Which Portugal Is Right for You?

COLLEGE SPIRIT & TRADITIONS Bicyclists pedal along Uppsala's cobblestoned streets, lined with inviting cafés and boutiques. The Fyris River flows lazily by gardens, along tree-lined riverbanks, and beneath footbridges draped with violet and white petunias. It would be almost too idyllic, but the town gets a jolt from the 20,000-plus students enrolled at Uppsala University (founded in 1477). Their contagious energy peaks each spring on April 30 for Valborg, or Walpurgis Eve. The tradition of welcoming the spring dates back to pre-Christian pagan festivals, when giant bonfires were lit to ward off evil spirits and clear the land of dead winter debris. In Uppsala, the festivities begin early: Families picnic on herring under blossoming trees in the Stadsträdgården (city park), and students race homemade boats down the river. At precisely 3 p.m., crowds gather below the town's imposing pink castle, where students past and present don their white graduation caps before swilling champagne, rolling down hills, and dancing around bonfires. Sweden's oldest university choir, Allmänna Sången, leads a nighttime sing-along in front of the castle. The party continues into the early morning at the 13 nations, unique student societies that date back to the 1600s and whose buildings are scattered throughout the city. Each has a restaurant and a pub, which offer deep discounts and are normally restricted to Uppsala students. Those with a student ID from a foreign university can gain entrance with a 60 SEK ($7) weekly guest card purchased at the university student union. Visitors without a guest card may find that a kind word and a smile are enough to gain entrance to many nations, especially early in the evening. OUTDOOR CAFÉS & DESIGN SHOPS Gästrike-Hälsinge nation, one of the few that stays open in summer, serves dinner in the backyard of a stately yellow mansion. Outdoor heaters and a stack of cozy fleece blankets ward off any evening chill, so you can linger over rounds of Åbro beers. Around the corner, overlooking a pond crowded with ducks and a few swans, Konditori Fågelsången is a quintessential Swedish café. The glass counters display dozens of sweets—cakes draped in green marzipan (princesstårta), rich chocolate balls rolled in coconut (kokosbollar), spiced apple tarts (äppelkaka), and warm cinnamon rolls (kanelbullar)—that tempt you to skip a sandwich in favor of dessert on the outdoor patio. For a more traditional and well-balanced meal, join the many Swedes who take advantage of daily lunch specials known as dagens rätt. Warm, filling Swedish classics like meatballs with gravy or salmon with potatoes and dill sauce are paired with a drink, a salad, bread, and coffee. Lunch at high-end restaurants, like the riverside Åkanten, is an especially good value (about 79 SEK/$9.50); the same meal might cost twice as much at dinner. Across the river, along the pedestrian-only stretch of Svartbäcksgatan, department stores and a giant H&M share space with cafés and 100-year-old bakeries. In warm weather, vendors with small wooden carts sell raspberries and chanterelles handpicked in nearby forests. At Holmlunds, a bi-level clothing boutique, find dresses and skinny jeans from Acne, the current darling of Swedish fashion. Nearby, DesignTorget stocks whimsical housewares, toys, and gifts. GREEN SPACES & ANCIENT SIGHTS Still further along Svartbäcksgatan is the meticulously maintained garden of pioneering botanist Carl Linnaeus, who created the system of classification still in use today. The organized garden, known as Linnéträdgården, has been preserved to look as it did when Linnaeus lived in the adjacent house in the 1700s. Entrance to the garden is free from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Beyond the walls of Linnéträdgården, the towering Gothic spires of Scandinavia's largest cathedral, Domkyrkan, are visible above the rooftops. Inside the 15th-century redbrick cathedral, the smell of freshly blown-out candles lingers beneath the soaring gray stone arches. In the small chapel in the rear of the cathedral, Gustav Vasa—the 16th-century king considered the founder of modern Sweden—is buried alongside three of his wives. Uppsala's oldest landmarks, a trio of royal burial mounds from the 6th century, are a few kilometers outside of town in an area called Gamla Uppsala, or Old Uppsala. As early as the 6th century, Gamla Uppsala was an important political and religious center, a home to Viking kings, and the site of mysterious pagan sacrifice rituals. Near the mounds, a 15th-century church faces the 21st-century Gamla Uppsala museum that details both the area's known history and its many unsubstantiated legends. On long summer days, when the sun doesn't set until 10:30 or so, the fields around Gamla Uppsala are great for lounging on a picnic blanket. Give in to the urge to linger—surely there's a later train back to Stockholm. Getting there Direct trains to Uppsala depart two to three times per hour from Stockholm Central Station; round-trip tickets cost about $14, and the trip takes 40 minutes. From Stockholm–Arlanda Airport, the train trip takes 20 minutes, and tickets cost about $28 round trip, sj.se. For Gamla Uppsala, take bus 2 or 110 from Kungsgatan, in front of the train station. Round-trip tickets are about $7.40 on-board or $5 at Pressbyrån newsstands (there's one in the train station). Spending the night The Scandic Uplandia hotel by the main shopping drag, Svartbäcksgatan, has contemporary rooms and an on-site sauna (doubles from $100, including a breakfast buffet). Or try the nearby hostel-style Uppsala Vandrarhem & Hotell (doubles from $60). At most Uppsala hotels, prices drop considerably on weekends and in late summer when business is slower.

