It has been over 2 years since I’ve been living in Lisbon. This period has coincided pretty well with Lisbon’s tourism boom and the good and bad that come with it. Although tourism has been a boon for the Portuguese economy in general, it has also brought some downsides with … more »
I was recently talking with a foreign friend here in Portugal and she mentioned something that I had never actually thought about. In Portugal, people tend to be proud of their job. It doesn’t really matter what they do for a living, folks tend to do it with dignity and … more »
Today, 10th of June, is PORTUGAL DAY. No, I haven’t declared it myself for the sake of this travel blog. It is an actual official holiday in Portugal, when both citizens in the country and those abroad (like yours truly!) remember everything that is awesome about our country. As I know some of … more »
Read part 1: 10 Traditional Dishes a Portuguese Grandma Would Feed You! After the success of 10 Traditional Dishes a Portuguese Grandma Would Feed You, I thought it’d be a good idea to dig in a little deeper on traditional Portuguese food. After all, we’re always hungry at Backpack … more »
Alheira is a typical Portuguese sausage. Well, it’s more than a sausage. Contrary to most regular sausages, it isn’t usually made of pork but, instead, of a combination of meats. Most alheiras involve chicken, rabbit, duck and sometimes quail, rolled into shape with bread. Typical dishes in each country are … more »
Some places do not become sought-after travel destinations because of their list of landmarks one “must see” or popular “things to do”. Instead, they stand out because of their homely and down-to-earth atmosphere, for the way its neighborhoods look, how daily life flows in them and how it all becomes … more »
We went downstairs to have coffee in the local pastry shop and the moment we took a seat the waiter asked “duas meias de leite?“. That sentence, translating into “two lattes?” made us feel at home. We were officially locals, we belonged. Having a nomadic lifestyle makes it very difficult … more »
Some people use lack of money as an excuse not to travel. Others, like Diogo, manage to travel around Europe with only 1€ a day. There’s two kinds of people in this world: those that love to talk and those that rather do – I prefer the latter and that’s … more »
I am not proud to say that sometimes I freak out when it comes to trying new foods. Don’t get me wrong: I have come a long way and traveling around the wold has trained my mind and palate to be way more open to new experiences than before. Still, … more »
We saw this while walking around the waterfront in Tuy, Spain. Tuy has a very pleasant area with swings for kids, some small cafes and a beautiful walk down the river side. We went there on the Day of Carmen to see the boats come out. It is said that … more »