What I did: Fires de San Narcis- The Fires de San Narcis is a festival that takes place every year in Girona. There were carnival rides and fair food, as well as live bands. Passeig de la Muralla- The ancient city walls are great to walk at sunset. They offer great views of the city. It was my favorite part of the city, and if you get the opportunity I highly recommend it. Girona Cathedral- The Girona Cathedral is a very impressive building, and the surrounding area is impressive as well. The steps leading up to the Cathedral was (as well as a few of the plazas throughout the city) featured in Game of Thrones. Jewish Quarter- The Jewish Quarter is a very nice place to walk through. There are also a few museums in the Jewish Quarter, and I was able to visit them when they had free admission (1st Sunday of the month). Where I ate and drank: Nibble- Located in Independence Plaza, Nibble offers a variety of unique, healthy options. La Tasca- I had one of my favorite dinners of my life at La Tasca, although more so for the company than the food. I had a great dinner with friends, and I even laughed until I cried. The food was good as well, and relatively very well priced. They serve authentic Catalonian tapas. Espresso Mafia- Espresso Mafia serves some very good espresso based drinks, and it is a nice place to go to start the day (or if you need a little pick-me-up). Federal Cafe- Federal is a small chain of quality cafes in Catalonia and Spain. They offer many healthy food options, and some good tea and espresso options as well. La Fabrica- In terms of pure food and drink quality, La Fabrica was the best place I visited in Girona. They offer some great espresso drinks and have an excellent breakfast menu. Rocambolesc Gelateria- I prefer to eat healthy food, so if I am going to eat dessert I want it to be worth it. The gelato I had at Rocambolesc was worth it. I would recommend it if you are stopping in Girona. Where I stayed: Bed in Girona- There aren’t a plethora of hostels in Girona, but Bed in Girona was a good option and a good price. The hostel is very laid back and the facilities are average. I was traveling with a large group of friends, which made my time there very enjoyable. How I got around: I traveled by train to reach Girona, and while in Girona I walk to get around. Girona is a very walkable (and very pretty) city. My favorite thing:
My favorite thing about my time in Girona was the people I was with. They made my weekend in Girona (and especially the dinner at La Tasca) amazing. In terms of the city, the Girona Cathedral was impressive and the food at La Fabrica was awesome, but my favorite part of the city was the Passeig de la Muralla. My least favorite thing: I really enjoyed my time in Girona, but I was only there for a weekend. It is great for a weekend trip, but doesn’t have quite as much to offer as some larger cities. For next time: It would be nice to visit Girona during the Temps de Flors, Girona’s annual flower festival. Also, there are a couple more restaurants I would like to try including Vadevins and El Celler de Can Roca (which, although expensive, is said to be one of the best restaurants in the world).
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What I did: Ribes Roges Beach- The beach is Vilanova’s main attraction. It is a nice, wide, sandy beach. It is kept clean and well maintained. In the summer places to eat and drink called “chiringuitos” are assembled along the beach. La Rambla- The Rambla in Vilanova is said to be the longest in Catalonia. It stretches from the waterfront up to the Plaça de les Neus, and it is the main road of the city. Many festivals are held on the Rambla, and it is a nice place to walk along, grab something to eat or drink, shop, or just people watch. Placa de la Vila- The Plaça de la Vila is the main city square. It hosts many festivals and events, and is also where many protests take place. Plaça del Mercat- The Plaça del Mercat, or “Market Plaza,” is the site of the central market in Vilanova. While they are open throughout the week, the best day to go is Saturday morning when the market expands outside into the Plaza. Carnival- Although many people do not know the origin, Carnival marks the start of Lent. In Vilanova it is a weeklong celebration. The celebration really kicks off with the “Merengada,” which is basically a food fight with meringue (as in the stuff on top of lemon meringue pie). The following day is “Arrivo,” which is a parade that goes through town with costumes, music, dancing, and some small fireworks. A couple days later “Comparse” is celebrated, which starts with people skipping through town with their significant others and a band behind them and culminates with a giant candy fight in the Plaça de la Vila. There are also other days with music and dancing and other festivities. Panta de Foix- Located on the outskirts of Vilanova i la Geltru is the Panta de Foix. It is a water reservoir and park that offers nice views, good places to have a picnic, and nice walking trails. Worked out- I worked out at a few different places in Vilanova. Gimnas Miro is a nice, small, basic facility that charges fair monthly rates. Aqua Sport Clubs is more expensive, but it the best fitness facility in town. There are