This week’s adventure started with a very generous gift from my best friend: airline miles.

So I took a short flight to Irvine to spend three days with her and meet the newest member of her household, a sweet longhair chihuahua mix named Nova.

Three days of catching up, laughing, eating, drinking, floating in the pool, and doing what best friends do best: absolutely nothing particularly productive.

It was wonderful.

There is something different about time with your best friend. You don’t need an itinerary or to see the sights. You don’t even have to finish a sentence because they already know where you’re going with it.

Eventually, though, I had to head home, but just long enough to unpack, do laundry, and repack.

The next morning, Shawn and I drove up to Flagstaff to see our oldest daughter, who is doing her Masters degree and teaching at NAU. We had a nice lunch and catchup with her before heading down the very curvy 89A highway to Oak Creek Canyon.

And when I say curvy, I mean hold onto your lunch. But the payoff is worth it.

We were headed to one of our favorite places in Arizona: Orchard Canyon on Oak Creek.

This was our second time there in the last month. Last time we went with Shawn’s brother and his wife. This time it was just the two of us, and we stayed for two nights in our favorite cabin, where almost immediately we went into full relaxation mode.

No schedule. No sightseeing list. Just each other.

We even brought a new board game where we had to land a plane together successfully, and managed to have fun and remain married afterwards. 😂

And of course there were the deer.

The cabins sit right in the middle of an orchard, and the deer apparently consider it their personal dining room. Usually around sunrise and sunset, they wander down from the forest to munch on the apples, grapes, and grass right outside our front door, completely unconcerned about us watching them.

It’s easily our favorite part.

There’s something about sitting outside your cabin in our rocking camp chairs, cocktails in hand, watching the sun set behind the canyon walls, while deer graze a few feet away that makes us feel like we’ve escaped somewhere much farther than a couple of hours from home

It doesn’t always have to be a Big Trip.

Sometimes it’s a plane ticket from your best friend, three days of catching up, a daughter in Flagstaff, a winding mountain road, two nights in a cabin, cocktails, board games, good food, and deer in the front yard.

No passports required.

In the spirit of spending time with each of our kids before our next Big Trip, which is coming up soon, we’re heading back up to Flagstaff next week to see our youngest daughter, who’s a Junior at NAU.

Too bad we don’t collect frequent flyer miles from road trips.

When we decided to travel for two months with nothing but a carry-on and a personal item, I honestly wasn’t sure how it was going to go. Two months was about 5 weeks longer than any other trip we had taken carry-on only, and this trip included everything from beach to city, hot & humid to rainy & cold.

But now that we’re home, I can say with confidence: I packed too much… and also not enough.

Disclaimer: Laundry was our friend

When you’re traveling for this long, laundry has to be part of your routine. Most of our trip was spent in apartments where we could wash clothes and hang them to dry.

Once you accept that you’re going to wear things more than once (where possible) and do laundry along the way, the amount of clothing you actually need drops dramatically.

What was in my carry-on?

What I brought & how it worked out (Green= worked well; Yellow= needs modification; Red= would not repeat):

• 2 dresses - 1 Michael Stars Daisy gauze sleeveless, 1 Unbound Merino Midi Travel Dress. These were the superstars of the trip.

  

  

• 1 pair dark wash jeans - I never pack jeans, they’re heavy and don’t dry well if you have to wash them, but because we were going to be in Scotland and England I added them in. I wore them twice in Scotland, it was too hot for them in England.

• 1 pair linen pants - I wore them once.

• 1 pair of athletic joggers - I only wore these on travel days, so they were never packed in the suitcase. I could have also worn them in Scotland instead of the jeans.

• 2 tank tops with built in bras - Amazon CRZ Yoga Butterluxe worn as workout wear and with regular shorts.

• 2 sleeveless blouses - 1 linen, 1 polyester blend. I could have just brought the linen one. The poly blend was too hot in Portugal.

• 4 pairs of shorts - 1 White, 1 Black, 1 Denim, 1 Athletic. I was worried about bringing the denim shorts due to drying time. They were lightweight though, so it was worth it.

• 1 long-sleeved blouse - I used this for a swimsuit cover (until I bought a dress for that purpose) and over the tank tops on occasion.

• 1 merino wool cardigan - this was heavier weight and I mainly wore it on the plane, over my pullover if I got really cold, or as a layer in Scotland. I’m glad I brought it, but it did take up a lot of space so I would bring something thinner next time.

• 1 merino wool 1/4 zip pullover - I wore this on travel days to stay warm on the plane, and pretty much daily in Scotland as a layering piece. Because it was merino wool it stayed fresh the whole time.

• 1 tankini - I wore this a few times and then ended up buying a bikini in Portimão.

• 7 pairs of underwear - this was the right call, especially towards the end of the trip when we had 7 days of hotels and no laundry.

• 4 pairs of socks - I had the merino wool Ondo no show socks, best socks ever. These can be worn twice, (for real), and then sink washed with very quick dry time.

• 1 pair of sandals - Taos Trophy 2, so comfortable for all day walking on cobblestones or flat ground. Highly recommend.

• 1 pair of sneakers - Hoka Solimar, very comfy. I wore these for longer walks and on travel days (so they were not packed). They were white, and by the time we left Portugal I wish I had brought black ones. I ended up buying a $15 pair of black sneakers to wear in Scotland because the Hokas were so dirty.

• 1 pair of rubber flip-flops - Archies, very comfortable if you need arch support.

• 1 sun visor - I wore this at the beach almost daily. I have the one from Halo with silicone strips on the headband so it doesn’t slip down.

• 1 sun hat - I wore this a couple times, but the wind made it hard to wear, and even though it was “packable”, it took up a lot of space. I ended up donating this.

• 1 packable raincoat - 33,000 Feet brand on Amazon. I only needed this in Scotland, but definitely worth the packing space.

  

You can always buy a few things - and I did

• 1 bikini ($35)

• 1 cover-up dress ($12)

• 1 cardigan ($10)

• 1 sleeveless blouse ($8)

• 1 lightweight sweater ($5)

• 1 pair inexpensive black sneakers - I used my orthotic insoles in them ($15)

• 1 cashmere turtleneck at Uniqlo ($30)

• 1 wool scarf ($18)

Instead of trying to pack for every possible scenario, you can pack for the conditions you expect and buy something if reality turns out differently.

My carry-on was the Monos Carry-On Plus. I know there are similar bags with better warranties, but we have used these bags on multiple trips and the wheels and handles (the parts that normally break first) have held up very well, plus it’s incredibly light weight.

Packing cubes: yes...but not for everything

I also experimented with the great travel question: to packing cube or not to packing cube?

My answer is: both.

I used half my suitcase for clothes, the other half for miscellaneous items like sandals, hair tools, hats, and all my miscellaneous pouches.

The larger items - dresses, pants, long-sleeved tops - were laid in the bottom of one side of the suitcase. Smaller items like shorts, tops, underwear, socks and my swimsuit went into packing cubes.

I also had a packing cube specifically for my hair stuff: microfiber towel, brushes, clips, hair ties, shower cap and dry shampoo.

Then I used smaller pouches for other categories, like bathroom items and jewelry.

