – the Douro Valley is a wine lover’s dreamscape that left us spellbound. After a tantalizing day trip from Porto, she’s intent on returning to fully savor the region’s old-world hospitality and scenery that seems plucked from a storybook.

The world is overflowing with extraordinary destinations, each weaving its unique tapestry of sights, sounds, and experiences. While the journey continues, these are the places calling us back to get intimately reacquainted – and we can’t wait to answer their siren songs.

Thanks for stopping by! Check out our NEW Go See Do Explore Podcast, available wherever you listen to podcasts. To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! For my list of gadgets to make your travels easier, click here. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page.

6 Tips for Travel while Working Remotely

By Ashleigh

On May 21, 2024

In Travel, Travel Tips

Inspiration from this post came from Episode 6 of our podcast. Listen to it here!

As travel bloggers, we’re often asked how we manage to travel so frequently while still getting work done. The truth is, with some strategic planning and the right tools, working remotely from almost anywhere in the world is possible. On our latest adventure through Europe, we put our digital nomad skills to the test – and today, we’re telling you how we did it.

From tapping into time zone differences to finding the ideal workspace, join us as we dive into the heart of combining work and wanderlust. Get ready to be inspired to embrace the remote lifestyle and take your office off the beaten path.

Mastering the time zone game

One of our top tips for working on the road? Use time differences to your advantage. When heading west to mountain time, Chris was able to start his workday bright and early, wrapping up by mid-afternoon. This allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in exploring destinations like the Black Hills in the evening hours when most of the crowds had departed.

Heading east provides its perks too. In Europe last summer, we found ourselves with crowd-free mornings to wander cobblestone streets before Chris clocked in. With a 5-6 hour time difference, he could work until the late evening hours just in time for a leisurely European dinner.

Strategizing your schedule for flexibility

Of course, making remote work a success requires careful coordination with your employer. Before any big trips, Chris makes a point to arrange his schedule around our travel plans as much as possible. This ensures he can be fully present for meetings and deadlines while still leaving room for epic adventures.

It’s also crucial to build in breaks that allow you to actually experience your surroundings. For Chris, this means taking short walks every few hours – whether it’s strolling to the beach in Traverse City, grabbing coffee in Custer, or simply stepping out on the balcony to soak in views of the Douro River in Porto.

Choosing the right home base

Where you stay can make or break the remote work experience. When traveling together, we prioritize accommodations with dedicated workspaces separated from the main living area. This ensures I’m not inadvertently photo-bombing Chris’s video calls!

One standout was the Roosevelt Inn & Suites in North Dakota, which featured full kitchens and separate living rooms – the perfect set up for Chris to work uninterrupted. Other stellar options are extended-stay hotels like Country Inns & Suites with living room alcoves.

Don’t forget to check reviews and listings for bandwidth speeds too. While Chris doesn’t need ultra-high internet for his daily tasks, a stable connection is crucial for video meetings and large file transfers.

Choose travel-friendly gear

Just like packing his favorite travel gear, Chris is selective about the tech equipment he brings when we travel. A few must-haves? A lightweight laptop with long battery life and a portable second screen solution like a trifold monitor or an iPad that can double as a secondary display.

A travel router with VPN capabilities to keep his online activities secure across public networks is a must. This proved invaluable during our transatlantic cruise when we could share a premium internet package across devices. Having multiple cellular data options through different carriers ensures Chris has the power and connectivity to work from anywhere that has cell signal. Don’t forget, international power adapters are a must when traveling overseas.

Cruising into productivity

Speaking of cruising, our recent transatlantic voyage allowed us to truly test the limits of remote work at sea. While the ship’s traditional satellite internet proved challenging for video calls and large file transfers, Chris was able to participate in meetings by calling in using a VoIP service.

He also got resourceful by remoting into a cloud server when bandwidth was too low for uploading and downloading files directly. This allowed work to progress smoothly, even in the middle of the Atlantic with zero cell signal.

For the best connectivity, cruise lines are rapidly rolling out SpaceX’s Starlink internet which provides higher speeds and reliability. Chris experienced the benefits first-hand on a previous cruise and can’t recommend it enough for aspiring cruise-working digital nomads.

