# Shoestrappers > Our world exploration site ## Posts - [A Day in Sagres](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/28/a-day-in-sagres/): After enjoying our morning coffee, Christine and I packed our backpack for the day – we were heading to Sagres for the day. After some instructions from Jesse on how to operate the Jeep Avenger and multiple 3-point turns to get out of the tight garage – we were off! The day was cool but […] - [Finally Hanging with My BFF](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/28/finally-hanging-with-my-bff/): Finally recovered, Christine and I walked around the neighborhoods – chatting, laughing and checking out all the cool narrow alleyways and street art. The bottom two reminded us of the American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. We also picked up some local produce including herbal tea, honey and melon at the Mercado Municipal de Lagos to bring […] - [We zonk out, Christine steps out!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/26/we-zonk-out-christine-steps-out/): It has been an interesting last few days.. Penny left and Christine arrived on Wednesday. Savitri and I have been staying around the apartment, recovering from a thankfully not-too-bad COVID bout we picked up earlier in the week. We’re vastly less concerned about the medical implications than the risk of sharing with others. Thus the […] - [Traveler Shuffle](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/25/traveler-shuffle/): Wednesday marked the arrival of Penny and Christine to our humble abode in Lagos! In the morning I drove the 35 minutes to pick up Penny in Sagres, the West-Southwestern-most city in mainland Portugal. A couple dozen roundabouts later I arrived at her hotel and picked her out from among the throngs of cyclists and […] - [Windmills & Burgers](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/23/windmills-burgers/): This morning we drove 15 minutes to the west to the small village of Barão de São João. We drove up through the classic European one-lane bi-directional streets to a trailhead for Pedra do Galo. I say “a” because after walking up a large dirt road to the top of the hill we discovered that […] - [Chilled & Grilled Lagos](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/22/chilled-grilled-lagos/): Today we recovered from our Wales trip (which was itself relaxing so not hard!) and prepared for the upcoming weeks. Savitri booked our stays in Porto and beyond for May. We agreed on some sights and hikes we want to explore in the area surrounding Porto, and matched them up to our shared time with […] - [Cardiff to Lagos](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/22/cardiff-to-lagos/): From one home to another.. Our short stay with Marilyn and Nia was so comforting and mentally & emotionally warm. We’ve been to Cardiff several times and have enjoyed visiting all the sights. It was really nice to go just for relaxing walks, chats, and meals this time. We started the day at our already-beloved […] - [Cardiff Comfort](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/21/last-day-in-cardiff/): Yesterday was our only FULL day in Cardiff, Wales and what a wonderful one it was! We not only spent the entire day with Marilyn but Nia too who is absolutely beautiful, intelligent and the sweetest young adult I have ever met. We are going to miss both of them. Oh yes, we spent a […] - [Last Meal with Sue & 1st Meal with Marilyn](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/19/last-meal-with-sue-1st-meal-with-marilyn/): Yesterday and today were a blur, hence the single post covering both days. Our Thursday was very casual as we spent the morning doing laundry and packing for Sue and our departure to separate destinations.. We had lunch at Dumpling House which Jesse spotted from day one in Lagos. It’s a very casual place but […] - [Grottos & Michelin Star Dinner](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/17/grottos-michelin-star-dinner/): Today was a WOW day. Not only were the Ponta da Piedade grottos incredible from above and below, but every bite of our dinner was delicious! Originally, our plans was to take a short drive to Ponta da Piedada to view the grottos from above and book a boat tour tomorrow but, tours were available […] - [Ferragudo & Fado](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/16/a-day-in-ferragudo-fado/): We finally made it to Ferragudo, a small fishing village ~30 minutes east of Lagos. The town including the Castelo de São João de Arade (Fort) and Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição translated is Church of Our Lady of Conception hovers above Rio Arade (River) and small beach strip. How idyllic is the boat on […] - [Chilling in Lagos](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/15/chilling-in-lagos/): Today was a late start for Jesse and me. We shut our blinds completely which resulted in a full, light black out. Talk about disorienting! Our original plan was to check out a neighboring fishing village called Ferragudo and have seafood before the start of Jesse’s work day. That plan went out the window (minus […] - [Lazy Day in Lagos](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/14/lazy-day-in-lagos/): Today was a perfect day – we slept in, sat chatting on the patio for hours over coffee and a light breakfast before finally forcing ourselves to get up, dressed and out the door for the day. We agreed to stay local and headed over to Old Lagos on foot. New Lagos where our condo […] - [Traveling Day to Lagos](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/13/traveling-saturday-to-lagos/): Now that we have left Lisbon and headed South to Lagos (Algarve), things will move at a slower pace which we are all looking forward to. Our group has been reduced to three (Jesse, Sue and me) as Penny left this morning on her bike trip. After checking out of our hotel, we went to […] - [Castle Friday in Sintra](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/12/castle-friday-in-sintra/): Today was our last full day in Lisbon until we pass through on May 3rd on our way to Porto so we wanted to make sure to visit Sintra. We took the metro 2 stops to Rossio Station then the train to the end of the line, Sintra. After avoiding all the crazy tuk tuk […] - [Architecture Thursday in Lisbon](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/11/architecture-thursday-in-lisbon/): Today’s streetcar 15E took us to our 1st stop, Jerónimos Monastery. There we met Teny, Jesse’s badminton friend from Bintang Badminton in CA who was visiting Portugal for like 5 days with his family – crazy! What are the chances?!? What more do I have to say, the architecture is spectacular. The Jerónimos Monastery is […] - [Historical Wednesday in Lisbon](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/10/historical-wednesday-in-lisbon/): Today was a day about history. After breakfast we made our way to the bus stop at Santos to take bus 728 to the National Tile Museum. On the walk there, we came across more amazing art. There is so much incredible art across this city! The entrance and courtyard to the National Tile Museum […] - [Tasty Tuesday in Lisbon](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/09/tasty-tuesday-in-lisbon/): Today’s adventure started early at Praça da Figueira (Square of the Fig Tree) in Lisbon Baixa by the Equestrian statue of Dom Joao (King John). Here we met our tour guide Cecilia an Argentine transplant who fell in love with Lisbon and stayed. Our first stop on the Tastes & Traditions of Lisbon Food Tour is Confeitaria […] - [Wacky Monday in Lisbon](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/08/wacky-monday-in-lisbon/): Well the day started out great with a fantastic breakfast included with our hotel. Many tasty things: pancakes, grilled vegetables, meats & cheese, yogurt with multiple topping options, eggs to order, espresso with hot milk and much more. This is where the fun begins … after spending an hour trying to buy tram tickets to […] - [Final meal of Day 1](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/07/final-meal-of-day-1/) - [Our friends have arrived!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/07/meet-our-friends/): A toast, to the 1st of many coffee chats amongst friends Jesse with all the girls in the 1st shop we stopped at +351 which is the area code for Lisbon. All their merchandise is +351 themed. Such cool socks! Sue and Penny start the sightseeing trek. There are so many cool cafes along the […] - [First meal in Lisbon!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/07/first-meal-in-lisbon/): After a relaxed and educational ride with José from the airport to Cheese & Wine, we stowed our luggage and wandered sleepily down the street and hill to “neighborhood”, a local breakfast spot. Lots of young people and fresh, healthy food. Delicious Spinach & Mushroom concoction! Jesse looks happy with his meal :). Obligatory flat […] - [Ready to jet!