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RTW 2022
  • Christie Mitchell

RTW 2022

“You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” (Winnie-the-Pooh) Read more
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  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Trocadero Fountains
    Daily obligatory selfieTrocadero FountainsBecause you can never have too many shots of the eiffel towerRodin's "The Thinker"Jordan sketchingIncredible statuesMusee Rodin Gardens - yes, hes mooning usNapolean's TombPont Alexander III bridgeSeine river cruiseView of Musee d'orsay, from yesterday, from the riverThe Louvre, from the riverThe Conciergerie, from yesterday, from the riverPont Alrxander IIIPont des arts (bridge of love locks)1View of the city from Montparnasse Tower

    Paris is HUGE

    May 5, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    There is so much to see here!! Just barely scratching the surface, I fear. We were out early and didn’t get in till almost midnight - what a day, but had a great time!

    We started at the Trocadero park which is across the Seine river from the Eiffel Tower. A different view, and beautiful fountains. Then walked through the Champs de Mars, another gorgeous park built around the tower. Next was the Musee Rodin, where we saw so many amazing statues including “The Thinker”. Took a river cruise down the Seine which was very relaxing just to sit for an hour or so, and then walked over to the bridge of love locks (Pont des arts). Finished the day heading to the 56th floor of the Montparnasse Tower to get a great view of the city of lights at night.

    Paris is amazing - so much history and beauty. It IS expensive, but yet I give them credit for not over charging in places they easily could. Most of the museums, boat rides, etc are only $15-18 each. Food is really expensive, but if you hunt you can find a $5 sandwich or $3 crepe!    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    The Louvre
    The Louvre entryway ceilingNike of SamothraceOne of the ceilings in the LouvreAnother ceilingSOOO bigThe crowd trying to see the Mona Lisa4Prople pushing, leaning over, doing whatever they could to get pastThe Mona Lisa from 5' awayAnother beautiful ceiling2And another ... they just got more and more magnificentVenice de MiloArc de Triumphe CarouselThe Arc de Triumphe1The Luxor obeliskCanal St Martin locks1Suburbs of Paris - outdoor park with ping pong table2Waiting to see Dr. Strange Marvel movie - eventually theater was packed

    The Louvre … just wow

    May 6, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Each day on this trip brings a new wonder to behold, it seems like. Today we saw SO much again … Paris has a remarkable affordable public transit system, and the city is surprisingly walkable - in sections.

    We started our morning at The Louvre. It is the largest museum in the world, and it was obvious. I found the building itself to be a work of art! We only scratched the surface there. Did see some amazing statues - Nike of Samothrace (winged) which Jordan sketched - 190 BC, and the Venice de Milo! 100 BC. Other noteworthy piece we saw was the Mona Lisa - the crowds were intense, but we managed to get to the front eventually to see her.

    The French have created magnificent gardens everywhere - reminds me of what I’ve seen in Canada. They are just gorgeous. There were also two arches - one smaller and one massive. Really massive. The biggest surprise was seeing the Place de La Concorde - this is a square (where kings/queens were beheaded during the revolution) with what looks like a small version of the Washington monument from far away, but as you get closer it is clear it’s different. It’s an Egyptian obelisk!! No kidding. It’s 3300 years old! The Egyptians gifted the 230 ton Luxor obelisk (it has a twin still in Egypt) to France in the mid 1800’s. It took SEVEN years to transport it across the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, up the Nile and finally up the Seine river. And then it took a feat of engineering to raise it.

    We took a metro ride out of the historical district to what looked to be the suburbs of Paris - Wandered the canal and then what else to do when in Paris with the biggest Marvel fan ever (Jordan), we went to opening night of the Dr. Strange movie. Found one playing in English. It felt familiar, kind of.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Sacre coeure basilica
    3Locks everywhereMontmarte village1Artists squareA local tramWall of love - love written in every language2Galerie layfette Haussman - a mall here!!Dancers in front of eiffel towerLast look at the tower

    Last day in Paris

    May 7, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    Our bodies finally let us sleep in today - we’ve been pretty confused, physically - so it was nice to get some good rest.

    Today was a nice relaxing day. We started with the Sacre Couer Basilica, a church which was beautiful!! Then we hit Montmarte - it is an artists haven, and authentic Parisian village. Gorgeous. We decided to go to a different area of the city and stopped at the Galerie Lafayette Hausmann - basically a shopping mall. But like all things in Paris, it was FANTASTIC. We finished our final day in Paris as we started it, sitting in the grass at the foot of the Eiffel Tower eating crepes.

