Because life is short & the world is big
Everywhere you go in Madrid, you are inundated with opportunities to see a flamenco show. Various fliers, posters, and websites describe it as “a world-famous Spanish tradition,” “upbeat,” and “iconic.”
Bob would describe flamenco as “scary as f**king sh*t.”
Maybe it’s because we saw it in a cave. Come watch the show with us and tell us what you think of flamenco!
Bob bops around Lisbon, noticing lots of tiled architecture, inviting plazas, historic statues, interesting shops (including sardines, an apparent Lisbon delicacy!), colorful pottery, the obligatory cathedral or two, hilltop vistas with strolling musicians, an art museum, and more.
Info:
Bob took a bus tour to Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage site north of Lisbon, Portugal, that hosts the National Palace and many other magnificent 19th and 20th century royal residences in the Romantic style. Come along and find out what is special about this charming coastal town.
Sintra is a pioneer work of European romanticism, bringing together incredible botanical richness and a diversity of monuments and buildings from a long period of history. Bob’s favorite was a deep, winding stone well called the Quinta de Regaleira.
INFO
An Independent Guide to Sintra
Sites and Attractions in Sintra
UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sintra
Map
Messy Suitcase visits Buda Castle in Budapest. Check out the amazing city panorama!
Lisbon’s lovely Tagus River beckoned, so of course Bob hopped on a boat! He was a little underwhelmed.
It was a fine tour, nothing spectacular. Bob enjoyed a relaxing couple of hours seeing Lisbon’s main monuments, such as the 25th of April Bridge, Praça do Comércio, and the Tower of Belém, among many others. The one-and-a-half-hour round-trip tour cost 26 euros, or about $28 US. You can also choose to go just one way for less.
We don’t recommend it if your time in Lisbon is short.
Info:
Want to feel like you’re rich and famous? Come with us on Part 3 of our tour of a Mexican mega-resort, the luxurious Vidanta Nayarit on the west coast of Mexico.
We’ll tour more of enormous Vidanta, including La Cantina, Gong, and other restaurants; the Grand Bliss; the Mayan Palace; walking on the boardwalk pathways that connect the resort; the Plaza marketplace that carries everything you need (groceries, bakery, froyo, flip flops, sunglasses), and everything you don’t ( gourmet chocolate, jewelry); the Sanctuario entertainment hub; and many other parts of this breathtaking resort.
Want to see what you missed? Part 1 took us from arrival at Puerto Vallarta Airport, through transit to the resort, and the check-in experience.
In Part 2, we took an early morning tour of Vidanta’s Grand Mayan Hotel and beyond, including breakfast, restaurants, beach, pools, fitness center, a lazy river, and the sky dream gondola. Soak up the lifestyle of the rich and famous!
Thanks for joining us on this three-part tour of this Mexican mega-resort!
INFO
When we bought a fractional ownership at Vidanta Resort in Mexico, we had no idea the world of luxury we would soon encounter. We’re a middle-class family, not accustomed to the perks of the super-rich that we find at Vidanta. If you’re like us, you’ll enjoy taking me take a three-part tour of this Mexican mega-resort, and spend a few minutes feeling like one of the rich and famous.
In this Part 2 of our Mexican Mega-Resort Experience series on the Messy Suitcase travel channel, we’ll take an early morning tour of Vidanta’s Grand Mayan Hotel and beyond, including breakfast, restaurants, beach, pools, fitness center, a lazy river, and the sky dream gondola. Soak up the lifestyle of the rich and famous!
Part 1 took us from arrival at Puerto Vallarta Airport, through transit to the resort, and the check-in experience.
Part 3 – coming soon! – will feature a tour of more of the enormous Vidanta, including La Cantina, Gong, and other restaurants; the Grand Bliss; the Mayan Palace; walking on the boardwalk pathways that connect the resort; the Plaza marketplace that carries everything you need (groceries, bakery, froyo, flip flops, sunglasses), and everything you don’t ( gourmet chocolate, jewelry); the Sanctuario entertainment hub; and many other parts of this breathtaking resort.
It’s Messy Suitcase’s first visit to Portugal, and Bob is traveling alone! He plans to spend a few days in Lisbon courtesy of a layover opportunity through TAP Air Portugal.
Because his flight landed at 530 AM, Bob stowed his luggage in Lisbon through an app called Bounce so he could explore the city before he checked into his Airbnb. He discovered amazing tilework in the cobblestones, plazas, parks, the Marques de Pombal statue, Avenida Libertad, and a lot of truly brilliant architecture.
Of course, he hopped onto the Hop On Hop Off Bus and gave us his impressions from the top of the HOHO. He got on the first one of the day, and found it to be a great way to get oriented to the city despite jetlag.
PHOTOS
The remarkable hike to and from Charco El Pilón in Puerto Rico’s Maricao State Forest is a challenging rocky, muddy 2 ½-mile scramble along — and often through — the “El Chorote” branch that arrives at the El Pilón stream. The forest is lush and shady, and the terrain is hilly and challenging. The payoff is a spectacular waterfall and swimming hole.
You’ll find the trailhead at the end of Route 362, high in the mountains in San Germán, Cabo Rojo, on the southwestern corner of the island. You can park in front of road barriers or alongside the road. The well-maintained trail immediately, just to the left of a little house, takes you down and then up a steep hill, and it’s game on!
Charco El Pilón is a 30-foot-high waterfall with a deep, clear pool beneath, perfect for swimming in (we kept our shoes on).
Here are a few tips to enhance your experience:
· Start early to avoid the crowds and get a good parking spot. We encountered a guided group of at least 50 people on our way back.
· Bring lots of water.
· Wear a swimsuit!
· Wear shoes with a good grip that you can get wet! I wore Hoka trail running shoes that drained easily and could be washed afterward. Bob wore hiking boots, which were more of a challenge to get clean.
We went with our friends Juan and Rose Marie, who provided some of the photos below, including the title image!
Puerto Rico Day Trips
All Trails Description
All Trails – our hike
Many have told us about the outstanding quality of the Ponce Art Museum (Museo de Arte), but two large earthquakes in January 2020 changed all that, when the main building was badly damaged and closed. They finally reopened a section of the museum this year, and we decided to check it out!
After the earthquakes, the Museum displayed items at its gallery in San Juan, and took to the streets with workshops to shelters and schools. When COVID hit, it expanded its digital platform. Now it’s gradually opening again while raising funds to repair the earthquake damage.
The museum still has very limited offerings, though we really enjoyed what we saw. It costs just $6 to get in, half price for seniors. Free guided tours are conducted at 10 AM (Spanish) and 1 PM (English).
(Note: Ponce is pronounced POHN-say.)
