sexta-feira, 29 de julho de 2016

Healthy on the road

5 STEPS ON HOW TO STAY HEALTHY
 WHILE TRAVELING

When we travel we basically leave our routine behind, our time to wake up or go to bed, read the news, clean the house, do the laundry and what we usually eat. We want to try different types of food and drink, buy unusual snacks, skip meals, maybe even go more often to fast food joints. So how can we stay healthy while traveling?

Sometimes exercising may be off the list, but I’ll take it you’ll walk a lot depending on where you’re traveling to, but what you eat has a huge impact on how you’ll feel during and after the trip.

I’m here to share with you what I do to try to keep my eating habits healthy even while I’m traveling. Just remember I’m no health specialist or nutritian, I’m just a traveler trying not to mess up so much with my diet.

1. Water: the best drink you can have. Try to carry bottled water so you can sip it every now and then. If you refill it with tap water, make sure its drinkable first. If you must drink during your meals, try to avoid alcohol or sodas so you don’t feel bloated.





2. Yogurt: let’s be honest, poop habits change too when we travel, so it might be of some help to have some yogurt in the morning. But it needs to be one of those healthy ones!







3. Fruits: they give you energy, nutrients, make you in a good mood and they’re delicious. Make sure you eat at least one type of fruit everyday. In case you are not so sure about the hygiene habits of where you are, try to buy fruits that you need to peel, like bananas, pineapple, oranges, avocado, kiwis, and maybe avoid strawberries, cherries and grapes, otherwise, wash them real good.




4. Don’t skip lunch: if you are anything like me you’ll skip lunch while traveling without even noticing, but don’t. If you can't stop to have a proper meal, one alternative is to eat a sandwich (that maybe you prepared yourself before leaving), or some cheese and crackers (no problem in finding these items at any store). But you have to eat something for lunch, otherwise you’ll be starving at night and will end up at a fast food restaurant, or even worse you may have low blood pressure during the day and faint. No one wants that to happen while traveling.



5. Avoid bitting more than you can chew: we are traveling, that means we are eating things we normally don't eat, at some point gluttony may take you to the dark side. Avoid bitting more than you can chew is advice for life! Eat until a point you're satisfied, not full. Eat to savor your drink or food, enjoying the moment. Small portions and eating slowly are key for good digestion.







I'm sure you can follow these 5 easy steps on how to stay healthy while traveling. You'll feel good during and after your trip without having to make any sacrifice. So be healthy and keep on traveling!

terça-feira, 26 de julho de 2016

1 day in Sintra

Just thirty minutes away from Lisbon, Sintra needs to be in your trip itinerary!



I arrived in Sintra by train, but if I can give you a piece of advice: don't go during rush hour, you won't be able to move, other than that, easy ride. It will be clear to you that you have arrived in the bucolic village of Sintra. The train station itself already attracts tourists to admire its beautiful ornamented tiles. I admired them so much, that I forgot to photograph! Can you imagine? Only mental pictures...

We, my husband and I, stayed with Airbnb hosts in an apartment around 10 minutes away from the historical village in a very residential area. We only had a day to get to know the city, so our host gave us great tips on what to do first. I always do my research on where to go, what to do and to eat, but when a local tells you what is amazing in their city and what is a big tourist trap, you should be all ears.

Here it is our itinerary for 1 day:

1. Pena's Palace: we went to Palácio da Pena (in Portuguese) right after it opened at 10 o´clock. Bear in mind that the Palace is on top of a mountain, so if you decide to go walking I strongly recommend you do some lunges first. You'll see many people taking tuk-tuk rides, going by excursion buses or vans, but also many red-cheecked walkers.



There is a hefty entrance fee, 14 euros. If you're planning on spending the day there, which is totally possible, money well spent, because the property of the Palace is enchanting. Anyway, I spent only my morning there and I don't regret going out of budget to visit Sintra's biggest icon. 

2. Moorish Castle: what's interesting about seeing a castle is seeing a castle and its big stoned walls blocking the villagers. So, while people were standing in line to enter the castle, we went through a passage where you go down contouring Castelo dos Mouros (in Portuguese) until you reach the historical village, for free.

