a couple of weeks ago i took julia and my friend for a quick getaway to São Lourenço do Barrocal – it was a gift i got from my besties and i was really looking forward to staying there.
we first stopped in monsaraz, the quaintest little medieval town, where we had lunch at sabores, a restaurant recommended by the hotel – featuring local dishes, everything we had was insane!
the hotel is so welcoming and peaceful, we knew, once we arrived, we wouldn’t want to leave. the service was seamless and every detail in the property, featuring the estate’s history and the local traditions are incredible. the estate, surrounded by olive groves, vineyards and holm oaks, has been in the family for over 200 years.
there are guest rooms and cottages, known as ‘casinhas” and we were lucky enough to stay in one :)
we were in lisbon for over a month, i chose not to travel and stay in the city – giving me enough time to see everyone and enjoy our vacations without having to rush anywhere…or pack! but on the last weekend before we left, we made a little escape and spent it at the 
julia and i went with my parents and couldn’t have had a better time, specially julia. we saw sheep and cows, only that can be pretty exciting for a toddler. we went on a bicycle ride, which was too much fun. we had a cooking lesson to make our own dinner with local ingredients. and the highlight for julia was definitely the afternoon spent at the indoor pool (i had barely put her bathing suit on, when she started running around the room as if with the highest sugar rush!). as for us adults, it was really the perfect place to relax, read and actually spend quality time with each other without interruptions.
the hotel has 12 rooms, each one decorated differently, julia and i stayed in a fun one, the shelter room, with penguins on the ceiling, a cozy rocking chair perfect for reading and a bathtub that looked like a pool. the public areas are big, with lots of rooms and different nooks to chose from, with lounge chairs, fireplaces and an honesty bar.
the staff were super friendly and helpful, our dinner and breakfast were delicious, with a lot of attention to detail. the hotel was full, but because of all the lounging areas available, we always felt like we had our own space. 
when travelling from turks and caicos to portugal or back, we like making a pit stop in miami for a night. it helps break the long trip, plus, shopping is great and so is the food. we’ve been doing this for almost 5 years, so miami feels a little bit like our second home. we’ve stayed at several hotels, some we really like, some not that much. but our favorite by far is the 
during our vacation in portugal we were itching for a city break that would make us feel we were abroad. florence seemed like the obvious choice – it’s close (we could get a direct flight to bologna and then a quick train into the city centre of florence), perfect city to walk, great for shopping, and the food never disappoints!
m y s e a s t o r y 