Portugal

I found Portugal very exciting. Not only was I arriving at the western most point in Europe, which by the way is on the same line of latitude as Manhattan, but I was also arriving in the country which meets the grand old Atlantic Ocean!! Naturally, I had to fly into and experience Lisbon, but it was my trip to the surf community of Peniche that I was truly looking foward to.
Lisbon is a great city, full of complete dichotemy between the old world and the modern. The different cathedrals and castles were on everyone's to-do list but I was much more impressed with the newly built Vasco de Gama tower and bridge, not to mention the most beautifully designed metro stations I have ever seen. Of course, with the metro station opinion I'm not the best judge, as I've been arriving at the 1 train South Ferry stop for the last five years... Honestly though, each stop has its own character and charm, complete with art work and marble.
Peniche is a wonderful surf community about an hours drive north of Lisbon. It's the first taste of the Atlantic Ocean I've had since I left Long Island. Being on the beach feels so incredible, since only an ocean and no land seperates me from my loved ones....The other great thing about Peniche is that after the flat spell Europe and its seas have provided me, I finally got some surf!!
My next stop are the Canary Islands which technically are part of Spain. Since they are near the equator and off the coast of Africa, they feel completely different, I hope....