Again, prepare your breath and legs if you decide to go down walking. There is paid transportation for you to go down, but since the Palace and the Castle's entrance are almost next to each other, people usually decide to do everything walking. I'm just trying to warn you about going to the gym before you travel...



The path is absolutely breathtaking! On one side, a lushy area with plants and trees from all over the world, on the other side, the tall dark gothic wall of the Castle, under your feet cobblestones that are thousands of years and behind you... ok, tourists.

It's a long way down until you reach the historical village of Sintra, but it's worth it. Stop, take pictures, drink some water, realize that you are in a place full of history with an amazing scenery. Even when you have left the Castle's area, the narrowed streets are still part of the fun of being in Sintra. I guarantee that there will be something at around almost every corner that will call your attention.



3. Historical village: maybe you didn't realize that you've just visited a Palace and a Castle on the same day, so I'm here to remind you that you visited a Palace and a Castle on the same day! Of course, a fairy-tale town needs a historical village. From all the hustle and bustle of the tourists some details of the village might go unnoticed. I say this because I was so excited with everything that I was just "brownsing" the city. Do you know what I did ten minutes after I realized this? I started my stroll again feeling all that town could offer me.

  


The handicrafted Portuguese tiles, the bags, purses, hats and shoes made out of cork, the many stores offering a sweet cherry liquor called, ginjinha, the huge line - in front of a famous restaurant - of people who wanted to eat the city's pastry, travesseiro, the street singers, the thousands of postcards waiting to be sent, the narrowed entrance doors to local stores, and the many people in awe to be in that quaint town.  

4. Quinta da Regaleira: here's the last part of our one day trip to Sintra. Just like Pena's Palace, you can spend a whole day visiting the Quinta. In English, quinta means farm, but if I say farm you'll have another idea of what this unforgettable place is, so let's keep its original name, besides it's fun saying quinta.



Easy to get there on foot from the historical village of Sintra, the Palace of the quinta is opened for visitation and it will be the first thing you see. However, I recommed you to leave it to the end, because there are many places for you to visit, walk,  photograph, meditate, have fun in the quinta, so before you leave the property make sure you stop by to take a look at the story of the people who lived there. Everything is included in the 6 euro entrance fee. There are oh so many paths for you to take at the quinta, so make sure you explore them, not necessarily in order, but as you go. I say explore because there are some "hidden" places, like the Iniciatic Well, a place you understand what's the Earth and what's the sky. Philosophical, right? But you'll get it once you're there.

A place where I would definitely go back! The quinta seems to be envolved in mystery, maybe because of its paths, green areas, "princesses" towers, wells, devotion towards religion, or maybe just because of the palace colors, its thick doors and mosaic floors. 



If you only have one day in Sintra those are the places you should definetely pay a visit. They are not only tourist sites, or the town's main icons; Pena's Palace, for example, is considered a World Heritage Site, one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. After being in such a fairy-tale place, Sintra will be forever in your heart!

segunda-feira, 25 de julho de 2016

Airbnb

My first Airbnb experience 

Talking about travel apps is easy. The actual result of using them is much more exciting!  




I guess many people are familiar with the Airbnb platform: there are many hosts in many cities in many countries who are making their spare rooms available to travelers who just need a place to crash for a few days. You just need to see which room description sounds more appealing to you and book it. Besides saving money, compared to if you stayed at a hotel, you will experience traveling like a local, which means talking to the homeowners and getting real insider tips.

I need to say something first, you may not be as fortunate as my husband and I were but if you are, man you will be so addicted to this platform you won’t even consider hotels anymore for your next trips.

So here we go. We were visiting Portugal with almost no planning ahead when we decided to go to the city of Sintra, near Lisbon. At that moment we were at a guesthouse doing some volunteer work. I had checked the Airbnb website before, so I decided to download the app to make things easier. Created my profile and started checking the available rooms in Sintra’s historical village. Found one I liked: pictures, description, feedback and price. But I was too apprehensive being my first time doing this. Didn’t know the host, the actual location not even the accuracy of the post. Funny enough I wasn’t worried. Although I exchanged some messages with the host just to see how the “texting impression” would go. Good! Nice from the start! So I did my booking and paid it online.

