LISBON, PORTUGAL

The next stop on our trip and my next location to plan is Lisbon, Portugal. Before we started planning this trip, I didn’t know much about Lisbon and even after doing some research, I still feel like I don’t have a clear image in my head of what Lisbon will be like. I don’t know anyone who has been there and it isn’t one of the first major European destinations that comes to mind. While we were making our list of places to go, Chelsea suggested we include Lisbon because she had heard great things about it. At first I thought it seemed kind of random, but the more I’ve researched Lisbon, the more convinced I’ve become that we cannot skip this city.

Also, if there are any other Bachelorette fans out there, this past season the show filmed an episode in Lisbon. After watching that episode I became even more convinced we had to go! The city looked beautiful with its many hills and cobblestone streets. I also distinctly remember Ali and the guys visiting a gorgeous castle I must go to while I am in Lisbon! Ali and Roberto had so much fun in Lisbon, they even started dancing in the street!

Researching Lisbon I realized that I must not be the only one who doesn’t know much about Lisbon or consider it a top European destination, there isn’t nearly as much information on the web about Lisbon as there is about every other major city in Europe. However, I came across the website golisbon.com and it is a great resource for anyone traveling to Lisbon! I got all of my travel information for this leg of the trip solely from this website and they offer detailed information about the various districts of the city, attractions, top ten lists, suggested itineraries as well as interesting information about Lisbon. A few facts from the website solidified my need to visit Lisbon and might just convince you of the same!

Lisbon is known to be pretty inexpensive compared to most other major European cities.

It has a mild climate year round and even during winter temperatures rarely go below 50 degrees! We are going to be very thankful for this come March!

The beach! Beautiful city and the ocean, does it get any better?

It is smaller than most European capitals! Considering it will be up to the three of us to find our way through these cities, the smaller the better in my book!

Great nightlife!

Great wine!

(Those last two points are all I really need to convince Chelsie and Chelsea)

So here’s how I am thinking we are going to spend our three days in Lisbon:

Day 1 – We will spend our first day exploring Alfama, one of Lisbon’s most popular districts. This part of the city is known for its amazing views of Lisbon and its medieval history. It is a village within a city which features narrow streets, tiny squares and beautiful churches. While here we will visit Saint George’s Castle (which overlooks the entire city of Lisbon) and explore the district, stopping in its many churches and museums.

Also in the Alfama District is one of Europe’s top clubs, Lux, so if we are feeling a little adventurous that night we might as well give it a try while we are there!


Day 2 - We will spend our second day exploring the city's best attractions:

Belem Tower – Known as an icon of Lisbon and a symbol of the age of discovery, this fortress was once the starting point for many voyages of discovery, including those of Prince Henry the Navigator, Bartholomeu Dias, Ferdinand Magellan and Vasco da Gama.


We will have lunch and maybe a glass of Portuguese wine at the Santo Amaro docks, a collection of former warehouses now transformed into some of the city's best bars and restaurants.

Then visit some of Lisbon’s most important monuments and museums – the Berardo Museum (collection of modern art), the Discoveries Monument (the world’s explorers carved in stone), the Maritime Museum (tells the story of Portugal’s role in world sea exploration), Jeronimos Monastery (the resting place of former explorer Vasco da Gama).

We will spend our evening in the Bairro Alto district, the nightlife mecca of Lisbon known for its cobblestone streets and lively restaurants, bars and fado houses.


I want to spend our last day outside the city, however after doing some research I am still down to two great options:

Sintra – This seems to be a popular recommendation and I can understand why, it sounds amazing! It was once the summer residence of Portugal’s royal family, features several fairytale like palaces, beautiful views and museum collections and its only a 40 minute train ride from Lisbon.


Cascais - Also seems like a great option, a colorful seaside town known for its surfing, great beaches and beautiful views. Even though it will be quite cool when we go, it might still be nice to spend a day at the beach!