For me, the goal wasn’t to make everything fit into a cube. It was to keep things organized enough that I wasn’t digging through my entire suitcase every time I needed something.

What was in my personal item?

In my Nomad Lane Bento Bag:

The front was the admin stuff - passport, wallet, phone, pens, glasses, portable battery for my phone

The top pockets were for liquids and my tech pouch, with my chargers & cables.

The back compartment was for the three bags I may want to access during a flight:

The black and grey pouches are Travelon Compact Hanging Toiletry Kits. The black one was my non-liquid makeup bag. The grey one was essentially my traveling medicine cabinet - prescription and OTC meds mainly.

The leopard-print bag is my in-flight “bathroom bag,” with things like hair ties, lip balm, mints, and deodorant wipes.

Inside front packing area (under the black mesh):

A cardigan, reusable shopping bag (we used this SO MUCH), converter plugs, some more charging cables, and snacks.

I also brought my 16” laptop, my kindle, and disinfecting wipes.

I love the Bento Bag, but I would not bring it on this kind of trip again.

We had to take 3 different flights on small, inter-European carriers that required us to check our carry-on roller bags. Once those bags were checked, we had to carry the Bento Bag until we got on our flight. It does have a shoulder strap, but neither of us thought to bring ours. Even if we had, it would be so much weight on one shoulder. We are going to have a similar situation when we spend 3 months in SE Asia next year, so we are currently looking at 28L backpacks to use as our personal item for those type of trips.

Toiletries were the thing I worried about most

I thought toiletries would be the hardest part of packing carry-on only for this long, but they really weren’t.

Use your liquid allotment to bring the things you know will be hard or impossible to find. Most things can be purchased wherever you’re going. (Google is your friend) I used mine for hair oil, hair mask, and a few skin care & cosmetic items. Bring things in solid form if you can.

The one thing I wish I had brought more of?

American-strength deodorant. 😂

I can put my deodorant of choice on at 5am and even after a day of heat, humidity, and 10K steps, I am fresh as a daisy at 10pm - thank you, Carpe. (this post is not sponsored). Deodorant is not created equally around the world, and this was one area where I definitely should have packed a little extra. I thought I had packed a brand new tube, but it was gone about 2/3 of the way through the trip and it took me several tries to find something that worked well enough.

So, what did I learn?

1. I’ll pack fewer “contingency” clothes next time.

2. High quality merino wool is a miracle - I’ll be looking for a few more items in that fabric.

3. My reusable shopping bag (Nanobag brand) was used so often, I would probably bring two next time.

4. No white sneakers.

The biggest surprise of traveling for two months with so little wasn’t what I missed, it was how little I actually missed.

We had clean clothes. We had enough variety that I didn’t feel like I was wearing the same thing every day. We bought a few things when we needed them. And I never once wished I’d packed more things (other than deodorant) or a bigger suitcase.

There’s something pretty liberating about realizing you can live for two months with the contents of a carry-on and a well-organized personal item.

Pack less. Do laundry. Buy what you need. Organize the things you actually need to reach. And leave a little room for the things you didn’t know you were going to find along the way.

That’s probably my biggest packing lesson from two months of travel.

Also? Buy the dang Highland Cow embroidered bag at Uniqlo in Edinburgh! Such a regret! 😂

We checked into The Londoner in Leicester Square. The hotel is gorgeous. The suite was cozy and beautiful, with a very comfy bed and spa-like bathroom.

After settling in, we walked two short blocks to Noodle & Beer restaurant in Chinatown for an early dinner.

We closed out our night with a musical in the West End, The Book of Mormon. After two months of traveling, we apparently still had enough energy left for an evening of irreverent humor, catchy songs, and laughing until our faces hurt. We are still singing some of the songs a week later. Hello!

We had great seats in the front row of the balcony, and I loved hearing the musicians warming up in the pit.

After the short walk back to our hotel, we ended the night at The Londoner's rooftop bar, looking out over the city with Big Ben and the London Eye glowing in the distance. It was a spectacular way to end our first day in the city. And then there was my cocktail. Easily the best of the entire trip: a sour passionfruit creation that came with a tiny passionfruit panna cotta served in a passionfruit rind, with passionfruit puree on top.

The next morning we went for a walk through the city with no particular agenda, other than stopping into the Aer luggage store to check out some of their travel gear. The weather was beautiful and lots of people were out enjoying the sun.

For our last lunch in London, we visited The Lamb and Flag pub. Shawn had to duck to get through the narrow alley to the side door.

Because we were maxing out our Amex benefits, we got a very late checkout so that we could wrap up our time at The Londoner with a private visit to their Whisky Room. After all the adult beverages we’d enjoyed throughout this trip, it seemed only appropriate to give the journey one last tasting. We felt very fancy in here.

Sadly, we had to check out of The Londoner for our last night. We wanted to be much closer to the airport for our very early flight the next day. We took the subway to the airport and checked into the Hilton Garden Inn onsite. After back to back 5 star hotels for the last week, this was a bit of a letdown, even though it was logistically the smart thing to do.

Up early the next day, we zipped up our suitcases one last time and walked out the hotel doors and into Heathrow. We had some time before our flight, so we settled into the Cathay Pacific Lounge and enjoyed breakfast ramen and dim sum. This lounge is probably the nicest we have used in our travels.

And just like that, our two-month adventure was over.

We saw beautiful cities, drank so much excellent wine and whisky, ate our way through Portugal and Scotland, met wonderful people, walked approximately one million miles, packed and unpacked about 10 times, and never once got tired of each other.

Now that we’re home, we’re already filling up the calendar with travel plans into 2028. Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that the best part about coming home from a trip is having the next one to look forward to.

We have a month and a half to catch up here at home, and then we’re off to spend 6 weeks in Puerto Vallarta!

Cheers!

But the incredible views and architecture were surpassed by how special the people were. Everyone we interacted with was so friendly and seemingly born with a great sense of humor. The Scottish ability to not take themselves too seriously was one of our favorite discoveries of the trip.

We left Edinburgh completely smitten with the city, and Scotland. We’re already planning our return trip so that we can explore the Scottish Highlands.

Until then, Edinburgh… thanks for the memories (and the hairy coos). We’ll be back.

I’ll admit it: when we booked the Johnnie Walker Experience, I was expecting another distillery tour. Instead, we got a Disney-style production about Scotch whisky.

The experience starts before the tour begins. A tablet prompts you to answer a list of questions about what kinds of foods you enjoy, and you're assigned a personalized wristband in the color that matches your preferred flavor profile. Shawn got Fruity, I got Creamy.

Once the tour started, the whole place becomes an interactive journey through the world of Johnnie Walker. There were lights, music, video, moving sets, and energetic hosts who convinced an entire room full of adults to enthusiastically follow them from one room to another, learning about the brand along the way.

The production value was genuinely impressive. Every room was designed to explain a part of whisky-making or the Johnnie Walker story without feeling like a history lecture. It was polished, clever, and surprisingly fun.

And then came the drinks.

Because of those questionnaires at the beginning, the first bar featured a cocktail tailored to our flavor preferences. You match your wristband color to the bottom of the glass, then set it in a machine that doles out a highball tailored to you. We even got to garnish our specific drink with guidance on what to add. It meant we never had to fake an appreciation for a smoky whisky that tasted like someone had accidentally set your dinner on fire.

