There are a few things that must be experienced when visiting New York City and on our 4th and final day in the city we got them all in.  Noodles in China Town, gelato in Little Italy, taking in the views from the Empire State Building and a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge were the highlights of our day.  And, we were fortunate enough to cap off such a terrific day with a stay at the fabulous Hotel Giraffe located at 365 Park Ave S.

On the morning of our second day in NYC the intense heat wave broke which made for this, our 3rd day, the ideal summer day; lovely and warm but not suffocatingly hot. It was the perfect day to take a long stroll through Central Park.  Given that 37+ million visitors enjoy Central Park every year, seemingly any visit to the city should definitely include time well-spent exploring the park.

Our second day in New York City found us making our way from Casablanca to Madison Avenue and 41st where we visited the New York City Public Library. From there we took a lovely stroll on The High Line and ate lunch at the Chelsea Market, which was followed by yummy cocktails at sunset with rooftop views.  It all made for quite the day, having walked a total of eight miles.  Who says NYC is not pedestrian friendly?

Everyone should visit Times Square at least once in their life.  It’s one of those iconic destinations that has to be experienced to be appreciated, or not.

I hate to admit it but we’ve been living just outside of Washington, DC for the past 3 1/2 years and it was only just today that we finally made it to Ben’s Chili Bowl – the iconic diner.

Potsdam, Germany.  Melk, Austria.  Mondsee, Austria.  Have you heard of them?  They were not at all on our list of chosen destinations while traveling across Europe with Eurail.  And, yet, these unexpected treasures turned out to be three of our most memorable experiences.

The first time we entered Casa Natal, I could hardly contain my enthusiasm.  Of course, not wanting to embarrass myself I kept my glee in check, but oh… in my head a party was going on.

There were a few things we didn’t know as we stepped off the train in Seville.  We didn’t know where the bus stop was, nor did we know how to get to our hotel.  But the biggest thing we weren’t prepared for was how unbelievably hot it was.

Our relationship with the City of Porto began in 2010 when Abi and our son took a Port wine – vinho do Porto – tour of the Douro Valley and it’s when they first met Andreia and were introduced to the Kopke Port Cellar.

This is a tale of how we fell under the charms of the City of Porto, and how we found our way to one of the best wine shops in Porto, Garrafeira do Carmo.