It’s impossible to walk through Porto (or anywhere else in Portugal) and not notice all the intricate ceramic tiles on the facades of the buildings. These blue‑and‑white tiles — the azulejos — that turn ordinary façades into vast story panels. Azulejos arrived in Portugal through Moorish influence in the 13th century, but the style evolved
🇵🇹 The Blue Tiles of Porto: Stories Told in Ceramic Read More »
The building began its life in 1936 as the Imperial Café, a magnificent Art Deco landmark that catered to Porto’s “café society” — a place where people gathered to read the paper, meet friends, and watch the city move past the windows. Over time, the café closed and the building slipped into disrepair, its elegant
🇵🇹 Most beautiful McDonald’s in the world? Read More »
Sardines have been part of Portuguese life for centuries. By the 19th century, sardine fishing had become a major industry, especially along the western coast, where the cold Atlantic currents brought enormous shoals (large groups of fish) close to shore. Entire towns grew around the rhythm of the sardine season – boats heading out at
🇵🇹 The Fantastic World of Portuguese Sardines Read More »
If you ever want to understand Québec’s relationship with winter, go watch the ice‑canoe race on the St. Lawrence. It’s the kind of event that makes you question human decision‑making and admire it at the same time. Teams line up on the frozen river. The gun goes off, and immediately athletes sprint across jagged ice
🇨🇦⚜️❄️Wild World of Ice Canoe Racing Read More »
Each Spring, my family has a ritual of visiting the sugar shacks of Québec — cabane à sucre, as they’re known in French, are wooden cabins tucked into forests of maple trees. These cabins sit deep in the woods, surrounded by networks of tubing that snake from tree to tree, carrying sap toward the boiling
🇨🇦⚜️ Cabane à Sucre: Family Springtime Ritual Read More »
Porto sits in the north of Portugal, along the banks of the Douro River, not far from where the river winds inland toward the vineyards of the Douro Valley. It’s a city shaped by water, stone, and centuries of trade. Porto is a city that has a down to earth authentic vibe, that resonates throughout
🇵🇹 Portugal (June 2026 Postcard) Read More »
If you ask people to name a Canadian food, nine times out of ten they’ll say “maple syrup” or “poutine” – which is funny because both come from Québec. Poutine is as Québec as it gets — You’ll find it in small‑town casse‑croûtes (snack bars), busy Montréal diners, and late‑night spots all over the province.
🇨🇦⚜️ Poutine: Québec in a Bowl Read More »
If you’ve never had a Montréal bagel, the first thing to know is this: they’re not trying to be New York bagels. They’re proud to be their own thing . 🔧 How They’re Made That signature combination — honey + fire — is what makes a Montréal bagel taste like a Montréal bagel – sweet,
🇨🇦🥯 Montréal Bagels: Hot, Sweet, and it’s FIRE Read More »
Québec has this way of feeling familiar and completely its own at the same time. You cross the provincial border and the rhythm changes — the language, the food, the pace, even the way people gesture when they talk. It’s still Canada, but with a personality that doesn’t blend into anything around it. One of
🇨🇦 Quebec(May 2026 Postcard) Read More »
Welcome to Kevin! our newest writer at Around the World in 80 Cards. It took a little convincing to get him on board — he’s a software engineer who hasn’t put pen to paper since elementary school! When we handed him his first postcard, he stared at it like it was an ancient artifact and
🖊️Writer Spotlight: Kevin Read More »