Most importantly, I want to leave Lisbon being able to say I enjoyed some authentic Portuguese custard tarts, took in the sunset from the top of the hills, appreciated the history of Lisbon and its influence on the age of discovery and enjoyed the weather as I strolled through the picturesque streets of Lisbon.

FRANCE

No trip to Europe is complete without a visit to France… the wine, the cheese, the romance, haha… however, as I mentioned in a previous blog post, we decided to forgo Paris on this trip. Not that I don’t want to go back to Paris, believe me I do and I will one day, but we want to see a different side of France on this trip. We’ve all been to Paris, but this time we want to go off the beaten path. We want to stay in the French countryside, have a picnic with some fresh cheese and a local bottle of wine, bike ride to the nearest chateau, you get the picture. The only problem is figuring out where exactly to go for this experience. Here are the options I have been entertaining:


The Loire Valley – This region is referred to as the “Garden of France” and boasts vineyards, flowers, chateaux and rolling green hills. Sounds exactly like what I have been looking for…. what makes this choice difficult is that there are several towns to choose from in the Loire Valley, the most appealing options seem to be:

Bourges – Paved stone streets, Medieval and Renaissance architecture, a beautiful gothic cathedral overlooking the town, nearby chateaux and vineyards….

Chambord – Home to the largest castle in the Loire Valley and I’m guessing it is also the home of Chambord, I’ll take a glass of champagne with a splash of Chambord while I tour the castle please…..


Tours – University town and known to many as the hub of the Loire Valley, features Renaissance mansions, museums, wine, nearby chateaux and castles, oh you know just the same old same old in the Loire Valley….

Amboise – Known for its beautiful castle and white stone houses, this town was also once the home of Leonardo Da Vinci….

Many great choices, they all sound amazing and pretty similar, however I don’t want to let my travelmates down and choose the wrong Loire Valley town! Tough decision I must face, I know…. Any suggestions?

Outside of the Loire Valley I am considering:


Bordeaux – Much larger than the towns of the Loire Valley, this port city is located in southwestern France on the Garonne River and is known as a university town. What caught my eye about Bordeaux is that it is the heart of France’s wine industry, but I guess also known by some for its art and history.


Lyon – One of the largest cities in France, a major industrial city, but more importantly, the gastronomical capital of France, need I say more?

At this point, the Lorie Valley is sounding like the place I want to be. As much as I love food and wine, I am sure the Loire Valley also has some fabulous food and wine to offer along with its smaller towns, wineries, castles and chateaux. Any suggestions about where to stay in the Loire Valley or about our other options are welcome! Too many choices.....

LONDON

“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”
- Samuel Johnson


Trying to plan a backpacking trip definitely presents its challenges. The whole point of the trip is to pick up and go whenever and wherever we choose. However, we can’t just head over to Europe without some kind of plan. We have an idea of how long we are going to be in each place and the route we are going to take, but right now it is impossible to plan an exact itinerary and accommodations for each location. So, we decided the best way to start planning would be to divide up our destinations between the three of us (about 5 places each) that we will each tentatively plan. The first location to plan on my list is…..LONDON!

We decided that I would plan London because I am the only one between the three of us that has been there and because I just love London. At first, we actually debated if we would even visit London on this trip. I was just there a year ago and Chelsie and Chelsea didn’t seem like they were dying to go. Luckily for me, the cheapest place to fly in and out of is London, so I will get to return to London with my best friends and I am convinced they will leave London loving it as much as I do! Growing up, two of my favorite movies were Peter Pan and Mary Poppins, so for as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to go to London. When I finally got to visit, it was everything I expected and more. There are so many things to see and do and I just love the feel of this beautiful city.


We will be flying into London and spending the first four days of our trip there!

