TDP2021: Day25-26 – Escaping the City Bustle of Lisbon in Foz

Another place without any noise except for the ever-present wind blowing from the Atlantic. I slept very well and woke early morning. My host was also awake – offering me breakfast with fresh fruit, yogurt and fresh fruit. With a full day of doing nothing ahead, I decide to drive along the same road I took yesterday to have some time in the sun at the two beaches – bay and Atlantic. The drive there is even more beautiful than last evening! The sand bank is visible from afar and is unlike any landscape feature I’ve ever seen. As this […]

TDP2021: Day 20-24 – Lisbon Living/Working, first week

With my vacation over, I start living and working from Lisbon for the next 3 weeks. I’m really happy that my work setup allows me to work from anywhere, as long as I’ve got high-speed internet with a latency below around 75 ms. From my apartment, my commute to the office takes only 14 minutes. The office itself is located at a central location just off Avenida da Libertade, in an old and typical Lisbon townhouse with high ceilings and large rooms. Normally, parking in the ‘red’ city centre would cost me a fortune – unless it’s an electric car, […]

TDP2021: Day 19 – Heading back to Lisbon

Much too soon, it’s time to leave this paradise of quiet and friendliness. I’ll be back for sure. If you feel like visiting this place, you can reach Dorris and Ed here. I strongly recommend you to visit them if you can. Ed was adamant to not let me leave without a sandwich and prepared one for me with all his usual love and dedication I have become used to with his breakfast concoctions: There is just that much that I can say about my stay – see the following video showing them sending me off. After returning to the […]

TDP2021: Day 17-18 – Off-Grid Zoning Out

After yesterday’s trip and a grand welcome at the eco-lodge, I wake up in my room at around 7 am as the sun starts to rise. No noise except for the wind is to be heard. Everything here encourages deceleration. The room has a brilliant view of the surrounding Compo and the lack of any meaningful mobile phone reception adds to the discouragement of Internet usage. My room offers a good selection of books in various languages. The goal for my next few days is to unwind and get ready for 4 weeks of ‘digital nomad’-style working in Lisbon before […]

TDP2021: Day16 – Off to some R&R on my own

I get up at 4am to see off my family. They are heading back to Switzerland, whilst I get to spend another full month in Portugal. With still a few days to go, I’m really looking forward to staying at the eco-resort I’ve booked for the next few days. Later that morning, I wake up the second time today to yet another beautiful day. After sorting all the last things I’m ready for my trip today and I must confess that I’m really looking forward to driving the TWIKE again. As the shortest-route distance to the place is just 80km […]

TDP2021: Day12-15 R&R in Algarve

As ever so often during a longer trip, this isn’t a TWIKE-trip-related entry. It’s rather an entry to keep the day count in the title consistent and to let you know that there is – believe it or not – a life that doesn’t include driving a TWIKE for days on end somewhere out there… After our rather long but very nice trip from Lisbon to the southernmost point of Portugal and further eastwards along the Algarve, we eventually arrived at the villa we rented close to Albufeira. For us parents the plan is to spend some time on the […]

TDP2021: Day11 – Lisbon – Algarve – A full day driving along the sea

Whilst our kids sleep in, my wife and I start bright and early on our trip to southern Portugal. Today we will push the southernmost point TW560 has been in Europe from 38°19’52.4″N to 37°00’05.4″N. (Fun fact: The closest TW560 has been to the equator was: 11°23’41.9″N during WAVE2011’s transfer to India) We’re planning on sticking to the coast as closely as possible and avoid any major roads for a full day of TWIKE Nirvana. In the interest of time well spent, we decide to cross the river via Lisbon’s iconic instead of adding another 30+km driving around it. It […]

TDP2021: Day10 – Lisbon

Just a quick – non-TWIKE-related – entry for Lisbon. I’ve been to Lisbon many times, as has my wife – so no extensive description of the town this time. Our kids and haven’t been to Lisbon yet and given that one didn’t feel like doing the hard-core discovery with me and my wife was more for some relaxing drinks, I decided to take the rest on a whirlwind touch-and-go of Lisbon. One of the best ways to get around in Lisbon is by metro – a day- ticket is super affordable and quickly bought. We’re ready for some fun! I […]

TDP2021: Day9 – Porto – Lisbon – Waves, Ginjinha, Chocolate & Good Food

Far too quickly our few days in Porto have gone by and it’s time to leave for Lisbon. As in Lisbon any check-in (and during week-ends also to enter restaurants) has to be either by recently tested or vaccinated persons, my family had to find a place and slot get a test done in Lisbon when arriving to ensure their test status was continuous until the very south of Portugal. As the current government mantra is Test, Test, Test, many of the testing places and their slots were already fully booked with tests for the weekend. I, on the other […]