Next up on Dr. Lee Stoner’s  travels was Porto in Portugal. This time Lee and fiancé Krystina were accompanied by Lee’s little niece Chelsey, age 5, and Chelsey’s dad, David. Porto, the second largest city in Portugal, is one of Europes oldest settlements. Not surprisingly, Porto (aka Oporto) was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.

Lee picked this site to take his niece since he believed it was fairly compact and easy to navigate, but he didn’t account for all the hills – hills which do not bode well for little legs. Nonetheless, the stops at the Port wine caves did slow them down. This is the area which gave Port wine it’s name, and the oldest Port wine producers, including Taylor’s (over 300 years old), still operate alongside the Douro river.

Next up was Gdansk in Poland left a lasting impression on Lee and Krystina, pictured right, and not simply because it was so cold! While there they received a history lesson, one which lead to introspection and a deep respect for the privileges in life growing up in a western, free country affords.

This lesson was provided by the Solidarity Centre Foundation ‘Roads to Freedom’ Exhibition. At Gdansk Shipyard, which lies on the Baltic sea, begun the Solidarności (Solidarity) movement – the rise against communism which spread across Eastern Europe and led to the fall of the Berlin Wall. This movement started in 1980 – just 30 years ago! The exhibition gives a taste of life during communism, with poverty, bread lines, curfews, and secret police. Walking through this exhibit in 2010 you find it difficult to envisage this way of life, for when you walk out on to the street you are greeted by uber chic cafes, fine dining and a multi-story shopping mall. Then you find yourself staring at the middle-aged population, across to the younger population, then inwards while contemplating the differences in lifestyle and the gulf in freedoms and opportunities.