Portugal, Alaska, Prague and Akron

by Jamie Rhein on

Three of these places have something in common and one does not. I’ve just noticed that two start with P and two start with A, but that has nothing to do with this game. Everyone is going on a major trip but me. That, of course, is a gross exaggeration, but consider this. My father is winging his way to the Czech Republic with a stop in Lyon, France as part of his journey. My mother and my brother also left today. They’re in Seattle awaiting to embark on my mother’s dream trip–a cruise to Alaska. A close friend of mine from college left today for eight days in Portugal. (She left her two children with her husband for her jaunt away.) What does Akron have to do with anything? I’m heading there on Sunday. Actually, I’m going to Stow which is next door. My excitement might come from a stop at Grandpa’s Cheese Barn near the Ashland exit off of I-71. Wheee!!! Actually, the cheese there does ratchet up my excitement quotient.

There is nothing wrong with being closer to home. A good friend of ours who lives in Madrid, Iowa just flew in today on American AIrlines. The plane was early and my husband didn’t even have to pay for parking since he was at the airport for less than 10 minutes. This visit is a chance to show our friend, who has never been to Ohio, some of our favorite Columbus hotspots before my husband and he head to Cleveland for an Indians baseball game and a trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Sunday is the meet up in Stow for a family picnic gathering. These gatherings are one of the reasons why we are living in the U.S. right now. Still, when I am grazing the samples at the cheese barn, I’ll think of those people I love who are on their mega trips having those adventures they’ve dreamed about.

By the way, the friend who is visiting is the one who took us on the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad mentioned in the fall foliage leaf peeping train post.

New Poets Hostel in Oporto, Portugal

by Kelly Amabile on

The folks behind the very sleek and cozy Lisbon Poets Hostel have opened a new location in Oporto. It doesn’t look like their website is up yet, but according to the email I received, they officially opened on June 15. (Good reviews are beginning to appear.) From the photos I’ve seen (click below to see more), the new Oporto location has been designed in the same artsy relaxed fashion as their flagship Lisbon location.

That’s a good sign — and I hope the staff in Oporto is as nice as the crew I met at the Lisbon location. They were all fantastically kind (and hands down the hottest hostel staff I’ve ever seen!) As one staff member, Lily, explained to me when I arrived in Lisbon last year, the folks behind the Poets Hostel (opened in 2006) are all artists — writers, painters, sculptors — who went into the hostel business as a way to supplement their artistic endeavors (and make sure they can pay their bills!) The investment seems to be paying off for them, and making travelers happy too. Nice to see…

Amenities include free security lockers, five showers and five toilets, 1 living room with TV and DVD, a resting room with lounges (hopefully with a full bookshelf like the one in Lisbon), a guest kitchen, 2 free computers for using the internet, and a big garden where they will host barbecues.

Warm and inviting huh? Okay backpackers, we’ve given you the goods, now get to it: Head to this new outpost in northern Portugal along the Douro, where the port wine will be flowing! The hostel is located at Travessa do ferraz, 13 in Oporto, not far from the Jardim Joao Chagas. Nearest metros are Sao Bento and Aliados.

Photo of the Day (6/13/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on


For a photo drive-by shooting I’d say this one out of Lisboa is pretty fun, funky and fresh. I can’t tell if the person seen is power walking or on a light jog around the town, but I’d love to be in their sneakers. Doesn’t a stroll through Lisboa sound nice? Nice work t3mujin and thanks for tucking this one into the Gadling Flickr pool.

Word for the Travel Wise (01/18/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Last Portuguese word I posted I got some good reader feedback on the differences between that from Portugal and that spoken in Brazil. Like the English the language, which differs in many ways from our friends across the pond, the Portuguese language is much the same. The differences are almost so extreme it makes the other wish to have little to no association with the other. However, today’s word is one I think is spelled and pronounced the same on either side of the Atlantic.

Today’s word is a Portuguese word used in Portugal:

obrigado – thank you

Easy Portuguese online offers a small dictionary of useful words, useful phrases, and a couple of short lessons to get you started. Most have audio clips including our word for the day found here. Portuguese Language dot net has excellent historical info on the language and numerous tools to help you get motivated and be successful at learning the 6th most spoken language. For Portuguese heard in Portugal you can download mp3 audio from BBC, which I’m sure there are several similarities between the two countries. Those interested in classroom study abroad can click here for more info at Franco Americano.

Past Portuguese words: xixi, bronzeador, lanchonete, esquerda, crianças, noite, barco, proteção

Lisboa-Dakar Rally 2007

by Adrienne Wilson on

Danger – it is your middle name. You’re the type that likes big vehicles, fast motorcycles and gnarly tricked out cars sliding the thru desert sand in the race of a lifetime across two continents. Are you going to be there? The Lisboa-Dakar Rally kicks off this year on January 6, 2007-January 21, 2007. For the second time in history the race will start off in Portugal and run through Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali and Senegal.

While trying to catch sight of death-defying feats during my travels hasn’t been high on my personal list of activities I can see how others might enjoy the action and suspense. I’d love to go if only to check out the African backdrop (villages, forests, and Sahara) these crazy men and women will be torpedoing by in their efforts to be victorious.