Street Art: Porto, Portugal

picture taken in the city of Aveiro, north of Portugal 

In 2014 the city of Porto created a program to allow street artists to use specific walls or spaces and abandoned houses transforming them with urban art. Since then, graffiti and other interventions alike have been seen as art, and their authors artists. Tourists from all over the world are drawn to Porto street art, which led to street art tours.

Miragaia

The free street art tours have maps and guides. Your guide can be a student from the Visual Arts School or the street artist himself. The tours have a specific date and time, but nothing keeps you from doing it on your own. 

power box

power box

Palácio de Cristal

Before I heard there was a program allowing the artists to use some specific public spaces, I just thought how fun and creative those interventions were. With my camera at hand I started shooting the arts that most caught my attention. However, if you take one of the tours you will be able to find some hidden street art really worth seeing. Remember you have to be into those things, otherwise you'll just say it's vandalism.

Jardim das Virtudes

Unfortunately, Porto does have plenty of vandalism, which is sad to see, but don't mistake a rebel prick for an urban street artist. The artists have many techniques and a story to tell behind every mural, besides, many of them are really making a living out of it. 

So, jump on this photo safari in Porto with its giant murals, funny art ideas, power boxes turned into paintings and so much more!

Sé area

Sé area

Sé area

                   

A glimpse of Paris

Oh Paris! 
               Merci
                     beaucoup!
                                  Bonjour!



Paris! So close and yet so far!
I've always wondered... what does France have that makes everybody falls in love with it?

My first time in France was to do volunteer work in the country side, around 4 hours away from Paris, in a city called Chateauroux. There I thought, can it get Frenchier than this? People leaving boulangeries with baguettes and croissants, milk stands in front of the local markets, stone wall houses and large green fields with sheep grazing. I was already enchantée!

My husband and I planned that to when we left our volunteering in Chateauroux we would spend a few hours in Paris before taking our flight back home. We would have four hours to spare, sounded good enough to snap some pictures of the Eiffel tower.

But, here's what happened: it rained. A lot! It rained so much that days later Paris was flooded. You'll probably remember watching it on the news... Well, our plans went down the drain. Ironic, right?

Did we get to see Paris and eat macaroons? Unfortunately no. And yet, that city was growing on me. I was never one of those girls who kept dreaming of Paris and being all romantic about it. I would just like to travel there someday. But the moment I saw half of the Arc du Triomphe, something clicked. The streets, the bars, the gardens... all... so... French! I felt in love with it immediately! And that from the bus windown! 

Is there something in the air in Paris? Was it the rain that made everything more nostalgic and classic? Or is it the language? All of a sudden I wanted to watch Amelie Poulain and Chanel, and I was missing an Edith Piaf music soundtrack while my eyes tried to catch a glimpse of every little detail of the city through the windown.

It can also be because I was so close to visiting Paris, but couldn't, the pouring rain wouldn't allow us this time. 

And I kept thinking about the answer to my previous question: Why does everybody love Paris? Why was I in love with Paris?

I still don't know the answer but I wouldn't mind going back there over and over again to try to find out. I need a second date.

LELLO Bookshop: booklovers unite!

Lonely Planet and The Guardian considered Lello bookshop the third most beautiful bookshop in the world and it sure deserves to be on that list!

I don't mind visiting bookshops when I am out, not only traveling but in my own city too. There's something magical when you enter a bookshop or a library. I guess it's a feeling that all the wisdom in the world is on the pages of those books right in front of you.

Lello & Irmão (Lello&Brother) has been open since 1906 and much thought was put into it, from books to architeture. The fact that it has been an inspiration for acclaimed authors like J.K.Rowling is no secret and I would dare to say that many travelers put this bookshop on their travel bucket list because of that.

There is a € 3 entrance fee that is fully discounted if you purchase a book, plus you get a map of the bookshop with some curiosities. It gets around 4,000 visitors a day from around the world, and lines can be long at any time of year, though  inside Lello it is never crowded.

It sells around 5,000 books per week! 

