To say the least it’s been a rough start to the new year, the new decade.  I’m not sure anything more could happen to make the headlines around the world any worse, but I shouldn’t jinx it.  The images and reports coming out of Australia are heartbreaking.  Puerto Rico has declared a state of emergency after a series of earthquakes, and hundreds of thousands protesters, led by the courage of a seventeen-year-old girl, are taking to the streets every Friday around the world, to bring awareness to climate change.  And, of course, the contentious conflict between the US and Iran, which has me thinking of our travels through Iran.

Once upon a time we thought we wanted to live in the country, in Frederick, MD to be precise.  We bought a sweet little brick house that just happened to sit in the middle of five acres of pretty pasture grass.  Fast forward 2 1/2 years and we sold the house and bought one way tickets to Europe.  As much as we loved the small city of Frederick and our little brick house, it turned out we didn’t love living in the country. As a friend said, “How could you know you wouldn’t enjoy living in the country if you didn’t try?”  With that being said though, here’s why you should visit Frederick, MD.

It’s no secret that Porto, Portugal is our most favorite city in Europe.  Well, at least of the cities we’ve actually visited.  We think of the city as our home-away-from-home and we spend as much time as we can in Porto.  So when a friend asked for a few suggestions (aside from the obvious tourist sites) for spending time in the city, I pulled together a list of our favorite insider tips.  Then I thought, why not share the adventure?  So, that’s exactly what I’m doing.

How does one describe a place that is, in essence, indescribable while still finding a way to do justice to a 175-room mansion?  Rooms filled with 90,000+ pieces of art and antiquity.  Not to mention the 60-acres of gardens surrounded by 1,000 acres of sprawling meadows and woods.  Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library is such a place.  Indescribable.

Longwood Gardens. We like to feel as if all of our travel experiences are wonderful, even though some travel days are less than successful, but every now and then we’ll find ourselves somewhere extraordinary.  It’s such a surprise when it happens. With an estimated 1.5 million visitors per year, Longwood Gardens in Kennett, Pennsylvania is one of those extraordinary surprises.  We knew our visit to the gardens would be wonderful, but the surprise came in the fact that we spent nine hours exploring the gardens and we left plotting our return.  Leaving when you want more, is always the best time to leave.

Some things are just fun and fascinating to see.  It was with that mindset we visited the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center.  Getting to see the Space Shuttle Discovery up close and personal was beyond fun and fascinating.  It was awesome.  And, it was a testament to man’s ingenuity and dedication.

I couldn’t help but notice the boxes of tissue as we entered the screening room at James Madison’s Montpelier.  By the end of the film, I understood the need.  Although it didn’t actually bring tears to my eyes, the story of Ellen and the enslaved community in which she lived at Montpelier, tugged at my heart.  It left me wanting to learn more.

Although we didn’t know very much about Sintra, before our 3-day visit, we did know that Pena Palace was the attraction that visitors flock to by the millions.  And, that the views from the hilltops were reportedly breathtaking.  It was with those notions in mind, and the forecast of a clear day, we chose to visit Pena Palace on our last day in Sintra.  Here’s how we did it.

As we rode the local train from Lisbon to Sintra, I had flashbacks of our arrival, by train, in to Marseille, France. At the time of our visit, my expectations for Marseille were high, but reality was a cold splash of water in my face.  I think Marseille is one of those cities that one either loves, or doesn’t.  I was on the side of doesn’t and I was hoping Sintra would not disappoint in the same fashion.

I had been saying from day one that when we reached Padron, Spain, I wanted to sit down and relax with a pitcher of Sangria and a plate of roasted Padron peppers.  I got the Sangria, but not the peppers.