The last stop gave you the opportunity to sample 2 neat whiskies, or cocktails if you preferred. We both got our money’s worth by sampling the 18 year old neat x 2.

By the end of the tour, we had learned a surprising amount about blending, flavor profiles, and the history of Johnnie Walker, and had a great time doing it. I would recommend this tour even for non-drinkers. (They have mocktails too)

When we were done with our experience, we made our way to the 1820 Rooftop Bar overlooking Edinburgh. Shawn tried the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare, and the bartender recommended a second tasting for me of a whisky that was older than our kids. Like all Scotts we have interacted with, she had a great sense of humor and made us feel like family.

Of course, after spending the afternoon learning about Scotch whisky, it seemed only logical to continue our "research." After about 10,000 steps around the Old Town to burn off our last rounds, we wandered back to the Balmoral and settled into the legendary Scotch Bar. This is a serious bar with serious whisky knowledge in the kilt-clad bartenders working there. With hundreds of bottles to choose from, we tried 3 with some input from the bartender, but mostly based on Shawn’s research. We had a $100 food & beverage credit to use from our Amex Fine Hotels rewards, and these 3 drinks took care of that.

After all that whisky, it was time for some food! We had reservations at the historic Café Royal for dinner. It’s just a short walk from the Balmoral.

We had started the morning walking through the city in the rain, drank all the whisky, walked some more, drank some more, and ended the evening in one of the city’s most beautiful dining rooms. A perfect day in Edinburgh!

We did a guided walking tour to get more of the history of this street and the gorgeous buildings along the way to the castle.

One thing that caught our attention was that many of the statues were wearing orange traffic cones on their heads. This is a clue into the the Scottish sense of humor, and one of Scotland's most beloved traditions. For decades, the Scottish people have been balancing traffic cones on statues after a late night of enjoying their favorite whisky as a tongue-in-cheek act of mischief. The city periodically removes them. The people politely put them right back. At this point, the cones are almost as famous as the statues themselves. We saw on social media that the Scotland fans at the World Cup in Boston got in on the fun there too.

As we wandered farther along the Royal Mile, unicorns started appearing everywhere, on buildings, carvings, flags, and especially near the castle. Scotland’s national animal isn’t the majestic stag or the Highland cow. It’s a unicorn.

This isn’t another example of the Scottish people’s sense of humor, the unicorn has represented Scotland for hundreds of years because it symbolizes purity, strength, independence, and the idea that a powerful creature can’t be tamed. And primarily because it was the only animal to defeat the lion in Greek mythology. Guess who’s national animal is the lion… that’s right, England.

Tucked away down one of those little closes I mentioned is the Writers' Museum. It’s such a gorgeous little building dedicated to Scotland’s literary giants: Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Sir Walter Scott.

Also just off the Royal Mile is Victoria Street, which is one of the most photographed streets in Edinburgh. Its colorful storefronts curve down the hill beneath rows of old stone buildings, making it feel like something straight out of a storybook. Our guide told us that this is the street that inspired Diagon Alley in Harry Potter.

At the end of the Royal Mile sits Edinburgh Castle, dramatically perched atop an extinct volcano overlooking the city. It's been a royal residence, military fortress, prison, and the setting for centuries of Scottish history.

One of my favorite stories our guide told about the castle involved the Scottish author we have become so familiar with, Sir Walter Scott.

Scotland’s Crown Jewels were locked away after the union with England in the early 1700s; hidden so that England would not “acquire them” as they were wont to do with artifacts in countries they took over. The problem was that the folks who did the hiding never passed the knowledge on, and when they died so did the knowledge of where the Crown Jewels were hidden. In 1818, Sir Walter Scott had a hunch they were hidden somewhere at the castle. He led a commission that opened the sealed Crown Room, and behind a locked door sat the crown, scepter, and sword of state, exactly where they’d been left for more than a century. It’s hard to imagine discovering a room everyone thought might be empty and finding Scotland’s priceless royal treasures waiting inside. Not a bad day for a novelist.

After exploring the castle, we decided we'd earned a proper Scottish pub stop and headed to the Guilford Arms, a beautiful Victorian-era pub just a short walk away from our hotel. The first thing that caught our attention was the interior; full of ornate woodwork, stained glass, and old-world charm. We settled in with a pint of cask ale (cask cider for me), because when in Scotland…. There's something very satisfying about following in the footsteps of kings, queens, and famous writers and then doing exactly what generations of Scots have done afterward: finding a good pub.

For our final two nights in Edinburgh, we traded the Virgin Hotel for a little bit of old-world luxury and checked into The Balmoral. It’s a stunning hotel at the end of Princes Street, with its iconic clock tower, that felt like the perfect place to end our Scottish adventure, feeling like royalty ourselves.

Chris picked us up wearing a traditional kilt, with blankets tucked in the back for the chilly weather, and a bottle of whisky ready in case the blankets weren’t enough to ward off the chill. Within the first few minutes, it was obvious why he has such a loyal following. He had the perfect combination of easy-going charm and endless local knowledge, and a fantastic sense of humor.

Our first stop was a distillery tour, but we arrived a little early. Rather than waiting around, Chris suggested we check out a nearby car boot sale.

If you’ve never heard of one, imagine a neighborhood garage sale where everyone drives their cars to a park, pops open the trunk (or “boot”), lays out their treasures, and spends the morning buying, selling, and catching up with friends. It felt like an extended family reunion.

We didn’t buy anything, but did pet an adorable golden retriever named Milo, and before long it was time for whisky.

The Borders Distillery is one of Scotland's newest distilleries, having revived whisky production in the Borders (near the border of England). We were especially lucky because one of the distillers himself led our tour, walking us through both the history of the distillery and every step of the whisky-making process. Our guide, Chris, also came on the tour with us and added his knowledge, having worked at a distillery himself.

One of the highlights was seeing the Spirit Safe up close. This brass-and-glass cabinet is where the freshly distilled spirit flows after leaving the stills and is tested for ABV (alcohol by volume). Historically, it was literally kept under lock and key so no one could sneak a taste before the government measured exactly how much spirit had been produced to collect the taxes. It’s one of the most iconic pieces of equipment in a Scotch distillery.

This tour ended the way every good distillery tour should: with tastings.

In addition to their Scotch whisky, they also produces vodka and gin, so there was something for everyone. As someone who still hasn’t fully embraced Scotch, I have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, (but maybe not quite as much as Shawn).

But let’s be honest... the whisky wasn’t the main event. Back in the car, we headed to Jacksons at Jedburgh, home to a herd of Highland cows, or “coos,” as they’re affectionately called in Scotland.

I’m honestly not sure who was more excited, me or Chris. His license plate even referenced Highland cows, and throughout the drive he enthusiastically shared just how much he loved them. We were very much on the same wavelength.

After arriving at the farm, we climbed aboard a long tractor-pulled trailer, listened to a quick safety briefing, then headed out into the pastures to see the herd.

The timing couldn’t have been better… there were babies! The moment I spotted my first tiny, fluffy coo, I actually had tears in my eyes. They’re somehow even cuter in person than they are in photos.

