How I went back in time: A medieval tale

Table of Contents Have you ever wondered what it was like to live in medieval times? I have romantic ideas of isolated tiny towns on the hills surrounded by animals. A fun but quiet village life. Good food. Age-old traditions. And lots of beauty.   Monsanto village is in Idanha-a-Nova on top of a very […]

Why You Should Visit Isle of Arran

Table of Contents My Scottish Adventures Portland, Oregan taught me to love being out during the cold and windy days, and Edinburgh taught me to laugh at the rain. Once you learn how to love wet days, nothing can stop you! I go back to Scotland whenever I can. Do you have a place that […]

Trip with a Theme

Table of Contents How do you plan your trips? I used to travel to get to know an area. I researched parks, museums, places to photograph, historical streets, good restaurants, and so on. I loved traveling like that, but after a few trips, I felt I was missing something. I couldn’t figure it out until […]

São Lourenço do Barrocal

Table of Contents How I Created my Private Retreat São Lourenço do Barrocal is a beautiful family-owned boutique hotel in Reguengos de Monsaraz in Alentejo, Portugal. The hotel is inside a farm. It’s surrounded by rolling hills, near medieval cities and, mysterious megaliths. This specific region in Portugal is the best one for stargazing. View […]

Meet Fernanda and Julio from Cria

Table of Contents Fernanda and Julio left the corporate world in Rio de Janeiro and moved to Petropolis to open a bakery next to their parent’s restaurant, the Alvorada. If you go off-season, you will get a taste of “old Portugal” and what it is like to live in a quiet village by the sea. […]

Comporta: A Little piece of Heaven

Table of Contents Comporta, Portugal Comporta is a beautiful area on the west coast of Portugal and about an hour away from Lisbon. Comporta is near several small and charming villages and gorgeous beaches and beach clubs. The Comporta village has a few cafés, amazing boutiques and good restaurants.  Comporta off-season What to do in […]

The Best Little Organic Store in Portugal

Bio e Companhia is a certified organic store in Elvas, Portugal I was so happy to find this little organic store in Elvas. When I first moved to the Alentejo area I tried to find organic food but was not successful. I was told about a few places in Badajoz but I really wanted a […]

An amazing first solo trip with a theme

Table of Contents Solo trip Add a theme to your solo travel Make your over-50 solo trip fabulous by traveling with a theme. Turn your trip into your hobby, be curious about the history and art in the places you visit, and incorporate your passions into your travels. A trip planned around your interests is […]

One Day in Lisbon

Table of Contents One day in Lisbon: Where to go and where to eat. What to wear on your feet! Lisbon has beautiful marble-stone sidewalks. Some of them have gorgeous wavy designs and some of them are just mixed chips. They are a little slippery when dry and they are very slippery when they are […]

Mystic Lindisfarne: Exploring the Holy Island’s Magic

Table of Contents My Weekend Getaway Whenever I go to Edinburgh I take a few short train trips to different places. A friend suggested that I visit Lindisfarne Island or the Holy Island in the northeast coast of Northumberland. How to get to Lindisfarne Edinburgh to Holy Island. I took a 45 minute train ride […]