Here's what to expect when you sail with Azamara Club Cruises: Small ship luxury and more time in the destinations you visit.
Are you planning on visiting Lisbon but aren't sure where to go? Check out our top 30 best things to do in Lisbon - Mus do, see, eat.
I was lucky enough to spend more than one year of my life in this country and visit its many cities. Although, I never had the chance to stop in Bordeaux and visit their rich heritage: the wineries.
These are must-visits.
Saint Emilion is a lovely UNESCO World Heritage town surrounded by picturesque vineyards. Located 40 minutes from Bordeaux by train...
This article lists the best Michelin-starred restaurants in Bordeaux a symbol of the finest French gastronomy.
These are must-visits.
With so much to do and see in Bilbao Spain, this article suggests the top things to do in Bilbao for a great travelling experience in the Basque Country.
* Okay, fine – we were actually in Bordeaux for more than 24 hours but this is over the last 24 hours we had in Bordeaux before heading for the airport so - 24 Hours In Bordeaux, France - Travel, Travel Journal - Bordeaux, Europe, France - Travel, Food and Home Inspiration Blog with door-to-door Travel Planner! - Travel Advice, Travel Inspiration, Home Inspiration, Food Inspiration, Recipes, Photography
Visit the Douro Valley of Portugal, learn about the famous home of Port wine, and enjoy the incredible views in one of the world's oldest wine regions.
Finally putting together all of the photos for our Mediterranean cruise, and I'm so excited to share our Spain and Gibraltar photos with you!
A new wave of chefs has swept into Bordeaux, propelling the city’s restaurants up France’s culinary pecking order. And they’re serving up at decent prices too
Are you looking for the best Porto wine tours? Or maybe the best Douro Valley wine tours? Check out these recommended wine tours in and around Porto.
Hello, I’ve been spending my Easter in Vienna, but also in Spain. I went to the far north of the country for a week with my mother and it was really nice. We stayed in the little city, Bilbao I’ve …
Even with 1 day in Porto, you can still enjoy many of the highlights of the city. Here's a quick read guide to the best things to to in Porto in a day.
Started working on a photo album this weekend for our “Chateaux, Rivers & Wine” Viking Cruise and realized how behind I am on blog posts of the trip. Trying to...Read More
Where to go Port wine tasting in Porto? A guide to the Port wine cellars and Port wine tours, how to visit the cellars for wine tastings and everything you need to know about Port in Porto, from how it came to be there to the best rooftop port tasting location.
Note: Prices and info have been updated and are current, as of June 2023. The medieval village and Unesco World Heritage Site of Saint Emilion, France, is a fantastic full day trip to take from
Bilbao is known as the main culinary destination point of the Bask Country in Spain. Click to see what this amazing city's food scene has to offer.
Bordeaux was voted the Best European Destination of 2015, but why? Because Bordeaux is the most authentic city you will ever visit. With beautiful old architecture down every street and welcoming loca
It's not difficult to have a great time in Porto: beautiful city, great weather, delicious food. But make sure you don't miss these 6 things.
Porto is a beautiful city with old world charm. While Lisbon is the capital of Portugal, the second biggest city is Porto in the north located along the Douro River. For size comparison Portugal is about the same size as Pennsylvania. Porto is half the size in area and population as Lisbon. Both cities have their similarities as both have close access to beaches and both are very hilly cities like San Francisco. I flew into Porto first and I’m glad I did as it made me appreciate Porto first, saving the biggest city for last. I didn’t feel Porto was overrun with tourists, while in Lisbon there were Americans everywhere due to the cruise ship port. Porto is a UNESCO world heritage city for its iconic azulejos (tiled) buildings, windy cobblestoned streets, historic churches, and terracotta rooftops. I visited at the very end of May and it was only 60 degrees and rainy so my pace was a bit slower than usual. But everywhere I looked people still hung their laundry outside their windows. Getting around: Public transportation in Porto is easy to navigate. At the airport I bought a 24 hour Andante Tour ticket that was good for unlimited bus and metro (which only opened in 2002) rides for 24 hours for 7 euro. You are supposed to validate your ticket before you board, however the metro didn’t have turnstiles, you’re on the honor system to find the box to swipe. Most sights were within walking distance, but I had to get from my hotel to downtown and to further afield places. And to save some time and energy after getting lost in the very steep hills and take cover from the rain. There's also the tram which has been around 100 hundred years. What to see: Admire the Azulejos (Portuguese Tiles) Azulejo is a Portuguese painted and glazed ceramic tile and are a popular building material as it is a fire deterrent. Portugal is known for their colorful and ornate ceramic tiles that cover buildings both outside and inside. In Porto you will