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Author: Lisa

** All photos are property of Lisa (or friends) and not to be reused or shared. ** Recent retiree. Looking forward to seeing even more of this beautiful world than I already have. I visited all 50 states as a kid, with my parents and sisters. We did long car trips every summer, with our station wagon, camper and tent for the kids, visiting all the National Parks, historical markers and other sites that interested Dad. I get my love of our beautiful national parks and history from my Dad. As an adult, after spending time in South Carolina, Alabama and Texas in the US Army I then was stationed in West Germany. I saw most of western Europe while there for almost 3 years. Divorced with one child, I wanted to show my daughter the same amazing sites I got to see. We didn't visit all 50 states together but did visit 36 or so, as well as 50+ countries and all 7 continents together. Now that I have all the time in the world, I have a long list of places on my bucket list. I'll be traveling solo, just me and my dog named Boo. A 11-year-old rescue dog I adopted last year, he's a great companion and loves car trips.
Andalusia: Seville, Cadiz, Malaga, Granada, Cordoba

Andalusia: Seville, Cadiz, Malaga, Granada, Cordoba

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I finally got my D7, Portugal Residency Card, so I could start planning trips to other European countries without worrying about being deported for violating EU immigration rules. Kelly was interested in visiting Spain with me, so I planned several different itineraries for Andalusia. I had one that was 14-15 days but we cut a few sites. We were both pleased with our final schedule though, Seville, Cadiz, Gibraltar, Malaga, Granada, Cordoba, then back to Seville to drop off Kelly…

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Gibraltar

Gibraltar

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I really wanted to see Gibraltar. It is one of those unique areas, despite its small size, that has been very important throughout history. It is the crossroads of Europe and Africa; Morocco is only 24 km away. It is also the crossroads between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and, like other areas on the Mediterranean, it had a large role in WWII. We read that crossing the border with a car can take hours. So we left the car…

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Madeira

Madeira

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I spent 8 nights in beautiful Madeira, three nights in Funchal before renting a car to see the rest of the island and staying in Ponta do Sol. I flew from Faro with a layover/connection in Lisbon before arriving in Funchal. Funchal Arriving in Funchal I took the airport shuttle downtown. I booked a roundtrip ticket to save a couple euro, 6.00€, one way, 10.00€ roundtrip. Unfortunately, three days later, wanting to return to the airport to pick up my…

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Evora and Estremoz, Portugal

Evora and Estremoz, Portugal

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Everyone in Portugal talks about Evora. It’s one of the things I’m asked frequently when meeting other immigrants in Lagos. Have you been to Evora? Not yet. Well, it was time. My well-used travel book, 1000 Places to See Before You Die, has a page on Evora. It also recommended the “pousadas” or historic hotels of Portugal. These are old convents or castles. I used the Pousadas de Portugal site to reserve the Hotel Pousada Convento Évora, a 15th century…

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Exploring the Algarve

Exploring the Algarve

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There are so many wonderful towns to explore in the Algarve, as well as magnificent trails, rugged coasts, parks, and beautiful beaches. Here are some of my favorites sites and activities. I feel quite lucky to live here and have time to explore little towns and search out new sites. I will continue to add sites as I explore. Almadena Forte de Almadena the Fisherman’s Trail runs along here. There is a nice trail from Burgau (actually from Lagos all…

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Dining in the Algarve

Dining in the Algarve

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There are some great restaurants throughout the area. I have been enjoying trying different restaurants and learning more about Portuguese food. Because of all the visitors and immigrants, however, there are plenty of options and styles. There is a lot of seafood, of course, and I found this article that helped with different types of fish: Portuguese Fish. I used this to make a cheat sheet and saved on my phone when I eat out. Carrapateira Microbar Carrapateira – great…

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Lisbon Christmas Markets

Lisbon Christmas Markets

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Kelly M and I decided to go to Lisbon to see the Christmas markets. We took the Flixbus from Lagos to the Lisbon Oriental station. The bus stops at Portimao and another location before taking the highway north. It’s about a 4 hour trip. I thought the train would be faster but from Lagos you have to take a fairly slow train to Faro then can catch the express to Lisbon so it can take just as long. We left…

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Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

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I spent two very busy weeks in Washington D.C. just over a year ago. Even though I didn’t do everything I wanted to, I wasn’t planning on returning so soon but this was where I had to come for my VFS (visa) appointment for Portugal. Like most large, world class cities, there is always something to do, so I found plenty of new activities to enjoy. The AirBNB in the Eastern Market I had in April 2022 was booked unfortunately….

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Manassas National Battlefield Park

Manassas National Battlefield Park

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I stopped in Manassas National Battlefield Park on the way from Hampton to Washington DC. I arrived around noon and saw the exhibits at the visitor center then joined a Ranger walk for the Henry Hill battle site. This was the site of the major battle during First Manassas/First Bull Run, July 1861. After that walk I went over to Chinn Ridge for a second Ranger walk. This was the site of a major offensive during Second Manassas/Second Bull Run…

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Colonial Virginia: Jamestown to Yorktown

Colonial Virginia: Jamestown to Yorktown

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I stayed in Hampton close to the waterfront; it was a lovely area. I drove around the peninsula for a week to see the several historic sites. Fort Monroe I spent the first day at Fort Monroe. Advance timed tickets to the Casemate Museum are required. This was a great museum, lots of artifacts and history about the fort, including the cell where Jefferson Davis was held for 2 years. I spent the entire day here. After the museum I…

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