also multiple free options: the beach (which also has areas to play sports like volleyball), the promenade that runs along the beach (and is a great place to go for a run or bike ride), and the Parc de Baixamar (workout area with equipment such as pull-up bars). Taught English- My main reason for being in Vilanova i la Geltru was to teach English through the CAPS (Conversation Assistant Programme for Schools) organization. Overall, this was a great experience. The staff at the school I was at were incredibly kind and great to work with. I was able to work with kids ranging in age from 5 to 18. I enjoyed my experience so much that I plan on continuing to teach English. Where I ate and drank: Pausa Coffee- Pausa Coffee is the best place to get coffee in Vilanova. They offer craft coffee drinks like Chemex and V60, and also offer a variety of espresso based drinks. Cal Puput- Cal Puput is a great place to go to eat Catalonian food. The food is very tasty and well priced. However, it is only open during limited hours and can get extremely busy during those times, so it would be a good idea to make a reservation. Kinkakau- Kinkakau is a nice, relaxing pastry and coffee shop. It is a great place to grab a cup of tea. La Burguette- La Burguette offers a variety of different burgers. The portions aren’t exceptionally large and the prices are relatively high, but the burgers are very tasty. Cal Manalet- Locataed a short drive outside of Vilanova in nearby Canyellas is Cal Manalet. It is another nice place to get great Catalonian food, and the service is excellent! A Beer Apart- A Beer Apart is an excellent craft beer spot. They have a nice selection on tap, and an even bigger selection of bottles. They also offer some great food. El Canceller- El Canceller is an excellent place to go for wine or vermouth. They offer a variety of wines, and I would highly recommend a guided tour of the old cellars that give a glimpse into the history of the place. El Giraldillo- El Giraldillo is a nice place to go for some good, local seafood. Sushihana- Sushihana is conveniently located on the Rambla, and it is a good place to go to satisfy a sushi fix. Where I stayed: I stayed with some very hospitable families from the school while in Vilanova i la Geltru. They opened their homes to me and even took me to places like Panta de Foix and Montserrat. How I got around:
I walked to get around town in Vilanova, and I used the Renfe/Rodalies train system to visit nearby towns. My favorite thing: My favorite thing about the city of Vilanova is the beach. The beach is a good size and has nice sand. It is a good place to workout, or just to relax and read a book. My least favorite thing: My least favorite thing about Vilanova is the smoke. A very high percentage of the population seems to smoke. It is hard to walk very far in town without walking past someone smoking a cigarette. For next time: Next time I would like to spend more time at the beach. I have not been in Vilanova during the summer, which would be the best time to go to the beach. What I did: Sintra- Sintra is a beautiful area just outside the city that is easily reached by train from the center of Lisbon. It is a beautiful place that is well worth the trip. While there I visited the Pena Palace and Park. The Palace is very unique and has a wide variety of colors. As beautiful as the Palace is, my favorite part was park. It is a great place to wander through. Street Art- Lisbon has some very cool street art. One of the interesting pieces I came across is known as Fado Vadio. It was done by a variety of artists and features a tribute to the famous fado singer Maria Severa. Commerce Square- Commerce Square is a picturesque square located on the waterfront. As the former main entry point to the city, it is full of history. Belem Tower- Built on an island small island in the Tagus River, the four story Belem Tower is a beautiful structure. Although I only was able to see the tower from the outside and didn’t have a chance to go into the tower, I would like to next time. April 25th Bridge- The April 25th Bridge connects the city of Lisbon to the Almada area, where the massive Christ the King statue is located. The suspension bridge resembles San Fransico’s Golden Gate Bridge. It is named after the Carnation Revolution that took place in Lisbon on April 25, 1974. Walking tours- As I have mentioned in previous posts, walking tours can be a great way to see a city. I went on a hostel walking tour, as well as a Sandemans walking tour. Both tours provided some history and context as well as recommendations for things to do and eat in Lisbon. Livraria Bertrand (Chiado)- The Livraria Bertrand chain of bookstores is the oldest in Portugal, and their Chiado location is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest bookshop in the world. Opened in 1732, it has been visited by many literary figures throughout its history. Saint George Castle- The Saint George Castle sits on a hill that has been a militarily strategic spot throughout Lisbon’s long history. It has changed owners throughout its history, and was severely damaged by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. It is an interesting place to walk through, and it offers some good views of Lisbon. LX