Our farm guide stopped the trailer among the herd and introduced us to the cows one by one, sharing their names, personalities, family relationships, and what it’s like raising these iconic Scottish animals. They were lured in with some of their favorite snacks, so we got a very close encounter with them.

Then somehow the day got even better. Back at the barn, we met several one year olds that are being socialized with people. We got to hand-feed them and brush their fluffy bangs. There was also one of the babies in the barn (!) who happily slurped handful after handful of feed from me. Heaven.

As if whisky and baby Highland coos weren't enough for one day, Chris suggested we visit a major Scottish landmark before heading back to Edinburgh, Abbotsford, the magnificent home of Sir Walter Scott, one of Scotland's most celebrated authors.

The estate itself was stunning, filled with Scott's personal collections and original furnishings. One of my favorite touches was the audio guide, which was narrated in Sir Walter Scott's "voice." It added just the right amount of humor and personality, making the visit feel far more immersive than a traditional museum tour.

After leaving Abbotsford, we made a quick stop at Scott's View, one of the most famous overlooks in the Scottish Borders. The sweeping view stretches across the River Tweed to the Eildon Hills, and according to local tradition, it was Sir Walter Scott's favorite view in all of Scotland. Even after his death, the horses pulling his funeral procession reportedly paused here one final time, as if they knew their master would have wanted one last look. Standing there, it's easy to understand why he loved it.

When Chris dropped us back at our hotel, we were genuinely sad to say goodbye. It was like spending the day with a local friend.

Thanks to Chris, we came away with wonderful memories, a better appreciation for Scottish whisky, and approximately 437 photos of Highland coos.

We decided that returning to Scotland is a must, particularly to see the Highlands that Chris raved about. We’ll happily climb back into his car for another adventure.

As if the day hadn't already come full circle, after Chris dropped us back at our hotel, we decided to stretch our legs with a walk to the Scott Monument in the heart of Edinburgh. Standing beneath the towering Gothic monument built in Sir Walter Scott’s honor felt like the perfect bookend to the day. It's impossible to miss, rising dramatically above Princes Street, and after spending the day learning about his life and legacy, it felt like saying a final goodbye to one of Scotland's greatest storytellers.

After walking around a bit, we were able to get an early check-in and get settled in.

Up next - one of our favorite ways to explore a new city, a food tour. We started to get poured on right away, but luckily we both had our raincoats on and ducked into our first stop on the tour before we were soaked through. We were at a proper Scottish pub where we were introduced to two classic dishes. Cullen Skink, a rich, creamy smoked haddock chowder, which was delicious and comforting when you’ve just come in from the cold & wet. Then came the infamous Scottish dish, Haggis. Made from sheep’s heart, liver, and lungs mixed with oats, onions, spices, and suet, it’s traditionally served with “tatties and neeps” (mashed potatoes and turnips). It may sound intimidating, but it was surprisingly flavorful, like a rich ground beef, we’re glad we gave it a try!

Shawn also tried his first Cask Ale, Britain's traditional draft beer. It’s naturally conditioned in the cask, gently carbonated, and served via hand pump at cellar temperature. The result is a smoother, richer beer. Shawn’s rating - two thumbs up!

Later in the tour we stopped in front of Greyfriars Bobby, the tavern named after the famous little Skye Terrier whose loyalty became legend after he spent years watching over his owner’s grave. His statue out front is often rubbed on the nose by tourists (although we are told the locals hate that.) In the graveyard behind the tavern, Bobby’s gravestone is piled with sticks, left as a memorial for such a good boy.

Most of the rest of the tour was sweet things and some history, but it was a good orientation to the Old Town streets. Once we were done, we were ready to drop - it had been a long day!

Edinburgh, you’re off to a fantastic start! 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

So, would we come back? At this point it’s not on our return list for another long stay. We were surprised by Porto in both good ways and challenging ways, though. The biggest surprise was that it took us over a week to settle in and feel like we’d made the right decision. In Portimão we were pretty quick to fall into a routine, but Porto made us work for it.

Part of it was the weather. We arrived during an unusually hot stretch, which made climbing Porto’s famous hills feel like even more of a slog. Part of it was our apartment. While it was very modern, with central AC, it wasn’t conducive to relaxing at the end of the day unless we were in different rooms. The couch was a big factor here, and even the chairs at the kitchen bar were pretty hard to sit in for too long. Who knew that a comfy place to sit would be such a big deal? And while our neighborhood was quiet and residential, which normally suits us fine, it wasn’t quite as walkable as we’d imagined.

Once the temperatures eased and we learned our way around the city, everything felt better, and we managed to settle in and really enjoy ourselves.

One remaining challenge was the language.

Portuguese is surprisingly difficult to pick up. In fact, knowing some Spanish made it harder, since they share some words. About halfway through the month, I figured out that if someone didn’t understand my English, I’d try Spanish instead. More often than not, that actually worked better. I’m not sure what that says about my Spanish, my English, or my Portuguese, but it got me through just fine.

Looking back, one thing I wish we’d discovered sooner was Porto’s coastline. That first ocean-front walk was magical. The breeze kept the temperatures comfortable, and it quickly became one of our favorite parts of the city.

When we think back on our month here, these are the things we’ll remember most:

• We’ll remember a city that seemed beautiful around every corner, whether we were wandering narrow streets lined with colorful tilework or watching the sun set over the Douro River.

• We’ll remember genuinely kind people who were amused and patient with our butchered attempts at Portuguese, always willing to help, and quick with a smile.

• We’ll remember that Porto makes excellent wine feel like an everyday luxury. It was crazy to sit down at dinner and order a really good glass of wine for less than what we’d pay for a bottle of water.

• And we’ll definitely remember the seafood. Whether it was fish, mussels, sardines, shrimp, or seafood rice, meal after meal reminded us why Portugal has earned its reputation for some of the best seafood in Europe.

We wrapped out time up in Porto with what could have been our best meal of the trip at restaurant Oma. We had the tasting menu with the wine pairing and, other than two items, it was mind blowingly good. I would tell you what these things were, if only the wine pairing hadn’t erased them from my memory almost immediately. Oops!

Ciao Porto!

At home, history often feels like something you learned in school, memorized for a test, and then filed away somewhere in the back of your mind.

When you’re standing where it happened, though, it feels different.

When we did our walking tour of Porto, our guide told us about the Carnation Revolution of April 25, 1974. Before coming to Portugal, I knew nothing about it. I certainly didn’t know that Portugal went from being a democratic republic to living under an authoritarian government known as the Estado Novo for a period of nearly 50 years.

Our guide painted a picture of what life was like then: Political dissent carried consequences. Political opponents were jailed. Traditional Catholic values were tied to Portuguese nationality. The press was censored. Political police roamed the streets, maintaining a pervasive network of surveillance and censorship, effectively destroying all organized domestic opposition and stifling fundamental civil liberties. They utilized systemic violence to exercise broad control over public life and held thousands of citizens for long periods in political prisons without formal charges or due process.

They also completely eliminated democratic voting, replacing it with a heavily manipulated electoral system designed solely to legitimize the dictatorship. The regime restricted suffrage using strict tests and property requirements to disenfranchise the poor and women. The political police intimidated voters and blocked independent observers from watching the ballot boxes.

Then, in one extraordinary day, everything changed.

