Our European Adventure 2018

A 6 month trip on a shoestring もっと詳しく

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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者

Driving North: Picturesque Villages
2018年5月22日, ポルトガル ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F
Driving in Portugal is wonderful but expensive on the toll roads. When we go through the towns, the small, winding roads are a nightmare! There is just no room for more than one lane in many areas, and people drive down the middle of the road, zipping in and out, only giving way when they have to. I don’t take pictures of this because I’m holding onto my seat and the door handle!

Here is Obidos, a sweet walled town with a castle that is now a Pousada (fancy hotel). We tasted a cherry liquor in chocolate cups, which everyone seems to sell there. Delicious!もっと詳しく
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旅行者Castles everywhere 😊. I’d like to do that if I could walk better........ what’s in the bottle Linda’s getting? A little rum? 😁
2018/05/23返信する
旅行者It is a liquor called Ginja, made from sour cherries. But they added lots of sugar! It isn't too strong--just right in the morning.
2018/05/24返信する
旅行者In the MORNING?????? You hitting the bottle in the morning????? Brahahahahahahahahahahahaha you deserve it ...... enjoy it my friends enjoy
2018/05/28返信する
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者
Nazare
2018年5月22日, ポルトガル ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F
This is an old fishing village, now a hot destination for tourists. We decided not to stay due to the crowds. We wanted a fish dinner, and ended up eating in the next town. The fish stew was delicious!もっと詳しく
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者

Alcobaca Monastery
2018年5月22日, ポルトガル ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F
Huge Gothic Monastery!
旅行者WOW. I like it
2018/05/23返信する
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者
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Batalha: Battlefield
2018年5月22日, ポルトガル ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F
Batalha: a battlefield from the Hundred Years War, in which the outnumbered Portuguese won over the Castilians (Spanish). The battle lasted less than an hour and thousands died!

A Gothic church was built in 1416 in gratitude for the victory. It is filled with light, but otherwise quite austere.もっと詳しく
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旅行者 A trebuchet, used to sling large rocks at forts and walled cities.
2018/05/24返信する
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者
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Fatima Shrine
2018年5月23日, ポルトガル ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F
In Fatima is a basilica built as a shrine to Mary, because she appeared here in 1917 to three children as they were shepherding their sheep. Two of the children, a brother and sister, died only a few years later, and are buried in the basilica. The other child, their cousin, grew up and became a nun. She lived into her 90s. About 4 million pilgrims travel here every year.もっと詳しく
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旅行者I read the story of Fatima when I was young it is great seeing your photos from there TY
2018/05/28返信する
旅行者 Beautiful stained glass window
2018/05/29返信する
旅行者 Love this Nativity (Very contemporary amidst the old).
2018/05/29返信する
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者

