THE PALACES OF SINTRA To escape the heat, every year the nobility of Portugal would retreat from Lisbon and go to Sintra for the summer. They built palaces in amongst the hills and forests of Sintra, transforming this small town into a wonderland of castles and magnificent manors. […]
THE BEST OF “NEW” LISBON We spent yesterday exploring the Alfama, the oldest part of Lisbon; today was all about the “new” parts of town (i.e. the parts built during the 18th and 19th centuries). We walked through the Baixa, Bairro Alto and Chiado, stopping to admire the […]
ASTORGA: PLACE OF PILGRIMAGE FOR CHRISTIANS & CHOCOHOLICS Astorga is a tiny place with a big personality; like most of towns along the Camino de Santiago there’s a big cathedral in town, and the Bishop of Astorga had Antoni Gaudi design his palace so we got to visit […]
24 HOURS IN BRUSSELS After a short 35 minute train ride from Ghent we arrived into Bruxelles Central this morning ready for a day of sightseeing and prepared to be wowed by Belgium’s capital. Headquarters of the European Union, NATO, and many large multinational companies, this, we’d been […]
WANDERING THROUGH WESTMINSTER We spent our day exploring Westminster and all its historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral. Situated on the north bank of the River Thames, just across from Southbank and the London Eye, Westminster is London’s “official” heart, […]
Wandering Soles 