One of the hosts :)
Next day we went to Sintra by train. We arrived 15 minutes later but our host was there waiting to pick us up as previously arranged. By the way, I had no idea what our hosts looked like! And I had never done such a thing in my entire life! This trusting thing was going pretty well. It was a ten minute ride from the station to the house, and we were already getting to know one another.

We arrived at the house and were introduced to our bedroom. Just like it was shown in the website! We finally met the host I texted to and she was incredibly nice to us making us feel at home. We had a private bathroom and free access to the kitchen and living room. We were thrilled for having chosen such nice hosts when all of a sudden we are invited for dinner!

Something I quickly learned is that all Portuguese people know how to cook and drink their wine. It was our first Airbnb experience and it felt like we were visiting friends. During dinner we mentioned we were going to visit the main tourist places the next day because we only had one day there. So they handed out a map explaining the best sites to go and “if you don’t mind I can give you a ride”. What?! “Sure, we’d love that!” That’s exactly the traveling like a local experience I was telling you about. You not only get to know a new place but also the people who live there.

At the Iniciatic Well in Quinta da Regaleira-Sintra
We were spending an excellent day in Sintra when our host called to check if we were ok. We told him everything was fine, we were having a pretty good time. We were leaving one of the most iconic sites in Sintra, when we saw our host on the phone. “Oh, hey!” He asked us if we were going to do something else because he could give us a tuk-tuk ride to off the beaten path places. What?! “Sure, let’s go!”

Our trip to Sintra couldn’t have been better. Big Airbnb fans we became. In case you are wondering we had no plans after our check out. So not me! Around midnight we started looking for a room in Lisbon in my Airbnb app. I made a pre booking and hoped my future host would see it in the morning. Bingo! Next day, reservation complete. This time I knew what she looked like and her address. All ready to go!

As you can see, nowadays my go to website for room reservations is without a doubt Airbnb. Choosing well, being a nice host and a nice guest is the key to have an amazing experience while traveling.

Guests must remember they are staying at somebody else’s home and respect that. Hosts may be receiving a foreigner in their country and should make their guest feel welcome.

I definitely recommend Airbnb. It has all the perks to make your trip unforgettable!



sexta-feira, 22 de julho de 2016

Travel Apps

Hey! Welcome to the digital world!

I must confess that it took me a while to finally have the guts to book a flight or a hotel room through an app. But when I did it, boy did I get addicted!

I've always done these things through my computer and no problems there, but when you are on the road it's much easier to book everything you need using your cell phone.

This is a screenshot of my cell phone apps. I drew pink arrows to the ones I'll be talking about today: Airbnb, Flixbus, Ryanair and Hostelworld.

First of all: space! These apps are somewhat heavy to download and nobody wants to have a cell phone full of cool apps that keeps getting stuck. Then, very good wifi/4g connection, because if I'm typing my credit card number and lose connection it just freaks me out. One advice, you can take it or not, is to have the same name and password for all your travel apps, which can save you some time. You can also just never log off and/or write down your passwords on a note pad app.

Here we have two choices of accommodation and two choices for means of transportation.

To Go:


Ryanair app: Once you have downloaded and logged in, click the big yellow button to search for flights. The app doesn't allow you to search for "anywhere in the world" like the desktop version does, so you have to type from and to, but, before that, make sure you selected one way or return. Then you have the boxes to type the date you'll fly out (and/or fly back). When you open the calendar to select the date you'll see that sometimes they only have flights on Tuesdays and Fridays or they just don't have any flights for the next two months. Sometimes it helps if you change the airport (if possible), if it doesn't, I'm sorry, you're too late so you'll have to choose the dates they are offering you. They also show you the price for some days before or after the day you chose, this feature has saved me some money!

Alright, so you have the airports, dates and number of passengers, you will now have a list, or not, sometimes just the one, for the available time of the flight. 

Please, be sure you can arrive at the airport on time! I'm saying this because once I saw a one way ticket for 9,99 euros, but the plane would depart at 6:30am, I'd have to arrive at the airport two hours earlier, but there wouldn't be any buses available or subway train. So, I chose the next time available, at 2:30pm. Paid 16 euros... oh well.

Now, comes the payment part. Type your name, credit card number and nationality. Very important: if you DO NOT have a European passport, you CANNOT check in using the app and you will HAVE TO print your boarding pass. At the airport, DON'T FORGET to get in line for checking in one hour before departure.