    I would definitely give Paris a 10! It’s been a wonderful way to start our time in Europe.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    2Multnomah falls on the steps in Bordeaux!
    Park downtownOld town BordeauxNotre Dame2Beautiful streets EVERYWHEREThe way they make snow cones2Miroir d'eau2

    Travel day

    May 8, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F

    We left Paris today and headed to Bordeaux, France. It’s about 35 miles from the western coast. We took a high speed train for the trip and It definitely felt much faster than any US train I’ve been on. We were greeted at the train station in Bordeaux by a stairway, with of all things, a picture of Multnomah Falls painted on the steps. We couldn’t believe it!! No explanation - just the pic.

    We got to our Airbnb and then headed downtown to explore a bit. I wasn’t sure what we’d find here, but so far, as always I’m amazed at the wonderful sites we stumble upon.

    We just wandered today, but what we found was SO beautiful. The old streets, buildings, alleys are so quiet and peaceful. The vibe of the city is so laid back and enjoyable. Eventually we laid down in a grassy park, in the shade and took a nap with hundreds of others doing the same. We had hand scraped snow cones and we eventually found the “Miroir d’eau”. It’s on the riverside and is the largest mirror in the world - 3450 m sq - made of water. Hundreds of kids and families were playing in it. The mirror area would fill up - maybe 4-6” - and then start draining leaving a thin film of water on the black concrete. And then magically, it would reflect EVERYTHING! It was absolutely gorgeous - and refreshing to walk around in. This was a great start for our short time here.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    2Per-Berland Tower (231 steps to the top!)
    St Andres CathedralSt Andres Cathedral2Grosse ClocheModern trams with ancient historySpray paint artistJardin PublicJardin PublicMonument aux girondins (brass hidden durin ww2 so not melted down)Porte de Bourgogne (original entrance to city)Port Cailhou (other original entrance to city)1St Michel bell towerPont de PierreSt Michel bell towerSunset over BordeauxSt Andre Cathedral at nightJust a restaurantSt Michel bell tower reflecting in Miroir d'eauJordan in front of aplace de la Burse, reflecting in miroir d'eauPlace de la Burse reflecting in Miroir d'eauPlace de la Burse reflecting in Miroir d'eau

    Bordeaux!

    May 9, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    We spent the day exploring Bordeaux till late into the evening. So many beautiful things to see. What I’ve seen so far of Europe is truly magical. It feels like a fairy tale sometimes.

    We went to SO many places I can’t even describe them all. Pey-Berland tower (231 step spiral staircase - climbed it!), St Andre Cathedral, Palais Rohan, Grosse Cloche (clock and bell tower), took an open air bus tour, walked the Jardin public gardens, Porte Cailhou & Porte de Bourgogne (two old gateways - when it was walled - to the city that still stand), St Michael Cathedral & the Pont de Pierre (bridge). Then we stayed until dark and explored a lot of the city lit up. Beautiful!

    Things I don’t like about France: the food, and the people haven’t been especially friendly or kind. Unfortunately stereotypes have rung true. Things I loved about France: the desserts, and the beauty of everything around me.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    La Cite du vin (wine museum)
    2Interactive pods in museumHands on type museumGuessing the "smells" of the winesDefining the colors of the winesWine tasting on the 8th floor terraceBassins de Lumiere4Three story wine store3Restaurants throughout the outdoor squares

    Last day in Bordeaux

    May 10, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    Our last day in Bordeaux was unique - we went to La Cite du vin, which is a wine museum!! It was a really modern museum that took you thru everything to do with wine that you could think of, and ended with a tasting on the top of the building overlooking the city. Was a very cool experience.

    Then we headed over to Bassin de Lumieres for a one hour show. This was absolutely incredible! This exhibit is very hard to describe. It was works of art, paintings, graphically set to music and somewhat animated - displayed over the water, and on all the walls and floor in an old MASSIVE submarine bay from WW2. The French have done a remarkable job of repurposing old buildings. This literally brought me to tears at one point, as it was almost overwhelming to all the senses. The videos and pictures won’t do it justice. It was absolutely mesmerizing.

    We also walked by the most amazing wine store I’ve ever seen. Three stories, straight up, all displayed on a spiral staircase. It caught my attention.

