My Herb Lester Associates map – a must for any trip!

Thought I was done with Portugal?

As part of my travel goals for 2015, I am immersing myself into the place I’m visiting. My goal is to do this with books, wine and maps. I plan on reading literature by one of the country’s authors, or a fiction book set in the country. And, I want to sample as much local cuisine that’s different from what I’m used to as possible. Plus I now have a favorite map/travel guide company I just love.

Starting with books.

I chose to read Fernando Pessoa’s poems, and a book by Italian author Antonio Tabucchi about Lisbon and Pessoa, Requiem: A Hallucination.

Pessoa was an early 20th century poet, credited for bringing modernism to Portugal. I’ve seen him described as the poet of modernism. I think he’s an odd one. His book of poems was split up into his different ficticious personalities. Ok. Poetry is tough for me, but I could appreciate it.

Pessoa stamp.

“To be great, be whole; exclude
Nothing, exaggerate nothing that is you.
Be whole in everything. Put all you are
Into the smallest thing you do.
The whole moon gleams in every pool,
It rides so high.”

The wine and food.

I loved the vinho verdhe: crisp, light, fruity sparkling white wine. A great option for summer. I really enjoyed the reds from the Douro, Alentejo and Dao regions. Sheep cheese was all over the place there. And, passing through many fields with sheep during the bus ride, now I know why! One of the best meals I had was sheep cheese, warm bread, and peach marmalade with a glass of vinho verdhe. And don’t even get me started on the grilled fish…

Finally, I thought it was worth mentioning one of the maps I used. I’ve bought Herb Lester Associates maps for a couple of cities now, and I love them!

They’re only a few bucks on Amazon and are well worth it.

From their website:
“Most guides try to tell you everything there is to know about a city, we just tell you how to enjoy it. It’ is our aim to show the reader what makes a place distinctive, to shed light on obscure locations as well as revisiting well-known ones with a fresh perspective.

We research each city the old-fashioned way: asking friends, acquaintances, cab drivers and concierges for their tips and then walking, tasting, sipping, and peering into doorways and down alleys. We turn that research into a compact guide with enough suggestions to keep you entertained, with a list of shops, bars, restaurants, cafés, galleries, museums and parks, each one carefully described.”

They’ve definitely helped steer me to some of the coolest and most unusual places I wouldn’t have found in a normal travel guide.

So, there you have it. Books, wine, food and maps! What more could a girl need. My next destination is South Carolina. Can’t wait to try the wine there!