From Portugal to France to Ireland!

The last month and a half or so has been packed to the brim with amazing trips around Spain, Portugal, France, and Ireland. As we sit in our new apartment on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia, we'd like to take you on a tour of the many fabulous places we've been blessed to visit. 

His:

Portugal:

I have to say Portugal is my new favorite country!  We first stayed in Porto then last minute decided we had to go to Lisbon because it would be foolish not to.  Thank goodness we did!  I absolutely loved Porto, the city was beautiful, the people were VERY nice and have I mentioned Port wine comes from Porto?  So, Port wine is like Tequila where it is only truly Port wine if it comes from a certain region   Well, I had never been a fan of Port wine, I only knew it as a dessert wine.  We visited a winery, Krohns Winery, which deserves a shout out because it had FREE tastings!!! I walked out with my own bottle to bring back home! In addition, we visited the café where the author of the Harry Potter books was inspired.  Portugal also has the best hostels of any country I have been to so far.  On to Lisbon…

            I would say Porto was a more relaxing, quiet town, where Lisbon is the more upbeat city with a popping nightlife.  Lisbon was just as beautiful, had great shopping, and by far is home of the nicest hostel (this still stands as the best after being to Ireland, France and Germany, which I will discuss later) we have been to.  Lisbon had this huge outdoor flea market that had all these amazing old artifacts, Jennison could have spend the entire day there.  We ate at this incredible restaurant with a line out the door and packed as many people as it could into it.  We sat next to this cute married couple with their young son.  They were super nice and talked our ears off for about 2 hours!  The food was delicious and came recommended from the guy working at the hostel.  Lisbon is all hills, making walking quite the workout!

France:

Before visiting France I was told about how rude the French can be and to make sure not to say you are American and even avoid speaking English.  We didn’t visit Paris, and stayed more towards the southern region.  I’m guessing since we were in smaller towns and pretty much spoke Spanish the whole time, we were treated better than expected. The highlight of France for me was Biarritz.  This city was gorgeous; it was a beach town so it had a little feeling of good ol’ San Diego.  The beach, cliffs, and food give this city two thumbs up.  I had some of the best, freshest, seafood I have had in Europe.

Ireland:

Top of the morning to you! Haha!  Ireland, what a country!!!  Let’s start with how I had to operate a stick shift vehicle from the right side (shotgun side) with my left hand while driving on the left side (wrong side) of the road.  I can proudly say we never stalled, hit anyone, or anything!  Most streets are one lane and my trusty passengers did have to yell “left side” every now and then.  I think the hardest/funniest part was remembering to stop walking to the new shotgun side of the car to get in.  I would just open the door for the ladies like a gentleman…heehee, I think they were on to me though.  Driving all over Ireland was one of the items on Jennison’s bucket list and I cannot thank her enough for that and am so lucky to have been able to experience it with her.  The drive is so beautiful, this only added to the challenges of driving!  We drove around the Ring of Kerry, which I highly recommend.  We visited the Cliffs of Mohr, which literally looks like you are standing at the edge of the world.  We also visited the Guinness factory in Dublin, which is a must.  I love Guinness!  We stayed at a B&B on a farm in some tiny town and upon arrival this young girl helped get us situated.  She was very friendly and kept telling horrible jokes that she thought were hilarious. We later ran into her at the only bar in town where she informed us she was two bottles of wine deep when she met us, haha!  Oh and her mom who ran the B&B was an identical twin to Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire.  Jennison kept trying to video tape her, haha! 

After Ireland, we spent our last days in Valencia and then set out on a week long trip towards Croatia!

Hers

First stop: Portugal!

