The soft sounds of guitar spill out onto hilly medieval streets that wind down to the banks of the Duoro River. Hand-painted rabelo boats dot the deep blue of the water, transporting barrels of wine beneath the tall steel arch
Following my recent post about the Indian Ocean, I've been spending an even greater amount of time than usual daydreaming about locations on my travel bucket list. Today my daydreams are centered around Portugal, a country that remains one of my
Fear It’s December 2006. I've just turned 21, I'm by myself in Paris, and I'm absolutely terrified. I spent the past three days touring the City of Lights with a friend I met studying abroad in England. She served as our guide,
A red-dirt path stretches into the distance, terminating, along with the cliff it covers, under the cloudless blue sky. The path’s fall is interrupted by rows of shrubs, lining the cliff’s edge with a wreath of green. Below miles of
2014 was a beautiful and moving year for me, filled with an unprecedented number of travel experiences that made the year pass like a travel aficionado's dream sequence. Since January, I visited a whopping 22 countries, fulfilling my goal of
A sea of trees chases a gaggle of hills before culminating at the base of a majestic castle, yellow, red and white towers breaking up the unending blue of the sky. Beyond lies the Portugal plain, stretching on for miles,
The dining room of Home Hostel Lisbon is packed with backpackers, each seat at the long, wooden tables occupied by a hungry body, eagerly anticipating “Mamma’s Dinner.” Six nights a week, Mamma, the actual mother of the hostel’s owner, prepares
Quiet, meandering streets wind up the hillside past bakeries where sweet smells and the soft sounds of guitar spill out the windows. The gentle slopes converge at the foot of the remains of a castle, its fortress towers looking out
Van doors slam and six bodies dart over sand dunes and bushes, racing wildly to catch the last rays of the sinking sun before they disappear beneath rolling ocean waves. It is time to explore the cliffs of Lagos, Portugal. We
Bura Surfhouse in Lagos, Portugal is a great hostel. And it seems I’m not the only one who thinks so. The family-run hostel has a 95 percent thumbs up rating on TripAdvisor. But what is it that pushes a hostel beyond the