After an early start at the airport due to a strike (we arrived 3 hours early) we flew to Lisbon and took two trains to Lagos.

Sophia

Hi! Bonjour! I’m Sophia, a traveler since birth, a lover of nature and culture and a linguist! I want to share with you all the wonderful things you can do and experience if you just set your mind to it and travel!

journeysdawn.com

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Sophia and I got comfortable at our AirBnB accommodations and headed off for a self-guided tour of Barcelona.   In order to get the most out of the sights, we used the Pocket Guide and Triposo apps on our Android devices to learn more about the places we visited. 

Our first stop wasn’t on our list, but we passed by Palau Robert, a building that hosts some concerts and exhibits.

This particular morning, it was hosting a variety of media exhibits to commemorate 25 years of Catalan monuments.  First, we went into a small domed outdoor theatre that was showing how Barcelona FC games are filmed and covered. 

Second, we listened to the history of one of Barcelona’s radio stations via speakers that played different songs of every year since its inception; we finished off with a virtual reality trip. 

The free exhibits were great, including the one about Salvador Dali’s work! 

Next, we started our self-guided tour by passing by Casa Milà and Casa Batlló, two of the famous architects Gaudi’s works. 

We then walked through the famous La Rambla street and visited Santa Maria del Mar. We took the time to tour the beautiful Barcelona Cathedral. While we didn’t take the guided tour, I would recommend doing so if you want some additional information as the pamphlet that guides you through the Cathedral doesn’t provide much details.  Always keep your eyes open, as you’ll find some great animals roaming around in the parks, museum grounds and the city itself. 

For lunch, we stopped around the corner of the Cathedral at Conesa Entrepans, a small popular location that serves a wide assortment of sandwiches at a very reasonable price. 

After a bite, we wandered off to the nearby Parc de la Ciutadella. 

Finally, after a nice long walk to the beach…. 

we grabbed some sangria and paella (my first time trying it) at Xiringuito Escribà, a beach-side restaurant recommended by our AirBnb host. 

[08-01-2017]

Jay

Hi, I’m Jason Wingate and I caught the travel bug a few years ago with my wife Sophia Bello. Together, we’ve been travelling the world and sharing our experiences here on our blog, hoping to inspire and help you on your own journey!

journeysdawn.com

The post First day in Barcelona Spain appeared first on Journey's Dawn.

We started the day with a walk from our AirBnB accommodations to La Sagrada Familia. It’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Barcelona (and there are quite a few), and is the one landmark we did not want to miss at any cost!

This iconic Roman Catholic Church is a project of the architect Gaudi (whose architecture can be seen all over this beautiful Catalan city) who took over the building of the church in 1883 (it was actually started a year prior to Gaudi’s involvement). By the time Gaudi died in 1926, only a fourth of the church had been completed!

Plagued by money issues, war, and other factors, the construction of La Sagrada has been very slow. The whole thing should be completed now in 2026 – 100 years after Gaudi’s death.

So have people been flocking to visit this unfinished church for almost 100 years? Because even in it’s incomplete state, with construction crews walking around and tall cranes covering some parts of the building, it’s still a beautiful site to behold both inside and outside.

From the way the massive and breathtaking stained glass reflects the light inside the temple, to the breathtaking views of the city from the church’s towers, everything designed in La Sagrada is made with a reason and purpose like a beautiful work of art.

Even if you don’t like or care for art, the visual overload from all the beautiful views inside and outside the church are worth the price of admission.

Speaking of admission. Did you book your tickets in advance? If La Sagrada Familla is one thing – it’s busy. Even if you book in advance like we did, there are still lineups to enter. So if it’s a priority to visit this site when you visit Barcelona, make sure you book ahead.

Sophia and I booked our tickets (58€) that covered the entry fee, an optional audio guide, and a tour of the Nativity tower. We picked the Nativity Facade because it’s the only tower designed by Gaudi himself, and not by one of his proteges.

 It also has a wonderful view of the mountains.

The tower views were well worth it, and as they limit the amount of tourists in the church at a single time, we were able to navigate fairly easily. The audio guide that we used was wonderful, and it really helped bring to life all the temple, towers, and all the rest of Gaudi’s visions. If you want to walk around and understand La Sagrada in detail, pick up the audio guide!

Sophia

Hi! Bonjour! I’m Sophia, a traveler since birth, a lover of nature and culture and a linguist! I want to share with you all the wonderful things you can do and experience if you just set your mind to it and travel!

journeysdawn.com

The post La Sagrada Familia & Barcelona Night Walking Tour appeared first on Journey's Dawn.

Today was just a relaxing day in Nice. We wanted to visit the Nice Castle Hill and then do nothing for the rest of the day. 

That’s exactly what we did.

We took a bus and got dropped off at the start of the waterfront so we could enjoy the walk towards Castle Hill. 

Castle Hill looks pretty high, but luckily there’s an elevator that takes you right up to the entrance (if claustrophobic, keep in mind that this fits 4-5 people and has no air coming through). 

Castle Hill is one of the top tourist destinations with its striking views of the city and waterfalls. 

