Category Archive: Europe

Shopping in Portugal: Souvenirs Worth Taking Home

Portugal’s appeal is undeniable and it is, unsurprisingly, consistently rated as one of the best places in Europe to visit and live.

But what about when you can’t visit Portugal? We like to bring home thoughtful souvenirs from travel, usually food and other consumable products, along with art for our home. We always prefer to support the local businesses when we shop, and have found street markets and local shops are a good choice for souvenir shopping.

Here are our recommendations for shopping in Portugal, souvenirs worth bringing home with you.

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Decorative Portuguese Azulejos Tiles: History & Culture Significance

Wander most any street in Portugal, and you’ll see azulejos tiles, those decorative blue tiles on buildings, churches, and homes. At first glance, they seem merely decorative, but a closer look reveals artistic storytelling — a majestic sailing ship navigating the seas, a biblical scene, a marketplace depicting every day life. 

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Gouda Cheese & Gouda the Town: Two Dutch Treats to Discover

Ah, Gouda – a delicious cheese that we’re all familiar with! Eat it as it is, on a cheese board, or slice it up and pop it on a sandwich – you simply can’t go wrong.  Gouda is named after a city found in the South Holland province of the Netherlands. And the city has a lot going for it, not just the cheese.  This post will serve as a primer on what you need to know about Gouda – the cheese name and the Dutch city. So, stick with us as we cover the basics of the city of Gouda, the origins of the cheese, how to pronounce it, and most importantly, how to eat it. With this info in mind, you’ll be primed to dig in to learn – and eat – more Gouda. How to Pronounce Gouda […]

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Giacomo Puccini: Historical Sites in Lucca, Italy

Lucca is a walled city in the Tuscany region of Italy. The walls, built in the 16th century, are a popular option for walking or biking around the city. It’s a convenient getaway destination for travelers visiting Florence (about an hour an a half drive) when they want to escape the busyness of the city. We visited Lucca on a day trip while on a Mediterranean cruise, and enjoyed the time we spent there. We had the better part of the day to explore Lucca, which was time to see the highlights, but there’s plenty more to see on a return visit. Lucca is the birthplace of the composer Giacomo Puccini. Puccini was born in Lucca in 1858 and died in Brussels in 1924, and music fans – especially opera lovers – consider visiting an homage to Puccini. While there, […]

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Buying an Aran Sweater: History, Meaning & Cultural Importance to Ireland

The Aran Islands are a group of three small islands located off the west coast of Ireland in Galway Bay. The three islands are Inis Mór (meaning “big island”), Inis Meáin (meaning “middle island”), and Inis Oírr (meaning “east island”). The islands have history dating back to prehistoric times. The rugged terrain and isolation of the islands helped preserve many of the traditional customs and ways of life that were lost on the mainland during the centuries of English rule. The Aran Islands were also an important center of early Christianity in Ireland, and many ancient churches and monastic sites can still be seen on the islands today. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the islands were hit hard by the Great Famine, and many residents were forced to emigrate to the United States and other countries. Today, the […]

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