Game of Thrones for Travelers

This Spring, "The Winter is Coming" and GOT fans couldn't be more excited with the upcoming Season 8 of the celebrated TV fantasy drama. When you're also a travel addict, combining these two passions will make it even more special when you visit one of the series filming locations.

Not that I choose my destinations specifically because of Game of Thrones, but in these last few years I've visited some of the places where the action took place. As they are so much more than just the scenery of a cult TV show,  I totally recommend you to visit it as soon as you can, but the fans will surely remember some of the parts of the story when they cross the Mdina Gate, walk the Roman Bridge of Cordoba or relax in the fresh gardens of the Sevilla's Alcázar.

DORNE

In Season 5,  the Alcázar de Sevilla get transformed into the private residence of Prince Doran of Martell in Sunspear, the capital of Dorne. The name couldn't be more appropriate as Sevilla can be burning hot in the Summer.

The Alcázar is the perfect spot to represent the Water Gardens and Palace of Dorne, with its lush gardens and fountains. The palace was once occupied by the Catholic Monarchs and, before them, by the Almohad caliphs who built it. 

FREE CITY OF VOLANTIS

One of the most striking architectural features of Cordoba is its magnificent Roman bridge, crossing the Guadalquivir.  In the universe of Game of Thrones, the Roman Bridge became the Long Bridge of the Free City of Volantis, in Season 5. 

Built by imperial troops in the first century BC to replace a wooden structure, the Cordoba Bridge has 16 arches and is 247 metres long. The scenes shot there were then digitalized to make it look even longer and buildings were added. If you remember, Tyrion and Varys explore the Long Bridge during their mission to free the slaves.

For the best view of the bridge, get to the top of the Calahorra Tower (the museum inside is also quite interesting). The view of the city is also fantastic from here.

KING'S LANDING

In Game of Thrones Season 1, Catelyn Stark and Ser Rodrik Cassel ride into King’s Landing through the city's gate to investigate the attack on Bran. The gate depicted in the series is the stunning Mdina Gate. The fortified city of Mdina, in Malta, was the island's capital from antiquity to the medieval period and is still known today as the Silent City. 

Walking around the city you can find some other locations, like the Pjazza Mesquita were, in the series, is placed the entrance to Littlefinger's brothel, where Jaime Lannister and his men attack Ned Stark and his bodyguards.  The square is gorgeous and the small restaurant in the photo served us the best watermelon juice we have ever drink.

As Malta was one of the main locations for Season 1, the Red Keep had several filming spots across the island, like at Fort St. Angelo, in Birgu (first photo) and San Anton Palace, in Attard. 

PENTOS - DAENERY'S WEEDING

The Azure Window coastal cliff formation on the Maltese island of Gozo  was the site of the Dothraki wedding feast between Daenerys and Drogo, set on the coast of Pentos. 

Dwejra, the location of this incredible 50-metre high limestone rock arch known as the Azure Window, that collapsed in the beginning of 2017, it’s very popular with scuba divers visiting the nearby Blue Hole. Currently, is possible to make a boat trip over the place were the arch used to stand. 

Most of this places have Game of Thrones Tours, sometimes guided by actual people that participated in the series. 

Your 10 Favorite Wanderer's Blog Posts from 2018

First of all, let me wish you all a great 2019 and express my gratitude for reading my writing and trust my travel tips and suggestions. In 2018, I resumed my HR career and that left me with a more tight schedule and with less time to work in the blog. This year I'll be making an effort to manage time more efficiently and to make it possible to share more with you. Nevertheless, your preferences make it clear that you're as interested in gastronomy and wine experiences reviews as you are in travel information. I shall keep it in mind for 2019. But let's check your favorite 10 posts from 2018!

Antes de mais nada, deixem-me desejar a todos um ótimo 2019 e expressar minha gratidão por lerem os meus textos e confiar em minhas dicas e sugestões de viagem. Em 2018, retomei minha carreira na área dos Recursos Humanos e isso deixou-me com um horário mais ocupado e com menos tempo para trabalhar no blog. Neste novo ano, vou me esforçar para gerir o tempo de maneira mais eficiente e partilhar mais experiências e histórias com os leitores. No entanto, as vossas preferências deixam claro que estão tão interessados em experiências gastronómicas (vinho incluído!) quanto em informações de viagem. Vou manter isso em mente para 2019. Mas, por hoje, vamos recordar os vossos 10 posts favoritos de 2018!

