Author name: Michelle

One of the many things I love about traveling is realizing how small the world is. You hop on a plane and a few hours later you’re in a new country with a foreign language, bustling traffic and strange smells but you can walk around the corner and run into something, or someone, familiar. My last week in Portugal was full of these wonderful surprises!   Three years ago, I went to Bali for a Create A Life You Love retreat (amazing – highly recommend!) and met a lady named Carol. She lives in Hawaii (lucky girl!) and owns a home décor store. We stayed in touch through social media and I noticed a recent post saying she was traveling in Amsterdam, Prague, Lisbon and Barcelona. I messaged her right away to see if her dates might overlap with mine. And they did – she was going to be in Lisbon while I was still there!   We made plans to meet up and take a tapas tour, giving us a chance to talk and let someone else pick the restaurants. It was amazing! Not only did we get to sample a variety of Portuguese food and wine, we got to reconnect, share memories and catch up on the last three years.   Carol has fabulous stories and is also a great listener, she’s generous and curious and simply fun to hang out with. I was happy we had to a chance to see each other and we laughed at the beautiful journey of life that brought us together again.   One of my dearest friends and colleagues wrote to me and said she had another girlfriend traveling alone and happened to be coming to Lisbon in a few days. Would I like to meet her? Absolutely! I love meeting friends of my friends (I already know they have great taste!)   Tanya and I met up for a glass of sangria and instantly felt like we’d known each other forever. She’s been traveling since November and had been to southeast Asia and India and now found herself in Portugal. We shared stories and quickly made plans to meet again.   Lisbon is an expensive city, especially coming from Asia or India, so Tanya headed north and rented an apartment in Leiria. She invited me to come visit so off I went!   We started in the fishing village of Nazare, known in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest wave ever surfed (78 feet!) The high waves are due to the presence of an underwater canyon, which creates interference between incoming waves and tends to make them much larger.   The beach was one of the longest and widest I’ve ever seen, with hardly any people despite the 30+ degree day. (We later learned that people avoid the beach when the waves are too high.) We strolled along looking at the boat museum and the fish drying racks – a centuries old tradition that women continue today.   The city team in Lisbon had recommended a restaurant, Casalinho, so we headed there for lunch. It was absolutely the best meal I had in Portugal! We asked the waiter for recommendations and he said: “I’ll tell you what NOT to have.” Intrigued why a waiter wouldn’t recommend something, I asked him why. “These were not caught today so I recommend what is fresh.” Great advice! Even the lettuce for the salad had been picked fresh from their garden. Delicious!   Back in Leiria, Tanya showed me the best feature of her apartment – a rooftop terrace with comfy chairs, lots of plants and a stunning backdrop of a castle. Hours past, chimed by the church bells, as we sat under the stars sipping port, eating cheese, sharing travel and work stories and feeling grateful for our mutual friend who connected two B.C. girls in Portugal.   My Remote Year friend Adrienne had gone home for a week and was flying back into Faro, in the Algarve region of Portugal, so Patricia and I decided to take the train and join her for a road trip back to Lisbon! I always love renting a car and seeing the countryside.   My favourite city was Sagres, the southernmost point of Portugal. It’s a town that isn’t accessible by train or bus so there aren’t many tourists. It has dramatic cliff views, as it juts out into the Atlantic Ocean.   Lagos is a bustling city with many beaches and is known for water activities taking you out to see the grottos and caves. I was really looking forward to kayaking out to the caves but both days we were told the waves were too high – not even boats were going out! We had to settle with another day of relaxing on the beach under an umbrella (a tough back-up plan!)   We had a pontoon boat tour in Faro, with an avid birdwatcher as our captain, checked out the pousada palace in Estoi with it’s beautiful gardens, and caught the sunset at the lighthouse in Sagres. We took the coastal road back to Lisbon, stopping at several beaches along the way.   Like every road trip with good friends, there was laughter, music, naps, navigation challenges, crazy U-turns and fun memories. I’m so happy and grateful to share this adventure with friends!   Up next, Sofia, Bulgaria! Have you been? I’d love your tips or suggestions and questions.

