The Travel Speak’s Featured Travelers : Fabio and Jessica
Fabio & Jessica share their story with us in our series of inspiring traveler stories. Based in Baltics, this Portugese-German couple will definitely give you couple travel goals!
You can follow this hot & handsome couple and their travels on their Instagram profile.
Here they are sharing a travelogue from their trip to the amazing Greek island of Rhodes.
Introducing Fabio and Jessica (unedited)
We are Fabio and Jessica, both curious and crazy about travelling, getting to know all those incredibly beautiful places from the postcards we saw as kids as well as understanding cultures and people around us. Fabio grew up in Germany close to the Frankfurt airport, an experience that shaped early his wish to get himself on all those planes and explore the world. Jessica is a genuine “alfacinha”, the fond nickname given to those born in Portugal’s capital Lisbon, and with an intriguing love for the sea and all the places it can bring you to. Currently, we live together in Riga, the capital of Latvia and the perfect base to explore the three Baltic countries, which we happily do whenever there is a chance to. Never afraid of stepping into the unexpected and unknown, we both try to avoid getting caught up in the daily routine and are constantly making plans for our next trip.
Fabio and Jessica’s Travel Speak – Travelogue (unedited)
Our last trip outside of the Baltics was to the Greek island of Rhodes. Usually more known for thriving nightlife and relaxed laying-by-beach, our aim was as much to see the traces of the ancient Greek culture as at the same time getting a bit of sun on our faces. We believe that even in such well-known touristic destinations a less walked track can be found and Rhodes was the perfect example.
We decided to start with the cultural part and our first stop therefore was the antique city of Lindos. The location, the architecture and the blue Aegean Sea as background reminded us immediately of those famous pictures of Santorini. The mostly small and blue-white houses of Lindos are neatly built crawling up a hill, with the top being occupied by one of our favourite spots of all Rhodes, the Akropolis of Lindos. The ruins inspire to imagine how it must have been to stand here 2000 years ago, how the inhabitants looked from here to the wide sea they dominated and took it to be the centre of the world. Getting to the Akropolis is an absolutely must if you are in Rhodes. You can either climb it up all by yourself, but be careful with your choice of shoes, as the walk up is on a slippery walkway of stone on the edge of the hill. The other option costs 5€ and is quite funny too; you can ride on a donkey all the way up to the Akropolis! Either way, the view and the ruins will be well worth it.
Our next favourite sight on Rhodes was on the much lesser known western coast of the island, the castles of Monolithos and Kritinia. The drive there showed something we believed to be impossible in the Greek summer, empty beaches! As the road got steeper and narrower, we started to understand why those two castles were impenetrable for the enemies. Each standing on top of its own solitary hill, the centuries-old fortresses provided a wide view to the sea, surrounding areas and so also to every movement long before. Before we left, lunch at the Old Monolithos taverna was a true gastronomic highlight of our stay in Rhodes, with delicious Greek food being made by the lovely couple of owners.
We also visited the more touristic places such as the St. Pauls Bay (perfect for snorkelling) and also the stunning Tsampika beach.
We stayed in Rhodes for 10 days and we both still feel like we needed at least one more week to be able to find all the treasures Rhodes has to offer.
~ Fabio & Jessica
Places Visited
List of favorite destinations they have visited so far:
- Azores Islands, Portugal
- Crete, Greece
- Gibraltar (funny monkeys!)
- Simi Island, Greece
- Lisbon (home sweet home)
Their top tips for the Azores Islands
- Visit during the summer or spring season.
An obvious tip, but especially valid for the Azores. The weather outside of this time is impossible to predict, even more than at any other place. The sea can also be quite rough, which makes trips to other islands less pleasant. - Book everything you need early, especially cars or motorcycles.
The islands are small and demand soars in summer as many Azoreans come back from the mainland or from abroad to visit family. To explore the islands, the best option would be a quad bike. Especially on São Jorge Island and on Pico Island, as lots of amazing and hidden places are not accessible by car. - Get up early.
Get up early on Pico Island and climb the highest mountain in Portugal to see the sun rising. If you dislike waking up early, this might be still good for you, as you would have to head to the mountain in the middle of the night in any case. The climb is doable for fit travellers even without any experience. You will drive up to around 1200m, where you should check-in with the mountain guards. The next 1000m are on marked tracks and after a hike of around 3h you will be on the top, enjoying an absolutely incredible 360 degrees view to the entire island, the two surrounding islands and the sea. - Take the boat, use Interjovem card.
Travelling between the islands is strongly recommended, but it can become costly. However, if you are under 30 years, get the Interjovem card. Not only gives it free entrance to the national parks, it allows you to buy tickets at a fixed price of 7,50€, independent from the route. So instead of paying over 100€ for a trip from São Miguel Island to Flores Island, you only pay 7,50€. Even though the card itself does also have a cost, it you travel a lot around the islands (and you should), it´s quite a saving! - Visit with lots of time.
The Azores are a group of 9 islands and each island is worth staying a couple of days. Add to that the travel time, either by plane or by boat, and you should take at least two weeks to see all the islands. Of course, that is not possible for everyone. Our recommendation is the following; the 9 islands can be divided in 3 groups by proximity. Choose one of the groups and then travel around there.
Fabio and Jessica’s Favorite Travel Quote:
“One doesn’t discover new lands without consenting to lose sight, for a very long time, of the shore.” André Gide, French Nobel Prize Winner in his 1925 book “The Counterfeiters”. It’s the perfect quote for these two navigators.
Get inspired by the amazing list of all time best travel quotes.
Editor’s Note
Traveling helps you know more and see more. And traveling together with someone you love brings both of you closer as you create a lot of memories for yourselves. You may also gather amazing stories to tell to your grand kids some day!
Thank you Fabio & Jessica for sharing your travel story with us. We wish you both lots of love and great health ahead. Keep traveling and sharing your stories with us.
Happy travels.
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