Today started with a sunrise walk around Florence, included a visit to a walled Tuscan hill town, and ended with a delicious dinner and sunset walk.
Florence 2026: Day 6
europe
Florence 2026: Day 5
Today I was off to explore the Chianti region of Tuscany, specifically a little town called Greve-in-Chianti. This was one of the days I was most looking forward to on this trip. Not Greve itself, but the little borgo of Montefioralle, about 2 kilometers away, up in the hills above Greve.
Florence 2026: Day 4
Fiesole is a small town just 5 miles outside of Florence, located in the hills above the city. Comprising a couple of churches, a central piazza, and an archaeological area (along with a couple of more commercial streets), it makes a perfect half-day trip outside the city. Despite the dreary weather and overcast skies, this was the type of day I was picturing in my mind. Less busy, plenty of opportunities for walking off the beaten path, and views of the rolling hills of Tuscany.
Lisbon 2026: Day 7
I had to leave my hotel by 8AM to head to the airport this morning, but I was out of bed and up at Miradouro de Santa Catarina for sunrise at 7:20AM. It’s not the prettiest viewpoint, but it was close to my hotel (straight up several flights of stairs) and gave me a chance to spend a few minutes reflecting on my time in Lisbon before heading home.
Lisbon 2026: Day 6 (Óbidos)
“This is so cool,” I said to myself over and over (and over and over) again as I spent the morning and early afternoon wandering around the medieval walled town of Óbidos, Portugal. This was possibly the best day of the entire vacation. An hour-long bus ride from Lisbon transports you to an historic town filled with white painted buildings, colorful doors and tiles, and books. Yes, books. Óbidos has been a UNESCO Literary City since 2015 and is home to 14 different bookstores. I mean, where else can you find a converted church where the altar is filled with bookshelves?
Lisbon 2026: Day 5
Did you know that Lisbon is the place where Vasco de Gama set sail on his voyages of discovery? Lisbon’s maritime history and role in exploration are so significant that there is an iconic monument in the neighborhood of Belém honoring those voyages of discovery. Today I visited Belém to pay my respects to Vasco de Gama, get pooped on by a bird (I kid you not), and eat an original pastel de nata.
Lisbon 2026: Day 4 (Sintra)
Sintra is one of the most popular day trips from Lisbon. Just 15 miles northwest of the city, Sintra is known for the colorful Pena Palace and hauntingly beautiful Quinta de Regalia, both of which were on my agenda for today. Despite the cloudy skies, I was determined to make the best of my day out of Lisbon.
Lisbon 2026: Day 3
My favorite style of travel (in recent years anyway) is slow travel, where I take the time to savor and enjoy where I am without rushing from place to place checking things off a list. And that’s exactly what I did today. My day started with a pre-dawn walk around Lisbon, included a visit to a castle, a convent, and the remains of a ruined church, and ended with a traditional Portuguese meal of bacalhau com natas.
Lisbon 2026: Day 2
After a glorious 10 hours of sleep last night, I was ready to take on Lisbon once again. Given that the sunny weather prediction for today turned into clouds (and drizzle) with only a little sun mixed in, I decided to move some of my plans around in hopes of more sun tomorrow.
Lisbon 2026: Day 1
It’s Valentine’s Day and I’m in love. With Lisbon, Portugal, that is. And if my first day in Lisbon is any indication, I’m only going to fall more in love with this city as the week goes on.
Traveling with Laura 