Portugal - Porto & the Douro Valley Region

Porto didn't immediately strike us as a beautiful city, but over the course of our time there we came to appreciate the soul and grit of the place.

The funky guesthouse we roomed in - full of eclectic Urban Outfitters-ish bric-a-brac and run by the fantastic Pedro - added to our positive experiences in northern Portugal.

A Portuguese hotel norm that we've come to appreciate is the acquaintance period that occurs during check-in.  At all of our Portugal stays thus far our hosts have taken thirty minutes to an hour to not only show us property details, but to offer trip suggestions and answer any questions we may have.  We've managed to source some particularly great advice during these briefings.

In the case of our Porto stay, Pedro sensed that we were the type of folks that liked "the naturals" (as he put it) and recommended we take the scenic train out to the vineyards of the rural Douro Valley.  It was great advice, and the train ride has been a highlight of our Portugal trip thus far.

Our favorite Porto and Douro Valley memories:

- Taking the aforementioned train ride through the Douro Valley wine country.  Occasionally deboarding to sample port and check out tiny towns, but mostly just eating fresh cherries and watching 250 miles of gorgeous landscape speed past our train window.

- Sitting at an outdoor cafe in Porto's historic center trying the region's famous francesinha, a steak, ham, salami, and sausage sandwich smothered in a cheesy beer sauce.

- Grocery shopping at the local market and cooking a homemade meal in the tiny kitchen of our funky Porto apartment.  Eating our dinner on the deck, taking in the cool night air and city sounds.

- Walking the bridge from Porto to Vila Nova de Gaia, where the historic port cellars are located.  Touring the dark, musty wine caves and indulging in countless glasses of port with pairings.


Next stop: Coimbra, Portugal

Portugal - Belem

Our first two days in Portugal were quiet, as they had been earmarked for rest.  We had read that it's important to schedule R&R days into the itinerary to avoid travel burnout, so though we were itching to explore Portugal, we took some time to catch up on sleep, do laundry, and book future hotel stays.

We stayed in a fun, brightly colored hostel in the sleepy, historic Lisbon suburb of Belem.  We think it's unfortunate that hostels have a reputation for being loud and cramped, because from our experience, they can be great places to sleep and socialize and almost always offer private, non-dormitory style rooms.

This was our first hostel stay of our trip, and we are fine with sleeping in hostels moving forward, provided they are well reviewed on forums like hostelbookers.com and we're able to secure our own room.

Our favorite Belem memories:

- Happening upon the lovely alley restaurant, Enoteca de Belem, where we ate a fine meal that included fresh bread with goat butter. After dinner we lingered for hours, drinking wine, smoking cubans, and chatting politics with the locals.

- Visiting the famous bakery, Pasteis de Belem, where we waited in line to sample the sweet egg tarts made by Portuguese nuns for the past 150 years.  Dave loved the treats so much that he went back the next day for a second helping.

- Feeling the futbol frenzy - catching the France vs. Spain match of the Eurocup at the local community center which had been temporarily converted to a spectating area complete with a bar, big screen and bleachers.


Next stop: Porto, Portugal

Iceland: Land of Fire and Ice

It's summer in Iceland, which means 24 hours of sunlight and a local population that is anxious to be outdoors.  Though the weather feels damp and chilly to us, the Icelanders seem immune to the cold - they are wearing sandals and dining at outdoor cafes.

Reykjavic is an expensive place and we've paid a seemingly large sum for our smallest accommodations yet.  We're staying at a cute and clean guesthouse that looks, as much of Reykjavic does, straight from an Ikea catalog.  The proprietor, Igdlo, is about as genuine and nice as they come.

Cold tap water at the guesthouse, and throughout Iceland, is delicious and refreshing.  Hot water here is geothermically provided and is endless, but stinks of sulfur.

Though Reykjavic has a lot to offer we chose to spend a large chunk of our time in Iceland driving the countryside in an itty-bitty compact rental.  We were in awe of the beauty on this island: waterfalls, geysers, mountains, gorges, and rolling hills full of Icelandic ponies.

Our favorite Iceland experiences:

- Dining at Saegreifinn, a nautical-themed local favorite tucked among the old harbor's fishing boats and docks.  Though the menu included foal and whale meat we stuck to less heartbreaking selections of lobster soup and halibut kebabs.

- Seeking refuge from the damp in Reykjavik's cozy, artsy coffee houses - Iceland has a unique and thriving coffee culture and several independent roasters.

- The surreal feeling of drinking under the midnight sun - chasing a celebrated Baejarin's beztu hot dog with a Viking beer and Brennevin shot on lively Laugavegur Street.

- Eating a picnic of rugbraud (traditional Icelandic sweetened rye bread) and caviar at the spectacular Gullfoss Falls in central Iceland.

- Trading our winter gear for swimsuits to take a dip in the hot pots and geothermically heated ocean lagoon at Nautholsvik Beach.


