The plane is descending, flying low over a volcano. Steam rises. Cat, my youngest daughter, is excited. “Look, you guys! The earth is boiling.” And it is! Like the other islands of the Azores, Sao Miguel is volcanic. It’s also verdant and utterly beautiful. The Azores Archipelago is in fact the visible part of the Atlantic ridge, some of the highest mountains on earth, measured from their ... Read Full Article
Portugal’s Principal Wine Regions: Minho and Douro
When one hears the words “European wine,” typically French Cabernet and Italian Lambrusco, or perhaps German Gewürztraminer, come to mind. Though Portuguese wines have become increasingly popular in American restaurants (especially the Vinho Verde varietal, and Port has made a resurgence in popularity), tourists often envision Portuguese wines as subprime to their French and Italian ... Read Full Article
The Bairros of Lisbon, Portugal: Belém
Hundreds of years of history and culture have built up around the Portuguese waterfront that launched some of the world’s greatest explorers. Today, cornice to capstone, the elaborate architecture of Belém’s palaces and towers blends with contemporary museums and monuments; piers and marinas swept by the iconic yellow trams bustle no less than in the Age of Discovery; and in the same ... Read Full Article
Exploring Lisbon, Portugal: Nature in the City
Whether at the Jardim Zoológico, the Jardim Botânico da Universidade de Lisboa , or the Parque das Nações and its nearby Oceanário de Lisboa , a wide variety of plants and animals can be found thriving in Lisbon’s warm Mediterranean climate made mild by the Gulf Stream. Anyone looking for respite from the busier parts of the city should seek these sites. Jardim Zoológico This ... Read Full Article
Exploring the Old Quarter of Portugal’s Sintra
The perfect weekend or day-trip destination from Lisbon for backpackers, café romantics, and families alike, Portugal’s Sintra offers its palaces, ruins, gardens, and squares to the explorer’s imagination. This historic UNESCO World Heritage Site is accessible from downtown Lisbon by a quick 10-mi/31-km drive or a more leisurely one- hour train ride. The Sintra National Palace (Palácio Nacional de ... Read Full Article