One of the pleasant little surprises that came out of my 30 Before 30 Project was my solo trip to Portugal last September. It was a last-minute work-around for a visa issue that turned out to be one of the most fun things I've ever done. There's nothing quite like sitting in a bus by yourself, a tad uncertain of where you're going, and finding something special at the end of the ride. I met so many cool people in Portugal—a great side effect of traveling solo. In Ribeira Surf Camp, we had our own little gang: Magda, the target-skydiving, booty-shaking Austrian; Melli, the hysterical, photo-snapping other half of this dynamic Austrian duo; Noemi, med student and artist extraordinaire; and Rolf, med student/Wushu man who would attempt handstands on his surfboard in the middle of the ocean. In Lisbon, I found a kindred spirit, Aileen, who not only carried the exact same Chowhound printout of must-eat-at spots that I had but also had the same propensity to take pictures and blog about everything she devours. What are the chances?
My little project (and life in general) was so hectic last year that I never got to do a proper Portugal recap on either of my blogs. But I did put together some tips for the Postcards section of Lifestyle Asia Travel, which appears in their first issue for 2011. I worked on the editorial team of Lifestyle Asia Travel and Lifestyle Asia magazine many moons ago, and still contribute stories here and there so these publications are very close to my heart. If you happen to be in the Philippines and are as inflicted with wanderlust as I am, I would recommend picking up this gorgeous glossy.
To read about what I discovered during my trip to Portugal, click on the image below to enlarge.
My little project (and life in general) was so hectic last year that I never got to do a proper Portugal recap on either of my blogs. But I did put together some tips for the Postcards section of Lifestyle Asia Travel, which appears in their first issue for 2011. I worked on the editorial team of Lifestyle Asia Travel and Lifestyle Asia magazine many moons ago, and still contribute stories here and there so these publications are very close to my heart. If you happen to be in the Philippines and are as inflicted with wanderlust as I am, I would recommend picking up this gorgeous glossy.
To read about what I discovered during my trip to Portugal, click on the image below to enlarge.
Hope that tickled your wanderlust cos it sure did mine! Thank god there's only nine days left until I leave for New Orleans to experience Mardi Gras season. Can't wait!
Yes, surfing in Portugal is something that all tourists should do when visiting that country!
ReplyDeleteGreat fun!
Here's my advice: check these guys www.surfinn.travel and they'll surely put you surfing at no time!
Cheers,
Sarah
thanks for sharing your solo trip, Celine. I've been reading your blog *daily dose of inspiration* and got inspired with your 30 before 30 project. I haven't made my list yet but did my wishlist for 2011 and one of my highlights would be - solo backpacking in Paris, France on my bithday.
ReplyDeleteLove that cloisters photo!
ReplyDeleteSarah - I am gonna leave that website for my bedside reading haha! But hot Portuguese surfers definitely help the addiction to surfing A LOT ;-)
ReplyDeleteChe - Awww that's so sweet! Backpacking can be loads of fun, good luck!!
Tisha - taking pictures on a solo trip can be tricky but that came out well, thanks to my hand dandy gorillapod!
I dream to do a solo trip, well, I did once in Singapore, but it's such a short one & I'd love to do it again somewhere else. So nice to see you on glossy, Celine!=)
ReplyDeleteI'm doing my backpack trip from my list this April. Thanks for the inspiration! =)
Dangski - It would probably be awesome to do an Asia backpacking trip! Where are you planning to go? Keep me posted and thanks for the kind words!
ReplyDeletegrabbing a copy already ^_^
ReplyDeleteAwww thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for sharing this, Asia is definitely a great place to visit.
ReplyDelete