Travel Diary: Lisbon and Sintra

It's a mystery why Todd and I both woke up before dawn on our second day in Portugal. It would have been around midnight back home, and neither of us had slept well that night. But we decided to get up and take a hike to a nearby miradouro (overlook).

It was a Sunday morning and the streets were completely empty. We had the city to ourselves until we reached our destination, where another couple sat waiting for the sunrise; they'd obviously been up all night. We watched the color of the city change as the sun rose. On the way back, we stopped at a small cafe where a sleepy owner served us coffee and creamy pasteis de nata.

 

It was still early when we walked to the train station, bound for Sintra. About 30 minutes from Lisbon, Sintra is home to a Moorish castle, elaborate estates, and forests that feel right out of a fairy tale. When I was researching the area, I wondered if a place that looked so much like Disney would feel cheesy. But though there were plenty of tourists, it still felt both magical and authentic.

I'm not sure how many miles we walked, but my feet didn't recover for several days. When a man in the village told us it would take hours to walk to the castle, we took it as a challenge and discovered a quiet, quicker (and steep) way there. Rather than take a bus between two castles (above and below), we walked between them. And rather than hitch a ride down the mountain, we followed the overgrown path beside the centuries-old castle walls until we found our way back to the village.

Travel Diary: Colorful, Crooked, Charming Lisbon

Believe it or not, Todd and I weren't sure if we would like Lisbon. We'd heard mixed reviews of the city, some calling it shabby, its residents unfriendly. It turned out to be one of our favorite places we've ever been.

We left Boston Friday night and landed in Portugal early Saturday morning. Neither of us slept very well on the plane, so we were running on fumes by the time we arrived in Lisbon. We climbed a massive hill to our apartment, located in the oldest part of the city just outside the castle walls. After a quick shower (and excited bouncing around the apartment on my part), we set out to find some lunch.

I couldn't get enough of Lisbon's iconic yellow trams, which chugged up and down the cobblestone streets, leaving just a foot or two for people on the sidewalk. We rode one much later that night, after the tourists had cleared out, and it was an unforgettable experience.

We quickly discovered just how hilly Lisbon is, and we stopped every now and then at scenic overlooks, busy squares, and dimly lit bars, resting our feet and soaking up the atmosphere. We stayed awake by alternating between cheap glasses of vinho verde, espresso, and shots of ginjinha, a sticky sweet sour cherry liqueur.

Lisbon is known for its colorful, intricate tile work, and I was blown away by how prevalent it is throughout the city. I've never seen such beautiful buildings in my life. Lisbon's age shows in its peeling paint and imperfections, but it has a proud elegance, too.

Down and Dirty: Spring Cleaning Checklist

While most normal people are looking forward to a relaxing Memorial Day weekend, I'm excited for something else: Spring Cleaning. I try to keep a pretty tidy house, but there are always those things I skip during my regular cleaning routine, and that's what I focus on during my seasonal sweeps. You can approach it task by task—windows, then floors, then dusting, etc.—or room by room (I prefer the latter). You could also try to knock it all out in one ambitious day, or, like me, do a couple of rooms each day to avoid burnout.

Now, my checklist for getting your house spic 'n' span.

In every room:

• Vacuum/sweep and mop the floors. Don't forget the stairs!
• Dust off bookshelves, tables, nightstands, etc. Ceiling fans, too.
• Wipe down the baseboards.
• Wash the blinds and curtains.
• Wash the windows, mirrors, and TVs.

Kitchen:

• Wipe down the fronts of your cabinets and appliances.
• Clean out the refrigerator, microwave, and stove.
• Hose out your trash can.
• Reorganize the under-the-sink mess.
• Remove everything from the counters and give them a good scrub. 
• Scrub the sink and stovetop while you're at it.
• Clean and organize the top of your refrigerator.

Living room:

• Pull out and vacuum under the heavy furniture. 
• Vacuum under the couch cushions and rugs.
• Wash your throw blankets and pillows.
• Go through and discard any old magazines that are cluttering the room.
• Wipe down your remote controls.

Bedrooms:

• Switch out your bedding for warmer weather.
• Wash your mattress pad.
• Vacuum (and de-clutter) underneath the bed.
• Organize your dresser and closet, storing your winter clothes.
• Go through the junk on your dresser and nightstand. 

Bathroom:

• Scrub everything!
• Clean and organize under the sink.
• Hose out the trash can.
• Organize your toiletry/makeup storage and linen closet.
• Replace your shower liner and wash your shower curtain.

Other:

• Sweep your porch, stoop, sidewalk, patio, deck, etc.
• Clean out your junk drawers and closets.
• Wash and vacuum out your car.

What did I forget? What's on your spring cleaning checklist? 

P.S. Have you ever paid someone to clean your house? I'll admit I'm tempted by Homejoy.
P.P.S. Sexist vintage advertisements.
P.P.P.S. How to make non-toxic cleaning products with stuff you already have in your pantry.

Eurodreams.

I'm back from Portugal and Spain, and as good as it is to be home, and as excited as I was to start a new job, I'm still a little sad every day that I'm not waking up there. It all feels a little bit like a dream.

This particular beach was on the Costa Brava, a short but intense hike through woods and tunnels and stone staircases near our hotel. This was the view when we rounded the corner, and we realized why they call it Aigua Blava ("blue water" in Catalan). We hung out on the beach for an hour or two, soaking up the Spanish sun and watching the adorable French and Spanish families (complete with topless mamas) on holiday.

If you follow me on social media, you've already seen dozens of photos from the trip (like it or not). I'll be sharing more here soon.