    Finished the evening hanging around a Starbucks (to use their wifi to plan our next city), and then had wine, bread, cheese and meats for dinner sitting outside at a cafe. Beautiful night.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    First streets of Madrid
    "Fast food" in MadridMassive candy store we saw2Churros & chocolate!!!2On the way back to our hostel

    “Boring” Travel day

    May 11, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    It’s a “boring” travel day today - tho I still even relish these days. Seeing the different airports, navigating the mass transits, taking the buses, walking up out of the subways into the old squares and seeing them for the first time, even watching the flight attendants do their jobs in all different languages. I can’t understand them - but I know what they’re saying!! I am fascinated by the most mundane and even the routine on this journey.

    We left Bordeaux and flew to Madrid, Spain! Not the end of France for us — We’ll be back to the southern coast the first of July.

    We got in to Madrid in the late afternoon so we made it to our hostel, got our bearings, had a quick bite at a restaurant that is considered the “fast food” of Madrid — had beer, cokes, a small burger, small chicken sandwich AND a flat bread — all for under $10! Crazy. Haven’t seen “cheaper” food (without seriously hunting for it) since Costa Rica. We also went to Los Artesanos 1902, a chocolateria, and had Madrid’s signature churros dipped in hot chocolate - more like a thick chocolate soup! It was delicious! Can’t wait to see what Madrid has to show us in the morning

    This trip feels SO crazy - going to places I only have seen on TV or in the movies. I never imagined I would make it to all of these places. It’s actually really fun seeing the world this way - comparing/contrasting the different cultures as we go from one to the next. I still can’t even absorb what I’m doing tho — as I book the next legs of our journey to places like Switzerland and Budapest! 🤯    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Beautiful small bonzai tree
    Giant agave plantEl Retiro parkMusicians performing everywhereResting in the parkThe crystal palace - building made of glassSoooo many turtles!!Rose gardenMy favorite color of rose - always orange!1Jordan playing around with her phone settings

    Madrid’s beautiful parks & gardens

    May 12, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    We spent the day wandering thru some of the most beautiful botanical gardens and parks today in Madrid. First went to the Jardin Botanical and then to El Retiro Park - both just gorgeous. Both had sections devoted to huge rose gardens and I can’t even describe the smells as we walked through. Very relaxing day, which was really needed after our push thru Paris and Bordeaux.

    Figuring out food in these different countries has almost become comical. We go to pretty authentic places, so most menus aren’t in English. Usually, we can kind of figure out what we’re ordering with google translate and such. But in Madrid especially, it’s been tough. Today’s lunch we had ZERO idea what we were actually going to be given, or even what was in it - ended up being really good, but makes for interesting times.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Fountain on way to the cathedral
    Carhedral de Almudina1Inside the cathedralThe Royal Palace2I LOVE their ceilings1View from our hostel balcony - hopping all night long

    Madrid … day 2

    May 13, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    So today was a tough day. I snapped. Broke down crying trying to order my breakfast. After so many days in foreign cities/countries, it all got too much for me today. EVERYTHING I do here is so much harder than in “normal” life … ie, ordering food, figuring out where food is, WHAT food is, locating anywhere we want to go, navigating public transport (vs just getting in my car), finding a bathroom, using the shower (handles are all different and backwards). You name it, it takes twice as much effort to accomplish it. Don’t get me wrong - this is a trip of a lifetime, it’s absolutely magical … but some days it’s really hard, too.

    Madrid hasn’t been my favorite city - at least not yet. It’s not quite as “magical” to me as France - but that was a hard act to follow. Jordan came down with the stomach flu today so put a damper on activities - pretty sure it’s not food poisoning since we share almost everything we order, and I’m still feeling great.

    Before Jordan came down sick we did end up getting to the Cathedral de Almudina (the biggest church in Madrid) which was gorgeous as always, and we made it to the Royal Palace. They only allowed pics in one area so couldn’t capture how beautiful it was inside — but damn, trust me, it was amazing.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Mercado de San Miguel
    Loaded with people insideOur tapas for lunchMadrid has an obsession with Ham ... A Museum of Ham???1... and more ham. It was EVERYWHERECool to see something from home!!!American artists from the 1800's on display!View from the area near the Egyptian templeTemple of DebodTemple of Debod1Daily obligatory selfie, that Jordan hates1The cathedral we saw yesterday, but from the viewpointPlaza de EspanaAlways love my sunsets!Concert in Playa Mayor

    Last day in Madrid

    May 14, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    Miles: 7.32 Steps: 17081
    Flights stairs: 15

    Not too sad to be saying goodbye to Madrid - it wasn’t my favorite city. They DO public parks VERY well, I will say. Beautiful green spaces everywhere. But other than that, it wasn’t really for me. Luckily, Jordan woke up to find her stomach bug was all gone. Whatever it was only lasted about 12 hrs.