On the top shelves behind closed glass doors there are rare books and first editions. You feel you are being transported to another era just by looking at them and imagining all the acclaimed authors who have their first editions in there! A feeling that maybe only booklovers will understand and share. By the way, every single person who enters Lello smiles! It's amazing to see. Of course I know this because this happened to me, so I started looking at people as they entered to see if I was the only one.

If architecture is also your thing, the red stairs are a big deal, and again an inspiration for the Harry Potter stories. If you are able to get a picture of you at the stairs without no one else photobombing it, consider yourself a lucky booklover.

In July of this year, 2016, the bookshop was under restoration for 4 months to receive its original façade color and clean stained glass ceiling to celebrate its 110 years. It was and still is stunning!

With its anniversary, Lello Bookshop was chosen to be the host for the worldwide book release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I took this picture about one hour before the release, and all the fans, visitors and travelers were there in front of the small two-story bookshop just waiting for Lello to open its doors again, after the 4 month period. The excitement was so strong that it felt like it was opening for the very first time.

Lello bookshop definitely deserves a visit. From booklovers to tourists I guarantee everybody will have fun browsing (and maybe buying) books, having a cup of coffee, buying a souvenir or just feeling closer to Harry Potter.

BERLIN: the tour for nerds

I am a huge fan of free walking tours! I started taking them more than six years ago and now when I am planning a trip one of the first things I research is: are there free walking tours?

They are usually in English, but some also offer it in Spanish, French or German upon group request. Many of them don't request reservation, just your punctuality at the meeting point. They guide you and your group, around 15 people, through the city's most important sights, and some hidden gems too, always full of information and curiosities. It usually takes 2 hours or more, with a short stop for coffee, and at the end of it you give them a tip if you think their tour was worth it. A little secret: it always is!

When my husband and I planned our trip to Berlin, we could only think about the history immersion we would have in such an important scenery of  World History, and a free walking tour, would be the best way to go.

It really is a tour for nerds, and if you are really into history, the free walking tour may even include a space for Q&A.

We decided to take Sandeman's New Berlin Free Tour. Our meeting point was in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Just by being there your mind starts to flash you images of how that space was during the Third Reich. Countless pictures and plenty of history from our guide Sam, who, by the way, has a PhD in History. How awesome is that?! We could listen to him for hours because he guided us in Berlin with a strong passion for what he was talking about.

Free Walking Tour in front of the Berlin Wall

In a little more than 3 hours we visited the Brandenburg Gate, Hitler's bunker, the Holocaust Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, SS Headquarters, The Berlin Wall, the TV tower, Pariser Platz, Lufwaffle Headquarters and Humboldt University.

The experience of being at a place that staged so much history and tragedy is something that touches you. To see the Berlin Wall right there in front of you and to imagine how life was at that time is just impossible. Without a doubt being close to the Berlin Wall is an unforgettable experience. All the region of the Berlin Wall carries a sad, silent and respectful air. The Museum of Terror was built behind it, and when you're there you see many students of all ages, many tourists, and utter silence. Pictures, videos, texts, miniature models, newspaper clips and Hitler's voice giving speeches. To listen to that man's voice while you are in front of the Berlin Wall, brings you an indescribable feeling. You feel like you are mourning the people who had to live through that time while it's so hard to believe that that unfortunately happened.

Needless to say that that was the part of the tour that left a mark in me. Our guide said that Germans know what happenned and everything is still there to remind people that it is extremely important that we learn from the past. They built an underground memorial with a glass roof in front of the Humboldt University. The memorial is bookshelves with no books, because of the book burn that occured in 1933 when they burned 20 thousand books following Hitler's orders just because they weren't in the nazi's terms.

It really is a tour for nerds and I recommend you get to do as many tours as possible - there are others, but they're all paid; all on my list when I go back to Berlin. Then, on the next day I suggest that you pick your favorite stops and go again with free time to really dive in to history. 

So, that's it my fellow travelers, I hope I've inspired you to hop on a plane and go take a walking tour in Berlin!

Best sunset of Porto!

Every sunset is one of the best shows Nature allows us to admire. 

