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…

After a long series of flights, I landed in South Korea. As an avid listener of Kpop and watcher of Kdramas (especially those historical), I was excited and eager to visit this country. This was a long anticipated trip that was originally planned for 2020 and delayed for many reasons, not just the pandemic. After…

This temple is one of Zen Buddhism where ascetics carved out caves from the hillside, making elaborate designs along the way. This was the most amazing site I visited in all of my travels to Japan this trip. Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed. I’m not even certain I should have taken this one. You are…

I knew, going in to a trip to Hakone, that it was a tourist destination. I also knew it was a haven for Hot Springs, or Onsen, which I adore. Having stayed there for almost exactly 48 hours there is a lot to reflect on. Hakone is beautiful. It is up in the mountains so…