    We went to Mercado San Miguel for an early lunch of Tapas. Really yummy. Then off to an art museum to specifically see an exhibition of American landscape paintings - the museum wanted to bring American artists work here to show Europeans their talent. It was pretty cool.

    I’m not quite sure what’s up with Europe having Egyptian artifacts, but we visited the Temple of Debod - an actual Egyptian temple it was being destroyed in floods in 1968, and Egypt asked anyone in the world to help save this temple, and Spain came to the rescue. They dismantled, shipped and rebuilt it here. Crazy.

    The plaza mayor is the central gathering place in old town Madrid - we headed there for dinner and a final farewell.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    2Lion fountain
    Historic trams running all over townTiled buildingsTiles up closeAnother tiled buildingNarrow streetsRestaurants seating people in the narrow little alleysAmerican lunch. 😃 It was a nice chamge of paceWaterfrontDom Louis I bridgeSix bridge boat rideOpening to the Atlantic OceanNot sure what fortress this is - will discover it tomorrow and find out!Soooo many stairs!Taking a break!

    Arrived in Porto

    May 15, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    Miles: 7.74 Steps: 18110
    Flights stairs: 28

    We flew from Madrid to Porto, Portugal this morning! I’ve always been interested in Portugal - debated moving here short term or even retiring here - so thought it would be nice to actually see it all first hand. We’ll see what I think after about ten days.

    On all travel days, we don’t schedule much to do - just wander the city, experience it, and get a feel for what we’re interested in seeing. We’ll only be in Porto for 48 hrs so not much time to mess around.

    When we landed, on exiting the plane we were greeted with 100% 60° Oregon, overcast sideways rain - first cold and rain we’ve really seen on this trip. Was quite the surprise, and according to the people we’ve talked to it’s the first rain in 30 days, will only last thru tomorrow and probably won’t rain for another month …. So … I guess we experience Porto in the rain.

    It settled down long enough for us to walk around the city and to take a boat ride on the main river thru town. The streets here are amazing — just narrow alleyways everywhere you look. And Porto is built on a hill, so there are HUNDREDS of steps wherever you go. The architecture is beautiful and they cover the buildings with these ceramic tiles — very unique.

    We decided we needed a break from “foreign food” and actually ate lunch at a Steak & Shake - it was awesome and felt like home.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Clerigos tower
    From the inside of the towerWaiting for someone coming the other wayBell towerChurch with ceramic tilesSao Bento train station (tiles)2Sao Francisco cathedralBest dessert ever- 1€ for a Portuguese tart!1Porto from the other side of the riverOur gondola3Obligatory selfie of the dayDom Luis I bridgeJordan felt giving - 2nd obligatory selfie1Porto from top of bridge - atlantic ocean in the distanceTop level of the bridgeTram coming at us - not much between it and usIt was going pretty fast actually6Nope, not a cathedral ... its the bookstore (that inspired Harry Potter)1Beautiful staircaseStairs from underneath

    Porto

    May 16, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Miles: 8.10 Steps: 19411
    Flights stairs: 34

     We really enjoyed our full day in Porto today, even with the bad weather. It started out rainy and cold but finished with beautiful blue skies.

    We apparently feel the need to climb every tower we find … so climbed another one here. 241 steps to the top and the bells started ringing while we were on it!!

    Portugal is known for their use of ceramic tiles on their buildings - particularly light blue designs. Very pretty. So we went to their train station which was decorated everywhere with them. You’ll also find them on the outside of so many buildings.

    There were a lot of cathedrals here, but only chose to visit a few this time - tried to find the ones that were unique, or different from what we had already seen.

    Then we headed to the water to finally cross the Dom Luis I bridge. We walked across the bottom level (for pedestrians and cars), walked on the other side of the river, took a gondola 🚠 up the hillside, and then walked across the top level (pedestrians and metro trains). Great views from up there!