About 7 years ago, I dubbed Portugal as one of my favorite countries in the world and vowed to return. As we packed our bags in Valencia and jumped on the train heading west, I couldn't help but to feel butterflies. I was going back! 
Brian and I traveled first to Salamanca, Spain with Brynn and her boyfriend, Caleb. We stopped in this cute college town for a night on our way to Porto, Portugal. From here, Brian and I had one of our favorite date nights thus far. We randomly selected a city on the map of Spain and hopped on a train headed towards Medina del Campo, Spain. As soon as we arrived in the city, we found a city map, headed towards the main plaza, and booked a room with a balcony overlooking the daily hustle and bustle of this small, Spanish town. That afternoon we visited an amazing castle and found delicious Chinese food for dinner. We couldn't help but ask each other, "Is this real life?"
The next day we took a bus and drove through the Spanish and Portuguese countryside, arriving in Porto late afternoon. Ahhhh, Portugal! It was just as I had remembered. The people are some of the kindest, most generous people I have ever met- always greeting you with a smile and all were incredibly eager to accommodate my vegan diet. Thank goodness for the local soup, Caldo Verde, made with my favorite...kale! We spent the next two days exploring Porto on a walking tour and we even took ourselves on our own tour of the many wine houses that store and offer tastings of... you guessed it... Port wines! 
From Porto, we took the train south towards Lisbon. Lisbon reminds me so much of San Francisco- the hills, trolley cars, culture, art, hippies... I LOVE THIS CITY!! My favorite memory of our time in Lisbon was eating at a local restaurant, filled with locals and tourists alike. The restaurant was incredibly busy when we arrived and you could watch the chefs preparing the meals through the front window. After about 30 minutes we were sat at a shared table, next to a local Portuguese family. We had the most amazing night chatting with this family about American politics, Portuguese culture, and the differences between living in America and Europe. Our night was filled with genuine laughter as well as deep, thought-provoking conversations with people who were perfect strangers only moments before. I love how open Europeans are and how traveling helps to bring this out in Americans. Unfortunately, our camera battery died while in Porto, so we don't have any photos of our adventures in Lisbon...

Although we were sad to leave Portugal, we knew we had an amazing trip on the horizon...France!

Having traveled to France twice before, I had fond memories of the country itself, but remembered feeling a bit off-put by the French people. As I stepped off the train in Narbonne, France I was shocked as some sort of dirt or dust was blowing in my face. I turned around to see if Brian felt the same thing and noticed he was looking up towards the sky with a smile on his face. "It's snowing!" It was such a beautiful sight, but not the best timing as we were arriving late at night to this small town, without a place to stay... We found a restaurant that was open late that night and were pleasantly surprised by the kindness of its workers. One man literally walked us down the street (in the snow) to show us to a nice, but affordable, hotel. We arrived at the hotel and found we were the only guests that evening. The owner showed us to our rooms and had a hot meal and wine waiting for us downstairs by the time we were unpacked. My impression of the French people was forever changed. The rest of the trip was just as beautiful.
We headed to Carcassonne to see the famous medieval castle, which was amazing! We went from there to Bordeaux for one night and then headed to beautiful Biarritz, located on the Bay of Biscay. What a pleasant surprise! This was a place Caleb had "heard was beautiful" so we decided to take our chances and check it out. We found a hotel with a view of the gorgeous sea and spent the afternoon and evening on the coast, watching the sunset and eating delicious food. Once again, France made a lasting impression.

After a few days of relaxation and time to recharge in Valencia, Brian, Brynn, and I set out for a week-long trip to Ireland. 

We spent our first two nights in Dublin, exploring the city, marveling at the amazing variety of restaurants and cuisine (we ate Mexican food, Irish food, Asian food...). We took a tour of the Guinness factory and even learned how to pour the "perfect pint". We rented a car out of Dublin and spent the rest of the week picking random places on the map and driving through the beautiful countryside of Ireland. What a beautiful experience this was! We met some amazing people, stayed in adorable bed and breakfasts, and saw sights that made me certain, Earth is the most incredible planet. One of the highlights of our trip was staying on a dairy farm in Bantry Bay, which was owned by a woman that I swear was Mrs. Doubtfire. Another would have to be driving around the Ring of Kerry (almost twice due to one wrong turn...). Lastly, watching Brian drive a stick-shift, with his left hand, on the right side of the car, on the the left side of the road... PRICELESS, and impressive!

Again, I cannot believe our life. I am so thankful for a husband that allowed me to talk him into this crazy adventure. 


Spain and Portugal:

Roaming around Salamanca, Spain 

The view from our balcony in Medina Del Campo, Spain

Caldo Verde- Vegan style!
Restaurant: Linha 22, Porto, Portugal

Walking on the ancient city walls in Porto, Portugal

Porto is filled with these adorable little streets

Port "wine-tasting" in Porto, Portugal
Interesting fact: The little door you see above Brian's head is the entrance that men use to crawl inside to clean the barrels! It can only be men, because most women's hips are too wide to fit through.

Having coffee at Majestic Café in Porto
where JK Rowling began writing the Harry Potter books

Porto, Portugal

France:

The flea market and mercado in Narbonne, France. My favorites! 

Brynn and me walking up to the castle in Carcassonne, France

Having fun at the castle in Carcassonne! Brrrrr!!!

The four of us watching the sunset in Biarritz, France

Just taking it all in

Biarritz at night

Ireland:

Fun in Dublin!

Guinness Storehouse!

Ring of Kerry