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/06/at-logan-waiting-to-board/): Next stop … Lisbon, Portugal! Bags are packed and our Lyft is on its way … We made it to the airport. Obviously someone behind us in a hurry! Bye Ashok, see you in 7 weeks! Bright eyed and bushy tailed … ready to jet! See you all on the other side. - [Saint Lucia [POST IN PROGRESS]](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2014/12/19/saint-lucia/): This is the first of many planned rewind posts- a more summarized version of a past trip cobbled together from group memories, pictures, and some research. Unless otherwise noted, all commentary is “as it was at the time”. In December of 2014 we went on a family vacation to Saint Lucia. Saint Lucia is an […] - [Southern Bali](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/04/01/southern-bali/): Bali is so well-known by name and reputation that people in much of the world recognize “Bali” more than “Indonesia” and don’t realize that Bali is just one of ~17,000 islands within Indonesia! Tourism radiates from southern Bali, centered on the capital and largest city of Denpasar. The only major airport is in the southwestern corner of Denpasar, and beach communities flank the city on the east and west coasts. Of course.. check out the map to really understand how it all fits together! Bali has been the face of Indonesian tourism for almost one hundred years, with modern tourism really […] - [Eastern Bali](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/03/31/eastern-bali/): We spent just a couple days exploring (mostly driving through) Eastern Bali, despite it being one of the most popular tourist areas. Our driver (and sort of default tour guide as a result) was Pak Made, whom we had met previously. I talked to him for many hours as we wove through the jungle-covered hills. As in other parts of Indonesia the stunning glimpses of distant views peeking through the roadside foliage and buildings was as fulfilling as getting there. We drove to the base of Mount Batur so that we could do a sunrise hike the following morning. The approach […] - [West Central Bali](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/03/30/west-central-bali/): Mongan was both a special destination and a launching point for us exploring the west central area of Bali. We saw a lot but barely touched the surface of this diverse area with all its little nooks and crannies. This is in part due to the fact that we were limited to car services and the lack of highways meant long meandering drives to go anywhere. That said.. with Ibu Mita’s help and guidance we got to see many facets of life in central Bali. We stopped at the Pura Luhur Dalem Purwa Kubontingguh Hindu Temple about a third of the […] - [Mongan, Bali](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/03/30/mongan-bali/): Bali: the Indonesian island whose name is globally synonymous with vacations and honeymoons to hot, sunny, sandy beaches! This is where our Indonesia trip actually started. How better to kick off a tropical island visit than.. in a tiny village right in the middle of the island!? After four long flights (and a short night at a hotel in the Jakarta Airport), we landed at Ngurah Rai International Airport (aka Denpasar or just Bali Airport) in southern Bali. Pak Awri and Ibu Mita (more on them below!) picked us up and we drove two hours north through a few cities and […] - [South of Mataram](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/03/26/south-of-mataram/): We spent one day exploring from Mataram to the southern coast. There are numerous small artisanal communities along the way but mostly vast agricultural fields. The only major airport on Lombok (Zainuddin Abdul Madjid International Airport, LOP) is located about halfway from Mataram to the coast, in a fairly sparse area, making it pretty much equally <in?>convenient from the main population centers. Views from the road.. Rismunika Astuti art shop is a pottery facility about 5 km (3.1 mi) south of Mataram. It’s composed of a few big warehouses with open retail space along the front. Aisle after aisle of local […] - [Cooking in Mataram](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/03/26/cooking-in-mataram/): We took a half-day Indonesian cooking class called Anggrek Putih (White Orchid). It was held in Meninting, a neighborhood just north of Mataram proper. It is run by Christo, a Greek biogeneticist, master gardener and cook. His wife and another lady guided our group of six (us plus two from Germany and two from The Netherlands) with incredible energy, precision, and patience. Collectively we made eight dishes, each carefully described and all ingredients and tools prepared for us. Some required heating, others mashing, grating, etc. so there was lots of variety. The two ladies flitted about guiding, correcting, and adding little […] - [Mataram](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/03/26/mataram/): Mataram is the capital and by far the largest city in Lombok. Mother Nature watches over Lombok in the form of Rinjani and humanity congregates in Mataram to behold her.. or something like that. The 2026 population estimates are around 600k, but it feels smaller than that since there are no skyscrapers or real downtown feel. There are massive residential areas and wide central boulevards with quite a bit of greenery. As is often the case, an immediately noticeable difference between the city and the jungle and mountains is the height of the heat. It gets HOT in Mataram! One hot […] - [Senggigi](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/03/26/senggigi/): The west coast of Lombok, north of Mataram, was the first major tourism area in Indonesia after Bali. It is centered on Senggigi (both “gi”s are as in “geek”), with its beautiful beaches at the base of plunging jungle-covered mountains. There are lots of hotels, small resorts, restaurants, shops, and other amenities in a relaxed, welcoming setting. There is a history here however.. Senggigi: Rise, Resilience, Renewal. We stayed at The Studio, nestled high above Senggigi on The Hill. It is a beautiful and lovingly crafted series of villas in classical Javanese style. The Studio is owned and run by Pak […] - [Salt Water Pearl Farming](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/03/25/salt-water-pearl-farming/): Near the Lombok Wildlife Park is the Autore Pearl Farm. Pearls are one of those things I have long had a general sense of how they are formed, but that’s about it. I’ve never been a big fan of them as jewelry, which I’m sure contributed to my limited pursuit of more details. Learning about how they’re actually formed (and farmed) first-hand was a great opportunity and greatly increased my interest! The Autore facility on Lombok includes an active farm and a small showroom. Farmed (aka cultured) salt water pearls like these are grown in oysters, fresh water pearls are typically […] - [Lombok Wildlife Park](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/03/25/lombok-wildlife-park/): Due west of Mt Rinjani, near the coast, is the Lombok Wildlife Park (think “zoo”, but you’ll soon understand the big difference!). It’s quite small in comparison to animal parks we’ve visited around the world, but that’s consistent with their unique experience. When you arrive they give you a wristband and assign a guide who then walks through all the exhibits with you. He describes everything in detail and answers any questions. Our guide, Ikshan, was excellent and upbeat the whole time. They start off with a collection of colorful birds. Ikshan encouraged us to hold them (well, most of them, […] - [Lombok: Flanks of Rinjani](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/03/21/lombok-flanks-of-rinjani/): The island of Lombok has many geographic regions, all of them under the watch of Mount Rinjani in the north. Rinjani is an active volcano and rises 3,726m (12,224 ft) above sea level, prominently visible from every part of the island. All of northern Lombok is shaped around the flanks of Rinjani and its smaller neighboring mountains. As a result the road network is also moulded around the steep volcanic ridges, and short crowfly distances often result in long driving routes. Early in our trip to Lombok we drove up to Sembalun Valley, just northeast of Rinjani. It was too early in […] - [Flores: Into the Wild](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/03/19/flores-into-the-wild/): Traveling is always interesting since we try to avoid “touristy areas” yet are clearly tourists ourselves. Similarly we want to get into the wilder, more remote areas.. but with AC and good restaurants. Flores is the farthest east we have gone, and perhaps a good indicator is that it’s the area that prompted us to get additional vaccinations and medications. This includes protection against Japanese encephalitis, malaria, rabies, and typhoid, in addition to a myriad of recommended vaccinations we have already had in recent years. Lots of monkeys and mosquitos, and as you’ll see some bonus creatures. That said, as you […] - [Seraya Kecil!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/03/16/seraya-kecil/): Seraya Kecil is a tiny island about 0.5 miles (0.8km) off the northwest corner of the much larger island of Flores in eastern Indonesia. Seraya Kecil is only about 0.15 square miles (0.39 square km) in area. There appears to be no wikipedia article.. or much else published about this island. See speck below (and/or browse in the map above!). We were picked up at the northern side of the Labuan Bago harbor (the Blue Pier) on the western coast of Flores. It’s a ~45 min ride by slow wooden boat and a ~20 min ride by speed boat depending on […] - [Menjaga Bay](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/03/14/menjaga-bay/): We stayed at Menjaga Bay Resort when we visited Rinca and the Komodo Dragons. However, despite there actually being Komodo dragons 1-2 miles (1.5-3 km) away on Flores, it feels like an entirely different world. It’s tucked into the Flores coast about 4.5 miles (7.3 km) southwest of the Labuan Bago harbor as the crow (or.. fruit bat?) flies. You can drive there, but the roads are apparently really bad so most people (and we think all guests) opt to take a boat. As a result it feels like you’re staying on a separate island. This is a very isolated, romantic […] - [Dragons & Beyond!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/03/13/dragons-beyond/): The Komodo Dragon, the largest lizard on Earth. They can grow to over 10 feet (3m) in length, have long sharp claws, iron-capped razor sharp teeth, deadly venom, and are very intelligent. Seeing them is one of those things you hear about for years and you know is uniquely amazing but becomes normalized by everyday references and images like giant pandas, bioluminescent bays, The Great Wall of China, or The Statue of David. When you actually witness them first hand it doesn’t matter how prepared you are, you have to stop in wonderment. In this case the dragons are so magnificent […] - [Florida Friendzy!