We spent about an hour walking around, taking in the architectural designs of the area.  

until we found a local self-serve restaurant called Lou Kalu, where we could try a few French dishes we saved until the end: Socca and a Niçoise salad.  

Both were excellent, including the orange pie we had for dessert. 

before heading to Barcelona that evening. 

Sophia

Hi! Bonjour! I’m Sophia, a traveler since birth, a lover of nature and culture and a linguist! I want to share with you all the wonderful things you can do and experience if you just set your mind to it and travel!

journeysdawn.com

The post When in Nice, Enjoy Some Peace appeared first on Journey's Dawn.

On our third day in France, we did a trip to Antibes and Cannes. 

We took the train from Nice to Cannes and stopped over in Les Antibes (you can a stopover to your final destination on trains with the same ticket). 

We spent the first hour checking out the local market, seeing all the shops and restaurants adoring the city. Bustling with tourists, we tried everything from delicious nougat to fruit confectioneries.  

After our walk, we went to the beach to relax a few hours in the sun.

Finally, we had lunch at at Le Pimm’s and set off to Cannes. 

In Cannes we walked down Rue d’Antibes (the famous street) looking around at the stores and shops.  

taking in the location of the famous Cannes film festival.

Jay

Hi, I’m Jason Wingate and I caught the travel bug a few years ago with my wife Sophia Bello. Together, we’ve been travelling the world and sharing our experiences here on our blog, hoping to inspire and help you on your own journey!

journeysdawn.com

The post Détente ‘Relaxation’: Antibes & Cannes appeared first on Journey's Dawn.

The first thing we did upon our arrival in Monaco is head upstairs from the train station to the information office, where we got our passport stamped. It is definitely something you want to do that’s not required, but it adds one more stamp to your passport! 

After taking in the beautiful sights and the view of the city, albeit cloudy…     …we walked up the stairs to Palais Princier. 

We decided instead to check out Saint Nicholas Cathedral. 

After confessing our sins and as the sun was finally coming out, we thought it best to start walking towards the famous Monte Carlo Casino. 

Asides from tourists such as ourselves, the casino has lots of expensive cars parked outside. 

Going inside the atrium was free and we could be dressed casual (within certain restrictions); the price was 17 euros/person to play the tables. 

While we did change into something dressier and more fitting for the casino, we opted to stay in the slot machine area (part of the atrium) as neither of us really gambles.  Afterwards we walked back to the port to view the beautiful yachts, and then onward for dinner at a restaurant. We had some great cannolis and pizza.   

We took the train back to our hotel after this long day and got ready for a relaxing time in Antibes and Cannes. 

Sophia

Hi! Bonjour! I’m Sophia, a traveler since birth, a lover of nature and culture and a linguist! I want to share with you all the wonderful things you can do and experience if you just set your mind to it and travel!

journeysdawn.com

The post Que dire ? ‘What is there to say about’ Monaco appeared first on Journey's Dawn.

We originally were going to go to Germany or Belgium via train, but we liked Luxembourg so much we decided to tour the small country a bit more.

We took a bus to Vianden, a town north of Luxembourg-ville.

Our first stop was Roman Villa Echternach – a Roman palace and museum. 

It features a beautiful representation of the times and well-kept remains, with information provided at each stop. 

Our second stop was Abbey Museum. 

This place was filled with beautiful archaic religious items.

Our third stop was the house of Victor Hugo.  

The walk-through of the house was very interesting, with audio sections throughout the house to keep you engaged as you visit each section.

We then proceeded to have lunch at a small restaurant in town which was fairly priced (Pizzeria au Feu de Bois).

As the skies were clearing up, we decided to ride the cable car to Vianden Castle before hiking up to the main entrance.

Luckily, we could do the tour with an audio guide, which proved to be the best way to enjoy the scenery and learn about its history.

Not only was the tour of the castle great, but as we moved from section to section, we ended up seeing a reenactment of the time period, with people dressed up as kings, queens, peasants and the like.

In total, Vianden itself is worth the visit if in Luxembourg.

Sophia

Hi! Bonjour! I’m Sophia, a traveler since birth, a lover of nature and culture and a linguist! I want to share with you all the wonderful things you can do and experience if you just set your mind to it and travel!

journeysdawn.com

The post Exploring Art with Victor Hugo & History at Vianden Castle appeared first on Journey's Dawn.

Our original plan was to spend as little time as possible in Luxembourg because we heard it was extremely expensive. We thought we would use the city as a base to visit Germany (Trier), France (Metz) and perhaps Belgium. However our first full day in Luxembourg City changed our minds.

Luxembourg is a fantastic country with many things to do, not just in Luxembourg City, but throughout the country as well. 

It’s reasonably priced; if you’re from a major North American city, you will find the pricing comparable (Some cheaper eats, mid-range, high-range), with affordable transportation (same fare across the country), so are most of the tourist sites. Best of all, if you have a car, the entire country is drivable within a couple of hours. We didn’t, but if we go again (and we plan to), we will certainly rent one. 

