Sintra and Cascais are two places close by Lisbon that everyone visiting Portugal should see! We were enchanted by the beauty of the castles we visited and refreshed by the crisp air in Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, perched high above the Atlantic Ocean. Continue reading “Castles and Seafood: Sintra and Cascais, Portugal”
After spending one week in Romania, we headed out to see Portugal. The five-day trip was definitely too short, giving us just a quick taste of the country, and leaving us wanting more. Continue reading “Bom dia, Lisboa!”
One of the best parts about Knoxville is its proximity to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In the fall especially, the area is at its absolute best, displaying a warm palette of colors, much to the enjoyment of us all. This past weekend, we took advantage of a warm and sunny Sunday and took a scenic drive through the mountains. Continue reading “Fall Colors of East Tennessee”
I hate to burst your bubble but what you may know as Dracula’s Castle is called Bran Castle and it wasn’t in fact his… Although born in Transylvania, in Sighishoara, Vlad was the ruler of Walachia, a territory south of Transylvania at various times from 1456-1462. Like most people in the area back then, Vlad was involved in fighting the Ottomans – and was effective at it – but he didn’t actually live in Bran Castle. Continue reading “Greetings from uncle Dracula”
While our friends Ben and Linda took a trip to visit Sighisoara, Dracula’s birth place and an exquisite medieval town, and Peles Castle, another stunning objective, my husband and I took another relaxing walk through downtown Brasov and the old neighborhood of Schei, taking in all the beautiful views and appetizing smells coming from the bakeries along the way. Continue reading “Brasov and Schei – a walk through history”
