by Missie Hills | Mar 8, 2023 | Europe, International Adventures
You can’t start a post on day trips from Porto, without first talking about the most beautiful train station in the world, Sao Bento Station. It doesn’t take long to find out why people call this train station the most beautiful train station in the world. You could spend hours staring at the walls which are covered with the most intricate blue tiled murals. It’s so beautiful that it’s hard to believe that it is an actual working train station, and a well operating one at that.
We boarded our train with very little wait time and no fuss, and then rode an hour away to Guimarães, known for its historic town centre and medieval castle. It did not disappoint. We started our morning by stopping in a pastry shop where we tried multiple different egg tart sweets. It rained off and on, but that didn’t matter much as there were plenty of covered sidewalk cafes for us to linger in especially in the medieval Largo da Oliveiria plaza in the heart of the old town.
Once the rain cleared, the boys pretended to be knights as we roamed throughout the 10th century Guimarães Castle and the restored Dukes of Bragança Palace. I was rewarded with yet another beautiful ceiling in the palace. One day I hope my photography can accurately depict my love for beautiful ceilings. Until then, trust me when I say it was stunning. E pointed out the most spooky of paintings that featured a head on a platter. We didn’t take a photo of it and haven’t been able to find it since. But he talks about it often.
That medieval feeling stayed with us as we walked through the old town centre of the beautiful city stopping often to have drinks and snacks in sidewalk cafes. While sipping vino verde in one café, we were surprised with a local tradition where the town’s accordion players gathered in a circle under the medieval arches sparking all the locals to dance and sing around them. It was truly magical.
For our next adventure, we departed the most beautiful train station in the world once again for an hour ride to Braga. Braga is one the oldest cities in the country and home to many universities. But people really come here for the beautiful Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte. The day we arrived in Braga, it was hazy with everything coated in a pale yellow glow. It wasn’t a perfect day to get beautiful landscapes of one of our most anticipated sites to see, but we made do. In the town centre, we strolled through beautiful gardens while spotting dragons. We took our time enjoying the white port wine spritzers over lunch before catching a bus to the main attraction.
Bom Jesus do Monte, or the Good Jesus of the Mountain, is a catholic shrine known for the Christian pilgrimages ending with the sites Baroque stairway, climbing in crisscross style. The staircase pays homage to the five senses as you climb. You can make the climb yourself, or you can take the old fashioned water balance funicular, built in 1882, to the top. It was muggy out. We weren’t about to climb those stairs with the boys. So we rode the funicular up, I walked the steps down and back up by myself, and we rode the funicular down. I found this site to be mesmerizing. The zigzag staircase seemed endless from the bottom giving a real sense of depth. The Baroque finishings added that touch of creepy you really expect from this type of architecture. I loved every bit of it.
From knights to dragons, the areas surrounding Porto carried on the marvelous magical feeling leaving us craving more adventure. The beauty of Portugal is in the details… It’s in the intricate patterned sidewalks… It’s in the colorful stacks of sardine cans… It’s is the beautiful array of blue and green tiles… And just like the beauty of those details, Jason and I found the most beauty of our trip in the small but grand moments we shared with our beautiful family, moments that will stay with us forever.
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Mar 8, 2023 | Europe, International Adventures
Whenever we travel to somewhere new, we try to wrap up our experience of the city in one word. That word for Porto came easily… Marvelous.
The city was full of this buzzing feeling of magic, stemming from features like the bookstore rumored to inspire Harry Potter, the streets full of eclectic street art, and the walls covered with famous blue tiled murals. My favorite feature was the Douro riverside landscape views of the Ribeira, packed with colorful lego stacked houses. Jason’s favorite feature was the Gaia port wine cellars. And the boys? Well, they loved the gelato.
This family vacation was Little Evey’s first trip to Europe! He rocked the flight like a travel pro. But the jet lag did its thing and we experienced our first 2 year old meltdown of the trip at dinner that night. What I always find fascinating about Europeans is how considerate and accommodating they are of families in restaurants. I braced myself for the ugly stares, but they never came. We were given the space to work through the tantrum and finish our dinner without having to leave hungry.
Having that tantrum early in trip helped us set some parenting guardrails and curb our expectations. We decided then to not worry about what the boys ate for the rest of the trip. We wouldn’t stress over picky eating until we got back home. This was hard at times, but ultimately paid off and reduced the tantrums dramatically.
We had 10 full days to spend in Porto and the extended area. We never spend that much time in one city. So, we weren’t quite sure how to do it. We had no day by day plan… just a general sense of major things to see and do and a guide book by our side. It didn’t take us long to love this relaxed way of travel. With no agenda, we were free to stop in shops we would have never have stopped in, linger in cafes we would have never visited, and talk to strangers we would have never have talked to.
