Recap: Portugal, Spain, France Surf & Road Trip

We’re back in New Jersey now, so I have more time to recap our whole trip. We spent six weeks in July and August 2025 traversing the coast of Portugal, parts of Spain, and a quick dip into France. This was technically a “surf trip” in that we brought surfboards, but we weren’t expecting much for waves in Europe in the summer. We were pleasantly surprised! Most of the spots we found had at least a little bit of surf. Sometimes the wind was strong, but we made it work and were pretty happy with what we got.

We divided the trip into two parts, because our credit card rental car insurance has a max of 31 days, so we knew we would need to come back to Lisbon mid trip. That worked out well, and I would highly recommend either of these road trip routes. I think you would need a full month to do the first part. We spent 2-3 nights in each place, and we definitely could have spent longer, but I don’t think we could’ve done it in any less time and still enjoyed ourselves the same. We’ve determined that three nights is the ideal minimum stay to truly enjoy a place when you’re road tripping around. The second part of the trip on the southern coast of Portugal could probably be done in any amount of time. It’s a beautiful place, but I’m not sure if we would go back again in August, if given the choice, because of the crowds.

Here’s a list of the places we stopped and stayed:

Part One:

• Ericeira

• Peniche/Baleal

• Nazaré & Praia de Mira

• Porto

• Salinas

• San Sebastian & Zarautz

• Bordeaux & Saint-Émilion

• Capbreton

• Salamanca

• Cascais

Part Two:

• Aljezur

• Sagres

• Burgau & Praia da Luz

• Alvor

• Vila Nova de Milfontes

• Lisbon

And a map of the whole route:

Some other details: We flew in and out of Lisbon airport on American Airlines, and we luckily didn’t have any trouble with the boards in a 7’6” board bag that actually measured a bit too long for their baggage limits. We worked remotely the entire time, and the only place we ran into any issues with wifi was in Alvor, which is pretty deep into the Algarve region.

Overall, it was a lot of driving and moving around, but I’m so glad we did it the way we did. We really got to see some amazing places, and it was a perfect mix of surf, nature, and culture. It was a really nice trip and one that will provide great memories for many years to come!

Thanks for following along on the journey.

Namaste,

Cori

**It’s always a privilege getting to surf in other countries. I make sure I’m always covered with affordable and reliable travel medical insurance in case anything goes wrong. I choose SafetyWing because their Nomad Insurance policy covers activities, including surfing, in 185+ countries. To sign up, visit this link.

Portugal Road Trip: Last Stop in Lisbon

We finally reached the end of the road. And I’m very sorry to tell you, I didn’t take many photos on our last night in Lisbon. It was a busy day.

We woke up in Vila Nova de Milfontes and ate Tomas’ delicious breakfast one more time. Then we went for quite a fun surf. After that, it was about a two hour drive to Lisbon.

We stayed at a hotel near the airport that was pretty convenient (Le Jardin Lisbon). And we tried to clean the intense amounts of dust and dirt off the rental car with a large water bottle.

We were still working—hence not many photos, but we took a break to go into the city for dinner. We found the most amazing Portuguese vegan restaurant (Kong).

They make all the typical Portuguese dishes—bacalhau a bras, octopus, pasteis de nata…—and everything is vegan! We’re not vegan, but we like eating vegan food, and it was awesome. We started with some “sausage” croquette appetizers, and then I had these yummy seitan ribs:

We skipped dessert at the restaurant, because it was time for our last round of pasteis de nata. We went to Manteigaria and bought a dozen to bring back home.

And that was a wrap on six weeks of Portugal, Spain, and France! It was a really fun trip, filled with food, surf, new places, different languages, and an exploration of whether we’d want to try to do a longer term stay in Portugal or somewhere nearby in Europe. After all, I’d say the answer is a definite yes.