The remote work mindset

More than any specific strategy or gear, the most important element of working remotely is the right mindset. It requires flexibility, creative problem-solving, and a willingness to adapt to different environments – but the payoff is worth it.

As Chris says, “I want people to know that I can do my job wherever I am.” With thoughtful planning and a bit of tech-savvy, you too can embrace the nomadic lifestyle.

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Exploring Western Puerto Rico

By Ashleigh

On April 8, 2024

In Travel

The ocean from Faro de Punta Higüera lighthouse

During our time in Rincon, we spent a day exploring some of the sights on the Western side of the island. From Rincon to Aguadilla, and south to Guanica, there is a lot more to see in Puerto Rico than just the east side and San Juan area! The west side of the island is dotted with beaches, many of which are known the world over to surfers. They may not be safe for light swimming. Many visitors have drowned in Puerto Rico the last few years so be sure to follow the flags and posted warnings about beach conditions.

Our first stop was the Faro de Punta Higüera lighthouse. A lighthouse has been on this spot since 1892, illuminating the westernmost tip of the Isla de Encanta. The park at the lighthouse now is a beautiful spot with picnic tables along the Atlantic Ocean. Domes Beach, a popular surfing beach is located near the lighthouse. It was fun watching the surfers in the water waiting for the perfect wave. The beach gets its name from the decommissioned BONUS Nuclear Reactor on the shore. It definitely gives Domes Beach a different look from any other beach I’ve ever seen!

Crashboat Beach

From the lighthouse, we headed North to Aguadilla. Aguadilla is home to one of the most well-known beaches on the island, Crashboat Beach. It had started to rain by the time we reached the beach, so there were only a few hearty souls around. After getting some sunshine, we headed inland to a local lechonera (pig roast) for lunch.

Guanica's Dry Forest R

From Aguadilla, we headed south to Guanica and its dry forest. Unlike the rainforest in the north of the island, the forest in Guanica gets much less rain so it looks totally different. Honestly, it reminded me of places we drove around in the Texas Hill Country. Picture cacti and low scrub bushes. Be aware, the main entrance to the forest is closed on Mondays. I did not see that anywhere online before we made the trek down there so we were unable to get into the park after the long drive.

Overall, it was a fun day driving around the island and exploring some of the highlights. We discovered traffic on the west side of the island moved pretty slow at times, so give yourself extra time if you have any set plans.

Thanks for stopping by! Check out our NEW Go See Do Explore Podcast, available wherever you listen to podcasts. To read more about our time in Puerto Rico, check out my Circle Tour of the Island. To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! For my list of gadgets to make your travels easier, click here. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page.

2024 Travel Show

By Ashleigh

On February 5, 2024

In Travel, Travel Tips

Rick Steves at the 2024 Travel & Adventure Show

In 2023, we went to our first Travel and Adventure Show in Chicago after seeing a billboard saying Samantha Brown would be speaking there. We had a lot of fun at the show exploring the exhibits from locations around the world and hearing talks from travel experts. We got a lot of tips that made our travels in 2023 as epic as they were. So, we were excited to visit the show again. We had train tickets and a hotel for the whole long weekend. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans and a winter storm rolled in and canceled our train. We debated going a day earlier to still be able to enjoy the travel show, but I realized that if we couldn’t get to Chicago from 200 miles away, I’m sure some of the presenters we were looking forward to seeing would have the same issue.

So, we decided to do something crazy. We canceled all of our plans in Chicago (we did some tourism around home at the Motown Museum to make up for it), made our first claim against our annual travel insurance policy, and booked flights to the New York travel show just a few weeks later. We already had some plans at home that weekend so the whole trip was only about 30 hours. We didn’t have two full days to explore the show like we would have in Chicago, but we got to see Rick Steves and Phil Rosenthal which is what we were really looking forward to.