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/02/08/florida-friendzy/): Sometimes the best trips are the spontaneous ones. While we booked tickets many months in advance, this trip was a combination of having to use travel credit before a certain date and knowing that a trip to see Christine and Hande is always a good time. SOoo.. Savitri and I spent a week in Florida visiting them, with a quick side quest to Key West. We did very little planning in advance, especially since I worked on and off and at weird hours along the way, but all-in-all we squeezed a lot of good times out of one week! Oh and.. […] - [Cupertino Connections](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/01/24/cupertino-connections/): Ahh.. Cupertino. The birthplace and home of Apple.. in the heart of Silicon Valley. I started working at Apple in October of 2012, flying there every other week from NH as a contractor with a team from BroadMap. Savitri and I became employees in early 2013 and we moved our family there a few months later. It would take a book to describe my 13+ years there.. which I might write some day, but for now let’s just say that it was a unique and amazing experience that I never expected to have in my life. As I mentioned in my […] - [A Breath of/in LA](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2026/01/18/a-breath-of-in-la/): Savitri and I arrived in LA on Saturday afternoon, January 17th. The flight was fast and painless, admittedly because we ate a lot at the airport and I was watching Shrinking the whole way! Many people have recommended it and it gets great reviews but it wasn’t until my sister told me that I personally would love it that I gave it a shot (thanks Liza!). I watched the whole first season on our flights from BOS to SFO then from SFO to LAX. It’s funny, it’s thought-provoking, it’s touching, it’s edgy.. it’s.. just watch it already. Why LA? Well.. I […] - [Ciao Mallorca..](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/07/25/chao-mallorca/): Liza, Matt, Kayla, and Cole had to catch an early flight, and we had an hour or so to kill so we walked through Lloseta a bit. We found the Forn de Baix bakery! It’s a very small, unassuming bakery with a single small counter and a wall rack of bread behind. The smells of many fresh delights being made in the kitchen behind wafted through it all. There are the big logs of Cardenal de Lloseta in the cooler! We got some croissants and some coffee, both intensely good, and ate outside. Not only did my croissant have lots of […] - [Inca to Portocolom](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/07/24/inca-to-portocolom/): Today was our last full day on Mallorca.. 😔 Today was also the first to have some cooler, rainy weather. We were going to visit Sa Colobra and Torrent de Pareis but since it’s a flash flood risk canyon we opted to meander elsewhere! We split up to see the things we wanted to do before leaving then reconvened in the afternoon. Savitri and I went to Inca, the nearest town to Lloseta. It had its market so we figured it was a good time to finally check it out. The area specializes in leather, so many of the vendors sell […] - [Dragonera!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/07/23/dragonera/): We’ve been visiting new places and our favorites from our first trip. Dragonera is a really unique little island off the western tip of Mallorca that we find ourselves referencing often so we had it high on our list for this trip. We got up early and fought traffic to get to the ferry from Sant Elm to Dragonera. Sant Elm is <yet another!> small coastal village with beaches and a strong tourist presence. It has well-managed parking lots just as you enter (at the blue mini-roundabout). Highly recommended, currently 5€ for the day. We all decided to hike to the […] - [Eastern Mallorca](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/07/22/eastern-mallorca/): Today we explored portions of eastern Mallorca. The town of Lloseta where we’re staying is small and quiet and very central so in around an hour we can get to almost any point on the island. This has been very handy, and although we loved the small mountain town of Fornalutx last time, Lloseta has been much easier to use as a base camp for vacationing. So today.. we went East! We were aiming for Coves d’Arta on the East coast, but along the way we realized that we could likely visit another market day at a small town along our […] - [Hiking & Winery](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/07/21/hiking-winery/): Today we split up throughout the day to explore various interests. The fay started at 5:20am when I got up and prepared to hike with Cole. We drove up into the western mountains, through the town of Puigpunyent to the trailhead for Puig de Galatzo. Puigpunyent also has a nature reserve, which you do NOT need to enter to hike Puig de Galatzo. Basically you follow the signs for the Reserva then at one of the last turn offs go right up a narrow road, away from the Reserva. AllTrails, Apple Maps, and Google Maps all do a good job. Organic […] - [Pollença Market](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/07/20/pollenca-market/): Today we went to the Pollença market, the biggest of Mallorca’s farmers and craft markets. Unlike the one in Sineu, where we went last time, Pollença’s market is along the streets for several blocks. The shops were also all open, so the whole city was engaged. It was packed. Parking was challenging, and Savitri and I ended up parking .5 mile away in a grass & dirt lot. In the sweltering heat you feel every step. This old beauty was at the entrance to the lot. You could hear the market before you could see it. The murmur of thousands of […] - [Valldemossa!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/07/19/valldemossa/): In 2018 Savitri and I agreed that the place we most wanted to visit in Mallorca if we returned was Valldemossa. We had driven through it numerous times en route to/from where we stayed in Fornalutx and it seemed charming. Well today we finally got to stop and enjoy it! Matt’s classic cork stance and our family celebration of Laurel! Valldemossa is a mountain town, with houses sprawling across the steep hillsides of a valley, but a downtown area that’s fairly compact and accessible. The road connecting it to central Mallorca is modern and well-maintained, with the obligatory ton of roundabouts. […] - [Cap de Formentor](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/07/18/cap-de-formentor/): Today was a relaxed day as we eased into the local time zone and way of life. A couple of us started the day with a mix of cereal, granola, and freshly chopped cherries. Has nothing to do with Mallorca but.. it’s really good! Now why don’t we have this at home all the time?! We went out and got some pastries and fruit for the house. Turns out watermelons are heavier in the heat than I expected. Found a rest spot on the way back. Ready to go! We squeezed in a popular tourist spot today before the weekend throngs […] - [Hot to Hotter- Mallorca!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/07/17/hot-to-hotter-mallorca/): We took a red-eye last night from Boston to Madrid this morning, then took a smaller plane to Palma, Mallorca (which Brits tend to spell Majorca, and sometimes even pronounce with a hard “J”). The Boston area is over 80˚ F but Mallorca is well over 90˚F.. and we saw 100˚F briefly! It’s also very humid, so even though we were wearing t-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops it got sticky quick. We rented a car from Autos Mallorca, a local company, and so far they have been outstanding. It’s the first car rental company that just did everything we had agreed to […] - [Philly.. and back](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/04/08/philly-and-back/): Today we had to say “see ya later” to Philly and head home. We started the day with nice walk through the sun (finally!) to a coffee house named Habitat. Ashok had read about their Japanese coffee tower cold brewing method. We both got an iced cold brewed coffee and had a nice chat with the barista. We walked back through the neighborhood again, which is filled with little artsy and architectural bits. I will note that , while sunny, it was still quite cold! The idea was then to drop by one of the many great bakeries as we left […] - [Eating Philly](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/04/07/eating-philly/): YUMM!! I mean.. I feel like that was one of our main objectives on this short trip, and we are over-achievers! Ashok got up early and visited the busy and comfortable coffee shop, Elixr Coffee Roasters in Center City. Then.. as has been our luck.. it started to rain. It was already cold and wet so this was just mean. I was up by this time so I grabbed my rain jacket, balled up his, and went to meet him. I personally love the rain, although my fingers got pretty numb in the cold! We’re staying in the Center City neighborhood […] - [Riverdale-Inwood Loop](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/04/06/riverdale-inwood-loop/): We got up early and walked to meet my close friend since childhood, Matt. Matt lives in Inwood and wanted to walk his dog, so we met at Bagel Corner in Riverdale. It’s a small, simple shop but it has fresh warm bagels of all types, and a wide variety of toppings and cream cheeses. At Matt’s recommendation I tried the whitefish spread, something I’ve seen but never tried. It’s a smoked white fish ~salad almost; a lighter version of lox. Most importantly for me, it has none of the smell nor flavor of a canned fish, so I really liked […] - [NYC by the Bite](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/04/05/nyc-by-the-bite/): Today Ashok and I set out on a domestic adventure! I am recovering