Even before the pandemic, Europe had been seriously suffering from over-tourism with masses of tourists visiting the most popular destinations at rates not seen before. The pandemic did not change the status quo, and to some extent, even exacerbated the problem, causing people who skipped travel in the last 2-3 […]
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It’s dusk in Lisbon. Darkness is setting over narrow streets and mournful melodies flow out of every pub, café, and restaurant. It’s the sound of traditional Portuguese lament, produced by a twelve-string guitar, a viola, and a heartbroken woman (or sometimes a man). This is fado, folk music of Lisbon’s […]
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We rarely drink alcohol. Julia claims that she is too much fun as-is and alcohol would be wasted on her. I simply like to keep my head clear and maintain a healthy lifestyle. When we are in the U.S., we don’t drink at all. But when we travel, we like […]
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We are standing in a giant store where every wall is covered with floor-to-ceiling shelves, displaying thousands of cans of sardines. “Is this… a sardines store?” Julia asks no one in particular. Her pointless question echoes off the endlessly stacked sardine cans and down the airport hallway. We had arrived […]
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