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[Porto, Portugal, May 8, 2025] Our only full day in Porto turned out to be a busy one! And this was without any planning on my part! My only contributions to the day were a couple of sights in the morning and the lunch reservation. The rest was up to the group and I loved not having to look up all the sights myself. With our 12:30 pm lunch reservation looming, we… Read More
[Porto, Portugal, May 7, 2025] A rail strike that had just started sent us scrambling for other transportation options to Porto. Luckily, our friend Vessi, who lives in Lisbon, was aware of all this and got us tickets for the bus a couple of weeks prior. The tickets only cost EUR6 for a 3-hour bus ride! We had some time in the morning before our bus departed. I set out to get… Read More
[Lisbon, Portugal, May 6, 2025] My second day in Portugal was also a workday, so I had limited time to sightsee. I waited for Teddy to arrive (a whole day late!), then I headed out for the Belem district of Lisbon. I was itching to see central Lisbon but I knew I wouldn’t have enough time. It would have to wait for the tail end of my trip when I’d have 2… Read More
[Lisbon, Portugal, May 5, 2025] I had already planned all my travel for 2025 when, in November 2024, my friend Maria suggested we go to the Portuguese island of Madeira. Our other friend, Teddy, who lives in San Francisco, was on board. What else could I do besides say yes? We eventually figured out an itinerary. It was slightly different for everyone but included Lisbon, Porto, the Douro Valley and Madeira. Somehow,… Read More
[Beckley, WV / New River Gorge National Park / Hawks Nest State Park, Apr 12, 2025] As forecasted, temps dipped into the mid 30s overnight! It was cold! I decided to spend the morning doing indoor touristy things in Beckley while waiting for the temps to rise in the afternoon. My first stop was the Exhibition Coal Mine. The mine opened about 1889 and operated until 1953, when the property sold to… Read More