Incredible mountain vistas, rich Inca history, parades galore Peru was the final destination on our world trip. We spent two weeks exploring Cusco and the Sacred Valley, and of course journeyed to Machu Picchu on the Hiram Bingham train. High altitude head rush! When we stepped off the plane in Cusco, we [...]
Staying fit on a journey around the world A trip around the world offered a fantastic opportunity to sample new food and drinks, but we knew that too much indulgence during an 8 1/2 month period would make us fat. We both have a challenge maintaining our weight and have gained and lost 20+ pounds [...]
Tranquilo on the Rio de la Plata in Uruguay After four weeks of city life in Buenos Aires, we savored ten days in this laid back riverside town. We strolled along the river, explored the UNESCO World Heritage historic quarter, saw lots of stray dogs, and watched beautiful sunsets from our balcony. [...]
Four weeks in Argentina’s capital city Maybe it was the weather (cold and rainy) or maybe we were just burned out on cities… but we didn’t really connect with Buenos Aires during our four-week stay. Buenos Aires was the third long-term stay on our trip around the world. We anticipated the chance [...]
Pretty, gritty city; food poisoning 2.0 Rio is a city of contradictions. Incredible mountain formations and beautiful beaches are set amidst run down city streets and hillside favelas. On the second day of our one-week visit, Michael got food poisoning – again. Rio de Janeiro is our first South America destination – [...]
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 [...]