from an eye injury and he is recovering from a bout of the flu, so we changed our plans for an East Coast badminton & bouldering trip into a food and walking tour of NYC & Philly. We are in my Tesla (purchased in 2019, pre-crazy-outwardly-racist-and-fascist-piece-of-shit-Musk!) and Ashok is doing almost all of the driving because.. vision. Our first stop was at Atticus Market in New Haven, CT. It gets great reviews and it deserves them! They have a selection of really unique, fresh, well-thought-out dishes. We had […] - [Art and.. Depart](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/01/28/art-and-depart/): Our short stay in Marrakech was packed with activity and we barely scratched the surface. We haven’t visited most sites and historic buildings, instead going with the flow of the active city. I really wish we’d seen more but.. I also am very happy with what we have seen and done. Today was a perfect example. Sonia (who we know through the riad, which we found out about from Hassan!) brought us to her art designer that decorates her riads, Abdess Anamil (ABDesign). He is a very knowledgeable and articulate buyer and seller of African art and antiquities. Sonia brought us […] - [Medina Markets](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/01/27/medina-markets/): Marrakech is famous for its large medina with its many souks, which we have based through already. As soon as you enter Marrakech from any direction you are bound to at least see some shops. As you get closer to the center of the medina the roads/paths get narrower, the sky is blocked by overhangs and sail cloths, the smells (almost all good!!) and the milling people get more and more dense. All the while as I’ve described, scooters, motorcycle, and bicycles are weaving through in both directions with little or no warning. There is a level of chaos to it […] - [Amazigh (Berber) Villages](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/01/26/amazigh-berber-villages/): Each day in Morocco has been full of different perspectives. We see the massive disparity between rich and poor, the many differences between Arab and Black Africa, Moroccans interacting with the many visiting people, old vs new architecture and ways of living.. the list goes on. Of the place we’ve been on this trip, Marrakech demonstrates all of these the most potently. We spent today in the Atlas Mountains visiting the indigenous people of the area that pre-date the Arabs, the Amazigh (they are commonly referred to Berber, but this is apparently offensive to some as it’s a name that was […] - [Marrakech!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/01/25/marrakech/): We awoke early to a cool, dead silent desert. Perfect sleeping conditions so we fell back asleep and.. woke up again at 10:15, crap! We ran out into the blazing sun to meet Hassan, Kenza, Steve, and Jen for breakfast. Hot fast cold slow manic still.. that was today. A driver took us to Marrakech (same place, it ended up costing 800dh=~$80 to go from the train station to Agafay then to our riad in the medina). He dropped us off at the Mohammed V school, the farthest he could drive before it got narrow and crazy. We uhm.. thought that […] - [Agafay Desert](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/01/24/agafay-desert/): We left Casablanca this morning on a normal speed train to Marrakech. As we figured out where on the platform to wait for the first class section of the train, a well-dressed man yelled to us with a smile that we were standing in the poor people section. We laughed and asked why we thought that and he pointed at Steve with his well-trimmed beard and refined outfit. The rest of us tried not to take offense and we all followed his direction. As we waited he explained his tour company and his background. It’s funny how many people (everybody?!) in […] - [Casablanca!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/01/23/casablanca/): We have an even more abbreviated stay in Casablanca. We arrived this afternoon and leave tomorrow morning. Fortunately we are gaining some level of comfort with the geography, the people, and how to do things. Some. More importantly though, we met up with Hassan, our Morocco guru! The first part of the day was our new routine- we had a good breakfast at our hotel (in Tangier), we packed up, and we walked 5 minutes to the train station. We then got on the high-speed train to Casablanca.. This one was even faster than the one from Madrid to Sevilla (this […] - [Tangier in a Day!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/01/22/tangier-in-a-day/): We never like to rush through an area that deserves more time.. and yet we do almost every time. Few places, especially sizable cities, can be visited for a matter of days and really tell you their story. As is also often the case.. we had one full day to gain an understanding of Tangier, one of the most important cities in the region. We almost always explore on our own, but this situation (e.g. none of us speak Arabic, we didn’t have a rental car, some sites are many miles outside town, and it’s all very very new to us) […] - [Morocco!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/01/21/morocco/): Well that felt exciting just writing it! Africa is a vague concept to the average American. To most of us geographers it’s at least of some academic interest, and in my case great interest since I was in elementary school. However.. even among geographers most don’t actually go to Africa. I’ve wanted to for many years, and generally had the usual “safer” areas in mind- Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Egypt. Due to my specific interests some others have also come to mind- Rwanda because I studied it in college, Madagascar from when I first saw an image of a lemur, Congo due […] - [Just Drive to Estepona..](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/01/20/just-drive-to-estepona/): Today was supposed to be a relaxed drive from Sevilla to Estepone on the Mediterranean coast. ~3 hours with a short stop in Ronda to see the famous bridge. “Supposed to be”. What could possibly go wrong. Savitri and I went to breakfast at Brunchit again, keeping on schedule. It was raining lightly but fairly warm (~50˚F). I tried a thick chocolate.. sludge (it was good but seriously had the consistency of jello pudding!) and Savitri a great coffee. Savitri had her beloved yogurt-in-a-coconut bowl and I had a salmon-on-toast dish. We all caught an Uber to the train station to […] - [Bulls & Balls!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/01/19/bulls-balls/): Today was our last full day in Sevilla, so we tried to at least walk by all the remaining sites we’ve accumulated on our to-see list. Sevilla has so many cool little neighborhoods so it’s fun to play connect-the-dots and see what we encounter. We started the day having breakfast at Brunchit, which emphasizes natural ingredients, plant-alternatives, and eco-friendly practices. Fresh orange juice, great coffee, yummy food, excellent presentation.. we approve! Quick stop at the hotel and Savitri face-planted into a mini-nap on the bed like Ashok used to as a child. Next stop was Plaza de Toros de Sevilla, the […] - [To The River & Back](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/01/18/to-the-river-back/): Some of the best trips are unplanned. If you look at Sevilla quickly, it appears to be on Río Guadalquivir, and it is.. sort of. The water that cuts through the city is actually a human-expanded old path of the river now named Canal de Alfonso XII. The actual river is a minimum of 0.5mi (~.8km) farther to the west. Us being geographers we had to check it out. Today after breakfast we walked over the popular Puente de Isabel II bridge next to our hotel and basically just kept going. We stopped at the Mercado de Triana on the west […] - [Sevilla!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/01/17/sevilla/): Well that was fast.. we got up this morning in Madrid, ate a quick breakfast, boarded a fast train and.. now we’re in Sevilla! We didn’t stop to take pictures of our spectacular breakfast buffet, but I did get one of the dessert table and its wall of donuts! Also.. the green wall outside on the patio overlooking the train station. Here’s a 360 from outside the rooftop patio: Speaking of the train station.. we took the iryo high-speed train and it was FAST. We were at 200kph for most of the trip (we maxed out at 268kph/160mph), and smooth as […] - [Madrid!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2025/01/16/madrid/): Madrid has been on our vacation list for years. Let’s face it, ALL places known to humanity are on our list, it’s just a question of priority. Based on feedback from friends, family, and our notoriously many-minded friend “the internet”, it has always fallen below other cities. Even within Spain we have excitedly visited several other areas before visiting the capital city. Savitri had actually been in Madrid once for work several years ago and hasn’t pushed for it. However.. pressure has been building. We absolutely fell in love with Portugal in 2024, and danced around the mainland borders with Spain. […] - [Toro Verde Ziplining!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/12/19/toro-verde-ziplining/): Earlier this year I saw a YouTube video of Jimmy Fallon and Black Thought (from The Roots) zip lining in PR from about 5 years ago. He is featured all over the place there! I have had it in mind as a great thing to do in central PR next time we were around and.. we’re here! After some safety and sanity debate amongst our little crew, we reserved a Season Pass, which is a highly discounted four person package to do any four zipline activities. Topping the list are The Beast, which is 1.45 km (0.9 mi) long at up […] - [Rainforest & Beach!