Some of the things I did last time that I think we must do again are:

Cruise down the Thames – you get to see so many great sights and get an idea of where some of the most important landmarks in the city are

Westminster Abbey – this time though, I would like to go for Evensong rather than the traditional tour

Harrods – even if you don’t buy anything, you have to go look! My mom and I especially enjoyed the pet section, the Christmas section (which goes up in July!) and of course, the food hall

Buckingham Palace – you have to see it, but surprisingly I don’t think I would go again during the Changing of the Guard, it was too crowded and honestly not too exciting

Walk through Hyde Park – one of my favorite memories in London was getting lost in Hyde Park at dusk

Visit one of the many markets around the city – great food, clothes and interesting souvenirs

Things I didn’t do last time that I must this time around:

St. Paul’s Cathedral – I know, I talk about how much I love Mary Poppins and I didn’t even get to this beautiful cathedral where the “Feed the Birds” scene takes place, also where Princess Diana married Prince Charles

Take a ride on the London Eye – It costs more than $20 dollars a person to ride but I am sure you can’t beat the view

Visit a few of London’s many museums – I am ashamed to admit this but I only visited ONE of London’s many museums while I was there (the Imperial War Museum) and entrance into many of them are FREE! There are so many to choose from too, the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, even the Sherlock Holmes Museum!


We are definitely going to spend one of our days taking a day trip out of the city, but I am trying to decide where we will go. I would really like to go back to Oxford because after spending six weeks there I would love to go reminisce and show Chelsea and Chelsie around! And there are so many things to do and see in Oxford. I would love for us to tour some of the colleges, I stayed at Trinity so we would definitely go there and Christ Church is where a lot of Harry Potter filming took place. Of course we would stop at the Covered Market for its many great shops and eats (Ben’s Cookies!). Another must in Oxford is to have a drink at the famous Eagle and Child, once frequented by J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.


However, some other possible day trip options are:

- Cambridge – another great University town
- Windsor Castle – the official residence of the Queen
- Canterbury – a picturesque town that includes Leeds Castle

There are so many things to see and do in London, 4 days just isn’t enough! Whatever we end up doing though, I am sure we will have a great time. Please let me know any suggestions/comments you have about our trip to London. Any other ideas or places I overlooked? I want to plan a trip that includes all the best London has to offer!

Travel Warning Issued For Americans In Europe

With all the talk and news stories this week about the elevated threat level for Americans in Europe, I felt it was necessary to discuss the issue of safety concerns abroad.

While I realize the risks of traveling to any foreign country, I’ve never really thought of my trip to Europe as especially dangerous. I’ve heard of so many people backpacking through Europe so the only safety concerns that have crossed my mine have been issues of petty theft, not terror. But generally, I haven’t been really worried about safety at all. My parents on the other hand, think that three girls traveling a foreign continent is the unsafest idea they’ve ever heard. Now, with this terror warning, I am even more scared to hear my parents’ thoughts!

Like most people, I’ve assumed that traveling to Europe is pretty safe with regards to terrorism. Europe seems like the safest place in the world for Americans to travel other than within the United States. I do remember the terrorist attacks on transportation systems in London and Madrid years ago and I will admit, I was a little nervous to ride the Tube in London, but I also get nervous riding the subway in NYC thinking how easily the same thing could happen.

I appreciate the warning from the State Department. People complain about the vagueness of this warning but people would criticize the government for not warning citizens if something were to happen. But considering the vagueness of the warning, what are Americans already abroad supposed to think? Or those about to leave on trips they’ve been planning for months, even years? It made me think how I would feel if this warning was issued while I was on my backpacking trip in the spring. Like most of the American travelers interviewed on CNN.com, I don’t think the warnings would change any of my plans, other than maybe not riding the metro systems.

I think the main implication of this travel warning is that in the future Americans may re-think traveling to Europe. Maybe Europe isn’t as safe for Americans as we have all assumed. Personally, this warning will have no effects on my trip in March. I would only reconsider travel plans if a very severe warning were issued for a specific location in Europe.

How do you all feel about the travel warning? Would it deter you from traveling to Europe?