Portugal Road Trip: Vila Nova de Milfontes

We saved some of the best accommodations for last! At this point we were nearing the end of the tip and kind of tired from changing locations every 2-3 nights. We knew we wanted to check out Vila Nova de Milfontes based on the surf forecast, but all the places left to stay were looking like duds. I probably would have given up and stayed anywhere at that point. But Bryan never gives up. He kept checking and refreshing booking websites until a diamond appeared in the rough. Apparently, someone had canceled last minute and there was an opening at a beautiful house called Casa do Lado.

We left the tiny streets of Alvor and headed back to the west coast, stopping at a nice beach bar for lunch on the way.

After about a two hour total drive, we made it to Milfontes. I had to work right away (are you sensing a theme here?), but the room was luxurious. It was nice on its own, but it was extra nice after coming from a journey of shared bathrooms and kitchens and sometimes single beds. There was a fruit bowl, tea, and glass water bottle in the room, for goodness sake. It felt like all of our needs had been accounted for.

In the morning, Thomas the owner (with his sister Mariana) served us an amazing breakfast in the garden.

It was a lot to eat before surfing, but we were not about to pass up such a wonderful breakfast! Then we got lucky and found some fun waves.

It was a Saturday, so we spent the rest of the day exploring some nearby surf spots and the town of Porto Covo.

We surfed a couple days, and the one day there weren’t any waves, we went for a coastal hike to a secret beach.

At night, we found a few nice places to eat—a really good vegan spot, a casual pub, and, on our last night, a highly recommended seafood restaurant.

One night, walking back through the town, everyone was out and about and we came across both a clown show and a musical performance in the streets. It was fun to see everyone out and about on a summer night.

I definitely started to feel like Milfontes should be added to the list of places we could stay longer term. I hope to make it back again someday!

Portugal Road Trip: Alvor

The next stop on our southern Portugal portion of the road trip took us even further into the Algarve. We left Sally’s guest house and peaceful patio for the great unknown of European tourism in August.

And we stopped for a bifana (pork sandwich) on the way:

We arrived in Alvor and navigated the tiny narrow streets up to our next guest house. It was a tight squeeze, but we were blessed by the parking gods and unloading the car wasn’t too difficult.

I had to work right away, but later we took a break for dinner in town. Alvor is definitely a heavily vacationed town with a busy strip of restaurants and souvenir shops. We grabbed sushi and walked down to the water just in time for sunset.

I’m in the midst of planning a work event in Australia, so there were some late night calls that week, but the work view wasn’t too bad:

One of the main reasons we wanted to stay in Alvor was to be close to the Benagil cave. And since we were so close, we decided to wake up early one morning for a cave kayaking tour.

How cool! We went into the most well-known Benagil cave with its circular skylight, then paddled around a few other darker caves. And we stopped on a nice beach.

A lot of other tourists were doing the same thing at the same time, so it was quite busy! But overall, kayaking was a nice way to spend the morning.

Afterwards we found a really great spot for breakfast (Earth Shop & Cafe), headed back to work, and at night went out for Portuguese-Mexican food.

That was all for our short and sweet time in Alvor.

Portugal Road Trip: Burgau & Praia da Luz

At this point in the trip, we were flying by the seats of our pants when it came to accommodation. We thought about taking a flight to another European country when we were back in Lisbon exchanging the car, but flights were expensive and that would have meant another trip to plan and missing out on a lot of southern Portugal.

So, we decided to stay and dive deeper into the Algarve.

We got extremely lucky and found an amazing place to stay. It was a bed and breakfast in Praia da Luz owned by a friendly and funny British woman (Salsalito Guest House).

The property was gorgeous and came with a lovely breakfast every morning. We knew there wouldn’t be any chance of waves for surfing, so it was the perfect place to relax and recharge.

Of course I was missing my puppy back home, and as a bonus, the B&B had two very nice dogs.

During the days we worked on the patio, I did some yoga by the pool, and we got the most incredible massages.

At night, we walked into the quaint fishing village of Burgau and found two great restaurants (Miam & A Barraca.)

We also took one night to go into Lagos for an outdoor cinema event. We watched Forrest Gump with wine and popcorn at the marina.

