Since 2014 is over, before starting to make plans for the new year I decided to go over everything I did in 2014. I realized I actually visited a lot of different countries. Here it goes:
Madrid
I was living in Madrid for five incredible months. It was a really cool place to live, to be able to experience the true Spanish lifestyle – noisy and happy, always until late and never stopping! Madrid is the absolute paradise for Tapas, and it’s also quite a small city which makes it easy to get around and always do a million things every day. Life in Madrid was a lot of fun!
Puertas del Sol, Madrid
Vietnam
I also went to Vietnam for 2 weeks, first to work on a consulting mission for Levi’s in Ho Chi Minh, and then to paradise, relaxing in the beaches of Phu Quoc, for a few days. The city of Ho Chi Minh is like a really small Bangkok, it also has the skyscrapers, the typical Asian traffic madness, the nightlife and the backpackers street. I loved it! It was actually great to be able to see the contrast between the crazy city lifestyle and the relaxed easy-going way of the people living by the sea.
I think the best thing about Vietnam was the food. I don’t like Asian food, I really don’t. India, Neal, Indonesia, Thailand, really everywhere the food made my stomach go crazy. But Vietnam? Absolutely not! The food is incredibly delicious, the seafood in the markets, the famous pho’s, everything was so tasty!
Phu Quoc Beach
Italy
Then I went to Italy for 15 days to celebrate the end of my Master. I spent a few days in Elba, a beautiful island close to Pisa, where you can do some good hikings, enjoy the beach and eat delicious pizza. Then I went on a sailing regatta in Punta Ala, followed by some days in Pisa and then in Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre (or the Five Lands) is very famous, very touristic as well, but beautiful. Italy is a good country to go in the summer, getting out of the main cities and enjoy the Mediterranean beaches.
Cinque Terre, Italy
Trip to the US
I had done a long backpacking trip in the west cost of US, this time I tried East. And visited the cities of Chicago and New York, and I went to the middle of nowhere in Tennessee, for the Bonnaroo festival, which was probably one of the best experiences of my life.
Chicago, Millennium Park
Switzerland
I spent eight days in Switzerland during the summer, mostly in Zurich and a bit outside, near the lake. I was very surprised. I went to visit some friends but I never expected it would be so beautiful, in fact, I always thought of Switzerland as a place to go skiing in the winter. However, the weather was good, I swam in the lake, I did some good hikes and for a week I felt like a very healthy person – no alcohol or going out, just nature and sports!
Zurich Lake, Switzerland
London, UK
I used to live in London, I stayed there for a year and I hadn’t come back in a long time. I went there twice this year and a stayed a total of 1 month. I missed it so much! Especially the concerts, the music everywhere – no other city in Europe has it!
Heaven Club, London
Paris, France
I also used to live in Paris, I studied there for a semester and then I left the city to Madrid. However, I had to go back for graduation. It was perfect to see all my friends from University again, just being there actually felt a bit like home. And going to all these amazing art exhibitions, eating delicious pain au chocolat and croque monsieur, listening to French and bringing back my speaking skills (even if they’re not that good but anyway!).
Portugal
And finally Portugal, where I’ve been staying for the last few months. I’ve been traveling south to north, visiting so many cool places that I didn’t know so well.
In the South I spent some time in Arrifana, I camped for a while, met a lot of surfers and backpackers, and I went to the famous fisherman’s party. I was also in Sagres and Lagos for quite a few days, enjoying the beaches and all the beautiful cliffs and caves by the sea that tourists love so much. I visited Castelo de Vide, ma small village in Alentejo and my greatest discovery this year – absolutely beautiful. Then in the North I went the best music festival in Portugal – Vodafone Paredes de Coura -, to which I rented a Camper Van and did a nice roadtrip with some friends. And finally, more recently I went to Porto, a really cool city to spend a weekend and have some fun going out.
Lagos, South of Portugal
Streets of Castelo de Vide
