A glimpse of country life on the Rota Vicentina
Day 1 of hiking on the Rota Vicentina from Santiago do Cacém to Vale Seco At 6AM I woke up from a coughing, gurgling sound coming out of one of the other rooms. At 7AM the same guy started his morning rituals singing along loudly to the radio. At 7.30AM…
14 days on the Rota Vicentina and Fishermen’s trail
Everything you need to know for a great walk During my last holiday I discovered Portugal is the perfect country for hiking. I came to hike all the way down the coast from Santiago do Cacém to the most South-Westerly point of Europe, Cape Saint Vincent. The scenery here is…
My view of Lisbon
I was totally unprepared when I traveled to Portugal. I didn’t intend to go to Portugal this year and when I booked my flights I mainly went to do a long distance walk. So I landed in Lisbon without any expectations and without the pressure to follow a list of…
Travel in Portugal during covid-19
Looking for travel options during this pandemic has turned out to be a challenge. You always have to check the restrictions of your country of choice, your home country and your travel insurance. I booked my flight to Portugal only 3 weeks before departure, but two days before I flew…
The seven hanging valleys of the Algarve
The Algarve in Portugal is known for its sunshine and stunning beaches. But lazing in the sun isn’t the only thing the region’s got to offer. The spectacular coast line creates a great place for hiking and even in late October you can still find pleasant temperatures that invite for…
The unexpected turns of my walks in Portugal
For the last 6 weeks I was in Portugal. I decided to go for a month, but when that was over I just wasn’t done yet. To be honest, I’m still not done, but the last week and a half was such a roller coaster that I decided to come…
I finally made it to Düsseldorf
What a surprising city on the Rhein Many times I’ve passed Düsseldorf on my way to Berlin, but I’ve never taken the time to stop. So when the train tickets were on special I thought this would be the perfect destination for a 3 day weekend. Added bonus, it’s near…
Düsseldorf’s elegant summer palace
A visit to Belrath palace On the Southern edge of Düsseldorf lies a pastel pink gem of a palace. It was built in the 18th century by Charles Theodor and his wife Elizabeth Auguste of Sulzbach. The owners used it once and then never saw it again. Well.. they got…
Once upon a time in the Wuppertal
Once upon a time Andrea found herself looking for a hike around Düsseldorf. Via the Komoot App she found a 17 km loop not too far from the city. As she looked into it more, she found out the walk passed a medieval castle. “Oooo”, Andrea thought. And that’s where…
Berlin history at the Stasi museum
Berlin has so many different faces. Friedrichshain has a lot of old buildings and even the new flats are build to resemble the old style. Nothing is really bigger than about 6 floors and the neighborhood feels like a town within a city. A 30-minute walk from my house it’s…