We loaded up our backpacks (because for only one night away what more do you need?) and took a cheap Spirit flight to New York. In the morning, we walked from our hotel, got some New York bagels, and walked to the Convention Center. The New York Travel show was much bigger than Chicago and had an additional stage for more speakers. We went right to the main stage when we got in to get a good seat to see Rick Steves. If you aren’t familiar with Rick Steves, he is the foremost expert on European travel and is probably the bestselling guidebook author of all time.

Us meeting Phil Rosenthal Last year the experts hit home how important it is to travel light and be carry-on only. Rick Steves also talked about avoiding crowds when you travel by traveling off-season and when that is not possible, getting out early and late. Avoid being in the tourist areas in the middle of the day. He inspired me to plan a trip to some of those crowded European cities that I want to see, but have been avoiding because of the crowds. As he said, there is a reason everyone wants to go there. After his talk, I had him sign one of his books for me.

Phil Rosenthal is the host of the Netflix show, Somebody Feed Phil and his presentation was a Q&A format about his travels and his favorite foods. While I didn’t leave his presentation with a whole host of travel hacks, it was very enjoyable and he seemed just as genuine as he does on TV. After his presentation, we waited in a crazy long line to meet him and have him sign his book. It was worth waiting in line for this picture (left)!

Times Square

We spent a little time walking the exhibit booths after we met Phil, but it was so crowded you couldn’t even get close to most of them and they didn’t seem to be doing as many giveaways as last year. We ended up walking the whole floor and then leaving the show to get some lunch. This is the first time since we were in college that we really had time in New York (we did a cruise out of New York back in 2015, but we pretty much just went right to the ship and then drove home immediately after) so we wandered until we found a Dim Sum restaurant for lunch. We weren’t too far from Times Square so we wandered over there and found all of the people. Then, we pretty much took a taxi back to the airport and flew home. All in all, it was a crazy day but it was worth it! We will have to keep our eyes on flight prices to New York for the future because, with those prices, it’s not an unreasonable weekend getaway.

Thanks for stopping by! To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. To read campground reviews check out my Michigan Campground Reviews page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! For my list of gadgets to make your travels easier, click here. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page.

How to Travel with Only a Carry-on

By Ashleigh

On January 8, 2024

In Travel Tips

Some of the links below are affiliate links and as such, I earn a small commission from purchases that allow me to continue telling you my stories without costing you anything extra.

For as long as I have been traveling, I have always checked my luggage. With budget airlines, sometimes it is cheaper to check your bags than to carry them onto the plane. But, carrying on your luggage allows you to skip the airline counter and baggage claim, saving a lot of time. When traveling from city to city in Europe, a large checked suitcase can be too difficult to maneuver over the cobblestone-lined hills. For our trip this past summer, I learned how to get by with only a carry-on bag and I want to share what I learned along the way.

Plan to do laundry. Going carry-on only means bringing less clothing so if you are going to be gone for more than a few days, you will need to wash your clothes. Pick lodging that has laundry facilities or plan to find a laundromat. I recently discovered washer sheets that allow you to bring laundry detergent with you without taking up a lot of space in your bag.
Pack light. This can be very hard if you are an overpacker like me. Pack a few outfits that you can mix and match and versatile shoes. I found this packing list that was very helpful for me for our Europe trip.
Use Packing Cubes. I really didn’t think these would make much of a difference until I got some and they are a game changer and they keep your suitcase organized.
Limit the liquids. Honestly, this is the hardest part for me. A lot of the basics like shampoo, conditioner, and body wash are provided by hotels and rentals and a lot of toiletries can be found in solid now: deodorant, bar soap, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, dry shampoo, and even toothpaste. This Refillable Toiletry Kit has helped me get more liquids into the 1-quart bag that TSA allows. Other things like sunscreen can be purchased at your destination and if you have any leftover at the end of your trip if you are staying at a vacation rental, you can leave it behind for the next guests.

Woman walking with carry-on suitcase

Learning to travel with only a carry-on bag adds flexibility to your travel and gives you extra time on your travel days. If you are checked-bag person like me, I suggest you try going carry-on only on your next trip and let me know how it goes! I want to hear from you, are you a carry-on only or a checked-bag traveler? Let me know in the comments!