As it turns out, sometimes not planning is the best plan. It leaves room for wonderful surprises of where you might end up.

Portugal Road Trip: Sagres

If we were going to stay longer term in Portugal, Sagres would definitely be a top contender of location for me.

It’s a small town, but it’s one where we could have a not-too-different life full of the things we enjoy. This time, we went to yoga, visited our favorite coffee shop (Laundry Lounge), and even made a friend.

For surf, we’d have access to the south and west coasts. The south coast is flat this time of year, but we drove less than 30 minutes back up to Carrapateira for a few waves.

We also visited the “end of the old world”:

And found a seagull eating a sausage!

Our Airbnb guest house was nice— another fairly private apartment with its own terrace and a shared kitchen. The owner had a cat that he kept on a leash after it had escaped and gotten hurt too many times. Here’s Gato:

One night, we were driving home from dinner and stumbled upon a band playing rock music on a big stage. We parked the car and walked over, and it turned out to be a free concert in the park with Xutos & Pentapes, a famous Portuguese rock band from the 80s. We didn’t know the words, but everyone was singing along and we were very impressed!

It was a short visit, but just like last time, I think I’ll see Sagres again.

Portugal Road Trip: Cascais

It was a long and hot two days drive back through the middle of Spain, but things cooled off once we got back to the coast of Portugal. We’ve both been to Lisbon a couple of times, so we decided to change it up and stay in nearby Cascais for this quick visit.

A lot of Americans have been moving to Portugal in general over the last few years and many of them to Lisbon and Cascais. Our guest house hostess didn’t seem too happy about her town being overrun with American expats, but she was still very nice to us visitors. And lucky for us, her house was a very cool place to stay. It was a three-story, old Portuguese home with seven bedrooms, but we didn’t run into too many other guests.

When we first arrived, the weather conditions were extremely windy. You can tell from the number of kite surfers:

But on the second day, the winds calmed down a little and we were able to surf a bit at Praia do Guincho. It was really foggy and—I discovered—rocky, but we had a pretty good time.

At night, we ventured into downtown Cascais, which sort of has a vibe like it could be plucked from southern California. There were certainly a lot of expats and English speakers from all over. The second night we stayed more local and closer to our guest house and had some really delicious tapas and spareribs at Pateo do Petisco Torre.

Next, it was off to return the rental car and commence the second part of our trip.

**It’s always a privilege getting to surf in other countries. I make sure I’m always covered with affordable and reliable travel medical insurance in case anything goes wrong. I choose SafetyWing because their Nomad Insurance policy covers activities, including surfing, in 185+ countries. To sign up, visit this link.

Chasing Waves in Capbreton

The only thing better than France in a city, like Paris or Bordeaux, is France with a beach! Our next stop on this Portugal, Spain, and France road trip was Capbreton. It ended up being a favorite for both of us.

We stayed for three nights and surfed at Santocha bay. The surf was very crowded, but one day was clean and fun, and I managed to catch a perfect wave between the crowds.

The break was really neat because there are leftover WWII bunkers on the beach. On the last day, my leash broke while paddling out, so I got the feeling of arriving on shore like I was going to war.

Capbreton was probably the best place to break a leash, because there are a ton of surf shops near Hossegor, including the coolest one I’ve ever seen, with its own coffee and barber shop and a revolving display of boards:

The town was also really lovely. Our guesthouse (a slightly grown up hostel with private rooms and friendly owners) backed up to the main street with a summer night market. We walked along the river into town for dinners and to the beach.

We found a healthy vegan restaurant (Monkey Mood) and a yummy fish fry (SO’FISH).

On our last night, we ate a massive bowl of mussels at a beachfront restaurant (Nina Cafe) and I forgot to take a photo, but the view was impeccable:

We got our fix of American-style breakfast tacos & burritos at the Pacific Coast Cafe in Hossegor, and on our last day I got another taste of my favorite pastry. I think I might try my hand at making them when I get home.

As we were heading out, I popped my head into the cutest bookstore and cafe in town.