What to Pack: Red-Eye Flight

If you're planning to spend the night on a red-eye flight, you might be tempted to stuff your carry-on with a bunch of unnecessary junk. Resist the urge. You only need a few things to help get you through the night and wake up refreshed in your destination.

• You might feel like a bit of a diva, but eye masks are crucial for keeping you sleeping, even if your neighbor is watching a movie or the cabin lights come on unexpectedly.
• Load up your device with guidebooks, novels, and a movie or two to keep you entertained until you doze off.
• Don't forget a pen for doing the crossword puzzles in the back of the in-flight magazines.
• Skip the questionable airline blankets and bring your own cozy scarf.
• Keep yourself hydrated with plenty of moisturizer, lip balm, and water throughout the flight.
• I'm trying this for the first time, but I've read that Melatonin helps reduce the effects of jet lag.
• Be ready for landing with a small brush, mints, and anything else you need to freshen up.

P.S. How to pack for Europe in one bag. 

What Not to Do: Europe

It's been almost seven years since Todd and I last went to Europe, but we still talk about the trip on a regular basis. It was an incredible experience.

That said, we made some stupid rookie mistakes. We were young, poor, and neither of us had any serious traveling experience. We had fun regardless, but next time we go, here's what we'll avoid.

Slap-happy and sleeping in an airport warehouse in Milan because we'd missed our flights.

Don't over-extend yourself. Todd and I had both been to Europe once before, but this was our first time to really explore the continent—we wanted to pack in as much as possible. In less than two weeks, we visited Dublin, Bilbao, San Sebastian, Barcelona, Cinque Terre, Rome, Milan, Paris, and back to Dublin. In hindsight, I'm glad we got to see so much, but while we were there, we were basically walking dead. And I don't think we gave any city the attention it deserved.

Oh, RyanAir, you did us wrong.

Don't be wooed by the budget airfares. There are a few budget airlines in Europe that make it incredibly cheap to fly between countries—we literally bought one flight for a penny. We decided to fly between most of our destinations, which was a huge mistake. There's usually a reason the flights are so cheap. For one, the airports were generally located about an hour outside of the city center. So while we thought we were flying into Paris, we ended up in the suburbs and then had to figure out how to actually get into the city. All of our flights also left ridiculously early, meaning we had to get up at 2 or 3 a.m. a couple of times to get there on time. We slept in the airport more than once.

Camping in Rome.

Don't sleep with other people. No, Todd and I didn't turn into swingers in Europe. But we did stay in some very interesting places in an effort to save money. The worst were the dorm-like hostels in Dublin and Barcelona. Staying in a room with several strangers, it was almost impossible to sleep because A) we were surrounded by strangers, and B) people would stumble in loud and drunk throughout the night. We also very randomly stayed in a tent in Rome, sort of a hostel camp. We were awoken at 3 a.m. by some crazy Italians playing tag around our tent. I thought it would be a fun experience. It was not.

Yes, that's me eating Cheetos in Spain.

Don't eat crap food. This is an obvious one, right? You'd think so, but we were so exhausted and hungry and lost at various times during our trip that we ate at a McDonald's in every country we visited. I am so ashamed to say this, but it is true. We craved something cheap and familiar, and the golden arches appeared. That's not to say we didn't have some memorable meals on our journey, but I really wish we'd taken a chance on a random brasserie in Paris rather than ordered chicken nuggets at the McDonald's near our hotel.

Taking a quick nap in Dublin.

Don't forget to sleep. Between the sketchy hostels and crazy travel schedule, we got very little sleep on our trip. And I refused to nap because I didn't want to miss out on any daylight. By the end of the trip, we were constantly cranky and biting each other's heads off.

Cranky because my camera was dying and my bag was heavy and I was tired.

Don't stick to the tourist sites. Don't get me wrong: We enjoyed rambling around Paris, Rome, and Dublin. But our most memorable moments happened off the beaten path. Like when we rented a car in Spain, stopped for pintxos in Mundaka and then explored the stunning San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. We also found a secluded beach full of sea glass in Corniglia, Italy and a small castle outside of Dublin.

Don't forget your most basic toiletries at home. Because we were flying so much, I wasn't able to bring my shampoo and conditioner with me, and I couldn't find travel-size bottles anywhere. I didn't want to buy full bottles if I was only going to use them for a day or two. So because of that, my hair was an unbrushable mess the entire trip.

This hill in Cinque Terre was so fun to walk up with a giant bag.

Pack light. This doesn't just apply to your bags, either. I carried my medium-sized camera with me everywhere we went along with a rather large shoulder bag. Walking for hours each day, even the camera alone started to give me backaches. Think about what you really need and pack accordingly.

Yay rain!

Don't be a bad sport. It rained pretty much every day of our trip. We missed flights and trains and spent more than we planned. We were running on fumes. But we were absolutely thrilled to be on an epic adventure.

Have you made any rookie travel mistakes? What are your best tips for newbies?

Costa Brava, Spain.

Cadaques

For the last leg of our upcoming trip to Europe, we had planned to spend a few days driving from Barcelona to Provence and then exploring the land of lavender fields and Pastis on the patio. But then I realized just how incredible the northern coast of Spain is. So the plans were changed.

The Costa Brava is a stretch of coastline on the Mediterranean between Barcelona and the French border that's dotted with charming fishermen's enclaves, medieval villages, and pristine beaches. We booked a hotel perched on a cliff overlooking a small harbor in Begur to be our base of exploration. The plan is to mosey up the coast, stopping anywhere that looks interesting, and to indulge in plenty of fresh Spanish seafood and wine.

Have you explored the Costa Brava? Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Tossa de Mar

Begur

Pals

Besalu