After being sidelined for two weeks with a cold, I was ready to grab my bathing suit and hit the beach. Sunshine and stories of “Portugal’s best beaches” were calling my name!   I started by taking a train 40 minutes north to Sintra. One of the city team members suggested we connect with his friend Francisco to give us a guided tour of the area.   Francisco met us at the train station and we hopped into the back of his open-air Portuguese jeep (known as UMM, a manufacturer of military vehicles). Bouncing around on the side benches in the back, I felt like we were in the army – ready to jump out at the next stop to complete our mission! It was fantastic!   Sintra is on a mountain so everything you want to see is either straight up or straight down. Francisco drove us to his favourite sites – Quinta da Regaleira (with it’s stunning palace and gardens, including underground passages and the Initiation Well), Palace of Sintra (with sweeping views out to the ocean and up to the Castle of Moors) and of course, Pena Palace (the red and yellow whimsical palace high up on the mountain surrounded by parkland).   Along the way, we stopped at locals-only spots for scenic photos, fresh-made sandwiches and of course, port. (Francisco strongly believed we must be sipping port while looking at the monuments. Not him, as the driver, but definitely us!)   What struck me the most was how lush and green the countryside was, and how peaceful you felt (especially after being in Lisbon). The locals believe the area is magical, and it’s easy to see why. The whole mountain feels like part of a fairy tale, not quite real.   At the end of the day, Francisco drove us to the ocean, showing us all his favourite beaches and dropping us off at our AirBNB for the night – which turned out to be the cutest house with a large yard and outdoor eating area. We wrapped up the day with dinner on the beach, watching the sunset.   I woke to discover my friend Adrienne had got up early, walked to town, picked up groceries and was whipping up breakfast fit for a queen! We sat outside in the sunshine and talked about coming back to this place for our annual reunion.   After a full day lounging on the beach, we packed our bags and took the electric tram into Sintra and caught a train back to Lisbon.   In each city, our Remote Year team coordinates activities where we sign up for a themed track and participate in four events during the month. Since I’d missed the first two (mixology challenge and storm the castle by canoe), I was looking forward to connecting with the group at the third event – a cooking class to make pastel de nata!   A traditional Portuguese treat, pastel de nata is simply puff pastry with custard but it’s actually more complex to make. There is a fine art to getting the pastry to the right thickness – too thick and you end up with raw and gooey pastry but too thin and the custard breaks through or burns. After ten minutes of working my pastry for one tart, I had a new appreciation for the grandmas who crank out these handmade treats by the dozen.   We felt very official with ear pieces to hear to the chef, TV monitors to watch her technique up close, and black aprons at every station. Naturally we had to sample each batch as we tried to improve our skills.   Another Portuguese, or Lisbon, tradition is to ride a tram. Tram 28 is known as the “tourist tram”, as it stops near all the monuments, churches, castle and viewpoints. It’s also crammed full like the cans of sardines sold everywhere and each trip we’re warned about pick-pockets.   Other than getting tossed around as the rickety tram slams on the brakes for a parked car and the constant rattling of metal on metal tracks leaving me needing a chiropractor afterwards, our tram experience was safe.   I also tried to expand my cultural tastes and joined a track activity to the Berardo Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Thank goodness we had a guided tour otherwise I would have had no idea what we were looking at! Modern art on its own seems simple to me (something anyone could do) but with further explanation of what the artist was trying to convey, why it was important and how it changed the way future art was accepted, I started to appreciate it.   The museum tour also gave me a chance to explore Belem, a district just outside Lisbon. It’s runs along the river and includes an impressive memorial to Portuguese seafarers and explorers, as well as the Belem Tower.   Finally, we took a train to explore some of Lisbon’s beaches (which are about 30 – 40 minutes outside of Lisbon). As an Okanagan girl, I’m used to walking to the beach in five minutes so the idea of walking 15 minutes to a train and then taking the train for half an hour seemed much too far to get to a beach!   But we explored Sao Pedro and watched the surfers and also went to Cascais, where we admired the guys setting up our umbrella! Overall, the beaches around Lisbon are beautiful but I’m still partial to my beaches back home!   One week left in Portugal and still so much to see!      