We were sad to leave France, but our time in Capbreton was both memorable and delicious!

**It’s always a privilege getting to surf in other countries. I make sure I’m always covered with affordable and reliable travel medical insurance in case anything goes wrong. I choose SafetyWing because their Nomad Insurance policy covers activities, including surfing, in 185+ countries. To sign up, visit this link.

Portugal/Spain Road Trip: Salinas

At this point, our Portugal road trip started to transition into a Spain road trip. The next stop was another city where I had no idea what to expect.

Salinas is a little town in the Asturias region of northern Spain. From what I read, I thought we’d land in a sleepy, old-fashioned village, with a few families enjoying their local beach.

But we arrived to something totally different. The beaches and parking spots were jam-packed, even more than the usual European summer crowds. That’s when we put the pieces together that we’d arrived on the last day of the Salinas International Longboard Festival, a popular surf competition!

It was nearing the end of the day, so we scored a lucky parking spot and went out to surf. Salinas is a big beach break, so there was plenty of space to spread out away from the competition. The waves were too big for me that first day (like they are most days), but I paddled out and managed to survive long enough to ride on my belly back in.

Our room had a view of the ocean, in a nearby part of town. The Asturias region is also known for its food (of course.) We tried some new things, like cachopo, which is two thin slices of meat with cheese and ham in between (La Sidreria had so many varieties to choose from.) Plus a big crepe filled with whipped cream for dessert (not pictured!) And one of my favorite breakfasts that Bryan tried for the first time, Spanish tortilla, which is made of eggs and more like a frittata.

By the third day, most of the pro long boarders had left, and I think I worked up my courage enough to catch a couple of waves.

We also stumbled upon a cool-looking campground area at Xago beach:

Then it was time to carry on our journey across Spain.

**It’s always a privilege getting to surf in other countries. I make sure I’m always covered with affordable and reliable travel medical insurance in case anything goes wrong. I choose SafetyWing because their Nomad Insurance policy covers activities, including surfing, in 185+ countries. To sign up, visit this link.

Portugal Road Trip: Porto

After our stay in Praia de Mira, we made a pit stop for a windy surf session over the dunes in Aveiro, then headed north to Porto. It was about an hour and a half drive for the day.

Porto is a stunning city! We arrived to our Airbnb and had some trouble connecting to the wifi, so I headed right out into the city to find a coffee shop for work (this one was great.) I was instantly wowed by the street markets and this church:

It seems like Lisbon gets all the attention, and I’d only thought of Porto as a wine stop on river cruises. But it’s an artsy and thriving city with so much to see and do!

Since we’ve been keeping US east coast hours, the mornings were free for sightseeing. There were loads of great restaurants, and we went on a free walking tour to learn some of the history of the city.

After the walking tour, we took a cable car out to the coast. It was a totally different scene, and also very nice.

There are lots of gardens to sit in and take in views of the city. We found one with peacocks roaming freely (Jardins do Palacio de Cristal):

On our last night, we went on a mission to watch the sunset from the bridge over the Douro River. Don’t judge me, but I like trying the unique McDonald’s items in other countries! So we ordered some just-OK fast food, but we were excited to learn Mickey D’s serves beer in Portugal!

We carried our beers to the bridge where we were wow-ed once again! The sunset over the bridge was beautiful, and it was the perfect ending to our time in Porto.

Portugal Road Trip: Nazaré & Praia de Mira

It was hard to leave Peniche and Baleal, because it was such a nice area, and there was almost always somewhere to catch a little wave every day (and probably because of the pasteis de nata every morning at our guest house!) But we were headed north and looking to explore more coastal towns along the way.

We decided to stop to check out Nazaré, not knowing what we’d find at this time of year when the famous big wave spot isn’t active.

We found that A LOT of other people had the same idea! The town was packed, with a mass pilgrimage of visitors making their way down the walking road to the surf museum and vantage point. We parked at the top of the hill and joined them.

Along the path there was a minstrel playing Ed Sheeran songs and this half-man, half-deer surfing statue.

