Gude Travel

Did you know that Kmart is still alive and well in New Zealand (and Australia)? We had to take an adventure over to this relic to see it in action. We were not disappointed. Turns out they also have a Woolworths too! But it’s a grocery store. I thought I remembered it being a clothing…

We took a tour of Queenstown that highlighted some of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings filming sites. Above is a hill used for several scenes including a rocky area used to film the escape from Minas Tirath. We ran into an unfortunate fog that prevented us from seeing the area where they took…

It’s winter in New Zealand! The mountains are beautiful in their snow covered majesty! We are in Queenstown which is such a charming city! Above you can see the air tram taking folks up the mountain. It is prime skiing season here! We are also close to lake Wakatipu which has a lovely trail around…

Lisbon is the biggest city in Portugal, and I’m glad we saved it for last. It’s a bit overwhelming at times, and really packed with tourists-which I did not expect. I guess the secret of this travel destination is out. This is the Monument to the Discoveries, honoring Portugal’s journey around Africa in search of…

Started the day with a cork factory tour. The whole process is really interesting. It turns out taking the outer bark off does not actually remove the part of the bark that feeds the tree water and nutrients. We spent the rest of the day walking around Lisbon to get to know the area. Above…

I think Evora is my favorite place in Portugal. It’s much smaller and seems a bit less traveled. You can see most everything in one day, but why, when you can take your time? Our biggest draw was the bone church. Monks before the 1600’s created it as a statement about how, regardless of your…

We traveled to Coimbra, home of the oldest University of the same name. It has a famous old library where you, unfortunately, cannot take pictures. The entrance to the University is famous as a place where students, after they graduate, tear off their robes and hang them from the grate. Athena, or Diana, of Greek/Roman…

Porto is a really interesting city and there’s so much to learn. The spire in the background is the Clerigos Church. It serves as a symbol of Porto. It was fun to see it from so many different places! We spent some time at the train station with it’s famous tile paintings that depict the…

Today we explored Porto! Our major stop was at the Livraria Lello: a beautiful bookstore. This is mandatory for any bibliophile. I collect books from other countries so I made this stop a top priority. The architecture in this place is gorgeous and with the stop. Tickets are only €12 and should be purchased directly…

Today I traveled to Portugal for the first time. I haven’t done too much besides recovering from the flight, yet. I have found that I much prefer flights that have me landing at night-like I have with South Korea and Japan-than those that land in the morning the next day. It was truly hard to…