Next stop: Lisbon - Belem, Portugal

Boston Commoners

Passage to Boston was smooth, though US border crossing via bus at 2am was a slow, sleepy-eyed process.  Seeing the sunrise over the misty mountains of Vermont and driving through Dartmouth's campus were unexpected treats of the ride.

In Boston we stayed downtown, in the historic Courtyard Marriott on Tremont Street.  The location was great, but we think the hotel's best feature was its fitness center.

It can be hard to strength train on the road and the gym was equipped with adequate weights to make our muscles sore for the first time on the trip (I guess carrying around our packs doesn't substitute for real gym time).

Our favorite Boston memories:

- Eating lobster rolls and New England clam chowder al fresco at James Hook & Co. on the waterfront.

- Drinking martinis while taking in sweeping city views from the 52nd floor of the Prudential Tower.

- Walking to Cambridge to tour the utilitarian campus of MIT and the colonial-feeling campus of Harvard.

- Comparing gourmet ice creams from Boston's famous scoop shops: Toscanini's (Dave's favorite) and Christina's (Molly's favorite).

- Getting tipsy off of the generous and complimentary pours on the Sam Adams brewery tour.


Next stop: Reykjavik, Iceland

Montreal's Great Bagel Showdown

Montreal is famous for its bagels, which are much smaller and sweeter than the New York variety and most commonly sold in sesame flavor.  Two historic bakeries rule the Montreal bagel scene: St. Viateur and Fairmont.

During our stay in the city, we made the pilgrimage to both bakeshops to sample hot, fresh-from-the-oven bagels and to declare our favorite.

While the St. Viateur bakery was a bit more customer friendly and offered a wider selection of bagel accoutrements, we both agreed that it was the Fairmont that sold our preferred bagel. 

Though the Fairmont variety was smaller, it had a distinct honey flavor and was softer and more cake-like than the bagel offered at St. Viateur.  Our vote for best Montreal bagel: Fairmont.

Our favorite Montreal memories:

- Strolling below 200,000 suspended pink balls at the outdoor Aires Libres event in the Gay Village.

- Eating poutine at charming, vegetarian-friendly Patati Patata on Boulevard Saint-Laurent.

- Walking to the Mount Royal viewpoint to take in the gorgeous, panoramic views of the Montreal skyline.

- Drinking wine and eating baguette, cheese, and fruit at our very own french-inspired picnic on the green space of McGill University.


Next stop: Boston, Massachusetts

Toronto by Train

We arrived in Toronto via Canada Rail from Windsor (thanks Mom and Dad Remley for the ride to the station!) and stayed in the University of Toronto dorms.  Accommodations were spartan but comfortable, and suited our needs well.

We have long preferred to explore cities by foot, and that is exactly how we spent our favorite day in Toronto; walking the entire length of Queen Street.

At nearly nine miles long, Queen is a main thoroughfare that runs through a number of Toronto's neighborhoods: Parkdale, the Fashion District, Chinatown, Downtown, the Historic District, Corktown, Broadview, Leslieville, and the Beach.  In all, we logged about twenty miles walking from the dorm, down Queen, and back.  Throughout the walk we stopped frequently for various edibles and libations - getting a small taste for many of Toronto's different areas. Despite a little rain, we think it was a perfect day.

Our favorite Toronto discoveries:

- Peameal bacon sandwiches at the St. Lawrence Market.

- The eclectic vibe of the artsy neighborhoods of West Queen.

- The dazzling selection at Loblaws grocery in the Church and Wellesley area.

- The sprawling, central campus of the University of Toronto.

- Cheap and filling dolsot bibimbap in Koreatown.


Next stop: Montreal, Quebec

Pre-trip Planning: Insurance

We were surprised to discover that even robust US-based medical plans often do not cover overseas treatment.   We have, therefore, chosen to supplement our standard health insurance with special travel coverage.

Our travel insurance was relatively inexpensive and covers us in the event that we have any mishaps while abroad that require medical care.  Or, in the unlikely event that something catastrophic happens, our travel insurance will pay for immediate evacuation or the repatriation of our remains. 

We purchased our insurance through HCC Medical Insurance Services, but there are many companies that offer this type of coverage.  For us, the peace of mind of knowing we’ll be covered in the event of an unfortunate event is well worth the premium cost.

Pre-trip Planning: Stateside valuables

We have found that flashy jewelry and watches can draw unwanted attention in many places across the world. To avoid this, we have decided to leave our valuables behind while we are abroad. 

We originally considered leaving these items in the care of family, but realized babysitting our jewelry was not only a lot of responsibility for loved ones, but it would require us to maintain insurance on the items. We have instead decided to rent a stateside safe deposit box to safeguard small valuables while we are abroad.

Though it will be difficult to leave behind cherished items (especially our engagement ring!) we think it’s much safer and economical to leave our shiny stuff behind in our super secure safe deposit box.