We spent 6 weeks slowly exploring the southern part of Spain called Andalucia (Andalusia). We chose to travel to Malaga, Rhonda, Córdoba, Granada, and Seville. By accident, we visited these cities in what I think was the perfect order. This region once was part of the Roman Empire, then an impressive Muslim stronghold before being overtaken by the Christians. Many impressive sites related to this interesting history can be seen throughout Andalucia. Malaga We started in Málaga simply …
Europe
Northern Lights Cruise in Norway
One of our top goals for 2025 was to see the Northern Lights. This is why we traveled to Norway in February and it was worth all the cold weather. We saw them and they were incredible!! We took a 6 night cruise with Hurtigruten from Tromsø, north to Honningsvåg, and ending in Bergen. This post gives a brief description of each day on the cruise. If you are only interested in if we saw the Northern Lights, yes we did. The night of day 2 and day 3 were both …
Sauna and Fjord Experience in Tromsø
One of the top things I wanted to do while in Norway was the sauna and fjord experience. While we were in Oslo, we chickened out of doing it after seeing ice floating in the fjord. I was already regretting this failure when we got on the plane to Tromsø. But luckily we would get another chance once on the ground in Tromsø. Saunas are very popular throughout the Scandinavian countries. In Norway, combining sitting in a steamy sauna with refreshing dips in the cold …
February Trip to Oslo, Norway
My breath rose up as a white puff into the frigid February air. I tucked my chin further into the warm scarf wrapped around my neck. Then the sun freed itself from the clouds and shined down between the grand buildings surrounding us. Well that’s better. It's amazing how much some direct rays of sun can warm up a 25°F day in Oslo. February isn’t the time of year I would have normally chosen to explore Oslo. We booked a cruise to see the northern lights in northern Norway, …
Guimarães and Braga
Guimarães and Braga are two historic cities near Porto. While many people combine these two cities in a single day trip, I believe they deserve at least a day each. Guimarães This charming city in the north is fondly referred to as the birthplace of Portugal. The first king, Afonso Henrique was born here and fought the Battle of Sao Mamede nearby, which led to Portugal’s independence. Guimarães became Portugal’s first capital in the 12th century. Imagine yourself in …
Historic Porto, Portugal
Blue and white tiled churches, mosaic sidewalks, colorful apartments, bridges, hills, and port wine. This is Porto and it's delightful. Porto is the 2nd largest city in Portugal and was the capital before Lisbon. It was spared by the terrible 1755 earthquake that devastated Lisbon. Therefore, more historic buildings remain in the older districts. Porto is full of small winding streets, many with mosaic tiles (known as Portuguese pavement) creating the sidewalks. Layers of …