Factory- The LX Factory is a hip section of town with some cool art, cafes, and bookstores. Where I ate and Drank: A Tasca do Chico- A Tasca do Chico is a great place to see and hear Fado music. Fado is absolutely worth listening to while in Lisbon. It is distinctively Portuguese, and sings melancholy songs of love, loss, and hope. Red Frog Speakeasy- The Red Frog Speakeasy is an excellent bar. The door is only marked by a red frog on the wall (and sometimes a line on bust nights). Once inside, there are high quality cocktails to try, and there is even another hidden room behind the bookshelves. Cervejaria Ramiro- Cervejaria Ramiro serves excellent seafood. I would also recommend finishing the meal with a “prego,” which is a steak sandwich with mustard. If you go prepare to wait for a table, but the meal I had at Cervejaria Ramiro was the tastiest one I had while in Lisbon. Time Out Market- The Time Out Market is a great place to try a variety of Portuguese cuisine. A plethora of popular, highly restaurants each have their own spot, and you can take your pick. Montana Lisboa- Montana Lisboa is a great waterfront coffee shop. A short walk along the water from Commerce Square, they serve excellent high quality coffee and food. A Ginjinha and Ginjinha do Carmo- A Ginjinha and Ginjinha do Carmo are both located by the beautiful Praça do Rossio. They serve Ginjinha, a cherry liquor that is inexpensive, tasty, and incredibly popular in Lisbon. Ginjinha do Carmo even serves it in chocolate cups. Fabrica Coffee Roasters- Fabrica Coffee Roasters is another great cafe and coffee place. They also have a nice beer selection. Pensao Amor- Pensao Amor means “love guesthouse,” which alludes to its infamous past. They offer multiple rooms with lounge areas and dance floors. The drinks are good and relatively inexpensive. Pasteis de Belem- Pasteis de Belem is where I had the original Portuguese pastry by the same name. It was delicious and absolutely worth trying. The rumor is, only 4 people know the actual recipe, and they are not allowed to travel together in case something were to happen to them. Eurico- Eurico is a nice restaurant that serves good, local food. The seafood I had there was very good. Wish Slow Coffee House- Wish Slow Coffee House is located in the LX Factory. They serve craft coffee as well as tasty Dutch pancakes. O Trevo- O Trevo is a small cafe in Praça Luis de Camoes. Their “bifana” sandwich is inexpensive and delicious. It’s a pork sandwich with mustard, and worth a try while in Lisbon. The Mill- I had a great breakfast at The Mill. They serve craft coffee and a variety of healthy breakfast options. Where I stayed: Home Lisbon Hostel- Home Lisbon Hostel is an excellent hostel. They have won multiple “Hoscars,” and it is easy to see why. The beds are comfortable and come with privacy curtains and individual outlets, lights, and well sized lockers. The “keys” are electronic wristbands that are scanned to enter the hostel and dorm rooms. They also offer the famous “Mama’s dinner,” a multi course, authentically home cooked Portuguese meal with unlimited drinks for only €10. My favorite thing:
Lisbon is one of my favorite European cities. It has so much to offer, but I especially like the weather, the seafood, and the overall laid back vibe of the city. My least favorite thing: There is not much to dislike about Lisbon. However, I have heard the job opportunities there are not great. For next time: Lisbon has so much to offer, and I haven’t had nearly enough time there to do it all. I would like to surf, go in to the Belem Tower, visit the Jeronimos Monestary, check out more interesting bars and restaurants, visit the longest bridge in Europe, and cross the April 25 bridge to visit the Almada region and the Christ the King statue. What I did: Free Walking Tour- As I have mentioned in previous posts, free walking tours are great ways to see a city. The walking tour in Florence explored the Medici family, the origins of Pinocchio, and filming locations for movies such as Inferno. David- Michelangelo’s David is one of the most famous statues in the world. It is located in the Galleria dell’Accademia. It is a very impressive piece of artwork, and a must for any art history buffs. Pisa- Pisa is only one hour from Florence by train. It is worth the train ride to see the iconic leaning tower. Where I ate and drank: Trattoria i Due G- I had a traditional Florentine steak at Trattoria i Due G. It was a nice, cozy local restaurant right around the corner from the hostel I was staying in. It is also located close to the train station. Trattoria Za Za- In most cities in the world, Trattoria Za Za would be highly above average. However, because the quality level of food is so high in Florence, it is only slightly above average. That being said, it still serves very good food for decent prices. The Oil Shoppe- The Oil Shoppe is an excellent sandwich place. The prices are very inexpensive, and the sandwiches are very tasty. All'antico Vinaio- All'antico Vinaio is one of the best sandwich shops I have ever been to. I would highly recommend stopping by when visiting Florence. Sometimes there may be a line, but that is just because the quality is so good that everyone wants some. Il Tartufo (Mercato