Traveler Stories — page 13

Svetlana Discoverer
Portugal · October 5, 2026
Day 5. Obidos is a small town that I fell in love with

Day 5. Obidos is a small town that I fell in love with

The next stop was Obidush. After the big cities, it seemed almost toylike to me, although the word "toy" here does not mean boring at all. White houses, flowers, narrow streets, old walls and small shops did their job – I took out my phone again and started photographing everything again. The Castle of Obidush I wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere in Obidusha on purpose. This is the first time I've seen a castle in an urban-type settlement! Although many people call it a small town, and I will not be an exception. I would like to add that construction work began in the 12th century, and I am delighted that it has been preserved by now. Against his background, I think every girl imagined herself to be a princess. After standing at the landmark for a while, she continued on her way. I walked along the fortress walls, looked into the alleys, went into small shops and periodically sat down to drink coffee. It seems to me that these are the cities that best show the real Portugal, because here you do not need to make a list of ten mandatory attractions. It was on this day that I realized for the first time that traveling by car has one serious problem: the further you go, the more places you want to add to the route. I came to Portugal with one plan, and by the middle of the trip I had already started mentally building a second one, because I wanted to repeat half of what I saw by chance. Only next time, I hope that I will be fluent in Portuguese.

 Read more →
#portugal#trip#Obidos#journey
0 0
richword Expert
Mexico · October 5, 2026
I Took a Boat Ride Through the Canals of Xochimilco

I Took a Boat Ride Through the Canals of Xochimilco

In Mexico City, I had become used to busy streets, cars, markets and huge crowds. That is why my trip to Xochimilco felt like such an unexpected change of pace. I headed south of the city, climbed into a colorful trajinera and, within a few minutes, found myself in a completely different world. The City Was Suddenly Far Away At first it felt strange to realize that a place like this could exist inside such a huge metropolis. Instead of skyscrapers and busy streets, there were canals, trees, greenery and small patches of land. The boat moved slowly across the water while the noise of the city gradually disappeared. Xochimilco still preserves its old canal system and traditional agricultural plots known as chinampas . Today it is one of the most unusual parts of Mexico City, where an ancient landscape exists right next to a modern metropolis. The Trajineras Have Their Own Atmosphere The boat itself turned out to be much more interesting than I expected. Trajineras are painted in different colors, decorated with flowers and often have their own names. On some boats, people celebrate small parties, have lunch, listen to music and simply spend time together. After a while, a boat carrying musicians appeared nearby. I could hear mariachi music from a distance, and suddenly the whole scene looked like something from a Mexican movie. People were singing on one boat, taking photos on another, while food was being sold from a third. Small vendor boats sometimes came alongside ours. You could buy corn, drinks, snacks and other food. It felt like a real floating market , except that the streets had been replaced by water. It Is Easy to Forget You Are in a Megacity What I liked most was that the trip required no special plan. You can simply sit, look around and watch life unfold along the canals. There are greenhouses and plants, small houses and, from time to time, another colorful trajinera appears between the trees. At one point I realized that I had completely stopped thinking about Mexico City. It felt as if I were far beyond the limits of the enormous city. In reality, the capital was still all around me. That is probably what makes Xochimilco so special. It is not just a boat ride for photographs. A small piece of a completely different Mexico has survived here - quieter, greener and closely connected to water and agriculture. Was It Worth Going? Absolutely. If you spend several days in Mexico City, I would definitely set aside at least a few hours for Xochimilco. After museums, squares, markets and the endless movement of the city, this kind of trip is a perfect change of pace. I returned toward evening. The water became quieter, the sun dropped lower, and the colorful trajineras gradually disappeared around the bends of the canals. That day I realized that Mexico City is much more than a huge metropolis. Sometimes all you need to do is get on a boat and travel a little away from the center to discover a completely different side of the city.

