The Algarve is full of beautiful sights, and if you tried to jam them all in for the sake of it, you’d kind of be missing the point.
Tag: Europe
Portugal, Day 6: Sintra to the Algarve
We knew that a “beach vacation” in Portugal in March probably wasn’t going to be a thing, in spite of Daina packing three tank tops.
Portugal, Day 5: Óbidos and Sintra
This place is a virtual Disneyland of castles and palaces, with each one having its own specific design quirks.
Portugal, Day 4: Azulejos and Architecture
So I learned today that Daina wanted to be a seismologist growing up and that I can readily be mistaken for a Portuguese waiter if my tan has come in.
Portugal, Day 3: The Many Miradouros of Lisbon
This is a city of hills. Lots of them.
Morocco to Madrd: Wrap Up & Highlights
On our last night in Madrid, while we were enjoying some amazing Iberian ham, I mentioned something to Daina that … More
Morocco to Madrid 27: Toledo
So after the craziness that was yesterday morning, it was nice to be able to just head to Atocha, get … More
Morocco to Madrid 26: Segovia
Today started with a massive stab to the wallet. Now, our past two vacations, I’ve brought my “old” iPhone 4 … More
Morocco to Madrid 25: Royal Madrid
I want everybody to realize that, if I had wanted to, I could have probably jacked up the hit count … More
Morocco to Madrid 24: Centro de Arte Reina Sofia & MuseoThyssen-Bornemisza
So, yes, we did two of Madrid’s “Big Three” galleries back to back. In retrospect, good idea not to do … More
Morocco to Madrid 23: Museo del Prado & Parque del Buen Retiro
Well, we got the big one out of the way. Madrid has three big art galleries, and the biggest most … More
Morocco to Madrid 22: Granada to Madrid
TRANSIT DAY!!! Going to give some credit where credit is due. Past two cities, we’ve been staying in 1-Star hotels … More
Morocco to Madrid 21: Alhambra
I find there can be a bit of a Law of Diminishing Returns for popular tourist sites. The more popular … More
Morocco to Madrid 20: Granada
Before leaving Malaga this morning, we hit a city institution, Casa Aranda, a place so well known for churros that … More
Morocco to Madrid 19: Gibraltar
I am a gross, sweaty mess right now. Backstory. One of the best indicators of a great travel partner, platonic, … More
Morocco to Madrid 18: Malaga
We hit Malaga pretty hard yesterday, covering a lot of distance, so we figured that today was a day to … More
Morocco to Madrid 17: Malaga
“Change of Pace” sums things up nicely today. Daina and I had an interesting conversation about how, if our trip … More
Brussels, Belgium
So how in the hell is Sri Lanka easier to figure out than Brussels? I might give fatigue some credit. … More
The Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
Limerick is fine, but definitely not a city you can sightsee in for more than a couple of days. Fortunately, … More
Limerick, Ireland
In terms of vibes, Limerick definitely has a different one than the other European cities I’ve stopped in. You’ve got … More
Castlebar, Ireland
Home stay! Dublin was a day for tourism, but my big reason for visiting Ireland was to check in with … More
Dublin, Ireland
So a bit of crazy-awesome before I even got here. MASSIVE storm moved through Belgium last night, thunder, lightening, heavy … More
Ghent, Belgium
So “yay” to Snuffel Hostel in Brugge for somehow pulling off the feat of being a party hostel where you … More
Brugge, Belgium
So now that Sri Lanka is done, it’s time to branch off! Gonna note that, for the next few posts, … More
Retro: Sinaia, Romania
Travel Date: July 21st, 2010Built around and named after the Sinaia Monastery, which itself was named after Mount Sinai, Sinaia … More
Retro: Bran, Romania
Dracula never lived here. Okay, technically Dracula never lived anywhere, being made up and all. Vlad the Impaler, though? He … More
Retro: Brasov, Romania
They built a Hollywood sign. It’s sad that, in a town that’s one of the main Transylvanian tourist hubs, and … More
Retro: Sighișoara, Romania
You’d expect the place that “Dracula” was born to have some good, but kind of disgusting, eats. Right on both … More
Retro: Biertan, Romania
Fortified Churches. Makes sense, when you think about it. Biertan is another one of those “little stops” you can find … More
AC Italy 3 & 4: Rome
So, I’m covering two days of travel in one post here. Much like Rome, it’s kind of overwhelming. Let me … More
AC Italy 2: Monteriggioni & San Gimignano
Big day today. Breakfast matched up. If there was one thing I wasn’t a huge fan of in Turkey, it … More
AC Italy 1: Siena
So, a bit of backstory on the next four posts. When I first booked the trip to Turkey with Alitalia, … More
Turkey 40: Wrap Up from Istanbul
What a difference 40 days makes. When D and I first got here, Taksim square was a source of protests, … More
Turkey 33: Bergama to Safranbolu
TRANSIT DAY! Not just being on transit, but also planning, getting frustrated by and, ultimately, conquering transit. All with a … More
Turkey 29: Chora Church
With this being Daina’s last day of the trip, and with souvenirs that need buying, we decided to keep things … More
Turkey 28: Ramadan in Istanbul
Up early today, five am, in order to catch a flight to Istanbul. After finally seeking out a shuttle and … More
Turkey 4: Istanbul, Modern Palaces, Modern Art
After two big days (and a big opening evening, if you think about it), we went a little smaller today, … More
Turkey 3: Istanbul, Byzantines and Bosporus
We’re definitely not running out of things to do, but we seem to be running out of days to do … More
Turkey 2: Istanbul, Hot in Pants
First thing first, though not the first thing that happened today, I GOT MY LUGGAGE! Walked into the hotel lobby, … More
Turkey 1.1: Istanbul
This city is going to be epic. After checking in to the hotel and washing off the scent of airplane … More
