Trip to Spain and Portugal-Beautiful streets of Lisbon

Despite modernization, Lisbon retains the air of a 19th century city. I loved walking on the empty square, off streets in the early morning when they were mostly quiet.  Here are some photos showing the beautiful grounds, colorful streets and buildings in downtown Lisbon.

Trip to Spain and Portugal - Castelo de Sao Jorge

The very first day when we arrived in Lisbon, we went out to walk around downtown.   we got up on a tower that provided us with a breathtaking view of the city. From the tower, we spotted the prominent Castelo de Sao Jorge perched high above the city.  It is very distinguished; you can't miss it!

The very next morning, we visited the Castelo and had a good look at the city of Lisbon below and across the river.  The views from the Castelo are spectacular!

Castelo up and above city of Lisbon seen from the tower

View of Lisbon on the Castelo de Sao Jorge 

Walking on the wall of the Fort

Trip to Spain and Portugal - Road trip map

Our road trip started from Lisbon, Portugal and ended with Lisbon Portugal.  We visited about 24 places in both Spain and Portugal in March of 2022.  This map shows the routes covered on this trip.

Snow Goose, Snow Goose, Snow Goose

Thousands and thousands and thousands of Snow Goose are now on their way migrating back to north but taking a layover at the Middle Creek Wildlife management area in Pennsylvania right.  They will be there for a short time, so we hurried and drove to see them!

We can't get too close to them but watching them from a distance.  We watched them enjoying moving around gracefully on the water, we watched them take off and put on an air show right Infront of our eyes! I wished I had more powerful camera lens but still here are some photos for you to enjoy!

An Autumn Day at Great Falls National Park

 A popular place for any day of the year.  Great Falls National Park is a great place for relaxing and reviewing the majestic falls, hiking, kayaking and rock climbing.  The park can be accessed from both Maryland and Virgina.  These photos were taken from an excursion at the Virginia site.  Enjoy!

My first impression in Vietnam

After having just visited Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, it was logical for me to want to visit another neighboring country, Vietnam.  Ho Chi Minh City is considered a historical city with a booming atmosphere. 

In the summer of 2019, upon arriving in the city, we learned from the taxi driver that there were more motorists in the city than any other country in Asia.  These video clips prove it the night we went out! The next morning, I decided to take a walk near the hotel we stayed at.  What I found out was that those motorists were not tourist friendly, simply put, they do not stop for pedestrians at any time, I meant even if you have a walk light on.  It was a very scary experience for me for the first time when I had to cross the street!  That day, there were a couple of tourists in the same situation as me.  In the end, you just need to be brave, close your eyes and cross your heart that these motorists won’t kill you and go for it!

Theodore Roosevelt Island, Washington, DC

Theodore Roosevelt Island is a national memorial located in the Potomac River in Washington DC.  Congress designated this island as a memorial to President Theodore Roosevelt. 

In the 1930s, landscape architects transformed the Island from neglected, overgrown farmland into current Island. They conceived a "real forest" designed to mimic the natural forest.

When visit, once you parked your car right off the GW pike way, you will need to walk through a bridge to reach the Island.  On the bridge, you will have great views of Georgetown, northern Virginia and Potomac River.

The Island is mostly left in its wild except at the entrance where you see the statue of President Roosevelt.

On the trail, there is a place you can see Georgetown waterfront. The trail around the Island is very short.  You will only need about 20 minutes to get around it.