Officially taking the top spot as my new favourite city in Europe (what with its penchant toward decadent desserts, impressive street art, and being the home of the Global Web Summit), Lisbon, Portugal, is a unique amalgamation of old and new; boasting traditional French-Roman architecture, paired alongside more sleek and modern designs.

On a more historical note, Portugal is also home to the first and longest standing colonial empire; whose nautical prowess helped progress our Western understanding of the Eastern world. In fact, it was a Portuguese princess who first introduced tea to England from Mumbai, India—a staple in contemporary English culture.

Tara being half-Portuguese, herself, and me being descended from another seafaring nation whose father was once a seaman (not to mention that Filipinos were also the ones who killed Portugal’s most famous explorer, Magellan—#nohardfeelings) it’s no wonder why we get along so well, and that our stop in Portugal was the primary reason why I decided to call this the “Modern Day Explorers Tour 2019.”