nbeard's VirtualTourist Home Page

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Cafe in Portugal

A summary

Hi all,
Thought I would share a little about my travel experience and style. I usually do the backpacking or budget travel thing; I have backpacked Europe twice, the first time for 5 weeks and the second for 9 weeks. I have also made several trips to individual European countries. I have also traveled to Central America budget-style, and Tunisia. My info will usually be geared toward lower-end hotels and hostels, and how to do things on the cheap. I love history and art and food, so I will have lots to say on those things, I am sure. I am also generally as aware as I can be of other cultures and try my best to dive into local things. However, like all of us, I do sometimes go for the occasional tourist-trap, luxury item, or "next hot city" that has already become a tourist haven. I believe that a splurge on a great meal or amazing hotel can sometimes really enhance the trip, without taking away local flavor.
There are a couple of exceptions to my budget philosophy. I have travelled to Kenya with a luxury safari company. My dad took the whole family, and I have to say, I loved it. Also, I have taken a few cruises; not exactly what you would call roughing it, but also not what I would call my ideal vacation.

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My bus stop in Rome

Living abroad

I have also spent an extended time in Rome, Italy. I studied there for five months, and will have plenty of info to share about that. I lived in Monteverde Nuovo, about 2 miles south of Trastevere. My roommates were French, and I met a fair amount of locals socially, although I would have liked to done so more. I traveled around a lot while I was there, probably most notably to Russia. Anyway, I'll be posting my favorite spots in Rome soon.