5 MUST GO PLACES IN PORTO

Porto, the second largest city in Portugal, is getting more and more popular, winning awards and getting prettier by the day to receive all its visitors, both national and foreigner. Known as "Cidade Invicta" (Unvanquished City), the northern capital boasts the same vibrant personality as its inhabitants and is surely a  fantastic place to visit at any time of the year. (Keep Reading Here)

O Porto, segunda maior cidade de Portugal, está a tornar-se cada vez mais popular, ganhando prémios atrás de prémios e ficando cada vez mais bonito para receber todos os seus visitantes, nacionais e estrangeiros. Conhecida como "Cidade Invicta", a capital do norte ostenta a mesma personalidade vibrante dos seus habitantes e é certamente um lugar fantástico para se visitar em qualquer época do ano. (Continue a ler aqui)

BELVEDERE RISTORANTE  (CASCAIS)

Many of you know how much I enjoy good food and to find new restaurants to present you at my Food Chronicles. Recently I've been invited to the Belvedere Ristorante, in Cascais. The Belvedere is one of the restaurants of the stunning Grande Real Villa Itália Hotel & Spa, and its sophisticated atmosphere, great cuisine, led by Chef Paulo Pinto,  and remarkable service contributed to the most agreeable evening. (Keep Reading Here)

Muitos dos meus leitores sabem o quanto eu gosto de boa comida e de encontrar novos restaurantes para apresentá-lo nas minhas Food Chronicles. Recentemente fui convidada para conhecer o Belvedere Ristorante, em Cascais. O Belvedere é um dos restaurantes do impressionante Grande Real Villa Itália Hotel & Spa, e sua atmosfera sofisticada, excelente cozinha, liderada pelo Chef Paulo Pinto, e serviço notável contribuiram para uma noite muito agradável. (Continuar a ler aqui)

SETÚBAL'S PENINSULA WINE REGION

Close to Lisbon and ideal for a day trip from the Portuguese capital, the wine region of Setúbal's Península (Portugal) presents great wines from well-established producers, with a variety of wine tourism activities to offer to its visitors. Famous for its sweet Moscatel wine, Setúbal's Península region is also notable for its table wine with both white and red wines acknowledged internationally. (Keep Reading Here)

Perto de Lisboa e ideal para um passeio a partir da capital portuguesa, a região vinícola da Península de Setúbal (Portugal) apresenta grandes vinhos de produtores bem estabelecidos, com uma variedade de actividades de enoturismo para oferecer aos seus visitantes. Famosa pelo seu doce vinho Moscatel, a região da Península de Setúbal é também conhecida pelo seu vinho de mesa, com vinhos brancos e tintos reconhecidos internacionalmente. (Continue a ler aqui)

TOP 10 INSTAGRAM SPOTS IN PORTO

Portugal has become an important travel destination in the last few years, and, just like Lisbon, Porto (the second largest city in the country) is in many people must go list. Perfect for a short break from any European country, or for a longer stay, there is much to see in and around the northern Portuguese capital. (Keep Reading Here)

Portugal tornou-se um importante destino de viagem nos últimos anos e, tal como em Lisboa, o Porto (a segunda maior cidade do país) na lista dos locais a visitar para muitas pessoas. Perfeito para uma estadia de curta duração a partir de qualquer país europeu, ou para uma estadia mais longa, há muito para ver na capital do norte de Portugal. (Continue a ler aqui)

SOUL GARDEN BAR (LISBOA)

The Corinthia Hotel Lisbon is one my favorite hotels in Lisbon, and to make something good even better, it has made a renovation of the outdoor space and opened the SOUL GARDEN - a bar in an outdoor green space with a direct access to the exterior, independent of the hotel. (Keep Reading Here)

O Corinthia Hotel Lisbon é um dos meus hotéis favoritos na cidade de Lisboa, e agora é capaz de se tornar um dos meus lugares de eleição nos fins de tarde e noites quentes de Verão. O Corinthia renovou o espaço exterior e abriu o SOUL GARDEN - um bar num espaço verde ao ar livre (giríssimo!), com acesso directo ao exterior.  (Continuar a ler aqui)

