Our story!

For several years now I have had the urge to travel which has been a dream of mine before marriage and children. My husband was never keen on the idea until one afternoon in 2016 he said, "let's do this!" The next day I began to sell, donate and give away items from my home. He was a bit shocked when he got home from work. I immediately called a realtor and our home sold within 24 hours for more than we were asking. I had sold, donated and given away EVERYTHING so that the day we moved we didn't even need a truck. We were able to drive away with everything we had left in both our vehicles. We moved to a smaller place directly across from the beach to enjoy the sunrise and sunsets for the following year before taking off to travel full time!

Visiting Portugal

We flew to Lisbon, Portugal on our favorite airline Tap Portugal from Newark Airport. Somehow we ended up having 2 seats each available to us so that made the 6 hour trip even more comfortable. This was our first visit to Lisbon and we did not know anyone there.

Once we left the airport there were plenty of opportunities for a taxi or a bus right outside the door. We decided to take the bus since there were plenty of people there to assist us with information on which bus to get on and they spoke English very well. The bus driver also spoke English and made sure we got off at the right stop which was very helpful.

We chose a hotel from google maps and Expedia that had great reviews and we were not disappointed. Eurostar’s Lisboa Parque Hotel Link. The room was huge and very clean. The bed was so comfortable that we slept very soundly. We cannot say enough about the service there and it was near cafes and restaurants that were within walking distance.

One of the main lessons we have learned in traveling is to always do the bus or trolley rides that are hop on hop off. First we ride around the entire city and then decide what we want to do. It makes it so much easier to plan and make better use of our time. We never plan to get in as much as possible because we always plan to return. Instead we choose one or two things to do and enjoy in its entirety.

The hop on hop off bus was within walking distance of our hotel.  It took us to the old city with architecture dating back to the 1500’s and breathtaking views of the sea. The food was wonderful and a great place to have cod or sardines.


The coffee is one of my favorites in Portugal because of its rich and robust flavor. My favorite place for coffee and a light lunch or dinner was Restaurante A Gama do Vasco. The service was incredible and the atmosphere delightful. It was a favorite of the locals and visitors of the area which we learned from talking to those we met there. They have a Facebook page to show the foods they prepare.

Across the street from the coffee house was a cozy and romantic dinner place called Barlotti. The food was excellent and we highly recommend to visit if you are in Lisbon. Look for them on Facebook under Barlotti Lisboa to get an idea of their decor and menu. It was within walking distance from the hotel which made it even better for us.

Portugal is a wonderful place to visit and easy because so many speak English! We plan to return again next year and spend a little more time to repeat all the places we visited and to discover new places too.


Portugal 

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