see them everywhere in all different colors, it was quite a sight to see! Azulejos traditionally were just blue and white, but now other colors can be seen. Two churches that stood out to me the most in Porto are twin churches (below) Igreja do Carmo / dos Carmelitas and Capela das almas which had amazing exterior floor to roof panels that showed scenes from the lives of various saints in a lavish facade. private house São Bento Railway Station is another great example of beautiful historical tiles. In 1930 the interior was decorated with 20,000 tiles that show historic battles and the history of transportation. If you’re arriving to this city by train or are looking for a place to exchange money, you will end up here. It’s a fantastic display with the walls completely covered that you can’t miss! Stroll along the River The Ribeira is a very picturesque area with lots of restaurants along the waterfront of the Douro River. The streets that lead up the hill are all filled with colorful buildings. Walk across the Ponte Dom Luís I bridge Porto has six bridges that cross the Douro River but the Ponte Dom Luis is the most striking. Built in the 1880s by Gustav Eiffel (yes designer of the Eiffel Tower in Paris) of his signature style of wrought iron; the enormous bridge is 150 feet above the river and 500 feet across. The bridge has two pedestrian walkways on both the upper and lower deck, as well as cars and the metro. Walking across will give you an amazing view of Porto, especially at sunset. Taste Port in Vila Nova de Gaia Porto is the home of port wine, so tasting it is a must on your to do list! Across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia are many Port cellars that give tours of their facilities where the wine matures and offer port tastings. Port wine is a medium-sweet wine with a 20% alcohol content and served after a meal in a tiny glass. Wine can only be called Port wine if it comes from the Douro Valley located outside of Porto. The grapes are native to this region and are picked by hand and later stomped by foot as they’ve found this process vital to getting the flavor they want. Brandy is mixed into the vat during the fermentation process which is what makes a port. A little history lesson for you, during the 17th and 18th centuries, Britain was at war with France and decided to boycott French wine, which meant they needed to look elsewhere for wine. That led them to Portugal where wine was cheaper. Hence many of the Port houses today have non-Portuguese names. There’s many different styles of port, I tried white port and rose port and loved both! White port is a super sweet white wine with a slight yellow color from the wooden barrels its aged in. Rose port has no contact with wood which keeps it a pink color instead of red. I enjoyed a glass of rose port on the rooftop of Porto Cruz, the most modern looking port wine cellars. They have an amazing view over Porto with a DJ spinning tunes. I know a lot of people go to the Livraria Lello bookstore, rumored to have been the inspiration for Harry Potter's Hogwarts, but I skipped it. The lines were too long and too crowded inside. I stood outside and could see everything inside. I also didn’t get a chance to take a river cruise along the Douro since it was drizzling most of the time I was there. sardines
Living in Bordeaux, we've eaten our way around the city to bring you our recommendations for the best restaurants in Bordeaux.
Of all the beautiful sights, none were more spectacular than the stunning Place de la Bourse with its reflection from the rainy sidewalk. It was magical to behold, and the perfect start to our journey.
Learn about the terroir, culture and history of wine making and processes unique to the region when you join a Bordeaux wine tour
An award-winning fitness, travel and lifestyle blog. Follow Annie Brooks as she battles with epilepsy and still leads an adventurous life. Full of tips, triathlons and wellness too.
A local's guide to where to find the best chocolate in Bordeaux and what to try at each of these artisan chocolate shops.
Want to get to most out for your time in Lisbon in 3 days? I've listed all my tips for places to visit and shopping in Lisbon for an unforgettable city trip.
From sampling traditional Portuguese flavours and port to exploring the scruffy neighbourhood of Ribeira, here's how to spend the perfect one day in Porto.
Here is where to find and eat the best pintxos in San Sebastian, along with what to order and a walking map to help guide you.
This expat and digital nomad guide to Valencia, Spain, will tell you everything you need to know before moving to the lovely Spanish city.
Yay! I’m finally back in Europe. It’s been two long years since the last time I stepped foot on my favorite continent, and boy am I happy to be back. And the first stop on my seven week trip was Portugal. Portugal has been on my list for quite some time now and I was so excited to finally make it there. My trip began in Porto, and went on to Lisbon, Sintra, and the Algarve. But let’s start from the beginning: Porto. There are so many things to do in Porto and we really only had two days there!…
There are many unique Lisbon cafes worth visiting on your Portugal trip. This is a guide to the best coffee in Lisbon, focusing on the city's third-wave scene.
