On my World Heritage tour before the Travel Bloggers Unite conference in Porto, our guide took us to Lello Bookstore, one of the most beautiful in the world for its Art Nouveau design. JK Rowling, author of none other than Harry Potter, spent time here while teaching English in the 1990s. … [Read more...] about The Most Beautiful Bookstore in the World
Portugal
In Love With Gallery Hostel
I've long considered Palmer's Lodge in London to be my all-time favorite hostel, but I may now have to reconsider. After checking it out on my friend the Budget Traveller's Luxury Hostels project, I knew I had to book my stay at Gallery Hostel for the Travel Bloggers Unite conference in Porto. It … [Read more...] about In Love With Gallery Hostel
Photo Essay: The Tiles of Portugal
Immediately upon arriving in Porto, the beautiful hand-painted tiles on the churches and buildings around town pulled me in. It's not something I would ever see back home, turning the most bland buildings into works of art. I think I stopped for every single color of tile in my week or … [Read more...] about Photo Essay: The Tiles of Portugal
The Night I Spent in a Monastery
After a long day of sightseeing and a bus breakdown, I was relieved to find out accommodation for the night in Guinmares was a beautiful former monastery tucked into the surrounding peaks of the Douro Valley. Pousada de Santa Marinha is not the type of place I would typically stay, but I can't say … [Read more...] about The Night I Spent in a Monastery