Every once in a while, I receive a message on Facebook. A friend (or a friend/colleague/relative of a friend) is visiting Portugal for the first time and looking for some…
Blue Hair, Don’t Care: You’ll Never Guess What These Rebellious Grannies are Doing in Portugal
One afternoon, I was walking with a friend from out of town in Alcântara, an old Lisbon neighborhood right beside the river that was once a port for cargo ships….
Bem-vindo a Lisboa! Three ways to skip the tourist books and head straight to the heart of Lisbon
As a Portuguese American, nothing makes me happier than finding the deeply rooted soul of Portuguese culture. I don’t mean to knock the tourism industry, especially in Lisbon — in fact, I…
The Battle for Small Business in Portugal
On a Monday evening, I hail a cab to my hotel in Lisbon after a night out with friends. The cabbie is friendly (as usual. Portuguese cab drivers are awesome)…
Perfect Wine Summer Getaways
By Diana Isac, Winerist.com With the summer being so near, many of us are looking for the perfect getaway. An escape to the vineyards where you can immerse yourself into…
A guide to the levadas walking trails of Madeira
Madeira is a stunning place for a walking holiday and if you are looking for singles adventure travel ideas that let you enjoy beautiful natural surroundings and good company as you stroll,…
Roots
On my surprise layover in Portugal, I stop by my cousin João’s little house in Val Florido, a town about the size of my right foot. I walk from my…
Forget the Prince, Find his Castle
Be it rain, sleet, snow, or in my case, volcanic ash, I was determined to take the journey to Portugal. I had been inspired by one of my Wellesley friends,…
Friends All Over the World, Part 2
I will not go into the reasons for me not being allowed to board my flight home– God knows if I talk about it again I might begin to throw…
A Tourist…by Accident(s) (Part 2 of 2)
Continued from A Tourist…by Accident(s) (September 7, 2010) About two hours later I found myself in a five-star hotel in Lisbon, drinking Super Bock (Portugal’s finest) at the hotel bar…
A Tourist…by Accident(s) (Part 1 of 2)
It’s midnight on the morning of Friday, June 25. I’m in the airport in Lisbon, ready for my 12:15am flight to São Tomé e Príncipe. It took some time (and…
Bridging Worlds
At the hotel, Kevin sits alone at the dinner table for six. He’s from Scotland and he’s never been to São Tomé before. We don’t know this, though, when we…
To Portugal
By Beth It’s about 8:30am and it’s still quite dark. It’s also absolutely freezing. Here I am, laying in bed. I am wearing: Two tank tops, a short-sleeved shirt, a long-sleeved…