• The Spark: The rebellion kicked off in the early hours of April 25, 1974, when rebel troops seized control of Lisbon’s commercial radio stations. They broadcasted two specific songs, E Depois do Adeus and Grândola, Vila Morena, which served as coordinated signals for military units across the country to mobilize and occupy strategic locations. This was the part of our tour guide’s story that gave us goosebumps.

• The Regime Falls: Marcello Caetano was forced to surrender within 24 hours. He and other regime leaders were arrested and later sent into exile.

• Decolonization & Democracy: The revolution brought a swift end to the colonial wars and led to the independence of Portugal’s African territories, including Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea-Bissau. In Portugal, it dismantled the political police and successfully paved the way for civil liberties, free elections, and a new constitution.

• The Flowers: As soldiers moved through Lisbon to take back the government for the people, civilians began placing red carnations into the barrels of their rifles. Instead of becoming symbols of violence, the rifles became symbols of hope. The image is so simple that it almost seems impossible, yet it has become one of the defining moments in modern Portuguese history.

This was not just another historical event here. It’s woven into the country’s identity because it represents something larger than a change in government. It represents the moment people regained the freedom to speak openly, to vote meaningfully, to practice their chosen religion (or none at all) with separation of church and state, and to shape their own future.

One of the unexpected gifts of travel is perspective.

You realize that freedoms you barely notice are extraordinary in many parts of the world, and were hard-won in places that now seem peaceful and secure.

And that Democracy isn’t self-sustaining.

Like a garden, it requires tending, patience, and the willingness of ordinary people to care for something that may never seem urgent, until one day it is.

Portugal reminds visitors of that every April with carnations instead of military parades.

I find something profoundly hopeful about that.

The symbol of their revolution wasn’t a weapon.

It was a flower.

Today, April 25 is celebrated as “Freedom Day” (Dia da Liberdade) in Portugal and remains an important national holiday honoring the restoration of democracy.

The viewpoints? Done.

The famous churches? Done.

The markets? Done.

The restaurants you bookmarked months before arriving? Mostly conquered.

At some point, you wake up and realize... there isn’t anything you have to do today. It’s surprisingly liberating.

In fact, we'd crossed off one of our last "must-try" restaurants just the day before with lunch at Voltaria, a tiny restaurant tucked down a narrow side street with just 4 or 5 indoor tables and 2 outdoor tables. We'd tried to eat there earlier in our stay, but the line stretched well beyond our patience. This time, we showed up right when they opened, and that turned out to be the magic trick.

We started with traditional Portuguese salt cod fritters, Pastéis de Bacalhau. They were delicious (not salty) little fish cakes.

Shawn ordered the pork cheeks braised in red wine sauce, so tender they barely required chewing. This should be your go-to order here; it was a flavor bomb.

I went with a classic Portuguese comfort dish: chicken rice with chorizo, the kind of meal that tastes like it could fix literally anything that might ail you. I was really enjoying this until I tasted Shawn’s food, and then I regretted not copying his order.

We'd spent weeks working our way through the places we'd researched before arriving in Porto, and with Voltaria now behind us, there wasn't much left on the checklist.

So today, we decided to embrace the ancient travel tradition of "let's just wing it", mostly.

The only thing we had scheduled: a beard trim (Shawn) and a manicure (me) in the morning. Our appointments were in different neighborhoods, so we walked separately. When I was done, I started to walk back towards our apartment, only to see Shawn walking towards me. I hadn't expected him to be there, and it was one of those small, thoughtful surprises. We had no plans, so we headed off together to see where the rest of the day would take us.

We decided to start out with a little snack and some coffee at our favorite Ukrainian restaurant, Story Brunch & Cocktails. By now, they probably recognize us as “those Americans who keep ordering the Syrnyky (cottage cheese pancakes).” Served with plain Greek yogurt and sour cherries, they’re light, fluffy and delicious!

From there, we walked down to the riverfront and decided to see the Monet & Klimt Immersive Experience at the Alfândega Porto Congress Centre. (Our hop-on, hop-off bus pass got us a discount here, too.) Instead of staring at paintings hanging quietly on a wall, you’re surrounded by them. Colors swirl across the walls, ceiling and floor, while music fills the room, making it feel like you’ve stepped inside the artists’ imaginations. The paintings themselves move and you can watch the artists strokes turn into images. It’s a completely different way to enjoy art, and a nice break from climbing yet another hill.

There is no way to capture it in photos, but I loved the experience.

They have a dinosaur experience too, but we didn’t stay for that. I think Shawn was a little disappointed.

Afterward, we walked just a short ways down the street to Porto’s hop-on, hop-off bus stop. Once onboard, we had absolutely no intention of hopping off anytime soon.

For nearly two hours, the bus carried us through Porto’s different neighborhoods, out to the Atlantic coast, and back into the city. The free audio guide shared descriptions of major sights and bits of history while we enjoyed the breeze on the top deck. No deciding where to go next.

Sometimes the best sightseeing is letting someone else do the navigating.

When we finally decided to hop off, we were definitely ready for a late lunch. We stopped at Sol e Sombra for bifanas, Portugal’s famous pork sandwiches.

Imagine thin slices of tender pork piled onto a soft roll with melted cheese, soaked in garlicky, savory pork juices. They’re served with chili oil, gloriously messy, ridiculously flavorful, and somehow just €3.50.

You will use an inordinate amount of napkins while eating this. In fact, they have a hand-washing station in the dining room for when you are done. I hate having messy hands, but this was worth it.

It was the cheapest meal we’ve had in Portugal and, quite possibly, the best value of the entire trip. Months from now, when someone asks what we remember most about Porto, there’s a 100% chance these sandwiches will make the list. Thank goodness we didn’t discover these earlier in our stay. I’m fairly certain I’d be returning home shaped like a bifana otherwise.

Speaking of… one of our strategies for making two months of incredible food feel sustainable (besides walking up approximately 47,000 hills) is limiting ourselves to one major restaurant meal a day, at least on average. The rest of the time, we keep things simple at the apartment: yogurt, deli meat, cheese, salads, fruit, a concerning amount of sugar-free wafer cookies we discovered during our first week in Portugal, and, of course, wine.

Sometimes we squeeze in a light breakfast or snack out in addition to our main meal, like we did today. But breakfast was mostly on the healthy side, so we decided we were okay with the restaurant daily double.

After lunch, we stopped in the grocery store next door for a few things before heading back to the bus stop.

The beauty of having a 48-hour hop-on, hop-off pass is that it doubles as transportation, so after grocery shopping we simply caught the next bus and rode it back toward our neighborhood.

Tonight’s agenda is wonderfully uneventful: Netflix and absolutely nowhere we need to be.

The answer: still adorable, and some new babies have hatched!

The views here never get old …

While wandering through the gardens, we discovered a turret with spectacular views over the Douro and Porto’s bridges. Later that day, we would be seeing those same bridges from a much more relaxing vantage point.

Next we were in search of sustenance.

We walked from the Gardens to the Ribeira district, which is a bit of a hike, but mostly downhill.

On the riverfront, we stopped for a little Portuguese breakfast of a ham and cheese toastie, (I love that they call it a “toastie”), fresh-squeezed orange juice, and coffee. The perfect fuel for the next half of our walk.

