New YouTube Video! Portugal https://youtu.be/Mv7TOvhytfc?si=IIoEkCDZf8lYTcNHÂ
April 2024 brought us eight unforgettable days in Portugal alongside Kassie’s parents, meticulously orchestrated by our local tour guide Catarina through The Host Portugal and KimKim!
Day One: kicked off as we touched down in Lisbon, greeted by a chauffeur who whisked us to our hotel. A stroke of luck granted us an early check-in at 9am, allowing for a swift freshening up before we hopped a shuttle to a nearby café for lunch, indulged in some wine, strolled and window-shopped, then Ubered back for a brief three-hour nap. Dinner and drinks at MadPizza near our hotel, followed by more drinks at the hotel’s rooftop bar, helped us acclimate to the time zone.
Day Two: unfolded with two private tours. First, a guided exploration with Alexandra and driver João, visiting Jerónimos Monastery, Belem Tower, indulging in Pastel de Nata tastings, and more. Then, a tuktuk tour with Hugo, traversing the city's old town, pausing at viewpoints, and sampling more culinary delights. The day concluded with more Pastel de Natas to go and relaxation at Arco da Rua Augusta, followed by a beer at the Beer Museum, and, of course, more rooftop bar drinks.
Day Three: started with hotel breakfast before Vanessa and Samir collected us for a trip to the eclectic Pena Palace, followed by meandering through Sintra’s winding streets for shopping and lunch with a surprise birthday treat for Mom. A beach visit and private tour of Quinta De San Michel winery capped off the day, with more drinks and snacks at the hotel rooftop bar.
Day Four: began with breakfast and farewells to Lisbon as Manuel drove us the long drive Porto, with stops at the medieval Óbidos and coastal Nazaré for a phenomenal seafood lunch. Exploring Porto's streets, rooftop drinks, and a delightful courtyard dinner filled the evening.
Day Five:Â saw us reuniting with Manuel and meeting Tania for a whirlwind drive around Porto's coast and city center, followed by a visit to Ferreira Port Caves and a panoramic view at Miradouro da Serra do Pilar. After lunch and a stroll in Ribeira do Porto, we attended a private cooking class before winding down with drinks in the hotel courtyard.
Day Six:Â started with breakfast before Manuel took us to Douro Valley's Quinta do Val Moreira for a wine tour and tasting, stunning valley views, and a boat tour. Dinner and drinks at the hotel rounded off the day.
Day Seven:Â commenced with breakfast in Porto, followed by Manuel escorting us to the train station for our return journey to Lisbon. After settling in, we ventured out for coffee and snacks, followed by drinks at a misty V Rooftop bar. Dad secured a reservation at one of the "top 10 pizza restaurants in the world" for dinner, ending the night with Port on our room balcony overlooking the city.
Day Eight:Â concluded with a quick Uber ride to the airport, bidding farewell to our Portuguese adventure and heading home.
Originally from Iowa (Kassie) and Kansas (Rick), we met in Kansas in 2005 and immediately found that we had so much in common - including our desire to someday see the world. We now live in NYC and quickly started catching up on travel after our first (just us) international trip to Iceland in 2015. We decided to start making videos for us and our family/friends to track our travels. Kassie is in Marketing, an Author (see her poetry + author videos), and Puppet Creator. Rick is an Engineer and Script Writer (see our current and coming puppet movies!)
YouTube Site: https://www.youtube.com/@KassieAndRick-ExploreManyPaths
Kassie's Author Site: https://www.kassiejrunyan.com/
Joint Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore_many_paths
Kassie's Magazine: https://www.opendoorpoetrymagazine.com/
-----------------------------------------------
Important Links and additional information:
KimKim: https://www.kimkim.com/Â
TheHost Website: https://www.the-host.pt/
SMY Lisbon Hotel: https://www.smyhotels.com/en/smy-lisboa?partner=7743&utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=MyBusiness&utm
Leitaria Baiana https://www.yelp.com/biz/leitaria-baiana-lisboa
MadPizza https://madpizza.pt/
Jerónimos Monastery https://www.visitlisboa.com/en/places/jeronimos-monastery
Pastéis de Belém https://pasteisdebelem.pt/en/Â
Belém Tower https://torrebelem.com/en/Â
Restaurante O BECO https://www.instagram.com/restauranteobeco_alfama/?hl=en
Eco TukTuk Tour https://ecotuktours.com/lisbon-tuk-tuk-tours/
Arco da Rua Augusta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rua_Augusta_ArchÂ
Palace of Pena https://www.parquesdesintra.pt/en/parks-monuments/park-and-national-palace-of-pena/
Sintra https://www.sintra-portugal.com/Â
Quinta de San Michel https://quintadesanmichel.pt/en/
Taberna d’Adelia https://guide.michelin.com/en/leiria/nazar/restaurant/taberna-d-adelia
Vila Galé Porto Ribeira https://www.vilagale.com/
Hotel das Virtudes https://www.hoteldasvirtudes.pt/en/
Ferreira Port Cellars https://portoferreira.com/port-cellars
Work Espaço Criativo https://www.facebook.com/workespacocriativo
Quinta do Val Moreira https://www.valmoreira.com/
Lutecia Smart Design Hotel https://www.guestreservations.com/lutecia-smart-design-hotel-lisboa/booking?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwudexBhDKARIsAI-GWYXDZC9c1Ik_ALsKrzoVfiQBVS4Kf5UIgYdMd3iHUYUU0WFVf7ES7PgaAoOYEALw_wcB&ctTriggered=true
V Rooftop Bar https://www.thevintagelisbon.com/eat-and-drink/rooftop-bar/
Forno d’Oro https://www.instagram.com/fornodorolisboa/?hl=en