TRAVEL AND WANDER

I'll never forget the first day that I came to Stowe, Vermont. There was a feeling of acceptance so I knew it was meant for me to stay, so I cherished each day that came my way in sweet quaint little Stowe and had the grandest summer of them all.     Adrianna June 29, 1989 is a date that will always be significant to me because for many days Stowe, Vermont was beckoning for me to come and I finally followed my intuition and boarded an Amtrak train to Stowe, Vermont on the 29th of June and was blessed with the most beautiful and memorable summer of my life. In those days college kids like myself could land a summer job as easy as downloading an app these days. Within one day of arriving in Stowe, Vermont I got a job working at an adorable bed and breakfast. Not only did I get to live in the bed and breakfast and enjoy an array of job duties but I also got to work with the most adventurous and coolest guy ever. There were lots of interesting guests that I got to take care of

                                             Mark Twain Today of all days I stumbled across a little shop in a little beach town owned by a well travelled woman. This ladies shop was filled with items from various countries and within a few moments the lady and I started discussing our favorite subject "TRAVELING." We talked for a good half hour about all the benefits of traveling and before saying our goodbye's the lady shared a quote by Mark Twain the famous writer about his viewpoint on traveling. Mark Twain: "Travel is fatal to prejudice and bigotry and narrow mindedness and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired  by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."

Surrounded by the sea the small picturesque country  Portugal is famous for it's fresh seafood. The Portuguese love eating sardines especially "grilled sardines." During the summer months "grilled sardines" are enjoyed throughout the country. Over in Lisbon the Portuguese just celebrated St. Anthony's Day from June 12-13 and "grilled sardines" were the snack of choice.  When the Portuguese fishermen bring in fresh caught sardines from their boats some of the sardines become canned to be exported to other countries and the others stay right in Portugal ready for traditional grilling by the Portuguese. GRILLED SARDINES (Portuguese Style) 25 sardines, fresh, cleaned heads and tails left on 1 cup coarse sea salt 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil dash of black pepper lemon wedges Rinse the sardines in cold water, than drain and dry with paper towels. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of salt on the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange sardines on to

The Portuguese like their "pastel de nata." Pastel de Nata are an egg tart (custard) pastry dessert that can be found throughout Portugal.   PASTEL de NATA were created by Catholic monks in Lisbon near the early 18th century.  Highlight your visit to beautiful Portugal with some PASTEL de NATA!                        Pastel de Nata \

When I arrived in Lisbon, Portugal on the 23rd of April it was love at first sight. The architecture, the food, the lovely language, and the amazing Portuguese people were just a few of the things that made me want to stay in Portugal for as long as possible. I'm dreaming of returning back to Portugal but in the meantime I have pictures to remind me of that short but wonderful visit to one of Europe's finest countries. Although Portugal may be small in size it has charming villages, a cosmopolitan city, captivating mountains, some of the best coastline in the world, quaint fishing towns, incredible tasting porto, fresh seafood, and so much more. I'll be back soon with 5,000 words to describe all there is to know about Portugal. Obrigada!