If you have a European passport, you can at least one day before, check in via the app. Your boarding pass will be saved in the app for you to show at the departure line. It comes with your name, seat number, time of flight, where you're going and a QRcode. You have to show the real one, screenshots don't work. And, please, don't forget your passport.

Enjoy your flight!

Flixbus app: In case you don't know this company yet, here's some info: it's a German company currently in 20 countries! Their app is really user-friendly. As you can see from this screenshot, you have easy access to booking a trip, selecting the from and to, dates and number of people. Right next to the booking icon, you have my tickets, that means in case you might have mutiple locations booked, which means multiple tickets, they are all there in a very organized way. I say this from experience!

The app also allows you to choose the station you prefer (see the screenshot below). It gives you a variety of prices according to their timetable, even if there's any transfer or if it's a direct bus ride. I personally like to play with the dates, so they also allow you to see the prices for the day before and after you've selected.

Once you've booked your ticket - you know the drill, complete name of passengers and credit card number - you will now have your saved bookings in my tickets and it doesn't matter if you have a European passport or not, just now the QRcode from your ticket with your passaport or ID to the bus driver and you're good to go. Although I see many people who can't trust QRcodes so they print their tickets, another available option, but never a screenshot, it just doesn't work, I also say this from experience.

It happened to me once so I think I should share this information with you. One day before my trip with Flixbus they sent me an e-mail saying that the time of my bus ride had changed, so they were sending me a new QRcode. I got a little anxious about it, but again this is good for you to know to stay, or try to stay, always connected while traveling. So the next day I showed the new QRcode to the bus driver... it wasn't working properly! I explained what happened and asked him to check the old one. All the information was there, my guess is that they updated, and this simple code (there's nothing else, no name, no nothing) shows the bus driver number of passenger and their names for him to check with you passport.

Enjoy the ride!

To sleep:

Airbnb app: Never booked with Airbnb before? What are you waiting for? Since I had two great stays booked with Airbnb hosts they are nowadays my number one choice of accomodation. I strongly suggest you to do your booking via the app, because they have this amazing feature: you can exchange direct messages with your host in real time!

Source: Airbnb.com
First of all, create your profile: picture, brief description of who you are, what you like doing and so on. Then, there are hundreds of hosts for you to choose, just type where you are traveling to. They all show pictures of the bedroom you'll be staying, what kind of amenities you might have, what's nearby and feedbacks. Always read the feedbacks because sometimes they say things that might encourage you to stay there or maybe describe something that is not your cup of tea.

Before I booked my first Airbnb room, I sent a message to the host to know if her place was walking distance to the tourist area and other doubts I had since it was my first time staying at a stranger's house. She was always polite and helpful. So, I booked!

For everybody's safety before closing your booking you will have to take a clear picture of a personal document (passport, driver´s license...), have an online account of any social media and let them check the validity of your credit card number before your booking is finally complete. But all of these things are just for the first time you're using the app, for your next bookings they'll have all this information stored.

You'll receive confirmation of payment and reservation by e-mail .

Have a good night sleep!

Hostelworld app: Another affordable option of accommodation is staying at a hostel, whether your young, be it physically or mentally, single, a couple or in a group. Hostelword app allows you to search any type of hostel you want. Again, read the feedbacks written by people who have stayed there, some details you'll only find reading feedbacks. You'll register, via the app itself, type destination and start looking for your perfect hostel. Search for most relevant, price, location, party hostel, small, boutique, you name it!

Source: hostelworld.com
From my personal experience, I just had to choose the hostel, click book, and pay a pre-booking fee of 4 euros, which was part of the total payment, the rest of it I'd only pay at the hostel. Of course I was logged in, so they already "knew it was me".

How simple is that?







One thing that is worth mentioning is that I paid Ryanair, Flixbus, Airbnb and Hostelworld with my pre-paid travel card! After my trips with them, they all (except the flight company) asked for my feedback, which, in my opinion, is a big deal for the travelers' community.

Ready to travel? So go on and download your new best-friends!

To inspire!

Saturday Motivation Quote


Source:Pinterest.com

quinta-feira, 21 de julho de 2016

Ryanair

Whenever, wherever, Ryanair we were meant to be together
I’ll be there and you’ll be near, and that's the deal my dear


Shakira I’m sorry for this cheesy use of your song but this is the first thing that comes to my mind before I book a flight with Ryanair.