We only had one major planned event, and it started on our first morning with our tradition of getting a professional photoshoot through Localgraphers. I cannot recommend Localgraphers enough. We were paired with the local photographer, Max. He was great with the kids and our photos in the Ribeira district turned out wonderful.
With that one big planned event out of the way. We spent the rest of our time in Porto truly wandering the streets. We started our exploration with a river boat cruise where we learned about the City of Bridges. We were rewarded with perfect views of the riverfront colorful houses. We made up stories about our favorite houses and decided one of them was definitely haunted.
A lot of the trip turned out to be a rainy mess, but we’ve never let a little rain get us down. We had plenty of indoor spots to check out too. Little E (who is actually not so little anymore) and I decided to visit the famous Livraria Lello, the most beautiful bookstore in the world and rumored to have inspired the Harry Potter series. Accolades like that attract attention though. The line to get in the store wrapped well around the block even in the rain. We had bought a VIP pass that allowed us to walk right pass that line and go directly inside, worth every penny even with the death stares we got from the patrons wet on the sidewalk. However, it was still incredibly crowded inside and everyone wanted a photo of the main feature, the red double staircase. So, E and I found a few books to buy, and got out of the stuffy small space with very few photos to show.
The rain that day poured on. And so we took the kids to the World of Discoveries, a children’s museum focused on Portugal’s explorations. As a family that loves to explore, it seemed fitting. The kids loved the cheesy boat ride that slowly took us around the world. I was ecstatic to randomly find a quirky antique mall right next door. We strolled through the antique booths, spotting the most random second hand finds, and then stayed awhile in the mall’s coffee shop while playing backgammon and sipping hot chocolate next to the antique piano while everything softly glowed from the fireplace.
Turns out these small moments were more grander than seeing any major landmark or red double staircase.
Once the kids had their fun in the cutesy museum, we didn’t feel bad for dragging them along to our most anticipated event, the port wine cellars tour in Gaia across the river. After riding the aerial gondola directly over the mass expanse of wine cellars along the river, we trekked up the hill to Graham’s Lodge. We splurged on the VIP package which included a tour of the cellars and an exclusive tasting of ports in a the Vintage Room. The kids enjoyed the spooky tour in the cellars as they looked for hidden monsters. Jason and I enjoyed the Vintage Room decked out in leather armchairs, mahogany bookshelves, and old maps… a couple of cigars and it would have been perfect.
Our explorations continued over the next few days utilizing these fun travel cards. They really helped excite E as we walked through the city. Every single block we walked through had unique tiles and colors. We took our time on each street. We made stops in the city’s most beautiful churches exploring the creepy tombs below and climbing the high towers above.
All this walking made us hungry of course. We explored circus themed sardine shops full of all things fishy, stuffed ourselves with Francesinhas (Porto’s famous sandwich smothered in cheese and topped with an egg), and found the best gelato in the world (awarded by my children). Jason and I ate electric flowers from the Amazon Rainforest that numbed our mouths and opened our taste buds. We all tried the jams and chocolates packaged in paint tubes. There were egg tart pastries everywhere. And low and behold, we found a pizza place so good that even Little Evey ate a slice!
The last couple days we had in Porto, you guessed it, we roamed even more. We found an fascinating photography museum hidden in an abandoned prison. We took the trolley to the beach to see the Atlantic Ocean. We looked for the best street art in the city. We counted how many Mario flower powers we could spot (we found 11 total). E loved being old enough to start learning how to use my camera. I took advantage and played his model to finally get a few photos of me in the mix and a couple of me and Jason as well. Turns out he has a knack for it!
Yes, we don’t typically spend this much time in one city. But because we did, I think we found a new way that we love to travel. The best memories we have of this trip aren’t from the top attractions you find when you google Porto. It’s the small moments. It’s the excitement in Little Evey’s eyes when he saw the trolley for the first time. It’s the laughter from E as we took turns spotting fun things in the shops. It’s the way Jason and I both would say, “This is the best one yet…” every time we ate a new Francesinhas. And most of it all, it’s the magic we felt in the air… that overwhelming feeling that we could only describe in one word… Marvelous.
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Mar 30, 2022 | Central America, International Adventures, North America, Uncategorized
As we left Monteverde with beautifully clear skies, we had a newfound hope that our beach visit would be rain free. So far, our risk of visiting Costa Rica during the rainy season hadn’t exactly panned out, but we were due for a little good luck. We had a good feeling about Tamarindo.
Playa Tamarindo is known for its laid back culture and gorgeous white sandy beaches. It’s a hot spot for surfers and hippies alike. We fit right in. Our beach bungalow at, Ocho Artisan Bungalows, reminded us more of Thailand then of Costa Rica, but we didn’t mind. We were just ready for some sunshine and relaxation. The kids were ready for some pool time.
