Leaving Paris, France was one of the toughest leaps for me. Charles was very supportive of my feelings and emotions. The journey to Paris was over a decade in the making and was even more amazing than I imagined. How do you walk away from such a beautiful experience? I mean what could possibly top Paris? In deep reflection and stillness, it came to me in a soft internal whisper. “You don’t top it; you evolve from it!” Now that was simple and profound at the same time, giving me the clarity I needed to move on! Charles and I knew that gratitude was the key to revealing our next based on our past experiences.

Our Paris experience was life-changing, life-defining, and life-shifting all rolled up in one! We knew that our next location would have to be somewhere different. Porto was different and Charles and I had peace with our decision to go and experience Porto. Our time in Porto Portugal was the shortest of our European adventures however Porto was definitely remarkable, and we plan to return.

Porto has amazing architecture that will make you STOP in your tracks in admiration of the beautiful historical landmarks. The apartment we stayed in was in the historical downtown area of Porto and offered a walkable experience for everything we needed. Our apartment was in close proximity to the most amazing churches. There were over thirty churches in walking distance of our apartment. The phenomenal architecture and vibe of the churches made each one feel like we were entering a portal back in time.

Once again, we were able to experience the delicious tastes of Europe in preservative free foods found in Porto for us to enjoy. Of course, part of our dining experiences was connecting with the people cooking and serving the food. Making human connections over meals is something that just comes natural for us. Whether our conversations were with other customers or the wonderful people working in the restaurants, the conversations were all rich and authentic.

For instance, speaking with John from Grill It about his recent marriage and plans to bring his wife over from Brazil. At Maynard’s Burgers we spoke with Polly about her solo trip to San Fransico which was her childhood dream. Polly also talked to us about how her family started the restaurant and the support of the local community in making it a success. Our daily walks also allowed us to speak with street musicians, business owners, and locals around Porto, each conversation giving us a little more information about the rich history of Porto including the diversity of cultures.

As advent movie-goers, one of our favorite things to do in Europe was going to the cinema (movies). We found cinemas (movie theaters) in Lisbon, Paris, and Porto. An interesting fact about the historical theater we found in Porto is food and drinks were not allowed in the cinema screening rooms. The word on the streets of Europe is food is considered much too important to be eaten in a dark movie theater. We encountered this no food policy in the older cinemas, the newer cinemas had concession stands with the worst popcorn I’ve ever tasted. Point taken, maybe the theater really isn’t a place to eat in Europe!

*ABOVE PICTURES OF FOZ DOURO TAKEN FROM INTERNET!

We walked everywhere in Porto except Foz Douro which was an oceanside town about 45 mins away via bus. We heard about this place in a synchronistic meeting at the grocery store. Charles and I met a couple from the States, (Ashville NC) area and they told us about Foz Douro located at the Atlantic Ocean.

Our journey to Foz Douro would be via a double-decker bus that would cost us five euros each round trip. The views were breathtaking from the upper level of the bus which is where we sat. We also enjoyed the best pizza ever in Foz Douro. The Portugal shores of the Atlantic Ocean was magical with a lighthouse, large rocks, and crashing waves. It was mind blowing to think how far the Atlantic Ocean covered and that this was the same Atlantic Ocean that we left back in Charleston, SC just at a different shore.

Our European Adventures begin and ended in Portugal. What I know for sure is somewhere between the start and finish of the journey we experienced transformation. Charle and I returned to the United States DIFFERENTLY, with a new view of the world.

There is a big world out there for us to yet explore! Charles and I know that saying YES will allow the beautiful transformations to continue to elevate our journeys. So, stay tuned for the next adventure which will be in the U.S. as we journey out west for Operation California Love!

In the meantime, we sign off from Charleston South Carolina were currently there is snow covering the shorelines where waves are crashing in from the Atlantic Ocean. Yes, the same Atlantic Ocean, that is flowing into the shores of Portugal! See our YouTube Videos