Tomar: Convent of Christ Monastery
2018年5月23日, ポルトガル ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
A former Knights Templar castle from 1160, with later embellishments including a famous Manueline window (for King Manuel of the 16th century).
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Tomar Monastery Rotunda
2018年5月23日, ポルトガル ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
The famous rotunda (round church) was also built in the second half of the 12th century. The church was modeled by the Knights’ thoughts of how King Solomon’s Temple was. It contains many fantastic Gothic and Manueline paintings and sculptures which were added in the 1500s.もっと詳しく
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旅行者 We feel like we just took a tour of Portugal. You are having a wonderful adventure!.
2018/05/24返信する
旅行者 Yes we are, even though driving is a challenge!
2018/05/25返信する
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Staying in Ciera (Coimbra)
2018年5月23日, ポルトガル ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
Our Airbnb hosts this evening were Samuel and Julie. They welcomed us into their family with open arms! The children, ages 7, 5, and 3, are delightful. Julie is French and Samuel is Portuguese; the children know both languages, but they seem to understand some English, too. The youngest one was talking excitedly in Portuguese about something being advertised on TV, and I asked her if that was on her Christmas list, and she said “Si” (yes)! They live in a beautiful home in a small town on the outskirts of Coimbra, a University town. We had a wonderful visit and enjoyed some chocolate cake and Beirao, a Portuguese liquor, with them. Dean stayed up talking with Samuel until 1 a.m. discussing many important subjects, like, “Is it really true that at Denny’s you get a full pot of coffee all for yourself?” He watches TV and is very interested in the USA.もっと詳しく
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旅行者 The view from Samuel and Julie's home.
2018/05/25返信する
旅行者 Another use for a bidet!
2018/05/25返信する
旅行者 The girls all ready for escola (school).
2018/05/25返信する
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Bussaco Palace Hotel
2018年5月24日, ポルトガル ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F
This is another pousada, one of the historic and culturally important buildings that have been converted into luxury hotels. We were there in the rain so didn’t get many good pictures,. It is a beautiful place, but they don’t want tourists wandering in the building unless they are staying and/or dining there. But I sneaked a few pictures while Dean was talking to the reception staff.もっと詳しく
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旅行者 The trim is a mosaic of various colored rocks.
2018/05/25返信する
旅行者 It was raining so I took a picture of a picture, to give an idea how it should look.
2018/05/25返信する
旅行者Love the flowers
2018/05/29返信する
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者
Arrival in Porto
2018年5月24日, ポルトガル ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
We checked in with Filipe and Linda, who live in an apartment across the river from the city center. Felipe gave us a map and written information on the bus to take into Porto and what to see. It was still raining so we decided to shower and rest up for tomorrow’s sightseeing. In the evening we went to a neighborhood restaurant for a local specialty, the Francesinha. This is a sandwich made with steak, ham, sausage, cheese, and a fried egg, covered with piri-piri sauce, served with French fries. It was huge and we should have split one, but we took leftovers home and ate it minus the bread and French fries the next day. It was fine—Dean liked all the meat, but we weren’t crazy about it. Once is enough. Good thing Porto is hilly, so we can burn off the calories tomorrow.

Note to selves: The waiter brought appetizers we didn’t ask for so we thought they were free. They were delicious, but we learned that we have to pay for every extra, including the take-home box!もっと詳しく
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旅行者You would probably like this sandwich--all meat and bread and a spicy sauce.
2018/05/29返信する
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者

Exploring Porto
2018年5月25日, ポルトガル ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F
Porto is a city on the Douro river with an opening into the Atlantic. At one time, it was the capital of the Portugal. It rained, but we took the bus into the historic center of town. There we found a beautiful theater, and another church being restored. The train station is gorgeous with the Portuguese painted tiles depicting historical scenes.もっと詳しく
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者

Port Wine Tasting in Porto
2018年5月25日, ポルトガル ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F
We walked along the river, then crossed the double-deck bridge and strolled by the Port Wine cellars and shops in Gaia. We looked inside a couple of them, and then had our own port tasting at a coffee shop. They were all good!もっと詳しく
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旅行者I could never get into the Port wine 🍷
2018/05/28返信する
旅行者I never liked it before this!
2018/05/28返信する
旅行者I don't really like Port wine either...but if I was there I certainly would have tried it.
2018/05/30返信する
旅行者We had to try it, and it was good! With 7 different kinds, you might like one. We had never had white port, and it was delicious!
2018/05/30返信する
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者

Hills in Porto
2018年5月25日, ポルトガル ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F
We crossed the bridge again and climbed up 210 steps and then some hilly streets to get back to the center of town, where we saw the big cathedral and a view of Gaia from on high. Porto is a beautiful city, and we would have liked it better if more of the buildings were taken care of, and if it hadn’t been raining. But the country needs the rain. Last summer they had lots of forest fires.もっと詳しく
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旅行者I understand what you mean about restoration as we found both London and Paris were working on restoring old buildings.
2018/05/31返信する
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者