It took a lot of convincing to pry the kids away from the pool, but we finally managed to make our way to the beach. The evening glow from the sun was just right. Our good feeling about Playa Tamarindo was becoming a reality.
The next morning, we set out early in search of breakfast. There is a local hotspot on the beach called Waffle Monkey. They have gluten free waffles for those with tummy sensitivities like me! We had a big day ahead of us… We chartered a private sailboat for the day! We spent the day under the sun spotting sea turtles, snorkeling, and enjoying the ocean water.
We capped the night off with a horseback ride through Tamarindo. I wasn’t sure how Ethan would do on his own horse, but turns out he was a pro. I was left to manage a very wiggly toddler on my horse. The ride was exciting though, and the boys loved it.
For our last adventure, we boarded a flat bottomed safari boat and set way into the winding tributaries that lead into the ocean. We were hoping to see a crocodile or two, and our guide told us we might just get lucky! As we ventured deeper and deeper into the maze, we spotted monitor lizards, many birds, and so many different types of crabs, I couldn’t keep count. It took a while, but we finally found one lonely baby crocodile hiding in the branches. We felt accomplished.
We have started a new tradition in the Baltics that we carried here to Costa Rica, a family professional photoshoot. This is a great way to ensure that I get a few amazing photos of us as a family (me included for once). We use a company called Localgraphers to find us the perfect local photographer. These photos were taken by local photographer, Shade Souc.
Our time in Costa Rica was at its end. We had spent 2 weeks travelling the northern part of the country seeing everything from dinosaurs to sloths. The country wasn’t what we had quite expected. Or maybe I should say the trip wasn’t what we quite expected… What started with food poisoning at the Blue River and torrential rain at the cloud forest, ended with a beautiful sunset over the Pacific Ocean. We were often reminded of the number one rule when travelling with children… Be Flexible.
And also of the number 2 rule… Enjoy every moment. Because this stage of life, when our children are little like this, is incredibly special. 2020 smacked me in the face hard. It woke me up and reminded me that time is precious . The Costa Ricans know this to be true, and that is why they have gifted us with the feeling of Pura Vida.
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Mar 30, 2022 | Central America, International Adventures, North America
Visiting a rainforest during the rainy season may sound interesting. Sure, you’ll avoid the tourists, but there is a reason why the tourist season is when it is… and that reason is, quite obvious to us now, to avoid the rain.
The rain tested us in a way that only parallel parking a manual vehicle on an incline in Casablanca has tested us before. Well, getting lost during the torrential downpour probably had a little more to do with it I suppose. Expert tip: if you are planning on getting rained on during your trip, make sure to allow enough cushion time in between activities for your clothes and shoes to dry out. Our hotel thankfully had portable heaters that we used to turn the bathrooms into mini saunas where our gear could dry. Even so, we still spent the entirety of our time in Monteverde damp.
Rain or no rain, we were hellbent on hiking. After checking into Koora Hotel, we decided to start with their onsite reserve, Reserva Aguti. They gave us a paper map of the trail, we put on all of our rain gear, and set off. We could handle some moderate drizzle right?
The hike started wonderfully. The giant trees covered in vines kept the drizzle at bay. Ethan had suddenly discovered his fear of ants on this trip. So, we kept on watch for leaf cutters and bullet ants along our path. We were really enjoying the beautiful walk when the rain started to pick up. Within a few minutes, the moderate drizzle turned into torrential downpour. We were hiking up a hill. So suddenly, our walking trails turned into streams. We were quickly soaked. We accidently left the paper map in the car and was relying on Jason’s phone for navigation, but we couldn’t risk getting Jason’s phone wet in the downpour and the service wasn’t working anyhow. Before we knew it, we were lost. We stumbled around in the rain for a while climbing over large broken tree branches and sliding down muddy hills all while everyone was crying and generally very miserable. By continuously moving downward, we made it out of the reserve in one piece although soaked to the core. We decided that was enough for one day. We would try again tomorrow.
Well tomorrow came and the rain didn’t leave. But we had plans, exciting ones! I had booked us a morning tour of the local coffee plantation. I love coffee, I wasn’t about to miss it. So, we leveled our expectations for the day with an understanding that we would be wet and headed out to brave the rain.
It rained a lot during the coffee plantation tour, and my camera didn’t like it. I began to worry that I ruined it forever. Everett also didn’t like it. I had to tend to a level five toddler meltdown midway through the tour. Ethan really enjoyed learning about the plantation though, and once I calmed Everett down, I did too.
We were already pretty wet, although not quite as bad as our hike from the day before. So, we decided to continue our day at the Selvatura Adventure Park. I was excited to visit this park’s hanging bridges. They also have one of the most famous ziplines in the world. While I explored the sloth and reptile exhibits with the kids, Jason had a chance to zipline in the cold rain. Our hike on the hanging bridges trail ended up being beautiful. It did downpour at the very end, but by this time we were very used to being soaking wet.
