Tips on traveling smart and on a budget
There are tons of reasons to love Lisbon. It offers some of the most beautiful panoramic views, incredible street art, wonderful museums, great food, and wine. There is one other thing that you will absolutely love about the city, its parks. Lisbon has some gorgeous public spaces to offer. These are places to sit back …
If you ask me, parks are the hearts of cities. When I lived in NYC, Central Park and Riverside Park were a part of my daily routine. Now that Lisbon, Portugal is my home base, I am thrilled to say that Parque Eduardo VII and Jardim Gulbenkian have taken over their role in my life. I’ll tell …
When you are going through the process to move to Portugal by getting the D7 residency visa, one of the requirements is that you have health insurance. The process is not hard, but you need to check off a few boxes. Portuguese medical insurance is said to be some of the best in the world. …
As a tech geek-ified family getting modern electronics in Portugal is a horror and a nightmare. Get stuff shipped, charged 10x VAT, bring it yourself the electrical setup in apartments break everything. We moved to Lisbon, we brought over our stuff (not something I recommend – just sell your crap and buy new here). We …
As most of you know I work online all day, that’s a dangerous thing for someone who lives in Lisbon where food is delicious (and cheap). Lucky for me, before settling here I got to try tons of gyms. I’ll leave the best for last (the one I picked for my membership), but I’ll give …
Tipping in Portugal is quite different than in the United States where 15% is standard for average service and 20% is standard for good service (and where servers will give you lip if you don’t tip because their service was crap). In Lisbon, tipping is not mandatory and it is not seen as rude not …
Lisbon is a great city for food. If you know where to go. Lisbon is on an uptick and so is its restaurant culture, so if you’re willing to explore and be adventurous you will enjoy some amazing meals. I am not going to cover the fancy or expensive restaurants like Eleven, 100 Maneiras, or …
Many people ask us why we decided to make the Avenidas Novas neighborhood in Lisbon our home when we finally made our move to Portugal. After all, we had stayed at some of Lisbon’s best neighborhoods during our trips there: Principe Real, the Alfama, Estrela, Santos, The Mouraria, and Amoreiras. It took a lot of …
I’m a big fan of cemeteries. This is not because I’m morbid or have an unhealthy obsession with the dead. I love cemeteries because they are quiet places, filled with art. They are gorgeous sculpture gardens that offer tons of information about their city and its people. They are also often free to visit. This …
Cemitério dos Prazeres (Pleasures Cemetery) in Lisbon Read More »
Cemeteries are wonderful places to visit when you travel. They are serene, they are beautiful, and they have a lot to teach you about the people and history of the place. There are two cemeteries in Lisbon that you absolutely must visit. They are Prazeres and the British Cemetery in Lisbon. If you visit both, …
Lisbon Portugal is a walking museum. Every street, every building, every piece of graffiti has history attached to it. Lisbon also has an amazing collection of museums that range from high arts to crafts to puppets (yeah – puppets). Even better, the museums are also quite inexpensive to visit…but, if you’re on a budget, there’s …
Free Lisbon Museums (a guide to enjoying art on the cheap) Read More »
This past year when Antonio and I decided to rediscover Bogotá, we chose to stay in the Santa Barbara neighborhood for its safety and convenience. What I didn’t know is that our flat would be a short walk from one of the cutest neighborhoods in Bogotá, Usaquén. There are so many things to do in …
Things to do In Usaquén, Bogotá’s Cutest Neighborhood Read More »
I have been using Airbnb since 2010 (wow – 7 years of constant travel) and I love it. I always recommend Airbnb to friends and colleagues. It’s just a better way to travel. Airbnb rentals are usually cheaper than a hotel, have way more amenities and help you save money while you travel. I’ve become …
Craigslist Scams: The Too Good To Be True Airbnb Listing Read More »
I’ve been traveling on Airbnb for about 12 years. Airbnb Problems with my hosts haven’t been so much of an issue. This is partly because I’ve gotten really good on how to choose an Airbnb rental, but also because I take certain precautions so that if Airbnb Problems do arise, I am covered. Today, I’ll walk you …
A Guide on How to Handle Airbnb Problems as a Guest Read More »
When I booked my trip to Bogotá, I chose to stay in the Santa Barbara neighborhood. When I asked around, everyone said it was safe, but pretty far from the center. What finally sold me on the neighborhood was the awesome Airbnb I found (ask me about it if you’re going to the city). What …