  With only three days left in Prague, I’m wondering where the month went! Two months of my 12 month adventure are gone and it reminds me how quickly time passes, whether we’re doing something we love or not.   I checked off all the tourist highlights in the first week so the next few weeks I looked for experiences off the beaten path.  My Uber driver told me I had to take a river cruise on the jazz boat to see the city at night and go for dinner or drinks at the TV Tower for stunning city views. He was right!   The jazz boat was amazing! We cruised along the river for three hours, listening to a live jazz band and taking in the sights, going under bridges and gazing at the lights sparkling on the water. It was a relaxing evening with great company and good food.   Dinner at the TV Tower was by far the best meal I’ve had in Prague! We made reservations for 7pm so we could watch the sunset. Four of us got dressed up and took the elevator 66 metres up to the restaurant. Our table gave us full views of the city but the meal was the highlight (beef carpaccio, truffle gnocchi and chocolate brownies). All of us are hoping to come back for the truffle gnocchi before we leave.   There’s a yoga studio around the corner from my apartment so I walked over and signed up for a 30 day unlimited pass. With all the walking I’ve been doing, taking some time to stretch seemed like a good idea.   My first class went well, although I didn’t realize it was hot yoga, but the instructor was from California and encouraged me to try any class, regardless if the instructor spoke English.   The next night I thought I’d try the 7:30pm class, thinking it would be a lovely restorative class before bed. I arrived five minutes early, unrolled my mat, laid down and closed my eyes while adjusting to the heated room.   At 7:30 pm, the lights flipped on and a woman strode to the front of the room speaking in rapid fire Czech. That should have been a sign that I was in over my head! My body said “run” but my head said “stay, it’s part of the adventure!”   Reminding myself to be open to new things, I decided to stay and see where things led.   It quickly went downhill.   The instructor spoke some English – “no, no” being her favourite. “No, no” as she grabbed my arms to straighten them, “no, no” as she grabbed be feet to bring them closer together, “no, no” as she tilted my head back further. She moved quickly from one pose to the next, yelling in Czech the whole time.   Where was the soft lighting? Where was the lovely yoga music? Where were the gentle words of listening to your body and showing gratitude? Nowhere to be seen or heard. I’m pretty sure I walked into a Czech boot camp disguised as yoga.   I tried my best to keep up but soon felt nauseous and thought it best to lie down. “No, no” she said, pulling my arms to get back up. “No, no” I responded and laid down – I was done. With ten minutes left in the class, I felt shavasana was appropriate and I closed my eyes.   Maybe they do yoga differently in Czech or maybe I went to a class beyond my abilities but I’m still glad I went. I did something a local would do and tried something outside my comfort zone!   Later that week I took a cooking class and made asparagus soup, an egg salad spread with mint and traditional fruit dumplings made with quark. I also toured the Skoda car manufacturing plant, where they produce 1,200 cars per day! I never thought I’d be excited about a car manufacturing plant but it was impressive!   A group of us headed to the Escape Room, where we divided into teams and had 60 minutes to try to “escape” from our scenario using clues found in the room. We made it out of the first two rooms but ran out of time in the final room. Still lots of fun and I’d definitely play again!   Then there was a side trip to Vienna which included a Mozart concert at the Opera Hall. And a day trip to Kutna Hora to see the Bone Church, decorated with the bones of over 40,000 people who died during the Black Plague and various wars in the area (thanks for the suggestion Vladi!).   Now I’m wrapping up my time exploring new spots for brunch, having cozy picnics in the park, finding view points to sit and write in my journal, and getting lost in a good book over a cup of tea.   I’m feeling like a local so it must be time to move on.   I’ve mastered the metro system, I have my regular vendors at the farmer’s market who greet me each day, and people stop me to ask directions. Yes, I’m ready for the next city. Prague has been lovely, full of history and charm, but I’m ready for the sunshine and warmth of Lisbon!     Have you been to Lisbon or Portugal? Any recommendations on things to do, see, eat?

  I’ve been travelling for six weeks now, part of a 52-week social experiment with 60 strangers living in a new city every month. It’s exciting and adventurous – and it’s also overwhelming.   You leave behind family and friends, your home and favourite breakfast spot, a regular paycheque and comfortable routines. And I’ve been fine so far – it’s only one year, right?   We took a private plane from Split to Prague (who hasn’t wanted to grab some friends and jump on your own plane?!) and checked into our new home for the month. My apartment is right beside the TV Tower, also known as the Creepy Baby Tower due to the sculptures climbing up the side (very strange).   Wanting to get a lay of the land, I did a hop on/hop off bus to see the sights (something I highly recommend when you arrive in a new city). Prague is beautiful!   Castles and churches and bridges and museums. Each street leads to more history and stunning architecture. Even our workspace has history – it’s a former Danish embassy!   Week one had language classes, tango lessons, city overviews and restaurant tastings. Some people took off to Amsterdam, Berlin or Vienna.   My weekend side trip involved renting a car and driving outside the city to a lovely countryside retreat – Chateau Mcely. We were spoiled with 5-star spa treatments, took a leisurely bike ride through St. George forest and snuggled into fluffy down comforters gazing through the window at the full moon.   Driving back to Prague, I was invited to Sunday night family dinner by four amazing guys in my group. I was blown away they would think to cook a family dinner and wanted me as their first guest. I felt honoured.   