 Read more →
1 0
Svetlana Discoverer
Portugal · October 5, 2026
Day 4. Nazare – ocean, wind and feeling of freedom

Day 4. Nazare – ocean, wind and feeling of freedom

Then I went to the Atlantic Ocean, to Nazareth. After the roads through the hills and vineyards, it was especially pleasant to see the endless water. I arrived in the late afternoon, left the car and went for a walk along the ocean, and the wind quickly explained to me that my hairstyle no longer matters that day. I liked Nazare with his atmosphere . Here you can just sit and look at the ocean without trying to see or photograph anything every minute. However, I took pictures anyway, because I'm a weak person and I lack willpower in front of a beautiful ocean. I walked along the embankment for a long time, and then climbed higher, from where I had a completely different view of the city and the coast. At that moment, I finally understood why I had arranged this car trip in the first place: for the sake of such stops that it is impossible to plan normally in the route table.

 Read more →
#trip#portugal#Nazare
0 0
Svetlana Discoverer
Portugal · October 5, 2026
Day 3. Coimbra – a little history and a little rest

Day 3. Coimbra – a little history and a little rest

Coimbra After the Douro, I went to Coimbra. After driving for a few days, I already wanted to slow down a bit, and this city was perfect for that. Coimbra is known for its ancient university, but I enjoyed even walking through the streets, climbing and descending stairs and trying to understand why in all beautiful European cities the landmark must be somewhere at the top. I quickly discovered that Portugal is generally quite generous with lifts. At some point, I stopped looking for a convenient way and just accepted fate for what it is: if there are stairs ahead, then today I have fitness. But after the walk, you could safely sit in a cafe, drink coffee and watch the locals pass by, completely not understanding why tourists have been photographing an ordinary door for five minutes. For me, Coimbra has become a kind of pause between the north and the central part of the country. Here, for the first time, I felt that traveling stops being a race for places on the map and turns into just living in another country. How beautiful it is here in spring!

 Read more →
#portugal#trip#Coimbra
0 0
Svetlana Discoverer
Portugal · October 5, 2026
Day 2. Douro Valley – a road among vineyards

Day 2. Douro Valley – a road among vineyards

From Porto, I set off towards the Douro Valley. And here the car really turned out to be the best solution, because the road itself has become a separate part of the journey. The further away I got from Porto, the fewer cities there became, and hills, vineyards, and small villages appeared around, where life seemed to be unaware of the existence of the word "rush" at all. Dora I stopped several times simply because I couldn't get past another beautiful view. At some point, I already began to suspect that I would not get to the next point on the route today at all, because every ten minutes there was a new reason to park and get out of the car. The navigator, by the way, was completely ruthless in this regard: he continued to show the arrival time, as if he did not see that I had stopped photographing the mountains for the twentieth time. In Douro, for the first time, I felt the real scale of Portugal. It was no longer just a trip between cities, but a journey through a country where the landscape is constantly changing outside the window, and the road itself becomes part of the experience.

 Read more →
#journey#portugal#Porto#Douro
0 0
Svetlana Discoverer
Portugal · October 5, 2026
Day 1. Porto – the beginning of a big trip

Day 1. Porto – the beginning of a big trip

I have long wanted to see Portugal not from the window of a tourist bus or along the route "Lisbon – two attractions – airport", but normally, as completely as possible in one trip. I wanted to drive along the roads, stop in small towns, turn off to the ocean, look for beautiful viewing platforms and at least sometimes pretend that I perfectly understand exactly where the next turn leads. In the end, I decided to drive through Portugal from north to south, and then take a little more ride along the coast, because after a few days in this country, I got a diagnosis: "One more turn and we'll definitely stop." The route turned out to be quite busy: Porto, the Douro Valley, Coimbra, Nazare, Obidos, Lisbon, Sintra, the Alentejo coast and further south to the Algarve. I tried not to turn the trip into a marathon, because I knew myself: if you put seven cities on the plan in two days, on the third day I would be sitting somewhere in the parking lot with coffee and looking at the navigator with the expression of a person who no longer wants to make vital decisions. Therefore, she left time for random stops between big cities, and they eventually became one of the most memorable. The port I started with Porto, and it was the case when the city was absolutely not going to get to know me gradually. He immediately gave me hills, narrow streets, colored houses, a bridge over the Douro and so many beautiful views that for the first hours I just walked with my phone in my hand and photographed everything. Even the trash can against the old wall seemed to me to be part of some kind of European art project. Ribeira District I left my car at the Port on purpose and walked a lot, because trying to drive through some streets of this city is an activity for people with strong nerves and very good reactions. Once I took a wrong turn and found myself on such a narrow street that I had to spend several minutes explaining to myself why I even decided that renting a car was a good idea. However, that's why I love traveling by car: sometimes you get not only an attraction, but also a free quest. In the evening, I went down to the river, sat on the embankment and realized that Porto was ideal for starting such a journey. There's a bit of chaos here, a bit of old Europe, a lot of ocean air, and the feeling that the city isn't trying too hard to please you, but it's doing it anyway.