2023: A Year in Review

By Ashleigh

On December 27, 2023

In Travel

Pena Palace

2023 has probably been the best year of travel for us so far. We had several amazing, life-changing trips and visited many new-to-us destinations. We started the year in an airport: as the clock struck midnight we were walking through the Atlanta airport for a few hours shut-eye before catching our early morning flight home from Puerto Rico.

We discovered a love of train travel this year and took several weekend trips to Chicago on Amtrak. The train takes about the same amount of time as driving and it allows you to relax and do other things as you travel. We have found our favorite neighborhood in Chicago (River North) and are planning to return in 2024.

Disneyland Train Station

In March we crossed off another state in my goal to visit all 50 states before I turn 40. This time, we headed to California and took a wonderful cruise that allowed us to see a lot of the coastal cities. I understand why so many people love California. Each place was more beautiful than the last. The cruise also took us to Mexico and we have been trying to figure out when we can squeeze in a return trip. It was our first Celebrity cruise and it will not be our last. And of course, I realized my lifelong dream of visiting Disneyland.

In May, Chris went to a conference in Austin and I got to tag along for the weekend which was a fun way to break up the time between big trips. I have come to realize that some of the best meals of my life have been in the Austin area so I never turn down an opportunity to visit.

Sunset at Sea

Less than 3 months after our spring cruise, we hit the sea again for our longest and most crazy cruise yet, a transatlantic from Florida to Portugal. It was a return to our favorite cruise line (Norwegian) after 3 cruises and it felt like coming home. The ports were amazing and afterward, we spent a week and a half exploring the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain) with a stopover in Iceland on the way home. This trip was life-changing and we’ve just been figuring out how to return to Europe since we got home.

Enjoying a Glass of Wine at Bonobo

We stayed closer to home in the second half of the year. We took a few camping trips around Michigan, and in August, we spent a week in one of our favorite places, Traverse City, and we took our furry friends. While traveling with the cats added some challenges, not having to worry about them while we were away was worth it for us.

In the fall, we discovered how one-night getaways can be a fun way to break up the routine without having to shell out the money for multiple nights of lodging. We spent a night in Milwaukee that was surprisingly enjoyable and I would love to go back and see more of the city.

Icelandic Sheep

Overall, this was a year of seeing new places for short amounts of time. I have added many new places to my “to return to” list which I put into writing this year. I am struggling to figure out where to go in 2024 between the places I have never been and the places I want to return to. This will probably be a lifelong struggle. Stay tuned to find out where I end up next year!

Tips for Traveling with Cats

By Ashleigh

On December 4, 2023

In Road Trip, Travel, Travel Tips

Travel with Cats Header Image

Some of the links below are affiliate links and as such, I earn a small commission from purchases that allow me to continue telling you my stories without costing you anything extra.

I’m sure if you’ve read this blog before, you know that I love to travel, but you might not know that I am the human to three cats as well. One of which, my little calico, Calliope, has separation anxiety and has even been hospitalized for it when we have traveled in the past. Luckily, we have a rock star pet sitter that knows how to handle her, but her refusing to eat during our three week Europe trip this summer added some stress to what was otherwise an amazing, life changing vacation. We wanted to take one more trip before I went back to work in August, but we didn’t want to put her through that stress again, so we decided to take a trip with the cats.

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Travel with dogs is common, but cats are not as easy to travel with and some accommodations need to be made to make sure it is a successful trip for everyone involved. Here are some of my tips if you ever want to travel with your feline friends:

Know your furry friends. How do they handle new environments and travel in a carrier? Our black cat, Velvet, gets car sick, so she stays behind with family. While Callie has separation anxiety, she has no issues in new environments so she makes a good traveling cat. Roary is super easygoing and has gone camping with us several times.
You need a carrier that your cat is comfortable in. It is not safe for animals to be running free in a moving car. There are lots of different types of carriers: hard-sided, soft-sided, backpacks, etc. Hard-sided carriers can be difficult to get cats into so I prefer soft-sided carriers that open from the top.
Keep the travel time as minimal as possible. It is difficult to set up a way for cats to use the litter box or drink water while traveling so keep the travel time short and don’t leave animals unattended in the car.
Find accommodations that allow cats. Many properties on Airbnb will come up as pet friendly but then when you read the description it will say no cats or dogs only.
Make your cats comfortable. I brought their pet beds and favorite blankets and I sprayed it all with calming spray. I brought some of their favorite toys and some treats too! Consider using a pheromone diffuser like Feliway. Bring a familiar litter box and put it on a hard floor, if possible.
Keep their food and feeding schedules the same. Traveling is not a time to try a new food or routine. Save that for when you’re back at home. Make sure to bring any of their medications with you as well.
Bring cleaning supplies. I brought urine remover spray just in case and covered the floor around the litter box with puppy pee pads. A lint roller was very useful and I wish I had brought a small dust buster vacuum to clean up all the fur. If possible, put any light-colored linens out of reach of cats, or cover them up. This Airbnb didn’t have much that was light colored, but one of the cats did vomit on the white bath mat which was not fun to clean up.

While it took more cleanup to travel with the kitties, I was glad to be able to take a trip without having to worry about little Calliope. I look forward to more trips with them in the future.

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Wordless Wednesday: Icelandic Sheep

By Ashleigh

On October 25, 2023

In Travel, Wordless Wednesday

Two Days in Madrid

By Ashleigh

On October 17, 2023

In Travel

Palacio de Madrid

Some of the links below are affiliate links and as such, I earn a small commission from purchases that allow me to continue telling you my stories without costing you anything extra.

After our time in Toledo, we took an early train back to Madrid. Our flight wasn’t until the following evening so we had almost two full days to explore Spain’s Capitol.

We stayed in a boutique hotel near the Palacio de Madrid called Hotel Principio Pio which felt very similar to Hotel Per La in Los Angeles. One benefit to hotels when arriving at a destination early in the day is that often you are able to check in early. We arrived around 10 am and even though check-in wasn’t until 3 pm, our room was ready so we were able to set our bags down and relax a bit before we started to explore the city. I only really had two goals for our time in Madrid, the Prado Museum, and Palacio de Madrid. We decided to break them up and do one each day.

Madrid’s Plaza Mayor

After settling into our hotel, we headed to the Prado. I was able to buy tickets online in advance which allowed up to skip the line. The Prado Museum is Spain’s premier art museum and is known to house one of the world’s finest collections of European art, especially Spanish art. Being my first visit to a European art museum, I enjoyed seeing new-to-me artists such as Goya, Francisco de Zurbarán, and El Greco. Probably one of my favorite parts of the museum was a special exhibit that showed the similarities between selected works of El Greco and Picasso. Picasso spent many hours in the museum in his youth and many of El Greco’s paintings were the inspiration for some of Picasso’s famous works. The Prado is also home to an older version of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. I could’ve stared at it for hours comparing it to the most famous one. If you enjoy art and art museums, the Prado is a wonderful museum that you need to visit in your life. Wonderful guided tours of the Prado can be found on Viator.

We started our second day in Madrid with a guided tour of the Palacio de Madrid. While I was able to get tickets to the Prado a few days in advance, all the tickets to the Palace were booked up so, to see it, we had to book a private tour. In the end, I am glad I did because our tour guide explained a lot about the palace and the history of Spain that you wouldn’t get just by walking through. It did get crowded at times, but we had earpieces so we were able to hear her even if we were separated, which was really nice. More tours should invest in this equipment!

Lions on the stairs of the Royal Palace

The Royal Palace of Madrid is the largest palace in Europe at 135,000 m² (1,450,000 sq ft) and is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family, although these days it is mostly only used for official functions. The palace is full of lavish furnishings and amazing Spanish art. Unfortunately, photography is not permitted in most of the palace so I don’t have any pictures to show you. One of the rooms that was open on our visit was the crown room where a rather simple-looking silver crown is on display. It is much less ornate than what I expected anyway and our tour guide explained that the Spanish “are not the British”. Overall, I highly recommend a guided tour of the Royal Palace and I had a great experience with Madrid walking Tour and Royal Palace Skip the Line tour on Viator. Combination tours of the Prado Museum and the Royal Palace are also available on Viator.