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/12/18/rainforest-beach/): Now that we’re car-enabled, we spent most of the day to the East of San Juan. Our first destination was El Yunque, the large, lush, tropical rainforest in the mountains. It was raining on and off most of the day so while we didn’t see the long distance views.. in a way we saw it in its prime. We did the short hike up to Mt Britton Tower, which is only about 1.5 miles there and back.It’s all paved, either asphalt or concrete and stones. Lots of little gems along the way.. Our philosopher tour guide… Ashok’s wild hair is like […] - [Chocolate & Fried Everything!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/12/17/chocolate-fried-everything/): We started the day strong at Chocobar, a restaurant focused on integrating chocolate into all sorts of foods. This ranges from the obvious to the not-so-obvious-at-all, and I’d say still doesn’t touch on many culinary possibilities. First up was of course hot chocolate, and they had medium and extra dark variations. We got one of each and both were excellent in their own way (~sweeter vs richer). Savitri got a chocolate chip latte, which had both chips around the edge and a pair of fresh soft chocolate chip cookies alongside. Again excellent, and the cookies were more than placeholders! It was […] - [Wandering Old San Juan](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/12/16/wandering-old-san-juan/): Today was a relaxed day wandering the streets of Old San Juan. Once again we stumbled out of our air-conditioned cocoon into the warm tropical mist. We absolutely love our location, half a block off of Calle Santo Cristo (known locally as just “Calle Cristo”), the heart of the area. We are a 1 min walk away but tucked away quiet and peaceful. Experimenting a bit- here’s a picture I took yesterday right next to where we’re staying, but wasn’t technically ready to include it until now. It’s taken with an Insta360 x4 camera, which captures a full sphere at 72MP. […] - [Puerto Rico!!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/12/15/puerto-rico/): It is getting cold back in New England (15-30˚ F this last week), so we were determined to head south. Last year was the first of what we’d like to establish as an annual tradition, a tropical family vacation. We went to Aruba last year (yes I will go back and write it up!) and have been eager too return to Puerto Rico (PR). PR is under-appreciated in the mainland US, and we’re almost hesitant to expound on the many reasons why.. but here’s a start! We have been to mainland PR and the islands of Vieques and Culebra several times, […] - [Last Full São Miguel Day](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/10/16/last-full-sao-miguel-day/): Man these trips go so fast! Some people in Madeira told us that ~”São Miguel only needs a couple days to see” and.. not true. Even spending two and a half weeks here we have been busy every day that weather and work permitted. We haven’t tried to get up early and rush from place to place, but we’ve been actively working through a constantly growing todo list. Today was our last chance to really do things so we targeted a few top items and just had an amazing day! The day started like the last several days.. with Savitri trying […] - [Keeping It Local](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/10/15/keeping-it-local/): Today was a work day, but since I start working mid-afternoon to align with my peers, we still have a solid morning into the early afternoon free. We decided to start with a short walk to an old abandoned windmill here in Várzea, the village we’re staying in. We can see it easily from around town as it’s on a small knoll, but the actual trail to get there is tricky despite a simple map provided by the place we’re staying. We figured it out and set off down the road. Once again the active farming in every direction reminded me […] - [Lomba do Vasco & Cumeeiras Viewpoint](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/10/14/lomba-do-vasco-cumeeiras-viewpoint/): You might have noticed we did not post yesterday. Well, it rained all day and so all we did was stay in with the exception of lunch. It was nice to be lazy and read most of the day. I read from cover-to-cover the book I started. We even watched a movie on the projector. We watched Rebel Ridge on Netflix and highly recommend it. Even the host’s cat had a lazy day though she was outside. Lunch was at Restaurante III Arcos in Ginetes, 10 min south of where we stayed. It was good and fresh. After a couple years […] - [Volcanic Origins](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/10/12/volcanic-origins/): Both Madeira and the Azores are of volcanic origin, tiny tips of huge volcanoes rising from the Atlantic Ocean floor and sticking out of the waves. The Azores are at the junction of the North American, Eurasian, and African plates. The island we’re on now, São Miguel, is the most volcanically active island in the Azores archipelago. Just looking at its elevation hillshade you can see the volcanoes that form it. For many of us this is stuff we learned about in grade school and have had little reminder of since. When you explore islands.. you can’t help but think about […] - [Lakes & Pico do Carvão](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/10/11/lakes-pico-do-carvao/): Jesse and I absolutely love our little cabin so today we spent the morning enjoying a light breakfast from groceries we picked up on the way, reading and researching/discussing what hike to tackle today. Found a number of books on cabin building and was quickly addicted to the book below. There are so many fascinating cabins all over the world! I read 1/4 of this 321 page book and it will be read cover-to-cover before I leave next week. By noon we were ready to roll as the sun was out. We decided on a partially routed loop to Pico do […] - [West with Wind](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/10/10/west-with-wind/): Today was a travel day, from Furnas in the East to Varzea in the extreme West. We had grand plans of things we would do on the way, but Atlantic hurricane remnants caused high winds and rain most of the day. Still.. we always manage to enjoy ourselves! We didn’t make it far before seeing signs for Miradouro Pico do Ferro, a viewpoint on our todo list. It rained on and off and there were three huge senior tourist buses so we ran for it and got a couple pictures before scurrying away. Still.. it’s an impressive view of Lagoa das […] - [Parque Terra Nostra](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/10/09/parque-terra-nostra/): Today was simple.. and perfect. We went to Parque Terra Nostra, which is a 10 minute walk from where we are staying. It’s a large botanical garden right in the heart of Furnas, and has geothermal waters throughout. The entrance fee for an adult is €16 a piece, which is high, but considering how big this place is, and that it includes unlimited swimming in multiple geothermal pools, we have no complaints. Note that if you stay in the Terra Nostra Hotel you get access to the park, including when it’s closed to the public. The centerpiece in many ways is […] - [Idyllic Half Day](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/10/08/idyllic-half-day/): We THOUGHT we were going to lose today to rain. We follow every weather site and app we can find and they are all over the place. Today they agreed that it was going to rain all day so I was going to put in a full day of work. However.. it flickered back and forth between raining and bright sunlight all morning, and radar showed it going away so we finally took the plunge and headed out around 4pm. We targeted a very nearby waterfall hike, Salto do Rosal (similar to this). It started raining again as we parked so […] - [North Coast Beauty](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/10/07/north-coast-beauty/): Each morning, the place we’re staying (Landescape Furnas) brings a little cloth bag of fresh, warm breads and rolls and hangs them on our door. It’s a lovely practice and we love THE REVEAL! We have a running list of hikes we want to do across the island. It’s broken up by region and we save the associated hikes in AllTrails, as well as in Organic Maps. Today’s pick was TM06 – Moinho do Félix Trail, which has different names in different places but basically involves a lookout, three good-sized waterfalls, and one little waterfall. It follows a part-paved, part-dirt road […] - [Taste of Eastern São Miguel](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/10/06/taste-of-eastern-sao-miguel/): Azores hiking at last! After a healthy dose of hiking in Madeira we’ve been longing for the Azorean mountains. What a difference São Miguel is in so many ways. The roads winding around and over the mountains are precarious and steep but.. less so than Madeira. The Azorean roads are wider, less steep, and while looking out can be mind-blowing, you feel a lot less likely to plummet down some thousand foot cliff. LESS.. but it’s still a distinct possibility if you aren’t focused. So anyway.. we went hiking today to Salto do Prego, a waterfall in the southeastern mountains. Most […] - [Gelato-fueled City Exit](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/10/05/gelato-fueled-city-exit/): There’s always that last day rush to visit missed sites- landmarks, restaurants, whatever we couldn’t visit before. We had to pick up a rental car mid-afternoon so after breakfast we walked toward the waterfront toward the fort. I am fascinated with everything that they build out of basalt in the Azores. It’s immediately identifiable since it’s dark and highly porous. Entire buildings are made out of pieces of basalt, and it’s especially striking when used in contrast to lighter colors like below. Soon after taking this it started to rain and we, along with ~8 other people, took cover in the […] - [More Gardens & Gelato](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/10/04/more-gardens-gelato/): Today we planned to only have breakfast in order to save ourselves for the 6 