Aveiro
2018年5月26日, ポルトガル ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F
This town is along the coast in a lagoon formed by the Ria river. There are canals criss-crossing through the town. People can take canal tours on the large, colorful boats that used to be used for harvesting seaweed for fertilizer. There are lots of beautiful Art Nouveau buildings, mosaic sidewalks, and clean pedestrian streets. A town confection we had to try is Ovo Moles made with egg yolks and sugar, originally made in the convents.もっと詳しく
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旅行者Wow. All the mosaics.... mind boggling
2018/05/28返信する
旅行者Isn't it fun?
2018/05/28返信する
旅行者Beautiful
2018/05/30返信する
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者

Museum of Aveiro
2018年5月26日, ポルトガル ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
This is a religious art museum in a 15th century convent, the Monastery of Jesus. The convent is famous because of St. Joanna, a Portuguese princess. Because she was in the royal line she was never able to take her solemn vows. She rejected marriage three times; instead she lived out a modest life at the convent, and bequeathed her estate to it when she died in 1490. At first she was buried modestly as she requested, but when she was canonized in the 1600s, a inlaid marble tomb was made for her. We also saw the washing room and the refectory where the sisters ate in silence.もっと詳しく
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旅行者Enjoyed reading her story.
2018/05/31返信する
旅行者It was very interesting. Sad that she died too early.
2018/05/31返信する
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者

Baroque and Rococco Religious Art
2018年5月26日, ポルトガル ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
The baroque church is stunning. The organ in the choir loft is available for anyone who wants to play it, and we heard a very talented teenager playing.

There were so many pieces of religious art in the museum, both Baroque (lots of gold leaf) and Rococco (very colorful). A lot of the pieces came from this convent.もっと詳しく
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旅行者Beautiful...did you play the organ?
2018/05/30返信する
旅行者Chopsticks didn't seem appropriate!
2018/05/30返信する
旅行者How beautiful this is!
2018/05/31返信する
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者

Vaughan Town, El Barco de Avila
2018年6月1日, スペイン ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
We’ve spent the past 6 days volunteering for Vaughan Town, an English Immersion program for Spaniards. We’ve met such wonderful people: the participants, the staff, and the other volunteers. It’s very impressive how dedicated the Spaniards are in their efforts to improve their communication in English! We had a great time and made many new friends.

As volunteers, we spent time talking one-to-one with each person, had meals together, participated in group activities, and practiced telephone communication as well. In addition, there was an entertainment hour every evening, composed of skits, presentations, and music, in which we all participated at some point. We got to see some real Spanish dancing, and Dean was involved as part of the “Spice Girls” band. We even received certificates at the end of the program!もっと詳しく
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旅行者Wonderful.......I was going to do that but they told me if I did it would set the Spaniards back 50 years in their English 😂 Thank you for your volunteer work
2018/06/02返信する
Your experiences are priceless. Keep having fun.
2018/06/03返信する
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者
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El Barco de Avila
2018年6月1日, スペイン ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
The area is beautiful: snow-capped mountains, a river, and a small town with a castle and church topped with nesting storks! With as many storks as we've seen, it's hard to believe they are protected. They are messy and people don't want them building nests on their chimneys, so places are provided for them to nest.もっと詳しく
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旅行者 Church of the Assumption of Our Lady
2018/06/04返信する
旅行者Beautiful. The weather looks nice too. What an experience!
2018/06/04返信する
旅行者Actually, that was one of the nicest days here! It's been much cloudier and we are getting rain quite often-it's an usually cool and wet spring. But we love it!
2018/06/05返信する
旅行者 The hotel in which Vaughan Town happens!
2018/06/05返信する
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者

