Bouncing around

I've had the chance to see a lot of cool places since coming to Europe. I have been to a handful of amazing cities and have also made it to two new countries: Portugal and Luxembourg.

The trip to Portugal included a few days in Lisbon and some nearby towns. The capital was hilly, with trams like this one on a handful of the narrow streets. There were photo opps nearly everywhere and it was easy to get around. It did feel touristy, though that wasn't an obstacle to enjoying it. The nearby beach town of Cascais was gorgeous, as were the old castles in Sintra. I found myself wondering about the incredible wealth that coursed through the city when it was the capital of a global empire and I'm interested to learn more about its history (and what became of this wealth in the intervening centuries).

Luxembourg was a truly unique place. The old city is perched high above a winding river and the squares and streets are very charming. The question I pondered here was how this city and surrounding communities came to be their own country. 

I've got some research to do.