After breakfast, we walked back up hill a short ways, out of the Ribeira district to the walkway along the river, and then all the way to the grocery store at the bottom of our hill.

After getting a few necessities for our last week here, we walked up the (steep + long) hill to our apartment.

By the time we got home, my legs had officially filed a formal complaint.

After spending the afternoon recovering, we headed back out that evening for a 6 Bridges Sunset Yacht Cruise with Atalaia Gold.

We managed to get prime seats on the bow, where there is room for two couples to sit comfortably, so we had an unobstructed view as we cruised along the Douro.

Our host was wonderful, bringing us wine and snacks as we sailed. Also seated on the bow was a lovely couple from Malta, and we spent much of the cruise chatting with them as Porto drifted by around us.

As the sun began to set, the bridges became even more beautiful. The light softened, the city began to glow, and the Douro turned into the perfect setting for an evening cruise.

After a day that began with peacocks, continued with hills, and involved so much walking, ending the day on the water, with wine, snacks, new friends, and spectacular views, felt pretty close to perfect.

And then, we had to find dinner.

Unfortunately, it was now 10 p.m., which, in the historic district, is prime dinner time. The restaurant we wanted was packed, with a line waiting to get in. We wandered around for a while, hoping something would magically open up, but eventually accepted that our options were becoming increasingly limited.

So we ended up at McDonald’s. Our first time on this trip we have succumbed to the golden arches.

But this was not just any McDonald’s. It had a patio with a view of the Douro River.

After nearly two months of travel, one late-night happy meal with a river view felt like a perfectly respectable way to end the day.

Which means that if you want to eat there, you need to plan ahead.

Or, in my case, be married to someone who plans ahead.

Emotivo Restaurante is an intimate, interactive dining experience led by Chef Sara Verde that features a regional Portuguese tasting menu and an open kitchen concept.

But this isn’t just dinner.

It’s also a mystery.

Once all 14 of us were seated, Chef Sara explained that we would have to guess which region of Portugal was being featured that evening, based on the food and clues around the room.

So basically, we had come for dinner and accidentally signed up for a culinary escape room.

We arrived early and had our choice of tables, so naturally we chose the one right next to the open kitchen.

We began with sourdough bread, fresh-pressed olive oil, some extremely briny olives, and orange butter.

Then came a goat cheese and fig salad with a tangy vinaigrette.

Everything, down to the plates, was beautifully curated. Look at these sardine plates! I wanted to stuff them in my bag.

The next course was simply called “cuttlefish.”

We thought we were eating cuttlefish. The actual animal. The flesh. (Not that we knew what a cuttlefish looked like when cooked)

But we were wrong.

We were not eating cuttlefish.

We were eating cuttlefish roe.

Cuttlefish roe is the inner egg mass or reproductive gland of the cuttlefish, prized as a rare and tender seafood delicacy in parts of Asia and Mediterranean Europe.

After we ate them the Chef told us what they were. She said she was so excited to serve them because of how rare they are and hard to procure. When her fish monger called her to let her know he had them that day she immediately said “yes please!” And that is how they ended up on our menu that night.

They were tasty; the texture of cooked shrimp and flavor of pan seared scallops.

And I am so incredibly grateful that I did not know what they were before I ate them.

Because we are adventurous eaters. We will try almost anything.

But sometimes things are better known in retrospect.

Next came a pea soup with tiny pieces of caramelized pork and a soft-cooked egg. Then a rich and delicious bean stew with shrimp.

Throughout the meal, it was fun watching Chef Sara cook and put the finishing touches on each dish. She talked with us throughout the evening and was so warm and welcoming that we soon felt like we were sitting in her living room, invited over for a small dinner party.

Where instead of a casserole, our hostess was serving cuttlefish eggs.

The final main course was a clam and pork dish that Shawn had actually tried in Portimão and loved. Our server, who was tasked with describing each dish to every nationality in the dining room, did not know the English word for pork, so she described it as “oink oink” with a big laugh, which may have been my favorite part of the night.

If we hadn't already figured out the region by then, this was the giveaway: we were in the Algarve.

Then came dessert.

Unfortunately, dessert was a bit of a letdown. The orange roll was just okay, and the crème brûlée made with lactose-free milk and carob was not great.

Chef Sara came by our table and basically admitted that this was probably not a dish she would be repeating.

We appreciated the candor. There is something very reassuring about a chef who can look you in the eye and say, in essence, “This was not my best work.”

At the end of the meal, Chef Sara came out and explained each dish in detail; why it was important to the region, the traditions behind it, and the personal twists she had added.

By then, we had not only solved the mystery of the region, but had also eaten our way through a fascinating little piece of Portugal.

It was such a fun concept. We loved the intimacy of the restaurant, the interaction with the chef, and the feeling that we were experiencing something much more personal than just going out to dinner.

And we left with a new appreciation for the Algarve, and the knowledge that if someone tells us we’re about to eat “cuttlefish,” we may now require a few more details.

Founded in 1756 by royal charter, Real Companhia Velha was created to regulate the Port wine trade and protect the quality and authenticity of Douro wines. Between 1758 and 1761, it helped establish the original boundaries of the Douro demarcated wine region, which is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world.

Just like champagne, which can only be called champagne if it is from the Champagne region in France, port wine can only be called port if it is from the Douro wine region in Portugal.

Shawn was able to get a great deal on a private tour with the purchase of a hop-on/hop-off bus ticket that was less $ than the discount amount.

We started the day at the bottom of the hill with another excellent breakfast at Tulipa Brunch, followed by a quick visit to the church right next door.

This turned out to be excellent planning, because I was going to need some divine forgiveness for the things I said while climbing the hill to the lodge.

And when I say “hill”, I mean the kind of hill that makes you question every decision that led you to become a person who enjoys walking. About 60 meters (196 feet) up in a very short distance. Here’s a photo from the top down for reference:

These were my thoughts on the hill when we made it to the top - avert your eyes, children…

We got a tiny downhill reprieve as we approached the lodge.

Our tour began in the barrel-aging room, where we got a look at the enormous wooden casks. It was great to move at our own pace while hearing about the history of the lodge and the aging techniques for the different types of port.

From there, we moved into the cellars, which was both fascinating and just a little spooky. The cellars include a private family collection of more than 16,000 rare Vintage Port bottles, with some dating back to 1765.

Our guide, Narciso, made the experience even better. He was incredibly knowledgeable about port wine, but also genuinely entertaining and fun, which is a pretty ideal combination when you’re spending a couple hours discussing alcohol.

At one point, he told us that he had been drinking port for 23 of his 27 years. We chose not to ask too many follow-up questions about the first few years of that timeline.

But whether he meant professionally, socially, or simply as a particularly committed student of port, Narciso clearly knew his subject. He brought the history and wine to life while keeping us laughing throughout the tour.

Then came the tasting. We started with a white port, followed by a 10, 30, and 40-year tawny.

We decided to add on a glass of the 20-year tawny, just to make sure that was still our favorite. (Dear Reader: This was A LOT of port. I have no idea how we got back down that hill.)

Shawn’s favorite was still the 20-year tawny, the same one that had first captured our attention at Carvalhas. Mine was the 30-year. It was a little more smooth and caramelly.

