Just before the world went into lockdown, I spent some time in the sun in Portugal. Little did I know what was about to happen in the following weeks. And because of that, in my mind, this holiday grew into the best one I ever had. Although in reality, it was far from perfect.

My solo travel adventure started in Lisbon, a city I had wanted to visit for a while, so I decided to squeeze in a couple of days before hopping on a train to my actual destination. During this time, I was struggling with my health up to the point where I had to spend my afternoons in bed. So I found a lovely hostel with a comfortable bed and public transport on the doorstep. This was a lifesaver since Lisbon is not easy to navigate with a reluctant body since the city is built on seven hills.

I spent my days wandering through botanical gardens, exploring local produce and products at the market, observing how art is displayed at a museum, and spending time in cafés with a book. On previous solo adventures, I didn’t make a plan other than jotting down a thing or two I wanted to see. And once I was there, I would just see what the day would bring me. But for Lisbon, I had to plan my days a bit more. And even if you are a bit more able-bodied than I was back then, it’s not a bad idea when visiting Lisbon since it’s not a small city.

But now for the real reason I was in Portugal: to visit my grandparents. Every winter they spent about a month in the Algarve. And I thought it would be a lovely idea to visit and spend some time together. So I hopped on a train from Lisbon to Faro and then onto Tavira, where my grandparents picked me up from the train station. This sounds all very romantic, and it could have been if it weren’t for the constant noise of the train causing a migraine attack that lasted my entire visit – welcome to life with chronic illness. Despite all that, I still had a lovely couple of days with my grandparents exploring the area between naps. So it was well worth the energy.