 Read more →
#portugal#Porto#journey#city
0 0
Stanislav Discoverer
Croatia · October 5, 2026
Day 5. The last road and some time for yourself

Day 5. The last road and some time for yourself

On the last day, I purposely didn't bother with the sights. After four days of constant movement, I just wanted to have a quiet breakfast, drink coffee and spend some more time by the sea. I drove along a small stretch of coast, made several stops and found a place where I could sit quietly by the water. At that moment, I almost stopped looking at the map. The funny thing is that at the beginning of the trip it seemed to me that a good route should be planned almost by the minute. By the fifth day, I realized the opposite: sometimes the best route is the one that leaves room for a "let's take a turn here." Zadar Before leaving, I took another walk through the streets of the nearest town, bought some small souvenirs and stood by the sea for a long time. I wanted to remember not any particular attraction, but the feeling of this trip: the warm air, the salty smell of the sea, the stone streets and the constant desire to stop for another five minutes. My 5-day itinerary in Croatia If you put the whole trip into one scheme, my route turned out like this: Day 1 – Dubrovnik: Old town, city walls, sea and evening walk. Day 2 – Dubrovnik → Split: road along the coast, small stops, coves and evening Split. Day 3 – Trogir → Sibenik: two beautiful historical towns and a quiet walk without haste. Day 4 – Zadar: Old town, Sea organ, embankment and sunset. Day 5 – Coast and free day:a little road, sea, coffee and time just to enjoy the last hours of the trip. Split 5 days for such a route is, of course, not much. I would love to add a few more days to take my time and stop by other places on the way. But it was five days that allowed me to get the most important thing – the feeling of a real journey, when every day is a little different from the previous one. Dubrovnik at sunset Summing up my short trip, I want to say that Croatia is remembered not only by the beautiful sea and ancient cities. Most of all, I remember the road between them, unexpected stops, small cafes, attempts to park where the free space disappears in just a second, and the constant desire to turn somewhere else. If I had repeated this route, I would most likely have left everything about the same, only I would have given more time for spontaneous stops. Because the most interesting thing about traveling along the coast of Croatia begins exactly when you stop thinking about how many kilometers are left to the next point, and just enjoy the road. And, of course, I would get behind the wheel again and drive along the Adriatic. Because when the sea is on the right, the road is ahead, and the navigator sometimes suggests turning off in a completely unclear direction, for some reason life becomes much more interesting.

 Read more →
#Croatia#Impression#Journey#Road
0 0
Stanislav Discoverer
Croatia · October 5, 2026
Day 4. Zadar: sea, old town and famous sunset

Day 4. Zadar: sea, old town and famous sunset

On the fourth day, I went to Zadar. This city turned out to be completely different from Dubrovnik, and that's why I was especially interested in seeing it. I started walking from the old town, and then gradually went out to the sea. Zadar is generally very well suited for a leisurely walk, when you don't need to run somewhere every half hour. "Greeting to the Sun" (left) and "Sea Organ" (right) One of the main goals of the day was the Marine Organ and the "Greeting to the Sun." I was particularly surprised by the fact that the music appears here due to the movement of the waves. I just sat by the water for a while and listened to these sounds. After a few days on the road, I especially enjoyed doing nothing. You could just sit by the sea, look at people and wait for the sunset. And I really wanted to see the sunset in Zadar. I specially came to the embankment in advance to get a good place, and once again I was convinced that travelers like to make a little joke about our plans. There were a lot of people, and it was almost impossible to find a quiet corner. But when the sun began to sink to the horizon, none of this mattered anymore. The people around me gradually quieted down, the sky changed, the sea began to reflect light, and I just looked ahead. That evening, it seemed to me that for the first time I felt that five days were coming to an end too quickly.

