Tucked against the shores of the Thames River, over in Southwark, just across London Bridge, is…
During the winter months, so many of us pine for the hot sun and relief of blistering wind chill. So it’s rare that we would seek out a winter vacation anywhere that doesn’t involve sunlight and warm weather. But, for the first time in my life, I decided to opt to travel to the cold and darkened streets of wintery Scandinavia over the holidays. And if that doesn’t sound appealing to you, I implore you to read on! I was utterly mesmerized by winter in Scandinavia and found it to be absolutely magical.
Lisbon is one of the most picturesque cities in the world. Steeped with history and painted with one of the most colourful palettes, there pretty much isn’t a single street you can walk down, without being wowed at all the fantastic hues and views along the way. For photographers and bloggers, this place is a dream!
For many people visiting Lisbon means one thing, trying as many Pastel de Natas (Portuguese Egg Tarts) as possible! We made it our mission while we were there to eat one every single day – for research, of course! You’ll find these famous baked treats in almost every bakery window you pass by. From mom and pop bakeshops to fancy patisseries, there are thousands of different tarts for you to try! But if you’re only in Lisbon for a short time or just don’t have the room in your stomach to try them all, I’ve made a list of our favourite places! I divided the list up into the various neighbourhoods to makes it easy for you to try a tart while exploring that particular area of town. And it was interesting how the different regions personalities were actually reflected in the desserts themselves.
Lisbon is one of the most picturesque cities in the world. Steeped with history and painted with one of the most colourful palettes, there pretty much isn’t a single street you can walk down, without being wowed at all the fantastic hues and views along the way. For photographers and bloggers, this place is a dream! The “miradoures” (viewpoints) which you can find all over the city seem to open Lisbon up like a pop-up book. The intricate tiled walls and buildings are like a patchwork quilt across the city. Make sure you have a few extra batteries with you because you’re never going to be able to stop snapping! Below is a list of my favourite places I found in Lisbon and at the bottom of this post I’ve made a google map of where you can find these spots for yourself!
Having just returned from my trip to Lisbon, I wanted to put pen to paper right away to share all the things I learned when travelling to Portugal for the first time! Lisbon is just as wonderful as you hear it is, the streets are as vibrant as the personalities, and it’s a tremendously laid back and yet bustling city all at the same time. I was so busy leading up to this trip, so I felt more unprepared than usual and as such made a few blunders which I felt like needed to be shared for other, just as unknowing travellers, to learn from.
If you’re trying to pick a city to visit based on the food alone, Barcelona is no doubt on the top of that list! Catalonian cuisine combines the very best elements of Spanish and French cooking with that uniquely Catalan flare that is unmatched anywhere else in the world. Knowing which items you NEED to eat when you’re there will help you weed out the authentic recipes from the tourist traps.
When visiting the famed area of Asakusa and the Sensoji shrine you’re bound to work up an appetite! Luckily, Nakamise Shopping Street and the side streets around it, have a plethora of amazing street foods to choose from. I decided to make a day of this the last time I visited. Come HUNGRY because there are so many different things you NEED to try! This one area offers up so many traditional Japanese street foods, each one costing only a dollar or so. You can easily spend under $15 for an entire 10-course meal! There are plenty of food tours of this area, but it’s so easy to do it yourself. While having a guide is a great way to ask questions and find out more from a local’s perspective about the area, doing it on your own means it’s up to you to find your way around and interact with the locals yourself.