My initial idea was to describe one of the best sunsets I have ever witnessed, and in my opinion, the sunset seen from Vila Nova de Gaia, in the north of Portugal, is one of the most beautiful and romantic sunsets for you to watch. But what better way for me to tell you about the sunset other than showing you pictures? So, here are some pictures I took of the mesmerizing sunset from Vila Nova de Gaia, across from Porto, both cities sharing the Douro river. Make sure you add this to your bucket list!

Porto on your left, Vila Nova de Gaia on your right

View from the bridge

View from the water promenade

Sunset!

Admirers

The Douro River

Gaia, Porto and the enchanting Douro

Are you ready to stay at a hostel?

Low-budget accomodation: HOSTELS

I had never stayed at a hostel before, but when I decided to backpack in Europe, I got the feeling that these two words always go together: if you backpack you sleep at a hostel. So I decided to give it a try and enjoy my adventure! Let's see if after reading this you'll be ready to stay at a hostel or not!

My husband and I were backpacking in Europe going to Berlin and would stay there for one night only. First I looked for an Airbnb host downtown Berlin, but did you know that there aren't any? It's forbidden, that's why you'll only find hosts some miles away from downtown. A hotel was out of the question, so I downloaded the Hostelworld app and started my research.

Since it was our first time at a hostel, we are married and not 18 anymore I had some demands for our first stay:

a. breakfast included;

b. sheets and pillows included;

c. downtown area;

d. near a subway station;

e. English spoken;

f. cheap.

So a because we were in Germany and none of us know any German to go out in the morning to buy something to eat, b because yeah the cheapest ones charge you or just don't have sheets and pillows on the beds, c and d because we only had a day there, e well, I just mentioned this above and f it's a hostel, right?, so cheap is what I want.

When looking for hostels the feedbacks is what I'm interested the most, and many of them complained about bad smell, dirty facilities and loud noise. Because of these things I set my budget a little higher. 

I found a hostel that covered all my demands and had very good reviews St. Christopher's Inn. We just wanted a cheap and comfortable place to crash; our aim wasn't a party hostel, but they also have a very nice bar for you to mingle. By the way, it's the same place they serve breakfast.

I booked via the app 2 beds in a 16-bed bedroom! We paid 16 euros each with all the perks mentioned above. Here's a picture of our bedroom, well, part of it:

As you can see, the pointy yellow arrows are showing the things that I thought were really cool. My bed was on top, my husband slept on the one behind me, and there was a large drawer for you to store your bags, but no lock, so you have to have your own.

The drape gives you privacy, the beds have pillows, sheets and a comforter. There's a tiny light at the bed for you to do your readings, and your own outlet to charge your devices. Loved it!

The way the bedroom was organized was really nice because it didn't look like there were 16 people in there. The bathroom is separated, on the hall you see signs to show you where the bedroom is for room numbers x and room numbers y, but don't mind that because since there are only two stalls, you can just look for the next one available, nobody likes to stay in line to use the restroom... For showering, only one stall, or you can go to the unisex shower, then there are more.

The hostel is quiet and people respect your privacy. It's possible to hear people on the sidewalk talking and having drinks, but that didn't disturb me. What DID disturb me was a couple who kept talking, and eating, and coughing, and calling their family on the bed right under mine! That freaked me out, but I didn't say anything to them, I was leaving the next day, so I didn't want any problems. But that's not all! Their sneakers smelt REALLY bad! Oh boy, that was the worst! I put some VapoRub on the area above my upper lip so I would smell that instead of their feet! Urgh!

Breakfast on the next day was simple, but good. It goes up to 10 o´clock, so you see many "sleepwalkers". Fruits, bread, juice, coffee, butter, cheese, jam and hazelnut cream. That was good enough to start the day!

We wanted to spend some extra time in Berlin before taking our bus, which was leaving only at night, but we didn't want to be carrying our backpacks. When we asked the receptionist about lockers, they mentioned we could use the ones next to the hostel. It was a room full of lockers, small and big. They cost 2 euros for four hours, I think, but I remember it was a very reasonable price. We used one locker for both of our bags. And you don't even have to be a guest at the hostel.

As you can see, it is possible to find a good comfortable hostel, even if you're not there to party, have a good night sleep and go on to your next destination. I don't think I'd recommend staying at a hostel for many days, I think one night only is enough, but hey, that's just me. If it weren't for the talking smellersons it would have been great, but they upset my night sleep.