    Little known fact, JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series lived in Porto when she began writing. Many of the things here in the city are credited as her inspiration for her books — and as we walked around, we could definitely see it. We felt as if we were actually in a Harry Potter novel at times. (Even more than the Harry Potter land in California!) There is a book store here where she used to do a lot of her writing, that has these amazing staircases — which again, are a thing in the books. You have to pay to get into the bookstore now because of the draw to see it (entrance goes toward price of a book if you buy one tho so..) so with Jordan being a HUGE Harry Potter fan, we couldn’t pass it up. Amazing store.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Pretty comfy bus ride
    The bus low fuel light came on so they filled up at a BP!! That tickled me.Streets of LisbonThis woman was dropping a bag on a string to the street, it was filled & she pulled it upNARROW streets with cars zooming pastOne of the many trams in the cityBeautiful sidewalks1Spring has sprungWaterfront2Our hostel is on this hill somewhere - so many steps!

    Travel day to Lisbon

    May 17, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    Miles: 5.06 Steps: 11751
    Flights stairs: 23

    Left Porto and took a 3 1/2 hr bus to Lisbon. Public transportation in Europe is pretty amazing - Trains and buses are really nice and comfortable. The drive thru the country was very “normal”. It almost reminded me of portions of the Eugene to Wilsonville drive. Lots of greenery, farmland and hills in the distance.

    We arrived later in the afternoon so didn’t have a chance to see much - just headed out by foot to find dinner and saw a little of the city. Will see much more over the next couple of days.

    Lisbon is REALLY hilly - even more so than Porto. To me it feels reminiscent of old town San Francisco. There is a large suspension bridge over the ocean that gives me the feels of the golden gate - and all the hills and trams going up and down take me back to the days of riding cable cars as a child visiting family in San Francisco.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    1The pink street
    Jeronimos monestary3Vasco de gamma's tomb1Monument to the discoveries1Belem towerRest timeSize boat we were on1Almost fell over foe this pic214So relaxing

    Wonderful day in Lisbon!

    May 18, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    Miles: 5.94 Steps: 15110
    Flights stairs: 16

    What a great day we had in Lisbon today!!! This city is VERY magical. We got away from old town and went down to the waterfront to explore more.

    Two things in history are noteworthy here: there was a massive earthquake in 1755 that almost completely demolished the entire city. Everything is measured before or after that quake. And they are very proud of their overthrow of the evil dictator, Salazar. The suspension bridge is named “25 of April” - the day they executed him.

    We found the “pink street” which used to be the red light district and then took the old fashioned tram to the Jeronimos Monestary - it and we saw the Tomb of Vasco de Gama! Next door was the Monument of the discoveries - a very tall monument in the shape of a sailing ship with 33 sculptures carved into it - Henry the Navigator up front and 16 more on each side. One side were all famous poets and artists of the day, the other all navigators and sailors. We went to the top - finally this time in an elevator! What a view!

    We found some comfy chairs on the waterfront and Jordan got some wine, me a pina colada and we just sat in the sun for a couple hours. Jordan is good for me - she reminds me of the need to just sit back, do nothing, and just take in wherever we are.

    We finished off our evening with a sailboat sunset cruise. It was very surreal … and gorgeous. Perfect weather - 75, no humidity, and picture perfect sky. We had the best seats, riding up on the bow. He was under sail most of the trip - a first for both of us. What a day!    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Palace of Pèna
    Dining room3Castle of the Moors33Palace of PènaNational Palace of SintraQuinta de Regaleira, from a distanceBeautiful walk thru the park2Soooo many stairs everywhere we goNational palace of sintraCeramic tiles1Quinta de RegaleiraAnother tower we felt the need to climb!The well from the topThe well from the bottom2Inside the passageways

    Day trip to Sintra

    May 19, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    Miles: 8.8 Steps: 22671
    Flights stairs: 64

    We took a 40 min train ride out to Sintra, a small city north west of lisbon. It was another fantastic day - but not for the reasons I expected. We were heading out to see palaces and buildings, but the beauty of the day came from the nature around us.

    We started with the Palace of Peña. Its literally a palace VERY high up on a hill - took an uber from the train station. We’ve been in a few palaces now, and the one in Madrid takes the cake (so far). To be honest, we found this one was somewhat underwhelming inside after seeing such ornate ones elsewhere.

    After touring it, we took a walk thru the National park to the “Castle of the moors”. THIS was incredible - the walk was beautiful and the ruins were amazing. Oldest thing we’ve seen yet. The moors built it in the mid 8th century. I’m not afraid of heights, but at times I was pretty fearful on the ledges.