But the 40-year was something special. It was incredibly complex and immediately reminded me of Christmas, with notes of berries, ginger, and cinnamon. Basically, if Christmas could be poured into a glass, aged for 40 years, and served with a very impressive price tag, it would taste something like this.

The experience at Real Companhia Velha was completely different from our visit to Graham’s. If you are choosing between the two, here’s how they compare:

• Graham’s is a quintessential historic Port lodge with a strong British merchant heritage and a very polished, classic lodge experience. Stunning views from the onsite restaurant make for great photo ops.

• Real Companhia Velha feels more like stepping into the institutional history of Port wine itself with the royal charter, the creation of the Douro demarcation, centuries-old wines, and an extraordinary collection of historical bottles. Definitely not a touristy lodge. The tasting room felt like a more elegant and comfortable experience.

After visiting the vineyard and then seeing where the port is made and aged, we’ve come to a pretty simple conclusion:

If you find a wine you really like, you should probably go see where it comes from.

And if you get the chance to taste the grapes right off the vine, even better.

We may be finished with Port wine tastings for a while. We’ve tasted the young ones, the old ones, the special ones, and more than enough of them in a single afternoon.

But we’ve enjoyed every sip.

And if someone happens to pour us another glass someday, we’re not going to be rude about it.

We’ve traveled. We’ve lived in different places. We’ve stayed active, eaten an unreasonable amount of great food, drank an equally unreasonable amount of great wine, explored markets, taken trains, boats, trolleys, cable cars, Ubers, Bolts, and our own two feet.

We took a Panama Canal cruise, spent time with our kids, then headed to Europe. Here, we spent three weeks in Portimão and are now wrapping up a month in Porto before heading to Scottland.

So far, retirement has been great.

The only problem is that sometimes I bring my entire career with me.

For more than 20 years of my 30+ year career, I was in an executive-level HR role. Which means I developed a few executive-level HR habits.

And now? I no longer have anyone to “HR.”

For decades, I had employees, managers, and executives who came to me with problems. I helped them navigate conflict. I worked with them through difficult conversations. I explained how their behavior might be perceived by others, and coached them on leadership skills.

What I have now are 3 grown children. And sometimes, when your adult child tells you about a problem, they don’t necessarily want to hear:

“Have you considered the other person’s perspective?”

Or:

“Let’s talk about your role in this situation.”

Or:

“What could you change, that you can control, to get the outcome you want?”

In HR I could say:

“This is a coaching opportunity.”

As a mother, I (am supposed to) say:

“That sounds really hard.”

I’m working on it.

All that being said, there are many things I don’t miss about working.

I don’t miss the emails, the meetings, the meetings about the meetings.

I don’t miss being the person everyone complained to when something (or someone) was not optimal. Although I do still notice when things are not optimal. That part appears to be permanent.

And, of course, I don’t miss the worst part of HR, letting people go.

What I do miss are the relationships.

I miss the random moments of humor. The people who could make a stressful day better simply by walking into my office. I miss the partnerships built over years of working together; watching people excel in their careers, and seeing their kids grow up.

But I would be remiss not to mention that my only current co-worker (Shawn) is pretty great.

He is an excellent travel companion, an enthusiastic planner, and fully committed to the ongoing research project known as “How much great food and wine can two people reasonably consume?”

So while I may occasionally miss having a whole company to work with, I have to admit that my current two-person organization is excellent.

We always tell our kids: don’t commit to a long-term relationship until you’ve traveled with that person, preferably to a foreign country neither of you has ever visited before. You learn a lot about someone when you’re navigating unfamiliar places together. You discover how they handle the unexpected, whether they can compromise, and whether your ideas of a good time are even remotely compatible.

Fortunately, Shawn and I seem to have gotten that part right. We share the same approach to travel. We like to prepare, which for us means learning at least a few words in the language and understanding a little about the culture and customs. But we also understand that the point of traveling somewhere new is that it isn’t the US. We don’t expect the food, the schedules, the transportation, or the general approach to life to work the way they do at home.

Instead, we genuinely enjoy the differences. We seek out foods we’ve never tried, wander through markets, learn how people live, and embrace the occasional moment when absolutely nothing goes according to plan. We may prepare extensively, but once we arrive, we’re happy to let the place be what it is, and enjoy discovering it together.

Six months into retirement, I am discovering that the hardest part isn’t figuring out what to do with my time. That part is easy.

• Travel somewhere.

• Walk around.

• Find food.

• Find wine.

• Repeat.

The hard part is accepting that not every problem needs to be solved.

And not every conversation with a grown child requires an HR intervention.

Although, come on! With two parents who were HR executives for decades, how are they not CONSTANTLY asking us for advice? Seems like a missed opportunity.

But I digress.

I’m getting better. I think.

If I were giving myself a six-month retirement performance review, it would probably look something like this:

Employee: KC
Position: Retired

Performance Summary:
Has successfully avoided returning to work despite occasionally (frequently) identifying opportunities for improvement in all manner of operations and people.

Strengths:
Able to travel across time zones while maintaining a mostly positive attitude and healthy marriage.

Development Opportunities:
Not “HR-ing” her adult children, or husband, or anyone else who didn’t ask for it.

Overall Rating:
Meets Expectations

Employee Comment:
Would recommend retirement to others.

Manager Comment:
There is no manager.

Employee Response:
Exactly.

Six months in, I think I’m doing pretty well. I may still have opinions about how things could be optimized, but at least I’m not creating a PowerPoint presentation about it.

Yet.

We started with octopus carpaccio, followed by grouper, then shared a dessert. We finished the evening with wine in the garden.

It was a lovely, sophisticated evening.

And then, the very next day, we walked over five miles to let butter drip down our hands while we ate mussels.

Again.

The walk from our apartment to Matosinhos was beautiful, with the river and then the ocean beside us for most of the way.

We also passed quite a few pilgrims making their way along the Camino de Santiago. You can usually identify them by the seashells hanging off their backpacks.

The Camino de Santiago is a network of ancient pilgrimage routes across Europe that lead to Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, where tradition holds that the remains of St. James the Apostle are buried. People who walk the Camino are referred to as pilgrims. They walk for all sorts of reasons - spiritual, personal, or simply to get in a good workout surrounded by beautiful scenery.

We were on a pilgrimage of sorts too: round three of mussels.

Our destination was Titos II, where we had already eaten once and decided that the only reasonable response to that excellent meal was to make another reservation.

No regrets.

We ordered the mussels, of course, along with a few sides and the green wine.

There is something deeply satisfying about walking that far, arriving hungry, eating a giant plate of mussels, and then feeling like you have earned the right to dip all the bread into that buttery, garlicky wine sauce.

Afterward, we stopped back by the market for fruit, then took an Uber back to Porto.

The pilgrims continued on toward Santiago. We continued on toward our apartment, full of mussels and feeling spiritually fulfilled in our own way.

After a few busy weeks of climbing hills and generally pretending our legs were still in their twenties, it was time for an activity that was a little more relaxing.

Just us, our captain, and a boat.

And it was so much better than we expected.

We started out sitting on the back deck of the boat, under the canopy, but then quickly realized the view is much better from the bow, and the seats were comfier too.