MALTA | 3 PLACES TO REMEMBER

There are many points of interest in this small nation, including natural, archeological, historical and artistic attractions, but in this first article, I'll focus on 3 places included in our itinerary that struck me the most: Mdina, Valletta and the Three Cities, and Gozo and Comino. (Keep Reading Here)

Há muitos pontos de interesse nesta pequena nação, incluindo atrações naturais, arqueológicas, históricas e artísticas, mas neste primeiro artigo, vou me concentrar nos 3 lugares incluídos no nosso itinerário que mais me impressionaram: Mdina, Valletta e os Três Cidades e Gozo e Comino. (Continue lendo aqui)

PALAZZO JEAN PARISOT BOUTIQUE HOTEL

When visiting a city for its historical features, staying in the city center always seems to be a wise option. In Valletta that was the case and we couldn't be happier with our choice. Palazzo Jean Parisot was the quintessential home away from home. Comfortable and with tasteful interior design, this boutique hotel is steps away from the main attractions of Valletta and close to many great restaurants and bars. (Keep Reading Here)

Ao visitar uma cidade pelas suas características históricas, permanecer no centro da cidade parece sempre ser uma opção sensata. Em Valletta esse era o caso e não poderíamos estar mais felizes com a nossa escolha. Palazzo Jean Parisot foi, por excelência, a casa fora de casa. Confortável e com design de interior de bom gosto, este boutique hotel está a poucos passos das principais atracções de Valletta e perto de muitos restaurantes e bares excelentes. (Continue a ler aqui)

VALLETTA FOOD TRAIL

I love food and all about it! Love roaming through the markets to find an ingredient, love preparing and cooking the food for my family and friends, love to test new recipes and to reinvent old ones, and absolutely love to know a country and its people through the things they eat and their culinary tradition. (Keep Reading Here)

Adoro boa comida e tudo o que lhe está associado! Adoro passear pelos mercados para encontrar um ingrediente, adoro preparar e cozinhar a comida para minha família e amigos, adoro testar novas receitas e reinventar as antigas, e adoro conhecer um país e o seu povo através das coisas que eles comem e de suas tradição culinárias. (Continue a ler aqui)

ERVIDEIRA WINE LOUNGE

Last September I had the privilege of being present at the inauguration of the new Wine Lounge of the Ervideira winery, near Évora. This innovative eno-touristic space, dedicated to wine tastings, presents a wide, functional and well decorated area, whose design was inspired by the landscape and the Alentejo culture, dazzling its visitors with a privileged view of the vineyards of Ervideira. (Keep Reading Here)

No passado mês de Setembro tive o privilégio de estar presente na inauguração do novo Wine Lounge da adega Ervideira, perto de Évora. Este inovador espaço eno-turístico, destinado a provas de vinho, apresenta uma área ampla, funcional e bem decorada, cujo design foi buscar inspiração à paisagem e à cultura alentejana, deslumbrando os visitantes com uma vista privilegiada para as vinhas da Ervideira. (Continue a ler aqui)

HOTEL HERDADE DOS GROUS (ALENTEJO)

The Herdade dos Grous is an upscale 1100 ha estate, situated near Castro Verde in a region included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The estate comprises fields and vineyards as far as the eyes can see, olive groves, gorgeous gardens, biological vegetable gardens, its own cattle and horse breeding and an 80 ha artificial lake, where guests can practice several water sports. (Keep Reading Here)

A Herdade dos Grous, situada perto de Castro Verde, numa região incluída na Rede Mundial de Reservas da Biosfera é uma propriedade com cerca de 1100 ha. A propriedade compreende campos e vinhas, a perder de vista, olivais, belos jardins, hortas biológicas, assim como áreas dedicadas à criação do seu próprio gado e à criação de cavalos, para além de um lago artificial com cerca de 80 ha, onde os hóspedes podem praticar vários desportos aquáticos. (Continuar a ler aqui)

Chronicles from Malta | Valletta Food Trail

I love food and all about it! Love roaming through the markets to find an ingredient, love preparing and cooking the food for my family and friends, love to test new recipes and to reinvent old ones, and absolutely love to know a country and its people through the things they eat and their culinary tradition.

