• Portugal

    The Algarve Beaches

    April 14, 2016 - By 

    Despite having been born and raised in beautiful beach-spoiled California, I knew we had to see the famous Algarve beaches in Southern Portugal. They did not disappoint. In addition to the gorgeous weather we were fortunate to have, the main highlights I did not expect were: There were no beach resorts.  Just laid-back towns.  This meant no crowds, no large buses, no street vendors, no restaurant-lined streets with annoying touts, and extremely limited parking.  As a result, visitors were truly able to relax and explore the area. There were endless hiking trails.  With a brief glance at the map, it…

  • Portugal

    Sintra

    April 12, 2016 - By 

    Anything you ever imagined about castles and fairytales can be found in Sintra, less than an hour’s drive west of Lisbon. Perched high atop a hill and overlooking the Atlantic to the west and Lisbon to the east, its fairytale setting draws day-trippers from Lisbon by the thousands. For the majority of the visitors, the incredible maze of super steep cobblestone hills prevents walking from site to site, resulting in a headache of giant buses and grumbling tuk-tuks on the paved roads. But for the avid hiker a daypack, water bottle, and good shoes are enough for hiking from each…

  • Portugal

    Lisbon

    April 10, 2016 - By 

    Most Americans flood the cities and towns of France, The UK, Southern Spain, Italy, and Germany, bringing back photos and stories from the same recognizable monuments.  Little is to be said of continental Europe’s westernmost country, but now after a brief sample of Portugal, I feel the need to shed light on Portugal’s stunning regions.  Portugal’s attractions are not just only underrated, but they are extraordinary and unique to Europe.  I know when I’m back in the states, I won’t be raving about the same ol’ Paris, London, Amsterdam, Barcelona, or Rome.  Instead, I’ll be enlightening my friends with Portugal, especially the gem of Lisbon.…

  • Spain

    Central Spain

    April 8, 2016 - By 

    One option to road tripping Spain was to drive along the entire coast, which would include Portugal’s scenic coast.  But I couldn’t pass up the trio cluster of cities in central Spain: Segovia, Madrid, and Toledo…Segovia for the ancient Roman aqueducts, Madrid for the lively cultural modern-day capital, and Toledo for the stunning fusion of religious structures.  Situated only a 1-1.5 hours drive apart from each other, visiting all three cities was convenient, easy, and surprisingly unique enough to differentiate themselves from one another. Segovia was the first stop after Picos de Europa.  Even parking was a Spanish experience; there was a free RV parking lot…

  • Spain

    Picos de Europa

    April 5, 2016 - By 

    People rave about the national parks of the U.S., Patagonia in South America, the whole country of New Zealand, and the French/Swiss Alps. No one speaks of Picos de Europa, and I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. I’m amazed little is known about Spain’s 2nd largest national park, but for now, I’ll assume the unknown is a good thing in order to keep this special place a secret. Unlike major national parks in the U.S., Picos de Europa does not have a fee booth. As a matter of fact, what makes Picos de Europa so special is…

  • Spain

    San Sebastian

    April 4, 2016 - By 

    Typically we try to avoid beach resort towns.  Jacked prices, rip-offs, crowds, and heat top the list of reasons to steer clear from them.  But with its convenient location across the Spanish-French border in Basque country, and with the brisk Easter Sunday weather beckoning us to play outdoors, we knew there couldn’t be any harm in dropping by San Sebastian.  And we were glad we did. Fortunately it was Easter Sunday, which meant free parking, and plenty of it.  After parking in the neighborhood streets we stumbled upon Miramar Palace: My favorite view overlooking Playa de la Concha was from the hill of…

  • France

    Bordeaux

    April 3, 2016 - By 

    Contrary to many people may think, I lack cultural and geographical knowledge of most parts of the world.  “You’ve never heard of Bordeaux?” Chris asked me.  Nope.  Perhaps that was why I enjoyed Bordeaux and its surroundings. Unlike Paris, this large city did not reek of tourists and ridiculously long lines. Instead it was simply a beautiful and enjoyable city that had all the pleasures of France: quaint cobblestone streets, lovely bakeries and patisseries, and well-preserved architecture.  In addition there were an abundance of young adults from the University of Bordeaux (one of the largest campuses in Europe), and no end to fancy restaurants as…

  • France

    Tours

    April 1, 2016 - By 

    Rugged and striking Brittany might have dampened our quick stop in Tours, the staging area for the Loire Valley. This countryside valley was once the region where princes, dukes, and nobles erected chateau after chateau as their getaways, and as a result, there are now far too many chateaus to see within a single visit. Within the city of Tours, there appeared to be a strong white wine making industry, as seen by the number of signs for wine cellars and tastings along the roads. In fact, we even ended up spending a night for free on the property of a…