The National Palace of Sintra sits in the heart of the historic town center. Wikipedia states ‘It is the best preserved mediaeval Royal Palace in Portugal, having been inhabited more or less continuously from the early 15th up to the…
Sintra, a quaint town about a half hour northwest of Lisbon, emanates storybook romance. Surprisingly, this diminutive township boasts two royal palaces and Moorish castle ruins. Shops and restaurants bear an authentic warmth, with nicely tended flowers flanking open doorways…
Lisbon is a labyrinth of narrow one-way streets, classic buildings and orange tile rooftops. It’s narrow passageways might lead you to a courtyard filled with cafe tables or the odd cubbyhole commandeered as a parking spot for motorbikes. It offers…
A delayed flight and an ensuing line at customer service led us to take an electric car to a customer service counter at the other side of Newark airport. Mark, Sofia (friend of Xana’s on the same flight) and I…
Friday morning I will leave for Portugal, then travel on to Spain and France for 26 days of new experiences. This is my first time in southwest Europe and the third time I’ve visited a country where English, or some…
About ten years ago I felt drawn to dragonflies and their symbolism. I began studying these fascinating creatures and developed an understanding of the dragonfly as a totem. The dragonfly spends a majority of its life, around three years, as…
I’m heading home today. I will miss this place. Its been quite a wonder to experience. I wanted to post some photos–either particular favorites or ones that didn’t make it into previous entries. Enjoy! London Cambridge Kew Gardens Buckfastleigh Buckfast…
The town of Dartmouth rests on a hillside facing Kingswear, another quaint town across the River Dart. It boasts a castle and the 1905 Britannia Royal Naval College. It’s colorful buildings paint the hillside and extend past turquoise coves for…
I trevelled to Totnes again yesterday to embark on a day trip to the quaint coastal town of Dartmouth. The round trip includes a leisurely riverboat cruise along Dart River to the town of Dartmouth, a speed train along the…
Dartington Hall, just outside the town of Totnes, was built in 1388 and has been running progressive arts programs since sometime around 1926. The buildings as well as the gardens are quite remarkable. I wish I’d had more time to…
I arrived in Totnes by steam train again today. I went to the tourist information center to find out about a riverboat cruise to Dartmouth, a town near the coast. The timetables weren’t working in my favor so I decided…
I visited Buckfast Abbey the day before yesterday. It is a living monastery located inside the Dartmoor National Park, just a 5 minute drive from the South Devon Railway. After its founding, nearly a thousand years ago, it closed for…