ALENTEJO

After a 3 days stay in the sparkling Lisbon we drove south to enjoy the countryside of Alentejo. A rural area with cork trees, rolling hills, sleepy villages and deserted beaches. But its biggest asset, tranquillity and hardly any, if any, tourists.During our drive, it became very clear that not a drop of rain had fallen in the last few weeks. Everything looked dry and barren, no lush green fields as far as the eye can see.Climate change not real? Think again. Not so far away from Vila Nova de Milfontes lies, somewhat remote, a cosy guesthouse Três Marias. Our …

LISBOA #2

35 mins by bus and you enter a different world. LX Factory in the Alcantara district is a super-cool place! It was an old tissue factory founded in 1846 but got transformed into an inspiring melting pot of painters, designers, art shops & bars. All located under the shadow of the 25th of April bridge and it breaths creativity. The below art work is from Artur Bordalo (*1987) a Lisboa born artist. He’s a socially engaged visual artist who criticises the consumer society and makes beautiful murals with waste materials found on the streets of Lisbon. If you look closely, …

LISBOA #1

Where to start? Maybe with a quote of our city guide: ‘Portuguese are the worst promoters of themselves and we have an inferiority complex’Well, they don’t have to. It’s true they once ruled the world and had numerous setbacks but without the Portuguese world’s history would be different. Lisbon is one of a kind. History, spacious avenues, small and steep alleys (becos), great food, sea, Santa Justa elevator, azulejos,…. and not to forget, the red & yellow trams or ‘Remodelados’.We actually visited the city walking and didn’t use any of those touristic trams. As a passenger you would basically feel …

NIEUWPOORT

Newport, Nieuport. A small town at the estuarium of the Yser river at the Belgium West coast. Once the battleground during WWI where the war was settled, but today a beautiful coastal town and home of Jan Fabre’s statue ‘searching for Utopia’. Just before we left to spend the weekend, I impulsively grabbed a bunch of artificial roses. I don’t know why but i felt they would be part of something. The sky was heavy, rainy and grey. And those roses proved to be a colourful detail. The equestrian statue ‘Men’ on the breakwater is an artwork of Nina Beier. …

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE

The capital and largest city on the North-East side of the island. About an hour driving from Garachico. Our first stop is the Auditorio de Tenerife. Unmistakably a building designed by Santiago Calatrava. It’s massive yet elegant at the same time. The semi-arch suspended over the building is a technical masterpiece. Like almost every building by Calatrava, this one too got criticised because of various structural problems and budget increase. We have seen multiple buildings of his hand and i must admit, they are all stunning. What I honestly don’t understand, why on earth do you build such a building …

EL TEIDE

The highest mountain of Spain lies in the center of Teide National Park with rough volcanic landscapes. Remember that it’s still an active volcano, with its most recent eruption in 1909.It is difficult not to be impressed by the rough landscapes. In 2007 it got named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. And they were right to do so. Maybe you think: ‘what is so special about volcanic rock, it’s just some monotonous rough terrain, maybe a bit dull’ But then you’re wrong. After every turn, you want to stop for the next photo. There is an incredible amount of …

HIKING

If you like walking then Tenerife is the right place for you. Kilometers of hiking trails of varying difficulty and beautiful views. Just like in every mountain country you have to go prepared. The weather on the West Coast can be volatile.At dawn you will have sunshine and brilliant blue skies, and in the afternoon you will walk under a greyish cloud blanket. Which is actually a good thing, because the island does not have natural water sources. Nor rivers or lakes.All water precipitates by condensation, rain showers are rare, with the help of cloud forests. humidity is absorbed by …

SEMANA SANTA

Easter, 2 weeks of procession floats and brotherhoods. During our stay we got daily treated. What a timing! What a vibe. The parishioners of Garachico also took to the streets almost daily with their float. The Holy Week of San Cristobal de La Laguna is the most important of the Canary Islands. Popularly known as Semana santa lagunera, it is also the oldest, with more than five centuries of history. So we decided to have a look and experience the walks of thrones of wheels through the main streets of the city. The image of the Santísimo Cristo de La …

TENERIFE

Island in the sun.And a popular one too. Every car rental company was completely sold out. The main reason was that numerous rental cars were sold during the pandemic to reduce cost. Luckily for us we made our reservation weeks upfront. Landed at Tenerife Airport South our next stop is Garachico for the next 7 days. Garachico is a charming quiet town located at the west coast trapped between a mountain and the Atlantic , far away from the crowded touristic South coast. Garachico got nearly completely destroyed in 1706 by an eruption of volcano Montaña Negra. Traces of lava …

ISOLA DEL GIGLIO

One of the advantages of travelling off-season is peace of mind.And freedom to quickly adjust your itinerary. In our case ‘sailing schedule’We decided to cruise to Giglio island. Actually found by accident while Karen was surfing the internet in search for our next hotel, she bumped into this location. We left the car on the mainland in Porto Santo Stefano in a secured car park and took the boat. Wind in our hair, salt on our skin, sun rays itching and lungs full of iodine.What a treat. About 1 hour later, Giglio came into view. The La Guardia hotel was …