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One of life’s most well known secrets is the joy of immersing yourself in a climate and location that stimulates the senses and brings utter pleasure to your soul. Every day flocks of people board planes, traverse cities and states by boat or car or simply rely upon one’s own feet to carry them to locations and pockets of nature’s beauty to feel alive and reset life’s mundane forces. In the dawn of time, people have traveled for survival, for pleasure, for pain and each new adventure is a click on one’s own camera of life. It has always been a dream of mine to check off the boxes for places that are near and far and experience the real beauty of what it means to be alive. Now, as I gain momentum and drive, I vow to be a small part of each of these spots to learn and grow and hopefully gain more with each step forward. Our evolution as humans should not contain only the experiences which we know, but the new ones that await and summon us. Sitting 600 feet in the air on a recent trip to Washington really was fortuitous for me in the way that demonstrates how small we all are and learning of what the vast surroundings have to offer is a chance for invitation and exploration.
One of Europe’s most treasured and enchanting countries lies on the southwest peninsula, bordering Spain. Its location on the Atlantic Ocean can be mirrored to southern California’s coast dependent on the region and offers up delightful cuisine, beautiful beaches and historic places to venture and see. Whether you begin your journey in the country’s north region, silver coast or tourist attracted southern stretch, there are many districts and regions. The top two bustling cities of Portugal are Porto and Lisbon. Lison, Portugal’s capital city with charming cobble roads and hand-painted tiles or “Azulejo’s” can be alluring, while Porto is known for its music festivals and bespoke riverfront inspiring even the weary traveler. The Azores Islands offer plantations of vibrant flowers, tea farms and pineapple, while Nazaré is a small fishing town known for surfing huge waves. Peneda-Gerês National Park located north of Porto offers majestic views and blooms, while the Guimarães harkens back to the Middle ages with castles and medieval churches. Impossible not to mention, the Algarve, home to some of the world’s most popular beaches and weather and home to eight Michelin star restaurants! It is easy to see, why Portugal is considered Europe’s hidden treasure.
Until the next stop..