Hostel, good. Experience, interesting. Travelers, some of them don't shower. Please do!

Are you ready to stay at a hostel? Have you already slept in one? I'm sure everybody who has slept at a hostel has a story to tell. What's yours?

WORKAWAY PART II

When things go better than you'd have thought

As you've seen in the previous post, it's important to be alert to the conditions that are imposed for you to volunteer. The idea and experience of workawaying is to learn, to share and to help, which is a very interesting way of traveling on a budget. My first experience wasn't good, but that didn't stop me from trying again. Lucky me, because it will be very hard to top my second workaway.

the sunset from their property

This time we were going to the countryside of France, around 4 hours away from Paris, to volunteer for an English couple. They posted a picture of them in their profile and they mentioned they would provide meals. We were having a hard time to know how we would get to their house. Once we found out the best way, we kindly asked them if they could pick us up. We exchanged some e-mails and we felt that maybe this time it would be different since the tone of the messages was already friendly.

Remember I told you about first impressions? After a long bus ride, there they were waiting for us with a big smile on their faces! The conversation in the car? Though we were getting to know each other, we were already bonding and telling jokes and talking about dinner. What a great sense of relief! 

Volunteering France - when things go well

The property was so cute. When I grow up I want to have a house like theirs! Our accomodation was really special: a caravan in their backyard. My husband would help Rod and I would help Margaret. They are full of energy and friendly, he has a great sense of humor and she is a real MasterChef. I would never guess in my entire life that I would learn how to cook Chinese food with a Scotish woman in the countryside of France! And that I would drink white tea (it means tea with milk) prepared by a true British gentleman!

the view from the kitchen window

My husband was dying to build a fence when volunteering, and he got the chance to do it! I would love to work in the garden while getting some tips, and I was also fortunate for that. We felt we were there to bond, share and volunteer, but we weren't even counting the time or days, we were so happy there that we made ourselves available at any time, plus they also liked our company, so in the evenings we were all watching tv together. Margaret and Rod were more than just hosts, they wanted to make sure we were warm and comfortable at all times. Not to mention, really well fed!

We spent two amazing weeks with them, really feeling as if we were part of the family. We'll never forget them and they will live forever in our hearts. For sure, next time we are in France, we'll visit them. Rod doesn't like this word, but it will be AWESOME! Of course, I won't forget to bring some Porto wine for Margaret.

my bucket of weeds full of thorns

In the end, this was what we expected from the beginning. Visiting a new place, meeting new people, sharing our experiences, and feeling grateful that we were able to volunteer not for the "job" itself but to grow as people.

So in case you're browsing the website workaway.info, what I recommend is for you to  focus more on the host rather than in what they need you to do. The hosts make all the difference, and you are also there to experience the day by day with people who have a different background from you, different culture and beliefs.

oh I miss dinner time

Are you ready to volunteer? Go ahead, don't wait too long. We shared, we learned, we "workawayed", we made friends for life! 

WORKAWAY PART I

Everybody likes to travel on a budget. Ok, not everybody, but I do. After researching about low budget travels I came across the website www.workaway.info. It looked like the perfect kind of trip for me at the moment. Travel + free accomodation= getting to know the world and people by volunteering = workawaying. However, my first volunteering experience didn't go exactly how I thought it would be.

You have to pay a small fee to the website, and prices vary if you are traveling solo or as a couple, and you get a two year membership. After that you just need to complete your profile, add some pictures and start looking for some hosts everywhere in the world!

Since I was going from Brazil to Portugal, I started looking as my first workaway experience for a place in Portugal. My husband and I were going to do this together, so we sent e-mails to hosts/places where we would like to volunteer.

Not easy, my friend. Many of them didn't have the dates anymore, or wanted us for another month, or to stay longer or just never answered our e-mail. We didn't give up! We started sending messages to a bunch of hosts, each time being more personal in our e-mails, and always reading others' feedback before applying.

Volunteering – Portugal – when things go bad

One day, one woman who had a farm in Alentejo, the countryside of Portugal, said she could host us for the time and day we offerred. Good, let's go!