I will say I tested my camera’s waterproofing limits to the extreme on this trip. At one point, the controls started reading out random gibberish. The internal lenses were so full of steam, the autofocus was rendered useless. However, a night in our heated bathroom dried it out, and I haven’t had any problems since. As we left the parking lot of our hotel and started our road trip to the beach, the clouds cleared, the sun came out, and it was a beautiful day in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. We had missed it all by one day.
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Mar 29, 2022 | Central America, International Adventures, North America
We’ve been near volcanos before, but never like this. There is something phenomenal about seeing a perfectly symmetrical cone plunging out of the ground, a little over a mile high, before you. Arenal has been dormant since 2010, but we still felt a few tremors here and there.
Our risky personalities decided to visit the area during the rainy season. We weren’t sure if we would even get a clear view of the mountain. It did rain a lot, but we had enough good periods to hike the volcano and see the lava fields up close. We didn’t get a perfect view of Arenal, but we still got a beautiful one.
The best part of the 4 mile lava field hike ended up being the coffee shop at the end. It had beautiful views of the volcano and excellent coffee of course. It was a nice resting point where we could watch the storm clouds roll around us.
Our bungalow at the Montana De Fuego Resort, had an even more beautiful view of the countryside along with a good variety of large insects and birds. The hotel’s springs weren’t quite hot, but the boys absolutely loved them. I absolutely loved the hummingbirds. Jason absolutely loved the swim-up bar.
We came for the volcano, but the La Fortuna waterfalls stole our hearts. The La Fortuna waterfalls hike isn’t that bad… that is if you ignore the 500 step staircase to get to the bottom! Every step was worth the stunning view from the bottom.
Between the light rain and the waterfall splatter, we were soaked but still happy all while channeling the Pura Vida. We had good hopes that the rain would hold out for us at our next stop in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. but we were wrong…
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Mar 29, 2022 | Central America, International Adventures, North America
It had been 2 years since we travelled internationally. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but in 2 years, a lot happened. The last international adventure we had, we were a family of 3 with a little bun in the oven. We had ideas and plans for the adventures ahead of us. We booked trips to Japan, Mexico City, and the United Kingdom. Our new family of four was itching to explore. Little did we know the world had something else in mind for us all, a whole new type of adventure called quarantine.
The year of 2020 brought a lot of new perspective for me. I started taking a closer look at how I valued myself, and I realized how tangled I had tied up my self-worth in many things that were out of my control. I started to see my privilege in a different light and suddenly my desperate need to explore seemed shallow. I dug deeper and discovered that the wanderlust I craved stemmed from my core value of curiosity. That’s when I realized that I should stop comparing my minor sufferings to the major sufferings of the world. That’s when I knew that I could live into my core value of curiosity in so many unique ways outside of travel.
So after a year of self-discovery, we boarded a plane once more and set our sights on Costa Rica to discover the Pura Vida.
We had 2 weeks of adventure planned. Just to make it fun, we decided to gamble and visit during the rainy season. The gamble didn’t pan out, it rained… a lot. However, the rain didn’t alter the beauty of the country or the time we had together as a family.
For our first stop, we decided to go deep into the northern countryside off the beaten trail to relax in The Blue River Resort. We weren’t sure what to expect as this resort seemed less popular then many others we looked at, but it quickly blew us a way. It was absolutely gorgeous with beautiful gardens everywhere. And so many birds!
Many people come here for the river rapids. We were here for the dinosaurs. Truth be told, we chose this spot specifically because they have a hiking trail with large fake dinosaurs that peaked our interest. Seeing dinosaurs in the country where Jurassic Park was filmed seemed like a no brainer. Unfortunately, my risk taking eating habits caught up to me and I came down with horrible food poisoning the first night we got to the Blue River Resort. Darn that road side ceviche! While I stayed curled up in fetal position next to the trash can, Jason and E went out to explore dino land without me.
The resort had so much more to offer than dinosaurs. It was located at the base of an active volcano, Rincon. The minerals from the volcano created a stunning shade of blue in the river. The resort turned the active hot springs into pools. And when I say hot, I mean hot tub hot!
We spent hours walking the resort gardens. There was a hummingbird garden… a butterfly garden… a sloth garden… even a crocodile garden. We couldn’t find any sloths or crocodiles, but we did find some fun mud baths!
Our first stop exceeded our expectations and set the stage for the Pura Vida we had hoped for. Even with the bumps along the way, my newfound sense of self-discovery allowed me to enjoy every minute of it. Ok, maybe not the puking parts… but the memories that stuck are vast majority wonderful.
Until next time,
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