Before we began our morning proper, we went down to the DoubleTree Hilton reception, and purchased a tourist/travel pass for one day (you can buy multiple days but we didn’t know how much time we were going to spend in Luxembourg). The tourist pass gets you unlimited train and bus rides, and over 70 tourist attractions in the country – all for 13 euros a person. It’s quite a deal, and it’s available at the tourist office in the city center, or at hotels (such as the one we stayed at). 

We took the bus from DoubleTree down to the city center and began to wander around, finding ourselves at the Tourist office. The information desk was very helpful and we wandered through the upper (high) part of Luxembourg and down to the lower streets, stopping only for a quick pastry for breakfast. 

Our first stop was the Bock Casemates, an old natural fortification in the historical district of Luxembourg City.

We explored the tunnels, with our guided map in hand, and learned about the history of the fortification. It was an interesting stop, and as a strategic location in fending off armies of the Burgundians, Spaniards and French to name a few – a very interesting historical site. 

After that stop, we took in the sights of the river flowing Pétrusse, followed by Notre-Dame Cathedral, and finally passed by the Grand Ducal Palace (tours were available, but we didn’t do one). Just wandering a few hours around the small city to take in the many picturesque sites led us to realize that Luxembourg deserved much more time than previously allocated!

Two of the best sites we saw were the National Museum of Natural History.

This museum includes multiple floors, each one dedicated to a different era, starting from billions of years ago…

to modern day. 

We broke for lunch at a small and reasonably-priced restaurant near the Grand Ducal Palace.

 

The second site we saw was Fort Thüngen, another popular tourist attraction that requires a few hours of your time.

It tells the rich history of the fort with an incredibly detailed audio guide (all included in our tourist pass). 

Sophia

Hi! Bonjour! I’m Sophia, a traveler since birth, a lover of nature and culture and a linguist! I want to share with you all the wonderful things you can do and experience if you just set your mind to it and travel!

journeysdawn.com

The post Sightseeing with the Luxembourgers appeared first on Journey's Dawn.

We’ve been go,go,go since we started our vacation to pack all the sightseeing in that we felt like we were gone for a few months. It was great, but we were on the verge of needing a vacation from a vacation! And we were barely halfway done!

So we got up late, had breakfast, walked the large capo markets and bought souvenirs.

It was a day of wandering aimlessly, shopping and then sleeping a couple of hours at our B&B.

We had lunch at Bizzo, a fantastic and well-priced restaurant near Quattro Canti that was recommended by locals and where I had some of the best ravioli ever!

Later on in the day (after a much needed nap), we stopped by Nino’s for carne e meusa which means “cow spleen”.

He truly enjoys his work and is always there ready to make you feel welcomed! If we hadn’t done our research on unique places to visit, we would’ve missed this spot! Highly recommended street food, distinctly Sicilian and fantastic! 

We relaxed at a cafe called Spinnato, where we had cappuccinos and cannolis on the patio. It’s situated near Il Ghiottone Raffinato where I planned a surprise birthday dinner for Jason. 

Following a relaxing evening, we turned the corner to the restaurant which we had all to ourselves. We started with a grilled vegetables and sardines antipasto then we had beef and potatoes and lemon with mint pasta. The meat and potato combination was cooled just right with a great combination of spices; however, the lemon mint pasta left something to be desired with a bitter aftertaste that for us we were not accustomed to. 

The excellent service, with a small cake for Jason’s birthday and champagne, overshadowed the pasta portion of the meal.

This beautiful night was also filled with music and great conversation. 

We then headed home to go to bed as we’ll need to wake up a bit earlier for our day trip to Cefalu.

Sophia

Hi! Bonjour! I’m Sophia, a traveler since birth, a lover of nature and culture and a linguist! I want to share with you all the wonderful things you can do and experience if you just set your mind to it and travel!

journeysdawn.com

The post Relaxing in Palermo with food food and more food! appeared first on Journey's Dawn.

After doing multiple sights in such a short time, and spending time with our wonderful Airbnb hosts, we decided to do a quick trip to the Tarxien Temples and spend the rest of the afternoon with our hosts.

Gozo and the rest of Malta will have to wait for another trip!

After getting up later than usual (10am), we had breakfast and headed off to the Tarxien Temples (Bus #120).

The 4 small temples are fascinating and include a free audio guide (downloadable to your Android or iPhone and connects via wifi). It tells you all about these temples that are older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Egypt.

If  you have limited time in Malta, I suggest you check out at least one temple. We did Tarxien because it was the closest to our host.

We finished off with a quick bite of sandwich and chips at a local Maltese restaurant and headed back to enjoy the company of our hosts with parentezi and coffee. A wonderful way to finish off a wonderful part of our journey. We will certainly come back to Malta soon!

It was a wonderful country full of unique sites, friendly people and good food.

Jay

Hi, I’m Jason Wingate and I caught the travel bug a few years ago with my wife Sophia Bello. Together, we’ve been travelling the world and sharing our experiences here on our blog, hoping to inspire and help you on your own journey!

journeysdawn.com

The post Our Final Day in Malta: Tarxien Temples appeared first on Journey's Dawn.