Centrale)- Located in the Mercato Centrale, Il Tartufo is an excellent place to go for truffle lovers. They even had the world's largest truffle on display, complete with a certificate from the Guinness World Records organization (and on sale for the bargain price of $330,300.00). Unlike other places that make truffle pasta by just adding a truffle extract olive oil blend to the pasta, Il Tartufo adds freshly shaved truffle on top of the pasta. Amorino Gelateria- Amorino is a good gelato place that shapes the gelato into flowers on top of the cone. Where I stayed: Hostel Archi Rossi- I stayed at Hostel Archi Rossi, which was well located and very close to the Santa Maria Novella train station. Their breakfast buffet was better than I have seen at just about any hostel I have stayed at. How I got around:
I used the train to and from Florence. I also used the train to visit Pisa. Florence is a very walkable city, so I walked to get around while in Florence. My favorite thing: My favorite thing about Florence is the food. The food I had in Florence was excellent. My least favorite thing: Florence is located in the center of the country, so it is a couple hours from the beautiful Italian coastline. Also, although a major city in its own right, Florence feels relatively small and does not have quite as much to offer as some other major European cities such as Barcelona, London, or Rome. For next time: Next time I would like to try more of the Florentine food and see more of the art in the city. In a previous post I wrote about using credit cards to travel cheaply (or even for free!). This post goes into a little more detail and explains one of the programs I use as a cheap travel tool.
You can use Chase Ultimate Rewards if you have one or more of the following cards: Chase Sapphire Preferred- The Sapphire Preferred comes with a $95 annual fee, but it is waved for the first year. You earn a 50,000 point bonus after putting $4,000 on the card in the first three months. After the bonus you can earn 2 points per dollar spent on dining and travel, and there are no foreign transaction fees. You can transfer these points 1:1 as airline miles with a variety of airlines, or these points can be used 1:1.25 through the Ultimate Rewards portal. Chase Sapphire Reserve- The Sapphire Reserve comes with a $450 annual fee (which is not waved). This sounds like a high fee, but the first $300 spent on travel gets credited back to the account. Also, the card features other benefits such as Priority Pass airport lounge access and Global Entry reimbursement, and there are no foreign transaction fees. Like the Preferred card, you earn a 50,000 point bonus after putting $4,000 on the card in the first three months. Additionally, while points can still be transferred 1:1 to a variety of airline partners, points used through the rewards portal are transferred at a rate of 1:1.5 (unlike the Preferred's 1:1.25). Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Unlimited- While the Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Unlimited cards may not have all the benefits of the Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve card, they have no annual fee. The sign-up bonus for each of these cards is $150 (which translates to 15,000 rewards points) after spending $500 on the card in the first three months. For everyday spending, the Chase freedom earns 5 points per dollar on the first $1,500 spent on select categories (categories change every quarter and may be things such as grocery stores and gas stations). The Chase Freedom Unlimited card earns 1.5% cash back on every purchase. The points earned with these cards can be stretched further when using the transfer rates from the Sapphire Preferred (1:1.25) and Sapphire Reserve (1:1.5) cards. Additionally, if you have a small business you can use the Chase Ink Business family of cards with the Ultimate Rewards portal. Important note: If you have more than one of the cards listed above, you can combine the points earned from each card together. Using the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal you can book hotels, flights, cruises, and car rentals. Points basically function as currency with each point worth one cent. However, if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred each point counts as 1.25 cents, and if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve each point counts as 1.5 cents. You can search for the transportation or accommodation you want to book, then use points, cash, or a combination of the two to book. For select airlines (such as Southwest Airlines) you will need to call the Ultimate Rewards center to book, but most airlines are available to book easily through the Ultimate Rewards portal. TL;DR Preferred- 50k after $4k, 1:1.25, 2x on dining and travel, $0 first year then $95 annual fee, no FTF Reserve- 50k after $4k, 1:1.5, 3x on dining and travel, $450 annual fee, $300 travel credit, Global Entry, Priority Pass, no FTF Freedom- 15k after $500, 5x on first $1,500 in rotating categories, no annual fee Freedom Unlimited- 15k after $500, 1.5x on all purchases, no annual fee Use points like cash when booking travel through the Ultimate Rewards portal. |
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