The weather was beautiful: slightly overcast when we started, then sunny and warm with a nice breeze towards the end. The river was calm and the views were spectacular. From the water, the Douro Valley feels completely different. The historic bridges, hillsides, and vineyards all seemed to come together into one giant postcard.

And, because the experience clearly wasn't relaxing enough already, our captain made sure we had wine to enjoy along the way (it’s 5:00 somewhere, right?). She brought us glasses to sip while we took in the scenery, and, whenever they got dangerously close to empty, she appeared to top them off again.

As we cruised along, we passed other tour boats, including some of the big, river cruise lines. We all waved at each other, everyone blissed out by the surrealness of floating through a screensaver.

This is how relaxed we were…

At some point, I jokingly mentioned that two hours was not going to be nearly enough. So Shawn, being the best husband ever, disappeared to the back of the boat to ask our captain whether she had another booking after us.

She didn’t.

Which is how our two-hour private cruise turned into a three-hour private cruise.

As we motored past our hotel, and the intended stopping point, he looked at me with that “I fixed it for you” face that I love.

Because when you’re floating peacefully down the Douro, enjoying the sunshine, the scenery, and a complete lack of obligations, the obvious response is not, “Well, we’d better get back.”

And so we didn’t.

By the time we made it back to the dock, we were relaxed, happy, and absolutely certain that getting off the boat was the worst part of the entire experience.

Specifically, a private vineyard tour and tasting at Quinta das Carvalhas.

Getting there was easy, and part of the fun, as all we had to do was stroll across the bridge from our hotel. The river and surrounding hills provided a pretty spectacular backdrop along the way.

It was very hot when we arrived in Pinhão. In fact, it is typically one of the hottest places in all of Europe, so stepping into the air-conditioned tasting room to wait for our tour was very welcome. We were happy to briefly enjoy the modern miracle of indoor temperature control before heading back out into the oven. Pro-tip: the private vineyard tour is in an air conditioned van, whereas the group tour is in an open-top vehicle.

Established in 1759, Quinta das Carvalhas is one of the most iconic and largest estates in the Douro region. Owned in part by the royal family of Portugal, their vineyards stretch high above the valley, with stunning views of the river below.

Our tour guide, Rute, was excellent and made learning about the estate and how they grow and harvest the grapes genuinely interesting. Having a private tour gave us a chance to see the property up close and take our time enjoying the scenery.

The landscape is beautiful, but it also makes it pretty clear that growing grapes here has never been for people who were looking for an easy living. The steep, rocky hillsides are stunning to look at, and presumably considerably less charming when you have to work them.

One of the interesting tidbits about the estate was that they are a UNESCO site, which has rules about using biodiversity to manage their crop. Orange trees, rosemary, and lilac are planted to ward off insects, and roses are the “canary in the coal mine” for any incoming issues of pests or disease.

Maybe the most surprising thing we learned was that most of the vinyards in Europe have American roots.

In the mid-19th century, European vineyards were devastated by a root-destroying aphid accidentally introduced from North America. Because American vines had co-evolved with the pest, their roots were naturally resistant to it. To save their wine industries, European growers grafted their susceptible vines onto the aphid-resistant American rootstocks.

So, first we mucked things up… then we helped fix it.

Of course, the real reward at the end of any vineyard tour is the tasting.

We sampled five of the wines produced by Carvalhas, learning more about the different varieties and the characteristics that make the Douro Valley such a unique wine region. And while we certainly appreciated the educational portion of the experience, we were also perfectly happy to do our part by reducing their stock.

I have to give Shawn credit for the planning on this trip. He has done an incredible job (as usual) at finding experiences that go beyond simply showing up at the most popular attractions, and this private tour was a perfect example.

We tasted 1 white, 2 reds, and 2 ports, and were surprised that the 20-year-old Tawny Port was our favorite by far. At our port tasting earlier in the trip, we had enjoyed the small sips but didn’t think we would ever actually buy a bottle.

This one changed our minds.

It was rich, caramelly, and complex, with just the right amount of sweetness. In other words, it was apparently the port that finally convinced us we were port people.

It was a wonderful experience, getting out into the landscape and spending time in one of the estates that helps define the region.

By the time we left, we had a lot more wine knowledge, as well as a significantly higher blood alcohol level.

Thank goodness we were walking home.

Saúde!

The further we traveled, the more the scenery changed. The city gave way to rolling hills, little villages, and increasingly dramatic landscapes, with the Douro River eventually appearing alongside the tracks. The railway follows the river through the valley, and the views just kept getting better. Every time we thought we had seen the most beautiful stretch, the train rounded another bend and proved us wrong.

By the time we arrived in Pinhão, we were already completely charmed by the Douro Valley. And then we checked into the the Vintage House Hotel, which felt like the perfect place to spend a few days soaking it all in.

The hotel itself is beautiful, and then we saw our room…

We’re in the Touriga Francesa Suite, named after one of the grape varieties used in the Douro Valley's famous port wines, and it is ridiculously fabulous. The room is elegant without feeling stuffy, with beautiful details and SO MUCH SPACE! We are in heaven!

The view from our windows is of the Quinta das Carvalhas Winery, where we will be headed shortly for a private tasting!

Saúde!

We decided to have lunch at Zarzo, a highly rated Mexican restaurant here in Porto.

Now, being from Arizona and regular visitors to Mexico, we went in with realistic expectations. We knew there was a very slim chance the food would be the same Mexican food we’re familiar with. But you needed reservations just to get in for lunch, so surely that had to be a good sign... right?

We started off strong with a margarita and a michelada. Both were delicious, although the margarita was so weak I wasn’t sure if it actually had any tequila. Still, we were willing to overlook the lack of alcohol because the food kept the momentum going.

The chips, guacamole, and salsa were all excellent. The chips had clearly just been made and were still warm, which is always a promising start. The two salsas were the right balance of heat and flavor. The guacamole was fresh, chunky, and heavy on the lime, the way we like it. We also ordered a shrimp aguachile that was really good, although the shrimp were enormous. Apparently, I prefer my raw seafood to be slightly less... structurally impressive. I didn’t take a photo of the aguachile because I was so distracted by the shrimp.

Then our entrées arrived, and this is where the wheels fell off the bus a little for me.

Shawn ordered chicken enchiladas, which looked more like folded tacos than enchiladas, but were actually quite tasty. He did say his refried beans tasted canned though.

I ordered chilaquiles (one of my favorite Mexican dishes) with beef. The meat had no discernable seasoning, and the chips were too crispy (if you know, you know). The sauces and black beans were very good.

I ordered a second margarita, but the second one was much sweeter than the first and still no discernable tequila.

I give Zarzo a 6/10, while Shawn rated his meal an 8/10… “for Mexican food in Porto”. The appetizers were genuinely good, and the chicken enchiladas were tasty. But the main course and margarita situation left me feeling like we had come tantalizingly close to a great Mexican meal (for Porto) without quite making it all the way there.

But the walk home was infinitely better…

We stumbled across this beautiful cat lounging on a chair in the doorway of a pub that we walk past frequently. She was completely unphased by my photo taking and molestation (she let me pet her, briefly) like this is her full-time job. How had we never seen her before?

A reasonably good Mexican meal and a cute cat? That feels like a pretty solid afternoon.