By e-mail she said we would have the free accomodation, like Workaway website says we all have, but when I asked her if we had to buy any food, she replied, "yes, but I'll take you to the supermarket". The website says that workawayers are provided at least one meal. That's why I thought her answer was a little weird, anyway, probably we would only go for cookies and sodas.

As previously arranged, she would pick us up at the bus station. After a very long bus ride from Póvoa de Varzim to Porto to Lisbon to Montemor to Évora, we finally arrived. Two backpackers volunteering abroad for the first time. Pretty exciting, huh?

Bags on our backs, hungry, thirsty, cold (spring in the countryside of Portugal is very cold, beautiful, though), looking for a woman we had no idea what she looked like. When we heard our names being called we opened up a big smile to greet her (she was in her fifties), unfortunately we were the only ones. She and the man behind her looked like they were in a real bad mood. I felt like saying I'm sorry to the guy without having done anything by the look he had on his face.

If you think first impressions are a big deal, I definitely agree with you. That was a hint to what we were about to face.

Small talk on the car and she took us to the market. Worst visit to the market ever! The guy disappeared, she insisted she could push the cart, but why was she on a hurry? I didn't know the

market, or what I had to buy, or for how long, nothing! Then she said we needed to buy everything we were going to need to cook and eat. And that's not all, toilet paper too! First timers, we just accepted, but we were completely dissapointed with our reception.

We went to her small farm and she showed us our separate house. Ok, good, big, just us and it had a fireplace. "Oh, we'd like to light it up before going to bed to warm ourselves", I said, "Ok, do you have a match?", she asked us. Oh, yeah, I always have a match in my pocket. What kind of a freaking question was that? I guess she then decided to wake up her social skills and invited us to dinner with them. No mood for that, but sure, we wanted to workaway to share experiences.

At this point, my husband and I were tired, disappointed and hungry. We were very punctual to knock on her door to have dinner together. But the only possible way to get to her house was using the lantern from our phones. She was a "lights on" freak, they needed to be always off, turn them on only in case of extreme necessity. Ok, everybody is a little quircky.

Silence at the dinner table. "It smells so good!", "It looks delicious!". Silence at the dinner table. "Do you drink wine or soda?", "Whatever you guys are having.", "You have to choose.", "Ok, I guess I can drink some wine." Silence at the dinner table. After trying so hard to have a conversation, she decided to talk when I asked her how long she was living at the farm. That was it. Fun night, huh?

After this day, what do you want? Lie down and rest, right? Nooo, our house was dusty, the bathroom was moldy, the kitchen was dirty, and I named the spiders!

She said our first job the next day was to clean the house we were staying. Hell no, I have to clean it now, I won't sleep in a place like this. So, after a long ride, an awkward dinner, I started cleaning the house. Feeling cold, because her brilliant mind thought I carried matches around to light fireplaces I saw on my way.

After cleaning the house with water and dish detergent (the only thing there was to clean a house, otherwise we had to buy cleaning products), we went to bed. Next day, it was pouring rain, so we stayed in. Abandoned. Feelings of regret started to emerge.

The other day the sun came out. So we went down her house to ask what we could do to help them in the farm. She was out to work, so the man gave us instructions to what we had to do. I say the man, because their relationship was a mystery to us. I had to weed the garden and my husband had to spray some type of product on the trees. We imagined we would have to do these things, and I came prepared with my gardening gloves. But, some gardening equipments would be of great help. Not a word from the man. My husband wore neither a mask nor gloves. And the man was surprised when my husband asked him for help on how to prepare the substance he had to spray. We tried to stay positive but it started to look like we were not volunteering but working for free.

My hands and back were in pain after that day and my husband was afraid of having smelled that type of product all day. Next day, pulling out grass, not weed, because it was one meter high, and guess what?, by hand! We found a tiny shovel and garden scissors which helped us a little. We got the impression that since she knew we would volunteer for her in April, in December she thought she didn't have to do anything else because we were coming the next year. Not even a heads up to the big spiders there were in garden. We wanted to learn, to share, to volunteer not to know what slavery feels like.