    After walking all thru the castle and fortress walls, we took another 45 minute walk straight down thru the National park again. There was practically no one else there so it felt so peaceful and serene. That walk was the highlight of our day.

    We ended up at a second palace - the Palace of Sintra. Again, inside was somewhat underwhelming, but interesting.

    The last thing we saw was “Quinta de regaleira”. This was like a garden, but with old towers and a beautiful well we walked down into that led to an underground tunnel system. Really unique.

    Overall the day in Sintra was fantastic. The outside portions stole the show for me. I wish we would have set up a pedometer when we began this trip - may start one as of tomorrow. No idea how far we walked today, but it had to be MANY miles.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Sao Jorge castle in the distance
    Sao Jorge Castle12Peacocks everywhere!111Rua Augusta arcJordan "booping the floof" -2Gloria furnicular

    Last day in Lisbon

    May 20, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    Miles: 5.32 Steps: 12466
    Flights stairs: 27

    We took it easy today - slept in and just saw a few sites in old town that we hadn’t done yet.

    There’s a castle on a hill right in the city of Lisbon - Sao Jorge castle - so we headed up there. Had beautiful views of the city and to our surprise, dozens of peacocks! Jordan says she doesn’t ever remember seeing one, so it was pretty neat to see them on full display.

    Then we went to the Rua Augusta arch - again, right smack in the middle of the city. We were able to go on top of it which was cool. Tho that meant … more stairs. The people who put this city together isnthappy unless you get at least 3 miles in or just stairs everyday.

    Then we finished the day with a relaxing trip up another hill on an old fashioned funicular, and then rode their old tram #28 for almost two hours taking in the rest of city we hadn’t seen.

    Pretty nice time here.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    2Walk to beach from our airbnb1Cliffs here are gorgeousWayer was COLD ... But didnt stop jordanView from dinner2Love the bathroom signs here

    Travel day to Lagos

    May 21, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Miles: 3.57 Steps: 8762
    Flights stairs: 12

    We traveled by bus today south 3 1/2 hrs to Lagos. It’s in a region of Portugal called the Algarve. We haven’t been to the beach since Mexico and love being back to the ocean!

    This is just a quiet beach town, and I love it - especially after all the “city life” we’ve been in for the last few weeks. The beaches are very unique tho. Can’t wait to see them over the next couple days    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Beginning of walk
    114Our boat24They call this "The eyes of God"1

    The cliffs of Lagos!

    May 22, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Miles: 7.93 Steps: 19429
    Flights stairs: 26

    Two or three years ago I started researching info about Portugal, and began wondering about living or retiring here. I’ve spent dozens and dozens of hours looking at pics and reading about this country. And now, finally, It has been AMAZING to see in person all the places I’ve either read about or watched YouTube videos about.

    Today was so magnificent - I can’t hardly contain myself. We started the day with a simple stroll down a path overlooking the ocean. We ended up walking 8 miles! The cliffs and caves here are breathtaking - I’m hoping the pictures do them justice.

    Later in the afternoon we took a 2 hour speedboat ride down the coastline to see the famed Benagil cave (and others). Amazing!! At times, we were hitting speeds of 60 mph, in the ocean, in a pretty small boat (held about 14 passengers). It was incredible.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    BanoffeePastel de Nata1

    Needed day of relaxation

    May 23, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    Miles: 2.78 Steps: 6739
    Flights stairs: 4

    Spent the day chilling at our hotel - hanging out at the pool, and just relaxing before we hit the road again tomorrow. It was nice to just do nothing for a day.

    The desserts have been phenomenal on this trip - most I’ve never seen before. Haven’t mentioned them much, but dang, they’re good. And it’s a good thing I’m walking miles and miles so I can burn them off ! Today I had “Banoffee” - a pie made from bananas, cream and thick caramel sauce. Really yummy. The other dessert I haven’t been able to get enough of is “Pastel de Nata” - a small egg custard tart. Sooo good. In the 18th century they used egg whites to starch the nuns habits - it left them with an abundance of egg yolks, so they created these custard desserts. They’re sold everywhere for $1.20 and people buy them 6-12 at a time. Really good.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    1

    Faro

    May 24, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    Miles: 3.64 Steps: 9239
    Flights stairs: 4

    Took a train a few hours east to Faro. Just checking out all the main areas of Portugal while I’m close. The Algarve is beautiful.

