6 Weeks in Portugal: Porto

Late last year, my wife and I decided we needed a bit of a change and also never having taken advantage of the remote working situation, really wanted to see how we might be able to explore the world while working.

We landed on Portugal for 2 reasons:

• My wife’s love of Port wine

• The beautiful diving in the Azores

We created a rough plan, invited our parents and close friends and counted down the months.

For the vast majority of our time in Portugal, we would spend our time in Porto. It was relatively affordable, it was a smaller city and we had the ability to use it as a base for the various places we wanted to check out: Douro Valley and Geres National Park.

Our first week in Porto went by so quickly - before we knew it - the week was over. We took this time to get familiar with the city, get our bearings straight and also to establish a home base for essentials - groceries, coffee, supplies and connectivity.

I vividly remember landing and going to the local coffee shop for 2 espressos and questioning my hearing. The price of 2 coffees? Less than $1.50.

That pricing comparison would continue until we landed back in New York. For nearly every meal in Porto, we had the luxury of going out, eating fresh food and drinking delicious wine. No matter if we went to the corner store for a quick bite or a proper sit down restaurant with tablecloths - it was absolutely delicious.

Traveling with an infant also meant adhering to naptimes and playground activities. Thanks to the incredibly compact size of the city, we were able to make it a wholesome affair - family time in the mornings and afternoons with couple times in the evening.

We were lucky enough to see stunning sunsets across the Luís I Bridge on a number of occasions. No matter how many times we saw the sun dipping below the horizon - we were in awe every single time.

In Porto, we were lucky enough to welcome our parents and our friends along with spending quality time eating and drinking our way across the picturesque city. We will most certainly be back.

Favorite restaurant in Porto: Mistu

Favorite activity in Porto with kids: WOW Museum

Unassuming, yet stunning sunset rooftop: Hotel Dom Henrique Downtown

Over touristy, yet delicious French Toast: Majestic Cafe

Iceland: The Land of Fire and Ice

As Iceland continues to rise in popularity, there are no shortage of photos and videos that show you the stunning beauty of this nation of 300,000 people. 

Having spent the last week in Iceland, I can only say this: I cannot wait to go back. It’s a country that is so beautiful that it feels out of this world. 

After traveling to 30+ countries across 5 continents, I have yet to experience and capture anything similar to the magic of Iceland. It’s the land of delicious food, happy people, breathtaking landscapes, stunning auroras and incredible adventure. 

We spent 6 nights in all different places driving from Reykjavik through Vik and to Jokulsarlon. Everyday was a different adventure and a new battle with the cold. But we left the country in pure awe of its raw beauty. One of the few reminders of what it feels like to experience this planet at its finest.