Ceramic tiles, statues, hills, and Fado Lisbon was the final destination in our 14-week stay in Europe. Compared with busy Barcelona, it was a more relaxing city to explore, with interesting neighborhoods, tasty dining options, and lots of statues. Lisbon Sightseeing Belem Neighborhood Our visit to the Belem neighborhood started a little sketchy [...]
Quiet, steamy August visit Neither of us had been to Spain’s third largest city, so we stopped by to check it out. Since we only had three days and the steamy weather was not conducive to marathon sightseeing, we focused on a few of the more popular attractions. The first thing we [...]
Six weeks in Barcelona In the spirit of Slow Travel, we rented a flat in Barcelona for six weeks and took our time exploring the city. We saw lots of art, found some favorite spots, went on a few day trips, got robbed on the metro, and ate lots of tapas. After [...]
Picturesque riverside city rich in history In Girona you can see Roman and medieval structures, visit museums, relax in the Plaça de la Independència, and take a stroll along the Onyar River. Our favorite part was wandering through the gorgeous narrow passageways in the Jewish Quarter / Call. Lori is a planner [...]
Modernist architect inspired by nature Antoni Gaudi had a unique design aesthetic that infused organic shapes inspired by nature into modernist styles. He used recycled and low-cost materials like ceramic tiles, glass, and iron. It was interesting to learn that he was on the forefront of sustainable design. Some of Gaudi's most spectacular designs are [...]
Tour and tasting at Freixenet Cava is a sparkling wine and the Spanish equivalent of Champagne. Did you know that there are over 80 cava producers in Spain? That makes it a very popular drink! You can get a copa de cava in most restaurants and bars. The cava region is 45 kilometers from Barcelona [...]
Beautiful building with interesting exhibits Escape the crowds and enjoy a peaceful stroll through the impressive building that houses the Museu Maritim. The former royal shipyard displays photos, paintings, model ships, maritime equipment and instruments, full size boats, and temporary exhibits. About the Museu Maritim The Maritime Museum showcases the history and culture of the [...]
Day trip to visit truffle farmers near Barcelona A few years ago, we saw an episode of No Reservations where Anthony Bourdain visited a truffle farm in Croatia. It sparked our interest, so Michael started to research truffle farming as a potential future business venture. Michael visited many websites, including Stevan Martin’s [...]
Deciphering Ibiza's parking meter system We put money in the meter, displayed the ticket in the window, and returned before the time expired – but we still got a parking ticket! See why - and how you can avoid this mistake... We learned an expensive lesson about using Ibiza parking meter machines. So we thought [...]
Beaches, clubs, UNESCO sites, and naked pirate man The European leg would not be complete without a stop in Ibiza – one of our favorite places. Many know Ibiza as a party island – and it is that, but there is so much more. On our third visit, we explored intimate coves, anything-goes beaches, world [...]