Bordeaux's new wine museum, La Cite du Vin, is an immersive experience as you dive in to the world of wine through the interactive exhibits and classes.
Where do Lisbon's locals like to hang out? Here is our list of some of the top spots
The Truth About Cruising I am a self proclaimed travel addict. This also makes me a cruise addict. (not by default just my opinion). I have also created several cruise addicts. . i.e my mom, my fiance’ and my best friend. Yet, I find the most myths and lack of information about cruising than any other form of travel. There are many myths about all-inclusives as well but that is another post. Let’s get started! By Kavonda L. Rogers MYTH: There are only a handful of cruise lines. I hear this statement quite often from people who have taken one or two cruises. Why does it seem believable because many people base their information on advertisements. If you only see advertisements for a small number of companies you may assume those are the only ones that exist. Most advertisements you see are from main line cruise companies such as Royal Caribbean, Carnival or Holland America. Yet, currently there are 25 major cruise lines. Virgin Cruise Lines (yep, just like the record company) will launch in 2020 making for 26 major cruise lines. They fall into the following categories: Mass Market (or Main Line)- These are the cruise lines most associated with cruising and usually the most affordable cruising options. Also, they have the largest ships to accommodate a large numbers of passengers. Main line cruises start at $399+ per person. Examples are Carnival,Royal Caribbean, Holland America and Norwegian. Premium– A step up from Mass Market and usually slightly smaller ships. If you can call 2-3,000 passengers smaller. Premium cruise lines focus on longer cruises (7+ days) and more exotic locations. Premium cruises are more of an investment and start around $799 per person. Examples are Princess, Disney, Celebrity, and MSC Cruises. Luxury: Luxury cruise lines are just that. They usually do not have ships with more than 1000 passengers. They focus on exotic destinations and often have more overnight stays than the previous two categories. Often times shore excursions and activities are included in the price. Private butlers, free wifi are usually included. Also, balconies, suites and penthouses are the norm instead of the exception. Luxury cruises start at around $2400 per person. Examples are Crystal Cruises, Cunard,and Azamara. Ultra Luxury: Ultra Luxury takes the Luxury catagory and puts it on steroids. The ships are smaller housing from 100-800 guests. The locations are off the beaten path with some occasional big ship stops. Everything is included from drinks to food to shore excursions. Butlers and personal concierge are the norm as well as spa packages. These cruises often have themes such as wine cruises, or culinary delights. This is the best cruising has to offer. Also, if you live far from the port no worries Ultra Luxury cruises include business class plane tickets in the price. Ultra Luxury cruises start at $8000 per person and can cost as much as $25,000 per person. Examples are Silverseas and Paul Gaugin cruises. Now that you know the cruise levels let’s explore other myths. Myth: Cruises just go to the Caribbean Yes, the majority of cruises go to the Caribbean around 50%, but the ocean cruising world is much bigger. There are many cruises that go to other destinations. For example their are Hawaiian and Alaskan cruises. Not to mention all the European cruises (which also includes river cruises, but that’s another post). More recently cruise lines are entering Central and South America with cruises going through the Panama Canal and to Rio De Janerio. There is a cruise for everyone even veteran cruisers who want a bit more adventure with their cruise travel. Myth: Been there done that! Many people feel that once they go to a specific port then they should never go there again. Many times the ports where cruise ships dock are not close to the hub of the island. I have been to several locations where I really didn’t get a feel for the area until my 3rd or 4th visit. If you are doing a repeat visit to an area definitely contact me and I can give you some ideas to have a better island experience. There is always something else to see when you don’t live there. Myth: All Inclusive Resorts are Better, Right? I will admit that all inclusive resorts are amazing. Especially, when you want to have time to dig deep and really immerse yourself in a particular destination. Yet, as far as exploration of several locales in a short period of time cruising wins hands down. The value of a cruise especially for 5 day plus cruises is exceptionally high. My suggestion is to cruise to a destination to see if you like it. If you like it and want to see more then go back and stay at an all-inclusive. I’m so glad you took a moment to read the truth about cruising. I tried to touch on issues that I have personally heard from clients over the years. I’m Kavonda L. Rogers and I’m a Certified Travel Agent who specializes in Destination Weddings/Romance Travel, Group Travel and First Time Travelers. I am also a Destination Specialist for the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Central and South America. Spread the Word! Facebook Instagram Youtube
Lisbon has been gaining popularity among tourists due to its rich in history and culture, not to mention its amazing cuisine. You could easily spend four or five days exploring the city by foot and riding the train to visit its surrounding historic sites. Here are 15 travel tips for your first trip to Lisbon.