I arrived to see the table fully set with napkins and wine glasses and even a fresh flower centerpiece! These guys were good. We had a delicious meal and the conversation flowed easily, suddenly realizing it was past midnight and we had plans to catch the sunrise at Prague Castle.   I’m so impressed at their thoughtfulness – even walking me out and waiting until my ride arrived. These four men overwhelmed me with their kindness and will probably never know how much it meant to me.   Easter preparations are underway throughout Prague, including concerts at various churches. A friend invited me to join her for a performance of Vivaldi by candlelight at the Baroque Library Hall. Classical music in a beautiful historical building?   Naturally I said “yes”.   We arrived and found we had front row seats. The usher brought us a glass of champagne and we looked around the old hall. Not as large as we expected but still the ceiling with curved and covered with intricate paintings.   There were four seats on stage. The musicians arrived, silently taking their places. The maestro walked in with a round of applause and they began.   The music that filled the room took my breath away.   It literally sent shivers through my body – the sound was powerful and I wondered at how so few instruments could make such an incredible sound.   On and on they played, each song full of highs and lows, upbeats and quiet notes, all the while stirring my soul. I closed my eyes and felt the music reach places in my heart I didn’t know were closed.   My heart ached and I could no longer contain my emotions.   Tears slowly streamed down my cheeks as my senses became overwhelmed with the beauty of what I was hearing.   Here I was in Prague… sitting where others sat hundreds of years ago… listening to music from another time… Was I dreaming?   All too soon it was over.   They left the stage and I realized that not one word had been spoken that evening. No one introduced the artists, no one announced the next song, no one said a thing. They didn’t need to – the music clearly spoke for itself.   It was an evening I’ll always remember. That night in Prague, the music stirred my soul and brought me to tears.   I finally understand the quote: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away.   I have a feeling this year will be full of these moments – ones that make me stop and wonder at the beauty all around, at the stories of those who came before and at the magic of what lies ahead.    

Birthdays are a funny thing – some people love them and others hope the day passes without anyone noticing. In my family, birthdays are celebrated, sometimes lasting for a week or more.   My mom always let us stay home from school (if we wanted) and I’ve carried on that tradition – I never work on my birthday and I only do exactly what I want!   Some years I’ve gone on a road trip or spent the day at a spa but if you asked me where I’d be celebrating my birthday in 2017, I never imagined I’d say Croatia!   In true Hargrave style, I stretched my birthday into a long weekend and headed south to Dubrovnik with two girlfriends. We rented an adorable apartment within the City Walls and were greeted by Ivana, our lovely host. She was born and raised in Dubrovnik and told us her grandfather had built the house in 1902 (the last house built within the walled city so it’s considered “new”).   We dropped our bags and set off for a guided tour of her home town, starting at the top – the City Walls. Climbing the steep stone steps and seeing the narrow railing, I began to wonder if I actually was afraid of heights. But once we reached the top, the path widened, the walls were thick and things felt solid. I began to relax and look around at the stunning view from my new perspective.   As we walked along, Ivana pointed out various sites, adding in spots only a local would know – this was my kindergarten (on top of the walls!), here is damage from the bombs (from the Serbian-Montenegrin war in 1991), there is my house (in a sea of red roof tiles and green shutters).   As I ran my hand along the stones, I wondered what it must have been like to live here in the days when guards patrolled these walls, looking for enemy ships approaching from the sea. I was walking the same steps, the exact path they had, looking at the same views they did.   We finished the tour and Ivana sent us on our way with recommendations for dinner, which turned out to be one of the most delicious meals I’ve had so far in Croatia. And no, I’m not talking about the waiter who kissed me and asked me to marry him – that’s another story!   The next day we planned our sight-seeing to include various Game of Thrones filming locations (I haven’t watched the show but Adrienne got me up to speed), a ferry to the island of Lokrum and the cable car. We managed to squeeze everything in and barely caught the bus home!   On my actual birthday, we had a few pre-planned activities including exploring Roman ruins near Solin, olive oil/cheese/wine tasting at a local eco-village and visiting Kliss Fortress. After all that fresh air, I needed a nap (it’s not only part of Croatian culture, but also fits my usual Sunday afternoon schedule).   Then to wrap up the day, Patricia (my roomie) arranged Peka – a traditional dinner in Croatia. Twelve of us met at the restaurant and enjoyed a delicious meal full of laughter and stories.   Due to the nine-hour time difference, my birthday continued as family and friends woke up back home and sent messages. I even got to video call with my sister, which included a competition between my six-year-old nephew and two-year-old niece to see who could yell “Happy Birthday Aunty” the loudest. It was a wonderful day!   With only a few days lefts in Split, I spent my time visiting the restaurants still on my list, purchased souvenirs to send home and sat by the sea with my toes in the water.   It’s hard to believe my first month is wrapping up – just when I’m starting to figure out the currency, speak a few words of Croatian and have favourite locations. But I guess that’s what I signed up for – a year of never getting comfortable, of letting go of old beliefs and finding new ways to live a life you love.   It’s my birthday and I’m on a yearlong adventure – what a beautiful gift to give myself.   What about your birthday – do you have any special traditions or do you prefer the day quietly pass by?        