Then we made it to the overlook. Even though it was only 4-6 ft that day and not surfable, you could feel the power in the shore break. It’s wild to imagine that the waves can come all the way up to this platform, but the photos and videos in the museum told the full story.

We spent a while in the small museum, which was very well done. It showcased surfers, photographers, and videographers with impressive images of waves and storms.

Big wave surfers must either be insane or existing on a higher level of reality. It’s incredible to see what they do. Don’t let the calm day fool you - there’s a lot lurking underneath!

After a two-hour driving day, we stayed in Praia de Mira. There wasn’t much surf combined with a lot of wind, so that created not-so-great conditions.

But we made the most of our visit, did windy workouts on the roof of our guest house, and went into town for meals and pretty sunsets.

If there had been waves, Praia de Mira might have been a more fun stop, but otherwise after three nights, we were ready to continue our on journey!

**Whether you’re big wave surfing or small wave surfing (like me), play it safe abroad with travel medical insurance. I choose SafetyWing because their Nomad Insurance policy covers activities, including surfing, in 185+ countries. To sign up, visit this link.

Portugal Road Trip: Peniche

On our last night in Ericeira, we overlapped with their Portuguese Surf Film Festival. It was a really nice event, with a blue carpet, artwork from local artists, and some free food and drinks. We enjoyed the first film, about a surf trip from France to Senegal. The second one was a miss for us, but the event overall was great to see. It seemed like everyone in the town came out to participate.

Our next stop was another surfing hotspot, about an hour north, near the Peniche Peninsula. We decided to stay in the nearby Baleal area for quieter crowds, though of course everywhere was still busy as can be expected in Europe in August.

We found another lovely guest house (with a private bath and balcony this time!) and spent the weekend looking for waves, watching sunsets, and eating fresh pasteis de nata pastries every morning.

I surprised myself by catching some good waves at Supertubos, which is a pretty quick and steep wave. Lucky for me it was very small when we were there.

We were also celebrating the third anniversary of our first date! We enjoyed a bottle of wine out on the beach at sunset while we waited for our table. Then we had a delicious meal of steak and fish in a small Portuguese restaurant (Taberna do Ganhao). It was the perfect place for a special occasion!

There were even more spots to explore! With the wind and conditions, we hardly scratched the surface. But Portugal continued to deliver fun waves, amazing meals, and beautiful views.

**It’s always a privilege getting to surf in other countries. I make sure I’m always covered with affordable and reliable travel medical insurance in case anything goes wrong. I choose SafetyWing because their Nomad Insurance policy covers activities, including surfing, in 185+ countries. To sign up, visit this link.

Portugal Road Trip: Ericeira

Olá! Happy about halfway point through summer (or winter, if you’re reading this from the Southern Hemisphere!) I hope your days have been long, relaxing, and full of sunshine and fun. We’re off on another journey, this time to Portugal and beyond.

It was a bit challenging getting here. Well, not actually that challenging since we’re semi-young, flexible, and can work from anywhere. But the deciding when and where to go took some time. We knew a Portugal summer was in the cards for us, but I had to stay in the NJ area for a family reunion and a last-minute work trip. Bryan wanted to leave earlier and tack onto a European work trip. But we planned to fly together so that we could bring my dog, Bailey. All that considered, we booked our flights.

But it all fell through about two weeks out when I realized that Bailey didn’t have the right shots for travel. The EU has different rules for the rabies vaccine and doesn’t accept the US 3-year booster. According to the customs powers that be, she was unvaccinated. I got her a shot, but it wasn’t 100% certain whether she’d be cleared by our arrival date. I decided not to chance it, and Bryan’s parents kindly agreed to watch her for an extended staycation. It’s never easy to leave a fur baby behind, but we were back on track to leave mid-July.

We packed up the surfboard bag and flew American Airlines to Lisbon. The flight was uneventful, but I tried to sleep as much as possible with my new neck pillow, eye mask, and ear plugs, and we arrived as well rested as you could expect for a red-eye to Europe.