 Read more →
#Road#Croatia#Zadar#Journey
0 0
Stanislav Discoverer
Croatia · October 5, 2026
Day 3. Trogir and Sibenik: small towns that you suddenly liked more

Day 3. Trogir and Sibenik: small towns that you suddenly liked more

On the third day, I decided not to have another race in major cities and went to Trogir. And here one of the most pleasant discoveries of the trip was waiting for me. Trogir is much more compact than Split and feels completely different. Narrow stone streets, small squares, old houses and the sea from almost all sides create the impression that you are walking through the scenery of a historical film. Trogir I purposely left a few hours just for a walk without a specific route. Sometimes I went into small courtyards, sometimes I stopped by the embankment, sometimes I just sat in a cafe and watched people. It seems to me that it is in such cities that you get the best feeling of Croatia, because you are not trying to get a new attraction every minute. Sibenik After Trogir, I went to Sibenik. The journey didn't take long, so I decided that I would have time to walk around the city in peace until the evening. I liked Sibenik for its slightly more relaxed atmosphere. How beautiful it is here at dawn! I hope that the impressions I received from the trip will stay with me for a long time. Here I walked a lot again, went up to the fortress of St. Michael and looked at the city and the sea from above for a long time. At some point, I caught myself thinking that during these three days I had already stopped trying to photograph absolutely everything. Previously, I could stop near every beautiful building, take some photos, choose an angle, see the result and repeat the procedure. And here I just stood and watched. This is probably a sign of a good trip, when the phone gradually ceases to be the main way to remember what is happening. By the way, I was lucky enough to see the sunset in Sibenik. It's incredibly beautiful, just like the picture on your phone. In the evening, I realized that I was very tired and found a small place for dinner and decided to take a chance with the local cuisine again. Everything went much better this time, although after a hearty dinner I realized that what I needed next was not a new route, but a bed.

 Read more →
#Croatia#Journey#Trogir#Sibenik
0 0
Stanislav Discoverer
Croatia · October 5, 2026
Day 2. The road to Split: sea, stops and a bit of chaos

Day 2. The road to Split: sea, stops and a bit of chaos

In the morning I left Dubrovnik for Split. This is where the real road trip began. The road along the coast kept making me stop: either there was a beautiful view of the sea ahead, or a small bay appeared, or I just wanted to get out of the car and stand outside for a few minutes. Dubrovnik I realized one simple thing pretty quickly: if you drive through Croatia in order to get to the next city as quickly as possible, you can miss half the fun. So I stopped rushing and started making unplanned stops. The Adriatic At some point, I saw a small area with a view of the Adriatic and decided to park. It was only after I got out of the car that I realized that there was practically no one around. I stood and looked at the sea and thought that it was worth taking the car for such moments. On the way, I made several stops in small coastal places, had coffee and had lunch. And it turned out to be quite funny with lunch: I chose an institution almost at random, ordered a dish whose name I didn't quite understand, and then received a huge plate and spent some time trying to figure out how to eat it all. I love such moments when traveling, because for some reason they are the ones I remember best later. By evening, I reached Split. After quiet little stops along the way, the city seemed much more noisy and lively to me. Diocletian's Palace The main point of the walk was Diocletian's Palace. However, it is quite difficult to call it just a palace, because the historical complex is actually integrated into modern urban life. People live, work, go to cafes, and you walk through the streets and realize that there are buildings around you that are centuries old. Riva Embankment In the evening, I took a long walk along the Riva embankment. After the road, it turned out to be exactly what you needed: the sea nearby, cafes around, palm trees, evening light and the feeling that today you finally don't have to plan.

 Read more →
#Croatia#Impression#Journey#Road
0 0
1…121314…22