gelato sampler at La Gelateria. When we were there two days ago, the server informed us of new flavors coming out. Let’s just say the original plan did not pan out. Don’t worry we did not skip gelato! After breakfast, we headed straight up North to Jardim Botânico José do Canto. This was definitely a more established garden. At times it felt we were in a forest because it was so lush. We saw some interesting buildings and homes, tiles and views on the way there […] - [All Work & Some Play](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/10/03/all-work-some-play/): Today was a fairly mello day. Our morning was non-eventful, we had a quick, light breakfast in the garden room and headed to Futurismo to inquire about whale & dolphin watching as well as the Villa Do Campo Islet tours. Weather in the Azores is fickle so no tours today and likely for the next couple days. Oh well, we will try next week. Since Jesse had a packed workday, his only other venture out was for a 3rd attempt to eat at A Tasca for lunch. I waited in line for about 30 minute then, texted him to run over. […] - [Radiating Botanically](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/10/02/radiating-botanically/): We’re slowly expanding our familiarity with Ponta Delgada. I work from ~3pm to midnight each day during the days I work (pretty much normal hours in CA where most of my peers are) so our exploring is limited to morning through lunch and a dinner break. This limits our ability to do bigger things like boat trips, hikes, etc so we aren’t getting a car until this weekend and are staying in the city. As a result we’re walking everywhere for now, and learning the area and culture through that lense. Some hotel art we missed.. Breakfast options were similar to […] - [Ponta Delgada](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/10/01/ponta-delgada/): Today is our 1st full day in Ponta Delgada. We are staying at NINE Dot in the city center. This allows Jesse to work during the week and gives me the opportunity to meander the city streets or make use of the hotel amenities. The hotel also includes a full breakfast which is ample and unique. While the daily basket at Soul Glamping was nice, having food variety is a nice change. Breakfast not only includes a full buffet but an on request menu. The rest of the morning was spent doing laundry at a self service laundromat, UOCH! It was […] - [En Route to the Azores!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/09/30/en-route-to-the-azores/): Today is our last day in Madeira.🥺 This island is absolutely amazing. If you love nature, agriculture, hiking and beautiful vistas at every turn – you must visit this island. We definitely plan to come back for more hiking since the highest and primary peaks were closed due to a recent fire. A warning this is not an island for those who fear heights and twisty, manic driving. I myself have a fear of heights in certain situations and there is no way I would drive most of this island. Kudos to Jesse for his incredible ability to drive literally anywhere. […] - [Lazy Last Day in Madeira](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/09/29/lazy-last-day-in-madeira/): Yesterday we started to have grand hiking aspirations for today. We considered finding a big peak other than Ruivo (since it’s closed). We were close to locking down a hike out to the end of São Laurenço. Instead.. a little battered from, the tunnel walls and nursing our various injuries we decided to just take it easy. We drove to the west coast of Madeira to check out views. Along the way.. cows of course! Neither of us had ever seen a gray cow though, much less a grey-brown mix. Our first stop was Teleférico das Achades da Cruz in the […] - [Tunnel Visions](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/09/28/tunnel-visions/): We started the day both diving deep into the blogs of Jackson Groves, an Australian, world-traveling, inspirational, adventure travel blogger. His insightful descriptions, stunning photos, and holy-shit-I-feel-like-I’m there videos are just what we’ve been looking for it also turns out that he is especially drawn to Madeira and has spent many months here. We even found out late in day that he has stayed at the domes we’re at and now lives on the island! So.. we got out of the dome late this morning, no regrets and again dodging the island’s tourist timing. As we left the domes we were […] - [Into the Mist](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/09/27/into-the-mist/): Today started much like yesterday with a basket of goodies! We took our time getting out to the mountains based on yesterday’s success, but had not planned for road cows.. They wander right down the middle of the road as if daring you to make a move. They are all males too, so despite their super mellow demeanor you do have to wonder about how much damage the horns could do to a little rental car. Once there we were able to find parking near the trailhead again. The area we visited, Fanal, had tons of people though. Turns out that […] - [Waterfalls, Cows, and Bliss!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/09/26/waterfalls-cows-and-bliss/): Today was a quintessential vacation day. We got up slowly, ate local foods, went on an amazing hike, then had a great dinner with friends. Ahhhh.. here’s the full story. The wonderful lady that runs Soul Glamping where we are staying brought us a breakfast basket to our door. It was filled with a little bit of a lot of things- breads, cheese, ham, soppressata, fruits, juice, milk, coffee pods, teas, cereal, jam, and yogurt.. it was fun just going through it all! The eating part was fun too! Savitri went out and had her coffee on the deck overlooking the […] - [Glamping time!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/09/25/glamping-time/): …and then there were two. Riki and Liza flew back to the US early this morning. We miss them!! That’s half as much laughter and half as many dishes we get to try at each meal! Fortunately in today’s world nobody is ever really disconnected! We drove back to the rental apartment to finish sleeping and got scenes from the plane.. When we were a little more rested, we packed up the rental place and took in one last long look at the amazing views. Ilhas Desertas, the uninhabited island group south of Madeira, has been very interesting to us as […] - [Into the Mountains!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/09/24/into-the-mountains-2/): We started the day with some obligatory group pix to get us going. And we’re off! Today we drove up to the top of Pico do Arieiro, the third highest peak in Madeira at 1,818m (5,965 ft). Driving to get there was surprisingly not-too-bad considering the elevation gain. It simply isn’t possible to capture the enormity of the scene at the top. The world below seems impossibly vast and every edge seems to drop off forever. That said.. we took a ton of pictures trying to communicate just a little of the feeling! We (Savitri and Jesse) hiked ~.5 mi northwest […] - [São Lourenço & Sunset](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/09/23/sao-lourenco-sunset/): Today started as a lazy day at home with a leisurely breakfast, doing laundry and researching what to do with the rest of the day. Eliza had a critical, full day of work so Riki, Jesse and I decided to stay local. Eliza Hard at Work Riki, Jesse and I ventured to the cliffs and viewpoints in Ponta De São Lourenço and lunch in Caniçal afterwards. Our drive took us under the impressive Funchal Airport runway. Check out the video below. Ponta de São Lourenço Miradouro da Ponta do Rosto For a late lunch, we went with TripAdvisor’s 1st choice in […] - [Island Loop](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/09/22/island-loop/): Today we made the most of the day and drove around the whole island! We had breakfast at the apartment to save time & money and to make it healthy. No exciting pictures but it’s definitely easier to start off the day with a simple meal at “home” than a big restaurant production. We did get some good early morning views from the porch too. Apple peers take note.. I use Organic Maps (free, global, offline maps!) for most trip planning. I find the bookmark handling and use of the latest OpenStreetMap very helpful. At the same time, I use Apple […] - [UP to Gaula, Santa Cruz!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/09/21/up-to-gaula-santa-cruz/): Today we shifted from our urban walk-everywhere lifestyle of the past week to a new apartment up in the hills. We took another great Bolt from Funchal to our next apartment in Gaula, on the west edge of Santa Cruz. It’s a modern two-story apartment that looks out on an immense view of the ocean to the south toward the uninhabited Desertas islands. We also look down on the airport, which is one of the world’s most dangerous and very interesting to watch planes land and take-off from. We also had our rental car delivered to the apartment by the local […] - [Zona Velha](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/09/20/zona-velha/): Since today is our last day in Funchal, we decided to spend the day in Zone Velha (Old Town). A historic zone in Funchal. We started our morning leisurely savoring breakfast at a newly discovered cafe, Brunch Club. There was a short line when we arrived but it was well worth it. Everything from the lattes to the juices to each dish was delicious. I veered from my comfort zone and ordered the Turkish Eggs which a unique twist on eggs, cheese and toast. The Lebanese cheese was smooth and tangy surrounded by an herb oil and eggs centered in the […] - [Cable Cars & Gardens](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/09/19/cable-cars-gardens/): Our initial intent was to get up early and be at the cable car ticket booth by 9 AM but that did not happen. We finally got some sleep and woke up at 9 AM, dragged our feet to breakfast at Slice and finally made it to the cable car ticket booth at ~11 AM. Let’s just say, we did not beat the lines. Phew, we finally make it up to Monte and now to make our way down to the Jardim Botanico Madeira via a deathly slow cable car. Seriously, why am I doing to this to myself! After 2 […] - [Exploring Funchal](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/09/18/exploring-funchal/): It was a sleepless night for everyone in the house with many of us going to bed around 4 AM or waking up all hours of the night. Not to mention, the lack of air conditioning upstairs. Riki, Jesse and I woke up first and decided to venture out for a coffee and a pastry. After a pitstop at a mediocre bakery, we meandered a few alleys and came across a traditional shop offering pastel de nata and cafe for 1.5 EU. Who can pass that up. A better shop with tastier offerings. Back to the house to check in on […] - [To Madeira with Love!