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    11Flamingos!2

    Last day in Faro

    May 25, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    Miles: 6.5 Steps: 14947
    Flights stairs: 3

    Went for a 6 mile hike in a nature preserve at sunset. Really beautiful. Not much to see or do in Faro but it’s been nice for some downtime, and some much needed time for planning upcoming countries.Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Seville Cathedral? Not sure yet
    Gelato served up like a rose - delicious!Narrow streets again

    Travel day to Seville, Spain

    May 26, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    Miles: 5.66 Steps: 13296
    Flights stairs: 1

    We took a 3 hr bus from Faro, Portugal to Seville, Spain. Like most travel days, we arrived, found our hostel, bought some groceries and then just explored a bit.

    Seville is interesting in that they have a “siesta time” - literally everything shuts down from 4-8pm. The city is absolutely dead. Then at 8:00, everything and everyone comes alive. We arrived at 4:00, and saw there wasn’t much to see yet - so relaxed a bit in our hostel and came back out at 9:00. Crazy the difference!!

    I noticed that after being in the quiet and peace of the beach life of Lagos and Faro for 5 days I am very overwhelmed with the city noises of Seville. It’s so loud in comparison.

    The city appears to be absolutely beautiful. Can’t wait to see more of it tomorrow.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Royal Alcazar
    2Love the details in the ceilingsThe ornate decorations on ALL the walls was amazing112Royal bathsLa Giralda TowerRamps in the towerTaking a break on the way downSeville Cathedral1Christopher Columbus' Tomb1Torre de Oro

    More of Seville

    May 27, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    Miles: 8.59 Steps: 23495
    Flights stairs: 17

    The ancient history in these cities is amazing, and I feel I’ve barely scratched the surface … knowing I have places like Rome and Greece to still see. This kind of history just doesn’t exist in the US. I saw things from 700 AD. I think that’s the oldest so far.

    We went to the Royal Alcazar (palace), and the Seville Cathedral - special in that Christopher Columbus’ tomb was there. They don’t seem to view history in relation to Columbus as we do now in the US. Spain/Portugal sure like their palaces and Churches! The Cathedral had a tower - and if there’s a tower, we MUST climb it. Different this time in that there were no stairs - just 37 ramps going around and around. Later in the day we walked along the river and across a few bridges to see the city at night. Ended up walking 8.5 miles today!    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Plaza Espana - panoramic
    1Waited FOREVER for this area to clear to get this pic2Jordan getting inventive to snag some orangesPic I found online of Setas de Seville from the air

    Last night in Seville

    May 28, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    Miles: 5.69 Steps: 14237
    Flights stairs: 1

    Our last day in Seville and we found a few treasures. We started out heading to Plaza Espana - gorgeous! It was attached to a beautiful park that we strolled thru. There are wild orange trees growing everywhere, but they get picked by tourists, so they are just out of reach. We finally snagged a couple today! Ended up renting some electric scooters to get around and had a ball!

    Later in the evening we went to Setas de Seville - the strangest thing - the largest wooden structure in the world. It was 3 city blocks long.! You walked on top of it. Had us a great panoramic view of the entire city, a gorgeous sunset, and once dark enough, a light show to boot. It was a great way to finish our time in this beautiful city.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    A main street thru old town
    Such narrow alleyways. Just enough for one person at a time2A rare shot. They brought us complimentary Limoncello after dinner. Couldn't refuse.Los Italianos famous gelato specialty!.Working hard at Starbucks - the building was gorgeous

    Travel day to Granada, Spain

    May 29, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    Miles: 3.8 Steps: 9055
    Flights stairs: 6

    We took a 3 1/2 hr bus ride to Granada today. It is really great to travel this way - either by bus or train, vs flying. I feel connected to the places I’m visiting and not just zooming over them. Flying will be necessary on this trip, but I’ll enjoy the slower pace while I have it. Plus, Europe knows how to operate their bus and train systems - pretty impressive.

    Not much to show of Granada after today. Just figured out where we are, where everything is, etc. We did go to Los Italianos for gelato — they’re really proud of it, justifiably so. It was great. And we don’t have wifi at our Airbnb so going to have to hang out at a Starbucks everyday for a couple hours to do our planning and Jordans drawing. But Starbucks - really all the US food chains - are so different here. Nicer.    Read more

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