Portugal’s second city stuck out as my favorite town in the country, eclipsing Lisbon, Braga, Coimbra, and even Evora for it’s authenticity and connection to the land and water. Sure, I loved those other spots too, but Porto just seemed to take everything I loved about the whole country and bring it together. With great wine, seafood, and of course Port, there’s so much I loved about the town. Coming at the tail end of […]
Braga, the gateway to Portugal’s Duoro Wine Region is a shining example of Portugal’s blend of rich Roman and Medieval history and a great modern viticulture and culinary scene. Though we had one rainy day in town, we still had a great family time and got to see the city in the sunlight on our second day. An easily walkable town, Braga might not be the most popular city for tourists, but it belongs on […]
With two weeks left until the Berlin Marathon, everyone wants to know if I’m ready. The problem is, I won’t really know until something like a few miles into the race on September 16. It certainly hasn’t been an easy training schedule with twin toddlers taking up more and more time, and there have been more than a few poor runs, but I think I’m pretty ready. As I lay on my back in the […]
My two two-year-olds cry, whine, and scream a lot. It can feel constant. With limited vocabulary, they don’t know how to express themselves or explain what they want or what’s bothering them, so they start whining. Distractions from this can be the only way to head off a full on tantrum sometimes, so I’ve had to build up an arsenal of tricks. These are the 25 that have worked best for us. 1. Trains – […]
At two years old, it’s common for toddlers to experience a sleep regression. It’s a time of rapid development in their brains, which can often manifest as trouble sleeping. Even kids who were the soundest sleepers for the last two years can suddenly become fussy sleepers. One of my twins had been a great sleeper and one day just broke. A combination of separation anxiety and wake ups saw us taking turns sleeping on the […]
The hilltop campus of Coimbra’s old university sits perched above the town and river as it has for centuries. The history of the town isn’t limited to just the university though as there’s a ton to see around the cobblestone streets of the old town. Much quieter than Lisbon and Porto, Portugal’s third largest city has a relaxed air with plenty to do. We had a fantastic visit with our twin boys in this town, […]
Two-year-olds are glass cases of emotion. Not knowing how to express themselves, they often boil over and scream, screech, cry, or bite because they just can’t handle their frustration. My two boys seem to be at the pinnacle of this behavior, not knowing enough vocabulary to talk about their issues, but also old enough now to understand more and get angry about so many things. Just today, these are the things they started screaming about. […]
Evora may play second fiddle to Portugal’s major cities of Lisbon and Porto, but this charming little town with a rich history back to the Roman age was one of the highlights of our trip to Portugal with our twins. It might have been the spectacular weather and one of the best places we’ve ever stayed as accommodations, but it may have stuck out more than Lisbon or Porto as a favorite on the trip […]
Lagos, Portgual is known as the jewel of the Algarve for good reason. With the sun out hitting the sea, surf, and rocks, it glitters like a jewel. While the beach is likely to be the center attraction of any visit, there’s plenty more to do around the great town after the sun – or sunburn – get too intense. Save the burn for the spicy fish stew and head into town for the best […]
One of the reasons it took me so long to actually start this blog – besides having the time to actually write for it – was that setting up a web server and keeping it up and running seemed like such an ordeal. I remember setting up a tomcat server back in college with a static IP that was an absolute nightmare. Thankfully, I discovered Amazon Web Services and realized how easy it can be to run […]