Aura Spa

That's a wrap Portugal!! ❤️ I can not even believe how quickly the summer flew by!! We have had the most amazing adventure as a family. We've tried all kinds of foods and activities that we never had before. The Portuguese people & their generosity and welcoming spirit were integral to why we felt so connected to this wild and gorgeous country. Muito obrigada and see you again, Portugal! 🇵🇹

Mornings for the past couple of weeks have been some of my favorite times of the day. Waking up before EST start of business has allowed us to have a date every morning before remote work starts for Paul and while Scarlett is still sleeping. These lovely little adventures are the best; we leave and wander for a couple hours and follow whatever seems interesting in the moment. We have gone to cemeteries, churches, and parks. We have even done a short part (about 2 miles) of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago pilgrimage walk that goes to Spain. This is Porto, mornings with my love❤️🌞❤️

It's been an amazing low-key few weeks, and I've been a bit slow on posting...just savoring every minute. Paul left for a work trip for a week, and that left time for girl bonding in the form of poolside lounging at an amazing hotel that used to be a palace, many dinners & brunches out, shopping all day and/or general lounging ❤️🌴🌞🏊‍♀️🛍🥂❤️

Madeira part #4...saved the most adventurous for last. We don't have many pics of this because we couldn't bring our phones along and were at the mercy of the guide's go-pro. We went canyoning and abseiled down 4 different waterfalls & jumped off 3 small cliffs...the highest of which was 13 m (42 feet). We didn't get any good pics of Scarlett's face but the last shot is her jumping off one of the higher cliffs

Madeira part #2 - on our second day we took an open air safari land rover tour. The word of the day was "microclimate". The island is about 35 miles by 14 miles but because of the big mountains and the air currents from several directions, the climate is literally different in every corner of the island you visit. We spent 8 hours exploring the island and the weather seemed to change every 10 min. This day we swam in volcanic pools in Porto Moniz, visited the misty Fanal forest, went to Ponta do Sol, the sunniest part of the island, & also visited Cabo Girão, the second highest sea cliff in Europe.

Madeira part #1...just wow!! I knew it would be amazing but I was not fully prepared for what Madeira gave us. The first day we woke up @ 4:30 am🥱🥱 to get to the top of a mountain to watch the sunrise. We drove most of the way & then climbed to an area called the stairway to heaven. Clearly it did not disappoint and even my teenager said it was absolutely worth it. After that we took a tuk tuk to the botanical garden which was lovely.

Last week was pretty low key. We had a few adventures around Porto but mostly just shopping @ the local market and watching the sunset every night. We did find our way to .lello to see the beautiful old bookshop & all its beautiful details. Heading on a plane to Mediera for more adventures!! ✈️ Tchau!

After Lisbon & Sintra we drove 3 more hours south to the Algarve region in Portugal & let me tell you it was a vibe!! Such a laid back way of life but HOT 🥵 that's why we were always at the pool/beach. Loved this week away from Porto, we had so many different experiences! Glad to be back to cooler weather though. It turns out we really love Porto so much! Madeira next week!🏝

Lisbon was amazing!! We had a tour with a super genuine local who was trained to be an opera singer who is the lead singer in a punk band. She was super interesting and introduced us to locals. We met a lady who lived in a space no larger than 150 Sq feet HOME where she sewed and sold dolls. We met street musicians and drank with locals. It was AWESOME!

Here are a few favorite Father's Day memories. Updates with this past week's Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais & Lagos adventures to come in a day or 2...it's been a whirlwind week. 😅

Our first week (almost) in Porto is a success! We are settled in and loving this lifestyle! The city, the food & the people have been AMAZING so far!! 😍😍 It's been so easy to get around & we love a smaller city vibe, compared to last year's Barcelona. We have barely needed to use the metro, everything we need is with a 15 min walk (although the hills are large)😜. We did an amazing food tour and discovered some secret spots to eat & have a cocktail. We took a vineyard tour in the Douro Valley that was breathtaking. Looking forward to Lisbon (and even crazier hills) & Lagos and many other cool places next week❤️🇵🇹

I leave in 2 weeks for the months of June & July for sunny Portugal. Now is the time to jump on this sale while you have a chance!! It's the biggest discount I have ever offered, so stock up & save for the summer! Hope you all have amazing experiences & memories with friends & family this summer!☀️🍹🌴