Tips for traveling internationally with Crohn’s Disease

One of the most common things I see on travel forums is solo travelers wondering how much time they should spend in each location on a multi-country or multi-city vacation. Traveling abroad is not cheap and I think we often want to squeeze as much in as we can! Overall, a 3-week trip is the perfect duration (unless you can go for a longer amount of time!) for a multi-country trip.

Here are some key questions to ask yourself when you are in the planning stage:

Everything all around you is beautiful. The waters, the colorful buildings and tiles, and the lovely narrow streets. The weather in late May is just right. .. warm but with a glorious breeze to cool the sun’s sting on your skin. One becomes perfectly content to be in the sun’s rays and amidst the sounds and smells of the sea. Lagos is a wonderful mixture of things to see and do AND relaxation.

Known for its warm beaches, gorgeous blue waters, and ex-pat population, this southern region of Portugal simply cannot be missed. There are many small villages scattered about the coastline but Lagos is the most popular and serves as a good home base as you explore this region. From museums to beaches to boat excursions… there’s something for everyone in Lagos. Here’s how to get there from Lisbon!

Escape the city hustle and bustle of Lisbon and take a day trip to the charming village of Sintra. There are several sites to visit and you’ll enjoy the outdoor spaces and remarkable palaces.

Papagayo is located in the Jan Thiel region of the island, about 15 minutes south of the city center (Punda and Otrabanda where all of the colorful buildings are... more on that in another post) and is in a fairly residential neighborhood, a short distance away from the Spanish Waters.

I highly recommend staying in the village of Wengen at the Hotel Alpenrose. Wengen is situated above Lauterbrunnen and has incredible views of the valley. It is smaller than Lauterbrunnen and has the village charm you’d expect in this region of the Swiss Alps. A bit quieter and nestled on the hillside, you can meander the peaceful streets and find everything you need within the village.

How can I save for a trip>? Here are 5 simple things you can do to start saving for your dream trip. I’ve done all of them myself so they really do work!

The Graça neighborhood offers fantastic views of Lisbon and the Dona Graça Apartments are in my opinion, the most wonderful accommodations in this neighborhood.

The 3 neighborhoods I recommend for your stay in Barcelona.

Visiting Basqeland Brewing: good brew, good company and good vibes

Any time I travel, I try to seek out quieter areas in between visiting cities because I need need a break from people, noise and that amount of energy. Lucky for us, our good friend and host on this leg of the trip lives in an incredibly picturesque village in the Navarra province of northern Spain, about 45 minutes outside of San Sebastián.

“we go to make a party”…..The bars and all night-life happening in this neighborhood closed down for an hour. It felt so abrupt and I asked our friend why this was happening. He said these protests were in support of the Basque prisoners who have been jailed for being alleged members of the ETA. To clarify: I understand this to mean that they want their incarcerated family members to be moved to jails closer to home and to be treated fairly, not that they necessarily support the violent aspects of the cause.

the Basque Coast Geo Park is a fantastic place to go for a walk-about along the rugged coastline near San Sebastián. It is a UNESCO world geo site and very unique!

We visit an ultra local cider house where we are served the meal of a lifetime and participate in pouring cider, a strong tradition here in the Basque region of Spain.

I”m showing you 6 different things to do while in San Sebastián! From food to beaches to churches and museums, there’s something for everyone in Donostia. Curious what the difference between Tapas and Pintxos is? I’ve got you covered in this week’s blog post.

Hernani is an important enclave within the Road to Santiago, just 10 km (or 6.2 miles) outside of San Sebastian, it is the biggest and most important of the towns with strong tradition in the artisan production of Basque cider. Over 100 cider houses (called sagardotegiak) can be found in Hernani.

On this trip I am taking you to Barcelona and San Sebastián in the Basque region of Spain. We will visit La Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, Montserrat, The Flysh Geopark in the Basque region, The Picasso Museum,Various neighborhoods in BCN, THE restaurant you need to dine at while you are in the Basqueland.,A fantastic brewery ,Hernani, A snippet on the ETA and the prisoners convicted of terrorism ( I ended up getting my hands on a flag from the resistance in northern Spain, collected clandestinely which is an interesting story and thinking back on it, I’m glad I didn’t get arrested at the airport lol).,The Basque History Museum. Hernani ,Goizueta ( a tiny and old village) ,Monte Igueldo in San Sebstian. Basically, a lot of interesting things to see and places to visit!

An interview with my Italian friend/ baker extraordinaire, Daniela. She has advice for visiting Italy and fills us in of the coffee culture.

Something I observed is the difference in personalities in Rome vs. the South (In the South, they present the culture to you like a gift, whereas in Rome, they wait for you to come to them and then they are enthusiastic about sharing their city with you.)