This is a tale of how we fell under the charms of the City of Porto, and how we found our way to one of the best wine shops in Porto, Garrafeira do Carmo.

Before settling in to our life among the locals in Porto, we spent ten glorious and utterly lazy relaxing days in Malaga, Spain.  It was the perfect respite for two old hobos who needed to unpack and soothe their weary bones after three months of fast-paced travel through nine incredible European countries. Funny thing is, we never intended to land in Malaga.  Had it not been for a reunion with vacationing friends, we might never have known the beautiful wonders the city offered.

One thing I may not yet have mentioned about the city of Porto is the hills.  They’re a bitch. And, there are certain hills that just kick my butt all the way up every time we make the trek, but exercise they do provide.  To get from the city center and/or the river front back to our flat, we have no choice but to trek those hills.

The Mosque of Cordoba

There are moments in time when one has to come to a complete stop to just take in said moment because one finds oneself in a place of perfection; a place so extraordinarily inspiring it takes ones breath away.  For us, that moment happened when we stepped inside the Mosque of Cordoba.  Never before had we seen such a place, and most likely never will we again.

After trekking the Vintgar Gorge, our day trip from Ljubljana continued as we found our way to Lake Bled, a truly majestic lake with the clearest water you can imagine.  The only comparison I can make is that of Lake Tahoe where the water is stunningly clear – and cold.

As we pulled away from the parking lot at Vintgar Gorge, the shuttle van driver asked, “How was the gorge?” “Crowded!” I responded, “But beautiful.”  He went on to explain that three years ago nobody cared about the gorge, and now, everyone wants to see it and he can’t figure out why.

When you conjure up the Burgundy wine region of France, in your mind’s eye, what do you see?  Think about it for a moment before reading further.  Now, did you envision green vineyards as far as the eye can see, stunning countryside with a historic church steeple rising on the horizon, granite cliffs and maybe a french castle on the hill?  Sounds pretty great, right?

If you’ve been traveling with us for a good long while you know I am madly in love with Julia Child and I’m mildly obsessed with Marie Antoinette.  Now, it’s time to come clean and tell you I also have a slight obsession with the true story of those who actually lived The Sound of Music.  Not the Hollywood version, although I can sing along with pretty much the entire movie, but the people who lived the story.  The von Trapp family.  Fraulein Maria.

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Sitting near the waterfront in Lisbon pondering where we should go next, I remembered our friends at The Travels of BBQBoy & Spanky had written a post about a tile museum in Lisbon – Museu Nacional do Azulejo – and I remembered a particular photo they had posted that captured my attention.  Let’s go there!

I’ve always said that walking in the path of those who came before us is by far the best lesson travel can teach.  Graveyards, in particular, are treasure troves of stories. Walking across a civil war battlefield in Franklin, TN you’ll learn the story of Matilda Lotz, or Glen Worthington whose civil war story unfolded near Frederick, MD.  These are moments frozen in time.