Sometimes you find the unexpected. I would never dream that in a place where the weather is often considered tropical, so much that all kind of exotic flowers and fruits grow (there are bananas growing everywhere) I would find the kind of forest that, in my head, could only exist in the most northern part … Continue reading Sights of Madeira: finding the unexpected nordic forest
I'd say Quinta da Regaleira it's a place that leaves you with a lot of questions and no answers. Composed of a neo-gothic ornate mansion, and gardens filled with symbolism, it could be just a way for the wealthy to satisfy their eccentric tastes or maybe a bit more than that. I like to think … Continue reading Sights of Portugal: the mysterious Quinta da Regaleira, Sintra
There is a lot more to Sintra than its palaces and castles. One even has the feeling that land has indeed something supernatural to it, but I'd say it's just that Nature is so abundant, so healthy, so green, that you feel you're walking in a magical land, that was indeed gifted with fertility and … Continue reading Sights of Portugal: the ethereal Pena’s Natural Park, Sintra
You may be lost in the beauty of Pena Palace while you explore its grounds, trying to absorb every single detail, romanticising about the times when Kings and Queens stepped on the same grounds and potentially admired the same sights. But while you walk through its verandas and terraces, your eyes will eventually turn and … Continue reading Sights of Portugal: the Castle of the Moors in Sintra
As the year advances, the less likely it seems I’ll be able to get on a plane to travel for the simple joy of it before the end of 2020. I might as well accept it and get over it. However, I found myself getting excited with the new opportunity of spending this time in … Continue reading Sights of Portugal: Passadiços do Paiva
Those months I was living in the Spain, the question I got asked the most after learning I was from Portugal was... ¿Sería mejor si fuéramos uno solo país, no? Which means... Wouldn't it be better off if we were one same country? My answer would be an automatic No. Without a given thought. And … Continue reading How is Portugal different from Spain – by a native Portuguese
I've realised a couple weeks (thank you Facebook) it was 7 years ago I finished my 6 months of studies in Madrid, part of the Erasmus program I had enrolled to. Madrid was the only place in Europe that wasn't buried in 10 meters of snow during the winter I could actually afford to live … Continue reading Madrid (2013) – 3 essential life lessons I learned in Erasmus
I have realised I haven't posted much since the start of the year. Well, it's been busy in my professional life, and not so much on the travelling side of things. I did go to Dublin briefly - for work. And perhaps that's what I can talk about now. A little bit of work really... … Continue reading A quick visit to Dublin
The marks of communism in Bucharest aren't just in the massive ugly blocks of apartments but also in the decrepitud left behind of that was once the Little Paris of eastern Europe. I've documented this before, but left behind the biggest symbol of this era - the Palace of the Parliament, most infamous creation by … Continue reading The heaviest building in the planet
Walking in the old town of Bucharest, amongst the streets where nightlife happens, where people go to eat, drink, chat, to laugh and to dance, you'll find the unexpected. The Stavropoleos Monastery is home to a group of nuns who run it in the middle of the city. The name comes from the greek stavropolis, … Continue reading Stavropoleos Monastery in Bucharest, Romania
