I love traveling and wish I have more time and money to explore the world. In fact, leaving aside the thousands of lives lost and selfishly looking only at my own “white people problems”, one of the worst things that COVID brought was the impossibility of traveling. However I always try to look for the positive side of everything and this pandemic period allows a better planning and money saves. So, the future trips will be even more amazing.
While I am here planning and dreaming about the next destination, I will share five places that have won my heart <3
5 - Bologna, Italy. - I was 20 years old when I made my first trip totally alone, all-by-myself. It was to Bologna, Italy's pulsating university heart. Watching people of all ages leaving the operas and theatres, children playing in squares full of fountains and statues and talking in the most beautiful language in the world on a cold winter night was SO incredible. The best energy I felt in Italy was in Bologna, for sure…. Oh, not to mention the best food I had in the bel paese!
4 - Porto, Portugal - Portugal won a special place in my heart. After all, I am great-granddaughter of Portuguese, they speak the same language as I (with nicer accent), the food and wines are wonderful, the people are very kind etc. But Porto was the city that I liked the most for its architectural charm (the Lello Bookstore is one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world), for the meeting of Douro river with the ocean and for the Francesinhas (sandwich with several types of meat covered with cheese and a spicy sauce made with beer and other ingredients) and the Port Wine! Actually, to buy this super famous desert wine, just cross the bridge and visit the village of Vila Nova de Gaia with its several cellars by side on the river.
Baby-me @ Vila Nova de Gaia with the city of Porto behind.
3 - San Francisco, US - Wow, what a city! The first time I saw the Golden Gate Bridge on a late summer afternoon, I cryied. SF was the city I most wanted to visit in the US and it exceeded my expectations. My experience there wasn't exactly a Californian summer experience. As Mark Twain said, “the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco”, but walking through the streets of Castro or Haight-Ashbury gave me hope for a better and more tolerant future. I can’t decide which view of the city I loved the most, if from the top of (super windy) Twin Peaks or aboard a boat in the Bay. Oh, and the city is real heaven for those - like me - who love craft beer.
2 – Havana, Cuba - My trip to Cuba was a watershed in my life. La Habana is an impressive city that exhales history and culture in every single corner, with an extremely kind and educated people. However, the economic and social differences even in a “egalitarian” socialist country are frightening. And I don't mean the difference between tourists and Cubans, but between the inhabitants of Cuba themselves. Havana is a place that made me think of my capitalist privileges - freedom of opinion and vote, for instance - but also made me think about what the system does not offer for people living in peripheral countries like me - 24 hour security, public health for all and unrestricted access the education. Anyway, spending a few days with almost no internet is great for thinking about life, and if you have salsa, the Caribbean sea and mojitos, even better!
El Malecón, the Bahía de La Habana and Castillo del Morro behind
1- Buenos Aires, Argentina - Buenos Aires is MY place in the world, simple as that. I lived in the Argentine capital for two years, I visit the city frequently, I have many friends there and I speak Spanish with that super fast porteño accent (which I love). I am from southern Brazil then many cultural habits from Argentina – such as the asado and the mate - were easy to assimilate. However, what I really LOVE in Buenos Aires to make my #1 city is the passion of the people for everything. The porteño is never warm, the love and hate live together when you talk about fútbol, politics, religion, best way to cook meat or the best empanada flavor. The Argentine people, especially the porteño, put their hearts into everything they do. They cry and laugh and hug and love and suffer like no other (and this is a Latin woman speaking, so I understand a lot about drama). As Carlos Gardel sang, “my dear Buenos Aires, when I see you there will be no more sadness or forgetfulness” (sorry for the translation) Buenos Aires is the city that my heart always misses, and the place where I feel at home every time I go.
2012, in the corner of Callao y Rivadavia, with the Congreso behind me.
There are other cities that could be here, like the tex-mex-cosmopolitan Austin, the lovely and windy Montevideo or the amazingly historic Cuzco. And I didn’t even mentioned Brazilian places! In fact, I could spend a whole day writing about traveling memories or plans. I truly believe that – when traveling – we take a little with us but we also leave a little bit of us at every corner. And while I can't travel, I will be thinking about my next destination.