Spending one month in a new country may seem like plenty of time to explore the sights and get a good feel for the culture but remember we’re also working! Trying to find the balance of work and adventure is even more tricky when your workspace is on the beach.   The first two weeks were filled with program orientation, code of conduct, managing expectations and introductions to staff. Moving into week three meant time to get out and explore and I was busy!   I attended tango lessons (offered by one of our fellow Remotes to get us ready for Argentina), language lessons (so I can ask for chocolate croissants in Croatian) and Wednesday game night (where wild laughter ensued over Uno, Jenga, and poker).   I signed up for a guided walking tour of Old Town including the history of Diocletian’s Palace, the significance of the palace layout, descriptions of what life was like back then, and the many influences conquering nations left on the city. It’s always valuable to have a local show you their town, to explain their history and point out hidden treasures you might otherwise walk by unnoticed.   We did a quick road trip north to Plitvice Lakes (yes, where I got lost), spent the night in Zadar and checked out the sea organ, then over to Krka National Park, dinner in Trogir and back to Split. I drove and I’m sure that doesn’t surprise anyone (after so many years working in road safety, I have a hard time trusting anyone else to drive!)   We spent an afternoon at Split’s only “no-kill” dog shelter, bringing food and toys and being rewarded with barks, licks and puppy snuggles. There’s nothing like seeing dogs play or holding a puppy to melt away any stress.   My roommate and I hosted a “wine and words” event, inviting fellow writers to our home to share something they’d written or simply a piece of writing they enjoy. Seven people attended and the mix of writing was fantastic – from a screenplay to a blog entry, a poem and even lyrics for a new song – everyone participated in lively conversation. We plan on continuing this event in each city.   We had “cocktail roulette”, a twist on the typical ice-breaker for new groups. Anyone who wants to participate signs up, names are randomly selected into groups of four and given a location to meet. Everyone shows up, has a drink and gets to know each other!   We even had a networking event with the local business community, inviting them to our co-working space to share stories, ideas and refreshments.   A last minute decision saw me jumping in a car to join a group for a tour of a local olive farm. Note to self – do a little more research before being spontaneous!   We thought it was going to be a leisurely afternoon sampling olive oils and learning about the process of making olive oil but it turned out to be a “work bee” for the olive farm! We were greeted with work gloves, a change of clothes and a selection of tools. We looked around at each other but no one knew how to politely step out of the situation so we put on our gloves and got to work.   I decided I might as well try something new so picked up a machete and followed our guide into the olive grove. While he cut off large branches with a chain saw, my job was to hack off the small branches, putting them into a pile for burning, then stacking the larger pieces for firewood.   Five hours later, drenched in sweat, covered in dirt and ash from the fire, I hobbled along back to the farmhouse and sat on the steps to watch the sunset. Although I hadn’t planned on a day of manual labour, I did ask for an adventure this year and now I can say I’ve worked on a olive farm!   I’ve been longing to get on the water ever since I arrived. There is something so peaceful and calming about being on the water, plus it gives you a different perspective of a city. My first adventure was jumping on a ferry with a new friend and heading to the island of Hvar.   The two hour ferry ride gave us a chance to chat and realize how many things we have in common (including a baby sister turning 30 while we’re away!) We found a path through the forest, along the water and agreed the town looked like a movie set – cute and quaint with no one around. It’s not yet tourist season so everything is still closed for winter. Heading home, we caught the sun setting into the sea.   Then on Saturday I checked off a bucket list item – go on a sailboat! We left Split in the morning and spent the day sailing to Brac island, stopping in the town of Milna for lunch. I knew sailing involved a bit of work but I had no idea how much up and down and pulling ropes and adjusting lines and checking sails was involved! Our captain had a full workout while we took in the sights.   The first hour was spent at a crazy angle, with half of us hanging on and feeling like our heads were in the water and the other half bracing themselves and trying not to topple head over feet into the water! Our captain assured us that sailboats don’t capsize but there was nervous laughter from the group as we tried to keep our eyes on the horizon.   When we reached calmer seas, I scrambled to the front and laid under the sails. Gazing up at the clouds, seeing the sails blow in the wind, listening to the water gently lapping against the boat, my heart was full. I never imagined my first trip