Valencia, Spain – L’Oceanogràfic

We arrived at the Oceanogràfic at 10 right when it opened, big mistake! There were people everywhere, waiting to buy tickets, waiting to enter.

Oceanogràfic Valencia is the largest oceanographic aquarium in Europe. Built in the shape of a waterlily, the complex is located at the end of the City of Arts and Sciences. Home to over 500 different species, the aquarium encompasses habitats including wetlands, the Mediterranean, temperate and tropical seas, the Arctic, the Antarctic, islands and the Red Sea.

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Day trip to Annecy, France

From Chamonix, there are several ways to get back to Geneva. Of course the same transportation options apply as described in the How to get there section of my arrival blog. But if you have a day to spare and would like to pack more into your return journey, I recommend a day trip to Annecy – a picturesque lake town in the French Alps. Plus, the cost is almost the same as the non-stop option 😉 If you have the time, that is.

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Hiking: Lacs des Chéserys, France

Leaving Lac Blanc, I began to hike down to the intersection of la Flégère and Lacs desChéserys where most people descended to the former. I took the latter in an attempt to see the other three lakes.

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Summer in the French Alps

Last month I completed Portuguese language A2 level. To celebrate, I made a quick trip to the French Alps. This was my second time in Chamonix – Many years ago I trekked the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) from France to Italy and Switzerland – it remains one of my favourite areas in the whole wide world.

The weather was perfect this time around, I did a lot of hiking with my favourite mountain in sight.

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London – St. James Park & Soho/Chinatown

Diana is my best friend from Dublin days. We kept each other company during the lockdown time when our movements were restricted to a bare mininum. Soon after I moved to Lisbon, she relocated to London. We vowed to meet again, and we did!

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Hallstatt, Austria

The whole time I was in Salzburg, the sky was overcast. It wasn’t until the day I was leaving the sun finally came out.

So, instead of heading straight back to Munich as I had originally planned, I stowed my luggage at the Salzburg train station and went on a day trip to the village of Hallstatt.

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Arrival in Munich

I just completed my first trip outside of Portugal since my move to Lisbon. It’s also my first “international” trip after the start of this pandemic. I was super excited, yet nervous about being in a crowded space – airports, airplanes, trains, restaurants & concert venues, you name it – In the end, my fear was overcome by the great yearning to travel, to be in some place else. So there I went.

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