The word “summer” symbolizes many things, and one of them is without a doubt “holiday”, with “travel” coming to mind too. When the time comes —usually when we are freed from the chains of work—, we lock everything up, throw a few things into a case and leave. We leave everything and everyone behind.

I often wonder what it is that pushes us to leave. Is it forgetting about our monotonous life? Discovering new cultures? Taking a break from everything? Looking for adventures? Because it is the trendy thing to do? Or maybe we do it just because we can afford it? There must be a thousand and one different reasons, each as varied the people who chose them.

In my view the travel boom came about not so long ago and the main reason for it was that our humble wallets could afford a flight from one side of the planet to the other. That is why low-cost companies are a God to me, and every time I think about the hassle with the luggage or those uncomfortable seats that would be well suited as a means of torture, I also think that if it were not for them, I would have never been able to take all the trips that I have. It is simply a matter of finding something to complain about. If these companies ever disappeared we would all be happy, right? But we will talk about this some other time — or maybe not.

Coming back to our topic at hand, perhaps the heart of the matter lies precisely in travellers themselves. The traveling spirit has always been in people since the very earliest times. For evidence we only need see great explorers like Ferdinand Magellan, Alexander the Great, Amelia Earhart, Ibn Battuta or Marco Polo, who is said to have been the first traveller.

These people were not really travellers. They were actual conquerors, adventurers and explorers. We will never be able to experience what they felt. There is nothing new left for us to discover, but there is still plenty to live and experience. There is a whole world out there too big for us to ever tire of it.

So this year, from here at Passeigdegracia.com, I want to recommend my special summer destination. A chance recommendation that has also been planned. A country where everything will delight us and make us fall in love with it: magical cities layered with labyrinthine cobbled streets, castles and palaces surrounded by fog and forests, ancient villages, beautiful beaches and golden sands, gigantic cliffs…A country with many a tale to tell whilst seated around its magnificent table, while enjoying the simple but exquisite flavours and aromas of freshly baked bread, cheeses, wines and grilled sardines.

You might have rightly guessed that the country I’m talking about is Portugal. This year, Portugal promises to be a wonderful destination not only because of the magical sight I just told you about (and the many more that I had to leave in the ink well), but because this year the country has won everything on the European level: Porto has been selected as the Best European Destination 2012 and Lisbon was awarded the title in 2010, but this year is has not gone far with its 8th place. Guimarães, a small town near Porto, puts the icing on the cake: it has been chosen as the European Capital of Culture 2012. So, do you really need any more reasons?

If you haven’t chosen your holiday destination yet this year, Portugal is calling at your door. And if you have got somewhere chosen, let us know where and why you are going there. We would love to get some suggestions!