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/09/17/to-madeira-with-love/): As is usually the case, our first day was a long travel day! We got up early at Liza’s house and Matt graciously drove us to Logan along the beautiful scenic highway known as “Rt 1” 😳. Many crazy drivers, insane interchanges, and alleged roadside crack junkies later we arrived at SATA Azores in Terminal E. Not a well-signed location btw, not mentioned on any of the airport signage. We entered tourist mode as soon as we arrived, welcoming “Masshole” looks I’m sure.. We were all ready for breakfast at the airport, only to find that the breakfast restaurants were all […] - [Buddhas, Castles, and Waves](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/24/buddhas-castles-and-waves/): Wednesday was our last full day in Portugal. It has been seven lightning quick weeks.. Despite all the locations, all the experiences, and all the miles.. there’s just so much more here to see and do! As with most days we started with breakfast, but.. this day was mostly so Savitri could say goodbye to the adorable 3 year old dog that lounges in the dining room every meal. We pet him a lot but never got his name.. Our first destination for the day was Bacalhôa Buddha Eden in Bombarral. This is a sort of bizarre place which I’ll let […] - [Animal Reserve and Ericeira](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/21/animal-reserve-and-ericeira/): Tuesday we went hiking (well.. “dirt road hilly walking”) in the natural park 10 minutes away from where we’re staying, Tapada Nacional de Mafra. It’s essentially a 2,933 acre reserve created by the king almost 300 years ago. It currently has wild animals freely roaming it, a large trail network to access it, and educational programs for kids. There is even a small ropes course which I’d love to do with Ashok some day. We targeted the green route, which is one of four well-marked trails, and is also conveniently (but somewhat inaccurately it turns out) mapped out in AllTrails. The […] - [Peniche](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/20/peniche/): Monday.. our last week 😧 We had the included breakfast here at the hotel we’re staying at, Quinta dos Machados Countryside Hotel & Spa. Our lack of pictures is telling! The food is fresh and tasty but the variety isn’t there, and most critically, the juice isn’t fresh squeezed! Laugh at my privilege all you want, the days of not-fresh-squeezed orange juice are over! Actually the least fresh OJ I have had for many years is Trader Joe’s fresh squeezed, which is somewhere in the middle since it’s obviously bottled but doesn’t have the acidity a regular bottle or carton of […] - [Serra de Estrella, Cheese & Pena D'Agua](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/18/serra-de-estrella-cheese-pena-dagua/): Today (Saturday) is our last day in Covilhã and we are already sad to go. This town and this region is our favorite. Primarily due to its proximity to the entire country, the mountains, the unique goods (wool, cheese and wine) and the friendly people. The latter is mostly due to the staff at Pena D’Agua. Not only is the hotel absolutely beautiful and the rooms very comfortable but the staff are helpful and very warm. They have been our guides and faces of central Portugal and we miss them already. After a light breakfast (Jesse woke up WAY better but.. […] - [Museums & Meanderings](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/18/museums-meanderings/): Friday we started the day with a yummy breakfast at the hotel as usual. It’s pretty much all stuff you’ve seen over our stay here so I’ll spare you the repeats. Fortunately it’s widely varied and we’re not tired of it one bit! We followed breakfast with a long chat with Nuno at the front desk, and figured we’d combine his suggestions with Vanessa’s from the previous night. He immediately said the same thing she had said- check out this small town north of here named Belmonte! Vanessa is from there but Nuno seemed legitimately impressed as well so we built […] - [Covilhã AR Tour](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/16/covilha-ar-tour/): Jesse and I had a casual day Wednesday in Covilhã since Jesse had work all afternoon & evening. We started our morning sampling the breakfast included with our hotel. The selection was varied, plentiful and included freshly baked pastries and cakes.😋 We spent the day checking out the city via the CovilAR app. Yes, there is such a thing – super cool. Of course we had to geek out and do the entire tour of 35 POIs (Points of Interest). We zig zagged the tiny alleyways and came across amazing art and vistas along the way. Tour Highlights colvinhà Art VISTAS […] - [Green Pools & Spa](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/16/green-pools-spa/): After a solid day of walking and working, Thursday was our relax day. Nothing more relaxing to start the day than a nice hike in the mountains! So we got up at 5am and.. BWAHAHA who am I fooling?! We got up at 8:30am and at 9am we started with the excellent (and included!) breakfast downstairs. They have legit chefs making a huge array of different foods every morning, and they mix it up each day. They also make eggs and maybe other things to order. The only downside is that we feel obligated to try everything so we eat . […] - [To Covilhã!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/15/to-covilha/): Tuesday we said goodbye to Casa d’Henrique and to our now familiar little town of Vieira do Minho. One last picture of Castro Vieira do Minho. Of course it wouldn’t be a proper good bye without a parting pastry and coffee run from our favorite cafe, Flor de Cacau. We then got gas and prepared to drive south in the rain. But.. the wipers stopped working.. which was particularly suspicious since the rear liftgate close button had been acting up. I pulled over, found the manual online, found the section of fuses, and read that.. all fuse related issues are to […] - [Monoliths on Mountains](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/13/monoliths-on-mountains/): Mother’s Day (USA) was a wonderful but scary experience. Jesse and I slept in this morning and were planning to check out some viewpoints and another waterfall but last minute changed our plans to hike to the peaks of Calcedónia & Curvaceira. A 4.1 mile hard hike in Parque Nacional Peneda-Gerês. Supposedly the only designated national park in Portugal, the other 9 parks are deemed nature parks. We headed out, found the trailhead in the town of Covide (ironic) and started our hike counter-clockwise with the intent to hike the steepest part first, which is ~1/4 of the total hike length. […] - [Emerald Waterfalls!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/11/emerald-waterfalls/): Today was a wonderful day! Jesse and I planned two small hikes with waterfalls and emerald pools instead of a long, grueling hike to a peak. The drive itself was steep, at times terrifying but with picturesque vistas that can never be captured fully and only experienced. Man we love Portugal! What a beautiful country and warm people. Finally seeing some towns and we barely made it through some of the tightest little roads. We had to pull in the mirrors and just hope we did not scratch the car. Seriously, Apple Maps why did you take us this way!?! Phew […] - [Vieira do Minho & Bushwhacking!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/11/vieira-do-minho-bushwhacking/): Friday was our first full day in the mountains so we agreed to stay local and do one short, easy hike then be lazy. Simple plan, what could possibly go wrong? We had breakfast in Vieira do Minho, the nearest real town. For reference.. the sort-of-near-each-other-clump-of-buildings we’re staying in seems like a stretch to even call a hamlet. The same is true for lots of tiny hamlets along the narrow mountain roads. You literally see the name sign, see 1-4 old stone buildings (half of which appear to be uninhabited) and then you see the end-of-name sign. Quirky but cute as […] - [Into the Mountains!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/10/into-the-mountains/): Thursday morning was smooth-sailing as we got our car from the garage, packed up, and prepared to leave Porto. We absolutely love that beautiful city and could “will” be back! We were sad to leave Porto.. and also Steve & Jen, who drove south the same day. It was great exploring together. As Jen noted, we walked over ten miles over the course of a few days just while being touristy and going to restaurants. Those are ten+ miles way up and way down too- Porto is very hilly! We drove north to Braga, whose agglomerated urban area is the third […] - [Tiny Alleys and Long Rallies](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/10/tiny-alleys-and-long-rallies/): Wednesday was our last full day in Porto.. and we were very sad to say goodbye “see you later” to that beautiful city.. and to Steve & Jen who drove south the same day! It has been great exploring together. As Jen noted, we walked over ten miles over the course of a few days just while being touristy and going to restaurants. Those are ten+ miles way up and way down too- Porto is very hilly! Ok on with the story of our day.. We started the day with a legit breakfast, something we often skip and just stuff our […] - [Porto! Porto!! Porto!!!