After the fact ...

Wow! That was … intense!

We are all just getting home after a most amazing, fun packed, information rich and simply breathtakingly exciting weekend of wine, discussion sessions, networking trips and tastings. What more could anyone wish for?

120 or so bloggers from all over the globe in one hotel, in the beautiful city of Lisbon, Portugal, and some stunning wines from around that country and beyond, is way beyond any dreams we might have had when we started this Wine Bloggers’ Conference adventure.

We will be writing all sorts of follow-up posts here and on our own blogs, linking to all the different perspectives that our many friends will have had on the event. However, for now let us say, as organisers, that the bloggers, both first-timers and seasoned veterans of past events, were brilliant. The sense of community was palpable, and the wines from Portugal and other participating countries, shone.

We will, in time, thank all our wonderful sponsors, the hotel, the restaurants, the people of Lisbon and Portugal, but for now, we all need to rest, recover and ponder – how can I express what I gained this weekend? The answers to that question will be many, and varied, and I guarantee they will be interesting.

Thank you all, and stay in touch! There are great plans afoot for the future!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Trip to Portugal: EWBC and Enoforum Wines ~ I’m Flying (wine-blog.org)
• II Annual European Wine Bloggers Conference Extraordinarily Brief Update (catavino.net)
• Bloggers Conference: what I’d say if I was there! (wineanorak.com)
• Planning A Trip To Lisbon? A Food and Wine Lover’s Perfect Day (catavino.net)

GoCars in Lisbon with Catavino from ryan opaz on Vimeo.

When visiting any new city, I tend to enjoy walking for long hours through its backstreets. I love passing by small cafes and restaurants savoring exotic smells wafting from its front doors, watching children playing in the alleys, or simply sitting in a park and basking in the energy of the city. To be honest, I’m not one for museums when only having a few days in a new location. I’d rather be in the fresh air, listening to locals chatting in their native tongue, seeing the architecture up close and personal, and striking up a conversation with anyone who can decipher my simple gestures or who can speak the handful of languages I can muster. To me, traveling is not only physically being in a location, but fully experiencing its sights, sounds, tastes, smells and overall feeling.

Hence, what better way to feel the sunshine on your face, or see the various hidden outdoor markets than taking a Go Car through the city of Lisbon?! During our recent visit to Portugal, we decided to take these little bright yellow cars for a ride, and quite honestly, thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Choosing the West City Center Tour, we zoomed through the city center, passing by the Amalia Rodrigues Museum, Sao Luis Theater, Bairro Alto, the Botanic Garden, Camoes Plaza and the Chiado, all while honking and waving at gawking tourists who were so wishing they too had a fabulous little race car to easily carry up those steep and windy streets. Not a bad way to travel!

Most tours last approximately an hour and a half, but if you’re interested in renting them for longer stints, this can also be arranged. Check out their website and if this is something you’re interested in partaking in during the conference, let us know in the comments below.

Oh, and one quick word of advice: if you have a head that is categorized on the “larger” side, you might want to consider bringing your own helmet