In case you still don’t know about this Irish company, they fly all over Europe on low fares, and the reason why you’re able to pay so little is that you won’t get any type of luxury unless you pay extra for it. With this airline company you can pay as little as 5€ for a one way trip if you have flexibility on where and when. That’s right, 5€!

When you book a flight with them you are allowed to have ONLY a carry-on bag with very specific measurements, otherwise you pay extra. They charge for the food they serve. There’s no enterteinament on board and you’ll probably get into the plane by climbing the outdoor stairs, rain or shine. The aircraft is three seated on each side and you don’t get to choose where you sit, unless you’re willing to pay a small fee. You can do all your booking on your cellphone app and just show them the QRCode as your boarding pass. That’s if you have a European passport, otherwise you will have to print your boarding pass at home, if you don’t, they charge you about 40€ to print it for you. Hell no!

My first experience with Ryanair was one of the best. Very well organized, punctual, easy access to my boarding pass (and booking and check in), polite staff on board and on land, smooth flight and got all that by booking almost two weeks in advance a one way trip from Porto to Hamburg for 24€. Pretty good, right?

In my opinion, it was a pretty smart idea to clear all the flight amenities out to be able to low the prices. Flights in Europe last what one, two, three hours? Take some snacks and a book with you and, honey, enjoy the flight! You might notice that even leg room is more confortable with Ryanair compared to other big companies. Of course you'd better pray for good weather, otherwise you will be wet. But hey, at least you can spend your extra cash on souvenirs, right?

Well, nothing to complain. Budget traveling is my cup of tea! So Ryanair I'll see you wherever whenever...

quarta-feira, 20 de julho de 2016

Off the beaten path


North of Portugal: Póvoa de Varzim 

When we think about cities to visit in Portugal, many famous places start coming to our mind, be it for their historical monuments or for their worldwide known sweets. One of the big cities to be remembered is Porto. 

The city of Porto, in the North of Portugal, attracts visitors of all nationalities. Porto still has the characteristics of a country with a big history, delicious culinary, strong religious tradition, not to mention the fact that the tourist feels like worshiping the Portuguese culture. 

If you are thinking of a picturesque place, you are right, but forget that as soon as you take the subway. The subway train and station are modern, clean, passengers use an electronic pass and there are no turnstiles. Most of the subway lines aren’t underground, what makes a much more pleasant ride. 

The last station up North of Porto is in a city off the beaten path, called Póvoa de Varzim. It was the first city I visited in Portugal and, of course, it shouldn't be widely known. It is a city of fishermen, flat (without the ups and downs of downtown), with a population of around 64 thousand people. Extremely popular for the Portuguese people in the summer, it has a long beach with a large stretch of sand and cold water, but besides that it has also many tiny narrowed streets, which inspires many photographers, professionals or not. 

A peaceful city that is proud of its security any time of day or night, its easy signals to drivers to stop for pedestrians, its huge wall of Portuguese blue tiles – that tells the story of its people through paintings on the tiles –, its proximity to the big city, Portuguese or why not Spanish, its traditional catholic churches, bakeries and a historical downtown that still has the symbols that represent the fishermen of Póvoa de Varzim. 


You can literally see one church at every corner in the historical center of the cityAll of them are worth a visitIf you are religious, do your praying, if notjust admire the richness of details they have. I entered many churches in Portugal and they are never the sameBy the wayone of the churches in the historical circuit of Póvoa is a stop to the pilgrims going to Santiago de Compostela. 

In the city's bakeries you will always find the traditional Portuguese sweetsAll of them with the yolk color, their primary ingredientSomy recommendation for your first tasty experience isask for Bola de Berlim (Berlin's ball), it just melts in your mouth! 


There you go! Just a one hour subway ride from downtown Porto, you are able to visit a city off the beaten path, where there is beach, historical center and a window watching boulevard. Funny fact here is that this is actually more popular than going in the store and buying something. During the day people are just busy going from one place to the other, but when night comes, say hello to the window watchers!


Póvoa de Varzim is worth the ride and worth the visitjust be sure you bring a jacket with you, 'cause boy it's cold up there!