Our first stay was a lovely guest house that I think I could’ve lived in, even with a shared kitchen and bathroom. I’ll make trade offs for a patio and sea view in a quaint fishing village.

Ericeira delivered steep strolls down into the little town, gorgeous sunsets, cobblestone streets, and tiny, outstanding restaurants. The one that stands out most in my memory was Caminito with its most flavorful tapas plates and chocolate mousse!

The coast of Portugal is often very windy, but there’s a very protected, nice surf spot in Ericeira. The reddish, rocky cliffs provide a picturesque contrast with the teal blue waters and there’s a built up board walk with a cool, dog-friendly cafe.

Our surfing was cut a day short by some rental car troubles. It’s only a blip in the rearview now, but it was a tough and long day waiting in the surf parking lot for Hertz roadside assistance to answer our call, send maintenance, then send a tow truck and a taxi. It was about a 9 hour waiting endeavor that eventually brought us back to Lisbon to get a new rental car. All in all, it wasn’t the best start, but it could’ve been a lot worse of a stranding, and the trip could only go up from there!

As the days went on, we got some fun waves and some small, still enjoyable waves at the busy break of Ribeira D’Ilhas. We saw amazing sunsets, ate at delicious restaurants, and I even tried my hand at cooking a Portuguese soup called caldo verde with chorizo, potatoes, and collard greens. It was tasty and I’d definitely make it again.

The 2-10pm work schedule was different, but not too difficult to adjust to. And totally worth it for mornings free to surf and eat brunch!

Even with rental car struggles, Portugal is always a 10/10 for me!

**It’s always a privilege getting to surf in other countries. I make sure I’m always covered with affordable and reliable travel medical insurance in case anything goes wrong. I choose SafetyWing because their Nomad Insurance policy covers activities, including surfing, in 185+ countries. To sign up, visit this link.

Road Trip Through Southern Portugal

My birthday is next week and, as we’re planning what to do, I’m reflecting on last year’s birthday trip. I never wrote about it on here, and I want to capture the memories before they fade away with the years…

Last year, we decided to celebrate my 35th by taking a road trip in southern Portugal. Bryan flew in early for work and he planned the beginning of the trip, so when he picked me up at the Lisbon airport, I didn’t know what to expect. We drove about three hours south and, to my surprise and delight, the first stop was absolutely perfect.

Selema

Selema, Portugal is a magical and tiny town, with narrow streets and outstanding restaurants. Our Airbnb was right on the water. It ended up being a great location to visit a few different surf spots. We found a board rental place (Secret Surf Society) and a yoga teacher/massage therapist who gave me a very lovely birthday massage. Our Airbnb hostess owned a couple of restaurants in town, and the closest one made for an excellent seafood birthday dinner. I couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful place to spend a birthday (though we’ll have to try to top it this year!)

Lagos

Our next stop was Lagos (only about 30 minutes from Selema.) Lagos was high on my list, from seeing photos of the beautiful coastline and hearing recommendations from friends. We rented another Airbnb. This one had a pool, but in early April it was too chilly to swim. We wore our wetsuits in the ocean for the whole trip, which was comfortable. We used the rental car to take a day trip to Sagres and to visit the surf spots, but you really don’t need a car in Lagos. In fact, the streets of the town were so narrow, it was challenging to drive. We enjoyed walks from our Airbnb down to try different restaurants. Most of them have limited seating, and we learned we’d better make reservations in advance or stay flexible with our plans.

Ericeira

It was tough to decide where to go next. We would have liked to have spent much more time traveling along the coast. The feeling was so relaxed and there was a lot to see. We saw many people traveling in camper vans with less of an agenda and living out our surf dreams! But due to work and dog obligations, we had about two weeks and were forced to choose our stops accordingly.

We chose to head north of Lisbon next, to Ericeira. I didn’t know much about it before the trip, but I was happy to visit a new place. We found a cute bed and breakfast with a very kind and helpful owner. The scenery was gorgeous and the whole area was very calm, quiet, and relaxing. The restaurants, just like in Lagos, were small but delicious. We had given back our rental surfboards by that point, so we did some hiking nearby and visited the town of Mafra.