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/09/porto-porto-porto/): Porto is definitely the most beautiful city I have been to. Sorry NYC & Boston, we love you both but between the hills, views, architecture, art, walkability and size, there is no competition. Our first act of the day, was to take the train from Faria Guimarães station literally outside our apartment in Lapa to Jardim do Morro station across the Duoro River. The train system was easy to navigate, super clean and fast. It was a gorgeous day – 72° and sunny but breezy on the hilltops. There were people everywhere and the atmosphere was festive. We spent the day […] - [Douro Valley Delight](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/08/douro-valley-delight/): Monday we had a promising weather forecast and many businesses in Porto were closed so we took the opportunity to do a trip we’d talked about for months- driving the Douro Valley. The Douro Valley extended east from Porto to Spain (or rather.. flows from Spain west to its mouth into the Atlantic in Porto!). It is known for its numerous vineyards and stunning steep-walled views. We headed out early, making sure to park our rental in a safe spot (foreshadowing..) for the day and Steve drove the comfy Mercedes wagon he and Jen rented. In 15 minutes we were in […] - [Rainy Day in Porto](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/07/rainy-day-in-porto/): Sunday was a rainy day. I would sing, “rain, rain go away; come again another day” but it is nice to have a rainy day to be lazy. Steve is always the 1st to rise, and journeyed out in the rain to buy coffee after he and I concluded that the pods in the house did not fit in the Nespresso and there was a coffeemaker but no coffee. He did not find coffee at first then found a local cafe and brought back some lattes and brioche croissants. I gotta say, I have NEVER had a better croissant. Super soft […] - [Off to Porto...](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/05/off-to-porto/): Our day started with Steve, Jesse and I heading off to a local cafe, Padaria Do Bairro, which had a line out the door. A good sign that it is the favorite, local cafe. Not only were the offerings simple and tasty but the prices were cheap! Our meal of a ham and cheese sandwich, two croissants, 1 fresh squeezed orange juice and 1 latte was 12 EU – crazy! After breakfast, Jesse and I checked out and made our way out of the parking lot via the steep, spiral, bi-directional, <1 case wide maze. Steve and Jen took off to […] - [Lisbon for a Day!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/04/lisbon-for-a-day/): We left Lagos at 6am and drove the ~3.5 hours to Lisbon to drop off Christine at the airport. We miss you Christine! We then managed to survive some huge, complicated roundabout-like traffic configurations to get to our hotel in Lisbon, Moxy Lisbon City. Unexpected challenge.. getting into the parking garage! The spiral ramp down to the garage was so tight that I had to make many multi-point turns to get down.. sort of auto-claustro-phobic.. We finally met up with Steve!! We ran out for brunch at Bread & Friends nearby. Yummy croissants, fresh juice, happy us! Beautiful purple trees on […] - [Last Lagos Day...](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/03/last-lagos-day/): We expected three weeks staying in one place to feel like a long time. However, betwen having dear friends visiting and not-so-dear covid visiting, time disappeared quickly! Thursday May 2, was our last day in Lagos and The Algarve. We scurried around trying to see some things we’d missed, but of course we’ve really only scratched the surface of The Algarve anyway. Ahh.. next time! First task- Jesse drove down to Sagres to visit the point & fort (Fortaleza de Sagres) that Savitri and Christine had visited already (and Penny as well). I was underwhelmed by the museum (basically a simple […] - [The West Coast Journey](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/05/01/the-west-coast-journey/): Today we journeyed to the west coast. An area we had no intention of visiting, but was advised by Rosie Bennett of Kojo Boutique in Lagos to go. She said the trip along the coast from Monte Clérigo to Carrapateira was well worth the trip. She also recommended we have dinner at O Paulo restaurant at Ponta da Arrifana, Aljezur and watch the sunset. Our trip was an abbreviated version of her recommendation but we took the journey. The route took us interior which was hilly and beautiful. I really like these off the beaten path parts of Algarve. Our 1st stop […] - [Happy 25th Anniversary!🥂](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/30/happy-25th-anniversary%f0%9f%a5%82/): Today was Jesse and my anniversary. Our original plans fell through so we celebrated in the best of ways … hiking, exploring, hanging out with our friend and yes, eating! We started the day at home and I cooked us a simple breakfast then Jesse and I exchanged the gifts we bought each other in Portugal We then took off to Carvoeiro to hike a portion of the Seven Hanging Valleys trail starting from Vale do Centeanes Beach and ending at the Benagil Caves. The hike to the caves was 2.4 miles but we walked 7.2 miles in total. You walk […] - [Shopping & Jesse](https://shoestrappers.xyz/2024/04/30/shopping-jesse/): Yesterday’s post will be short as all Christine and I did was shop for souvenirs and bought some treats for ourselves. Don’t you love my lime green corduroys?1? There was also a Jesse sighting now that he is feeling better. He met us for lunch at a terraced, rooftop cafe which we essentially had to ourselves. Jesse ended up ordering the same dish I did because the burrata was exceptional and entree of pork chops, rice and beans were super tasty. Being Puerto Rican, I pride myself on my black beans but I have to give these people props for adding […] ## Pages - [Senggigi: Rise, Resilience, and Renewal](https://shoestrappers.xyz/senggigi-rise-resilience-renewal/): Senggigi, on the northwestern coast of Lombok, was the first major tourism area in Indonesia after Bali. In the 1980s and 1990s it grew as an alternative to Bali for several reasons: However, this growth came to a halt in January 2000. So what happened? It’s a complicated and deep.. dark.. rabbit’s hole into Indonesia’s past. Like many countries, Indonesia’s economy was hit by the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. While this affected Lombok of course, it wasn’t specific to Lombok and didn’t scare away tourists. It did however contribute to the fall of Indonesia’s military dictator, Suharto. The economic downturn combined […] - [Best Lodging](https://shoestrappers.xyz/best-lodging/) - [Home Page](https://shoestrappers.xyz/): Recent Blog Posts Find Posts.. ..by Date ..by browsing the map! - [Best Animals](https://shoestrappers.xyz/best-animals/) - [Best Views](https://shoestrappers.xyz/best-views/) - [Tech Stuff](https://shoestrappers.xyz/tech-stuff/): Carto Tiles Server URL: https://{s}.basemaps.cartocdn.com/rastertiles/voyager/{z}/{x}/{y} Tiles Server sub-domains: abcd Attribution: ‘© OpenStreetMap contributors and © CARTO‘ Stadia_StamenTerrain Tiles Server URL: https://tiles.stadiamaps.com/tiles/stamen_terrain/{z}/{x}/{y}{r} Tiles Server sub-domains: abc Attribution: © Stadia Maps © Stamen Design © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors(CC-BY-SA) | Built with Travelers’ Map - [World Regions](https://shoestrappers.xyz/world-regions/): Africa Antarctica Asia Australia Caribbean Central America Europe North America Pacific South America - [Lagos, Portugal](https://shoestrappers.xyz/lagos-portugal/): Lagos is a very welcoming city. It’s fairly small (31-33K according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagos,_Portugal), but has a little bit of everything. There are several supermarket options: Pingo Doce – Nicest, but highest prices Lidl – Very nice, 10-25% cheaper than Pingo Doce - [Europe](https://shoestrappers.xyz/europe/): Belgium Czechia France Germany Greece Iceland Ireland Italy The Netherlands Spain - [Best Food](https://shoestrappers.xyz/best-food/) - [Best of..](https://shoestrappers.xyz/best-of/) - [Best Art](https://shoestrappers.xyz/best-art/) - [Blog Posts](https://shoestrappers.xyz/blog-archive/) - [Today came fast!](https://shoestrappers.xyz/travel-blog/): Leaving via a Lyft in 30 min. We started planning this trip many months ago and as of earlier this week it still felt “out there”. Fast forward to today and.. wow. - [About Us](https://shoestrappers.xyz/about-us/): What the heck is a “shoestrapper” anyway?! Well.. it’s silly. The first house we owned was on Shoestrap Road in Lyme, NH. We don’t know why it was named that but it was catchy so we reference it a lot. Our son also grew up in that house and it has a ton of great memories. Shoestrap is also a lot like bootstrap, as-in “pull yourself up by your bootstraps”.. which is how we’ve always lived. Plus I don’t know.. we like shoes? Our family loves to travel, eat and hike (Jesse and I more so than Ashok but once in […] - [Contact Us](https://shoestrappers.xyz/contact-us/): Meet Jesse & Savitri These photos are from Naxos, Greece. Our favorite island in Greece so far. Yes, we love ice cream but especially, gelato. We search for and try both everywhere we go. This is a theme you will see throughout our blog. ❤️🍦😋 Jesse jessemsheridan@gmail.com jesse@shoestrappers.xyz Savitri savitri.beharry@gmail.com savitri@shoestrappers.xyz - [Privacy Policy](https://shoestrappers.xyz/privacy-policy/): Who we are Suggested text: Our website address is: https://shoestrappers.xyz. 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