On the weekend, we decided to take the bikes she lent and went for a ride. During the weekends she was at home, so she decided to work in her farm. However, after a whole week working hard, we deserved our days off, so we went to the nearby village, had a little picnic on the road, and before coming back... we didn't want to come back, we wanted to go away. We thought that maybe she had a bad week, or we had cultural differences. We would give her another chance, because the agreement was to stay there for a month. We were eager to volunteer, although not under those conditions.

When we came back she said she needed to talk to us. She complained we didn't help her! Wait a minute! We worked from Monday to Friday and she wanted us to work on the weekend too? The way she talked to us was very childish, and when we complained too, she said she chose workaway.info because she didn't want to give any support, since she was out working during the week. We did not sign up for that! It became clear to us that we weren't happy there. We packed our bags and said goodbye.

We're travelers! We wouldn't let one bad experience ruin the rest of our trip! So, we went to Évora and booked a room. Best shower ever! With heating! Clean sheets! That's the stuff...

One night in Évora, then we hit the road to Sintra booking a room with Airbnb. After that we went to Lisbon and from there we rented a car to Porto! Planning as we go, it is so not us! But it was incredible!

So, you see, it is possible to transform a bad experience into many good experiences! Plus, I can also warn you that you must be alert to these programs, and only do what you feel like doing and are happy about it. Follow your heart! I never blamed the platform, just the host, let's be clear on that.

However, we had another workaway planned in France, and we would give it a go. That you'll see in the next post, the other side of the coin. What I guarantee is: we made friends for life!

Airport Shuttle

From Paris to Beauvais Airport

When we think about an airport in Paris we may immediately think of Charles de Gaulle Airport. However, when you are flying Ryanair they may offer you flights in smaller airports, not exactly an international airport. Let's say if you are in Paris, there are big chances you'll get to know Beauvais Airport, the low cost flights airport.

The airport is around 1h15 away from the city of Paris. It's a good thing that there is a shuttle from the Porte Maillot bus station to the airport. The bus station is walking distance from the Arch of Triumph and it is a very small simple bus station, where you will see many airport shuttle buses and Flixbus buses.

Right in front of it there is an event center called Palais de Congrès de Paris, and a metro station. At the event center you can have a snack, eat some macaroons, go to Starbucks, use the restroom or just hang out for a while.

Before taking your shuttle bus I suggest you buy your ticket online (http://tickets.aeroportbeauvais.com/Information.aspx), it's a little cheaper (round trip or one way), you'll definitely avoid lines and hopefully won't attract any pickpockets. Just do not forget to print your ticket! They only accept the paper version. By the way, the bus DOES NOT have Ryanair logo.

At the bus station, right next to the ticket office, there is a big board with Ryanair's timetable for the day. There is a possibility you see two lines of people, one for the regular buses and another for the shuttle buses. Why do I say that there is a possibility? Porte Maillot's bus station has a big problem: disorganization. You see lines, you see groups, lost people, backpackers, local people, and nobody is quite sure what they are doing there. Because of this total lack of organization I was also unsure as to where, how and at what time to take my shuttle. 

There is only the time of your flight printed in your shuttle ticket, so they recomment you to take the shuttle 3 hours before the flight, you do the math. They come every 20 to 30 minutes, so you see many people asking the drivers for information.

I was a little anxious to take the bus because: a - it was my first time, b - it was raining, c - it was cold and d - traffic didn't look peaceful. So after watching many people running to take the first shuttle that appeared, I took a shot to see if they would accept my ticket even if I was a little ahead of time, around 40 minutes, I think.

I was in! The bus was completely full! Oh Paris in the rain... not romantic, my friend! It's stressful if you're inside a bus worried with the time and afraid you might lose your plane. Well, I just took a deep breath. I was on my way anyway, there was nothing else I could do.

Because of the rain and traffic, it took us 2 hours to arrive at the airport. Good thing I left earlier, because there was just enough time to check in and wait to be called for boarding.

What did I take from all these? Do take the airport shuttle, buy the ticket online, print it and take the shuttle way sooner than you thought. Beauvois airport is small but cozy, with a few restaurants and some birds as visitors too. Hope you have a good ride and a good flight! 

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!