Lisbon

Our final stop was Lisbon. I was able to spend a few days before I had to fly back to the states and Bryan would return to London for work. We continued to celebrate my birthday by taking a cooking class, eating unlimited pasteis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts), and making our own charcuterie boards.

When it was time to leave, I was sad to say goodbye to Portugal so soon. It was a sweet trip and I hope to return for longer (maybe we’ll bring the dog next time!) I ordered one more pastel de nata for the road and it was back to the US of A.

Until next time, Portugal…

Our Big Fat Greek Vacation

Crete is an awe-inspiring land of contrasts-- a conflicting mix of old and new. It's hot, but relief comes in lightly on the sea breeze. It's rocky, but those rocks run right down to the soft sandy coast. It's dry as you head inland, yet its edges are surrounded by unforgettable water colored 10+ different shades of blue. It's got local families with naked babies bumped close up against suntanned couples on their romantic getaways. It's a place to relax, and a place to come to life, with nightly rounds of Ouzo and dancers jumping, yelling "Opa!"

It's baklava, and then more baklava... Oh wait, that's not a conflict at all. We barely managed to pull ourselves away from the temptations of our all-inclusive resort to explore nearby Heraklion, but here's what we found, plus a beachy sunset for good measure:

Magic the Dog

When traveling in Europe, Americans often cite the dining out experience as a major difference in cultures. European servers take their time, and allow you to as well. Since most of them don't work for tips to the level that American servers do, they won't hurry to turn your table or even bring the bill until you request it. For westerners this can be, at best, relaxing, and, at worst, anxiety-inducing.

My mom and many of my girlfriends can attest that, by U.S. standards, I'm one who likes to linger. I've left checks unturned and had water glasses refilled long past my welcome. But last week, at a cafe in Luxembourg, when my uncle's friend Mike lights his second post-meal smoke, I feel an impatient tapping in my knee as my hands start to fidget in my lap. Thirty minutes later, as he considers a third, my American eyes roll skyward in disbelief. But grey clouds roll in across the sky threatening sudden rain, so we stay.

I sit under the cafe's tarp, the traces of our shared crepe long gone, and I'm forced to come to terms with my culture. I become frantically aware of my heart beating and my fingers purposelessly grasping at each other under the table. My mind dances in circles away from the conversation, fooling itself into thinking there is somewhere else I need to be.

But in the middle of the third cigar, something changes. A couple settles into the table next to ours with their brand new puppy in tow. His playful confusion and naive curiosity manage to distract me, and most other diners, from my plight. I forget how long we all crowd around, smiling and sharing the spark that only a baby animal can bring. When we leave the cafe, I ask his owner for the dog's name, and she translates for me, "In English it's... Magic". I smile and thank her. As I pet him and say goodbye, I wonder what other magic I've missed in my haste.

If you’re interested in travel around Luxembourg or other European destinations, consider Trainline, Europe’s biggest train and coach app.

Castles, Ranked

I've started to figure out a possible reason why more people don't visit Luxembourg as they hop and skip across Western Europe: It's rainy! It's rained almost every one of the last 30 days. But usually only a little at a time. And let's not forget that Austin has done that to me too (looking at you, May 2015).

So we got a little bit wet as we ventured out for our castle tour, but we found that Luxembourg has many more palaces than we could squeeze into our 3-day trip. Some of them now hold hotels, youth hostels, and restaurants so you might end up near one without trying, and, in an 80 km country, the next one won't be too far away.