Stunning Segovia
2018年6月2日, スペイン ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F
Segovia is a beautiful city about two hours away from Barco de Avila. The huge Roman aqueduct was built without mortar (!) in the first century AD, goes right through the center of town, and is surrounded by a plaza. The maximum height is 28 meters (92 ft). You can climb up the steps next to the aqueduct and enter the walled part of the city, or walk up through the lower town.もっと詳しく
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旅行者Linda, you look nice. Charlie would be so impressed with the stone work and marvel at how they built it.
2018/06/04返信する
旅行者Thanks, Donna! "Hi to Charlie!"
2018/06/05返信する
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者
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Segovia Castle & Views Around Town
2018年6月2日, スペイン ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F
There is an amazing castle, built in the 1100s, which has great views. The town has narrow winding streets, and many Romanesque buildings, restaurants and shops.
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旅行者 Reminds us of the Excalibur Casino in Las Vegas!
2018/06/10返信する
旅行者Lovely photos!
2018/06/11返信する
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者

Segovia's Cathedral
2018年6月2日, スペイン ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
The huge Gothic cathedral, built in the 1500s, is the most photographed cathedral in Spain. We were happy to see lots of restoration work going on. The main altar is made of marble and alabaster, but seems to be outdone by all the gold in the smaller chapels. The Chapel of the Descent from the Cross, contained a very realistic carving of Jesus, that was like a moment captured in stone.もっと詳しく
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旅行者The city suit both of you
2018/06/11返信する
旅行者Thanks!
2018/06/12返信する
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者

Avila: A Walled City
2018年6月3日, スペイン ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F
We drove from Segovia to Avila, about 1 hour away, to see this old walled city for a short walk-around. The medieval walls are completely intact. We had fun seeing the precious children dressed up for their first communion. It is great to see people involved in these historic buildings as a part of family traditions, and keeping them alive. There was also some kind of civic ceremony involving a band and officials in the town square.もっと詳しく
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者

Vaughan Town 2, Barco de Avila
2018年6月8日, スペイン ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F
Week 2 of Vaughan Town completed. Another wonderful group of Spaniards, volunteers, and staff got together to have a life-changing experience. We found it very heartwarming to have such a close connection with so many people in such a short period of time. There were volunteers from Australia, Canada, England, Sweden, and the US, (and Wales in the first week). The Spaniards had to decipher all those accents and ways of speaking, and it was amazing how much they improved in just 6 days!

Anglos are encouraged to do a presentation if we want to. Dean presented information on the Buffalo Roundup in Custer State Park and I led a line dance. Everyone seemed to enjoy both activities!

Note: Barco de Avila is known as a region for growing organic legumes. We ate some during the week, cooked with chorizo, and they were delicious!もっと詳しく
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旅行者It's been a pleasure meeting both of you. You make a sweet couple and both of you are awesome. Hope you keep having fun around Europe.
2018/06/11返信する
I loved that dance, it was so fun...thank you for that great week . Gema Martin
2018/06/11返信する
旅行者Thank you both! We really enjoyed meeting you! Best wishes for a great future!
2018/06/12返信する
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Salamanca: The Golden City
2018年6月8日, スペイン ⋅ 🌬 64 °F
We walked around the Old Town area which contains the oldest University in Spain, founded in the 1100s. It’s also called the Golden City, because of the numerous sandstone buildings. The Plaza Mayor (Main Square) is huge and lots of people hang out there.もっと詳しく
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旅行者 Jose Ledesma Criado, A Salamanca Poet
2018/06/15返信する
旅行者My, you are seeing such beautiful architecture and meeting a wide variety of people! This trip is an amazing education for you! Thanks for sharing!
2018/06/17返信する
We have enjoyed watching your vacation. Your pictures are wonderful. Frank, Avis, Mauri and Carol
2018/06/17返信する
旅行者Thanks for your feedback everyone. Glad you're enjoying our trip!
2018/06/18返信する
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Our European Adventure 2018 旅行者

Our Lady of Burgos Cathedral
2018年6月9日, スペイン ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F
We were advised by our Spanish friends to go to Burgos to see the cathedral. We were glad we did! It was built of limestone in the 13th to 16th centuries, is huge and has lots of French Gothic detailing. The main worship area has a huge carved dome, and carved wooden choir.もっと詳しく
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旅行者This first picture is an attempt at a panorama because it was too big for a regular picture--it's a little crooked!
2018/06/18返信する
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