The Architecture of Madrid

After our tour of the Palace, we still had the whole day ahead of us and we had checked out of our hotel, so we booked a hop-on hop-off bus tour. This allowed us to get to see the rest of the city and enjoy the breeze from the top deck of the bus. From the bus, we learned more about Spanish history, including that in 1874 a military coup overthrew the monarchy of Spain. A dictator named Fransisco Franco ruled from 1939 to 1975. In 1969, he named Prince Juan Carlos (the grandson of the most recent king of Spain) as his successor. When Franco died, Juan Carlos transitioned the government from a dictatorship to a constitutional monarchy and his family still rules today. In 2014, Juan Carlos abdicated the throne and said “We do not want my son to wither waiting like Prince Charles.”

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to stop back next week as we fly to our final stop on the trip, Iceland. To read more about this trip, check out Cruising the Atlantic to Portugal and Spain trip report. To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! For my list of gadgets to make your travels easier, click here. To see inside my camera bag, check out my updated Gear Page.

One Day in Porto

By Ashleigh

On September 25, 2023

In Travel

Porto Cathedral

After a wonderful day touring the Douro Valley, the next day we did a tour of Porto. I found a walking tour on FreeTour.com. Similar to the free walking tour we did in Santa Barbara, the idea of these tours is that you pay nothing for the tour, and at the end, you tip your guide however much you deem appropriate. These tours are usually a fun way to get to know a city without breaking the bank.

Compared to Lisbon, the buildings in Porto are much older. The earthquake and fire of 1755 destroyed Lisbon but no such disaster has affected Porto. The Porto Cathedral (top) broke ground in 1110 AD.

São Bento Train Station Azulejos The first stop on our tour was the São Bento train station which is home to beautiful Azujelo murals from the early 1900s (left). While looking at the murals, our tour guide told us the history of this building. Before it was a train station, the building used to be a convent. The city of Porto decided that they needed a train station so they took the building over, but they allowed the nuns to continue to live there until the last nun died. It was a while before it became a train station because the youngest nun in the convent was a child at the time. The building was transformed into a train station in 1893.

Our guide also detailed some of the less pleasant parts of their history. From 1933-1974 Portugal was under a dictatorship that separated them from the rest of the world. The dictator António de Oliveira Salazar (J.K. Rowling’s inspiration for the name of the founder of Slytherin House), ruled the country, repressing the rights of the citizens until he died from falling off a chair. Democracy was restored through the Carnation Revolution only four years after his death.

Our guide also told us about the summer festival celebrating São João (St. John) that was coming up later that week (thus the decorations on the right). She explained that people flood the street during São João, grilling Sardines, and walk from the city to the ocean, hitting each other on the head with plastic hammers. I am sad that I missed what is known as Europe’s liveliest and least-known (outside of the city, of course) summer festivals. In the words of our Duoro tour guide, they celebrate summer and blame it on a saint.

Our tour ended with our guide serenading us with a traditional fado song. Fado music is a traditional Portuguese genre of music that dates back to the 1820s and is known for its mournful lyrics and tone. Saudade is a Portuguese word that captures this feeling of irrevocable loss that Fado embodies. Later that day, we went to a Fado show at the Casa de Guitarra where we heard more of this music.

Port Barrels at Ferreira

That afternoon, we headed across the river to Villa Nova da Gaia to visit one of the famous port wine cellars we heard about on both our tour of the Duoro and of Porto. We chose to tour Ferreira because they are a historic port producer owned by a Portuguese family (most big port producers are British for some reason). It was interesting seeing how a big company differed from the smaller producers we toured in the Duoro. Of course, our tour ended with a port wine tasting. If you have a short time in Porto, this is a good way to get an understanding of the importance of Port. If you have more time, I recommend a tour of the Duoro instead of touring a port cellar. They are very similar experiences and I much preferred our full-day in the Duoro.

Thanks for stopping by! To read more about this trip, check out Cruising the Atlantic to Portugal and Spain trip report. To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! For my list of gadgets to make your travels easier, click here. To see inside my camera bag, check out my updated Gear Page.