4. Château de Mersch

I don't think we would've even visited this very un-castle-like castle had it not been less than a mile down the road from Mike's apartment. It's currently being occupied by administrative offices, doesn't give off many castle vibes, and could easily be driven past if you were out searching for any distinguishing features that castles normally supply. I would have given it a 1 out of 10, but it was saved by the cool dragon statue out front. 2/10

Uncle Rick slaying le Dragon de Mersch

3. Château de Clervaux

We skipped going inside this one, due to cold rain and afternoon sleepiness, but it was indeed very castle-y as it stood out on the hill above town. Its classy white walls in contrast with the lush greenery of the Ardennes forest region were enough to raise my spirits after spending a day in the rain wearing absorbent canvas shoes. As we visited the church next door, we were lucky to take in our first Luxembourgish wedding and hear "Lean on Me" performed in English by the choir. 7/10

2. Palais Grand-Ducal

Our first castle of the trip is home to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the guest of honor for Luxembourg's National Holiday/birthday party, which was happening the day we arrived in the city. For us, that meant kebab, crepe, and beer trucks in the main square and a free concert by the Queen Symphony Orchestra (an orchestra that plays songs by Queen, not songs for the royal family). This is a very castle-like castle, and the only one we saw that is fully functioning today. We walked by as guests were leaving the Grand Duke's party, and I am taking off 2 points for us not being invited. 8/10

1. Château de Vianden

Vianden is the type of castle that sneaks up out of the hills and takes your breath away before you wind down hairpin turns into the town below. We were able to go inside and tour the reconstructed bedrooms, ballrooms, and dining areas. There was also an unexpected and slightly out-of-place art exhibit featuring paintings of Albert Einstein, Superman, and other iconic figures in neon blacklight paint. If you can't find what you're looking for in a castle at Vianden, you may want to end your search.  10/10

If you’re interested in travel around Luxembourg or other European destinations, consider Trainline, Europe’s biggest train and coach app.

Lovely Lux

Luxembourg is quite charming. We've nearly drunk and eaten our gracious host, Mike, out of wine and cheese. If the euro declines any further in value, I think we'll buy a castle and stay!

If you’re interested in travel around Luxembourg or other European destinations, consider Trainline, Europe’s biggest train and coach app.

Brexit!

In spite of all the newsworthy excitement going on in the UK right now, our overnight stay in London Gatwick was pretty uneventful. So we Brexited out of there yesterday afternoon and made our way to Luxembourg to enjoy the fromage and bretzels!

The joke was on us though. Had we stayed a few more hours we could be buying Harrod's out of tea and biscuits for 73 cents on the dollar.

Dubrovnik's Walls

It seems to me that Dubrovnik is a city that sucks us into its lengthy history, no matter how hard we try to resist and taint the past with our iPhones, kitschy souvenirs, and loud foreign banter. Maps will do you little good in Old Town, where unexpected winding stairwells sweep you from your predetermined path and lift you up to breathtaking panoramic viewpoints, however opposite they may be from your intended destination.

You’ll be thankful for the towering city walls letting you know that, while you’re not so certain where exactly the “You Are Here” circle might be placed on your map, you’re still well inside of Old Town, and once you find a church or a bell tower you will be on your way.

You can get comfortably lost here, as you search for a wifi hotspot or an air-conditioned bar. Instead you’ll find yourself in someone else’s garden patio or tucked away on a basketball court overlooking the rocky beach. There’s no need to worry—the ocean’s salty breezes will be there to reassure you that this city has withstood much more than teeming crowds of tourists and hungry merchants pushing their wares. The friendly faces and upward-looking awe of everyone around you remind us visitors that it’s not all buying, selling, photographing, or hunting for the right glass-bottom boat to take you to the next offshore island.

It’s Dubrovnik’s subtle charm—the ladders on the sides of shoreline rocks, perfectly placed for an impromptu swim; the climbing staircases and dead-end paths that lead to abandoned archways or hidden coves, seemingly designed for lovers sneaking away from the watchful eyes of passersby; the sneaky cats that sulk in shade and graze the smaller side streets—that we’ve really come to see.

And in every darkened corner or concealed space, you’ll find that there’s an extra place for you in the Old Town’s extensive history of protection. Centuries have passed, and this ornate fortress is still here to offer you respite from whatever present invaders you might find sailing up to your shores.