That being stated its understandable that, when possible, a Food Tour run by local people can be a great occasion to know more about the country or city that I'm visiting, its history and culture. That was the case on our recent visit to Malta. While in Valletta we were kindly invited to participate in the Offbeat Valletta Food Trail, and the outstanding organization of the event, the remarkable knowledge and sympathy of our guide Maria, and the (huge amounts of) delicious food that we had the opportunity to taste, made that morning a high point of our voyage.

But let's go to the specifics. At 10 o'clock the group gathered in front of St. John Co-Cathedral, and after a briefing on the basics of Maltese food, we started our tour. If you want a suggestion, do this kind of tours on the first days of your visit, because you'll get solid tips for some of the best places to eat delicious food.


TAL-HWAWAR - THE SPICE SHOP

If you are lucky enough (we were!) you get a guide that knows the city and its history so well that your food tour becomes also a city tour. Maria's knowledge of Malta's and Valletta's history was pair only to her ability to tell a story and capture our attention at every moment. So, after a short walk and a load of interesting information, the group was at Tal-Hwawar's door, a small Spice Shop in the heart of Valletta. The owner received us and teach how to make a spice mixture to perfume the house (the same one that is used in Valletta's churches on special occasions). You can imagine the perfume!

IL-GIFEN

With a pack of fragrant spices in hand, we walk to our next stop. Il-Gifen is a small local café where we had the opportunity to enjoy some authentic Maltese Pastizzi, freshly made and still warm accompanied by a traditional "tazza te", a glass of hot tea with milk, just the way the locals drink it in the morning. The pastry was crispy and flaky, with a delicious ricotta filling, and although I was a little apprehensive about the tea, I've found it quite nice.

NENU THE ARTISAN BAKER

Our next stop was at this bakery/ restaurant/museum place that is Nenu. There you can find photos and scenes from the old day's bakery, decorating the restaurant space and bringing past and present together. We had the opportunity to know more about the history of the bakery and the role that bakeries had in the community life of Malta (pretty much like Portugal, in that respect), and of course to taste some of the specialties of the house. The traditional Maltese Ftiras with fresh indigenous ingredients arrived at our table straight from the oven next door, and I must say it was delicious. I'm a pizza lover, and the Ftira also presents a high soft base (like bread) covered with different sorts of options. I choose the vegetables Ftira and it was really tasty. To wash it down I've had a local soda Kinnie) with a distinctive orange and herbs flavor. Although this is not my kind of drink, if you go to Malta you should give it a try.

KING'S OWN BAND CLUB

By this time we were already with a full stomach and we only had starters (actually not all the starters!). So, we walk to our next stop, right on Republic Street. The King's Own Band Club is the restaurant operating in the building of one of the many Valletta's bands and there we had a Maltese platter with varied dips, followed by a rabbit dish, one of the main culinary traditions in Malta. All of it accompanied by a fresh local white wine. The rabbit was tender and perfectly seasoned and, although is not an option for everyone (people with bunny pets find it difficult to eat) if you're a foodie, this is not to be missed in a visit to Malta.

CHOCOLATE DISTRICT

And then we head to paradise! At least to chocaholics paradise... Chocolate District is the most charming chocolate store and its owners are such welcoming nice people that I wouldn't mind to stay there for the rest of the day. They have a beautiful selection of chocolates from top brands along with their own creations, making Chocolate District a perfect place to buy some gifts to bring back home. There we had the opportunity to try a signature drink of chocolate and fig liqueur and the delicious chocolate torrone of the house.

PANORAMA

One could think that we had already had dessert, right? Well, wrong... we still had more to come. From Chocolate District we head to Panorama, a restaurant facing the Grand Harbour. And it was with the panoramic view of the Three Cities that we finished our Food Tour, sipping a Prickly Pear liqueur and enjoying a traditional Mqaret, a fried pastry filled with dates. The conversation was good, and both Maltese, Danish, Australian, and Portuguese were sharing their food preferences and experiences. But our tour was ending and this foodies fellowship had to part, but I'm sure all will remember this experience as a high point of their visit to Valletta.

The tour takes place every Saturday, at 10am and includes 3  flavour filled hours (until 1 pm). For more informations on how to book this food tour, contact


OFFBEAT MALTA FOOD TRAILS

E-mail: info@offbeatmaltafoodtrails.com
Phone: +356 2180 2383

Adults and children 12 years+ : 65 € (VAT included).
Price includes: Licensed Tour Guide + All Food Tastings +1 copy of The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta & Gozo