The loveliest times to visit the Eternal City are also the busiest and most expensive: mid-March through June (with a spike around Easter), September through October, and December through early January. Hotel prices are generally lower in August, when locals flee the sweltering heat and many restaurants close. Whenever your visit, be warned that those who procrastinate will be punished with less-than-desirable locations and/or price tags. It's wise to consult hotel websites for possible discounts and to contact them directly—some will offer discounts of up to 10 percent for payment in cash. And as few Roman hotels are standard in room size and amenities, you'll want to be in touch to relay any special requests, like baby cots or even a room on a lower floor in hotels with no elevators. For online price comparisons, the Italian booking service venere.com typically has the best deals. One alternative is to rent an apartment, especially if you're traveling with children or in a large group. You'll find some of the best deals at rome-accom.com though many landlords require a substantial deposit and cash payment. You could also consider staying in a religious house. The sites go-to-italy.com and santasusanna.org have extensive lists of obliging current and former monasteries and convents.

Want an Upgrade? Enter here. Using our powers for the good of the people Tammy Bennett, of Germantown, Md., and her partner, Joanne Miller, had always wanted to take a road trip along the coast of California. So when Tammy's cousin in Los Angeles had a baby, they decided to pay her a visit—after driving down Highway 1 from San Francisco. The highlight? A landmark dear to Joanne: "I'd been to Hearst Castle as a kid, and the experience stuck with me," she says of the 115-room mansion built from 1919 to 1947 for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. "I wanted to share it with Tammy." Though visitors are usually restricted to just a few parts of the property, the couple was given full access to the entire site, including off-limits areas like Hearst's private office and vaults where centuries-old marble sculptures are stored. Their biggest discovery in the 90,080-square-foot complex was a secret rooftop terrace: The view—miles of coastline stretching in either direction—was sublime. Joanne made a joke about bringing up a lounge chair from the pool below to get a little sun, but Tammy had even bigger things in mind: "Why can't we live right here?" Many thanks to... Hearst Castle, which overlooks San Simeon, Calif., and was designed in collaboration with architect Julia Morgan. In addition to their private tour, Tammy and Joanne were given an advance copy of the coffee-table book Hearst's San Simeon. It hits shelves this month (800/444-4445, hearstcastle.com, open to the public every day except major holidays, tours from $20, kids $10; book $50).

This Month's Prize Tulum, Mexico The best response we receive between May 10, 2009, and June 25, 2009, wins a three-night trip for two people to the Blue Tulum Resort & Spa. The prize includes lodging, $500 for airfare, one massage per person, and a car rental. Estimated value is $4,000. Subject to availability, nontransferable, and nonnegotiable. Valid July 1, 2009, to Dec. 16, 2009. For more info: 866/336-2213, bluetulumresorts.com. How to enter: E-mail us at TrueStories@BudgetTravel.com or mail us at True Stories, Budget Travel, 530 Seventh Ave., 2nd Fl., New York, NY 10018. The full guidelines are available online at BudgetTravel.com/truestories. Trip Winner May's winner is Sandy Campbell of Deptford, N.J. Her prize is a five-night trip to Aruba, courtesy of the Aruba Tourism Authority and the Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort Aruba. I took my husband to see the spa on our cruise ship. The woman on duty there asked if I wanted a free wrap and massage. Since I was going to schedule one anyway, I said yes. She asked us to come back at 2 p.m. for a tour the spa was giving. We came back, and I followed her to a room for my treatment while my husband went on the tour. The woman put seaweed all over me and wrapped me in foil—and then she opened the doors for all to see! As I lay there, groups of eight to 10 people kept coming in to watch as she gave me scalp and foot massages and explained the cost of the treatments. I was mortified, and thank the Lord my husband didn't come in—he wouldn't have been able to contain himself. And the woman left the wrap on too long, so I had to see the ship's doctor for my burns. After all, Elvis is Le Roi On a trip to Paris, my daughter brought along an Elvis Presley figure. It belonged to a friend, who asked us to take photos of it with famous sights. We attracted a few stares at the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, holding tiny Elvis aloft to get the perspective right, but our best moment came at the Rodin Museum, at a replica of the famous sculpture The Thinker. While I fiddled with the camera, my daughter set the figurine down on the pedestal of the statue, which was apparently forbidden. A uniformed guard rushed over to see what crime we were committing, but when he saw the toy, he burst out laughing. "Ah, Elvees!" he exclaimed. "Ça va" ("That's OK"). Then he stood guard while we got our shot. Paula Markham, Blacksburg, Va. What's "rude" in Japanese? I called a Tokyo youth hostel to reserve a room. The woman who answered excitedly said, "Hi." That's a friendly way to answer the phone, I thought. "Hello, do you speak English?" I asked. "Hi," she said again. Surprised by the response, I asked again, "Do you speak English? I would like a room for tomorrow night." "Hi," she said. Becoming frustrated, I said, "Oh, never mind," and hung up. After reading a Japanese language guide, I realized that she was probably saying hai, the word for yes. She was telling me that she did speak English and did have a room. I arrived at the hostel nervous and without a reservation, but there was still a vacancy. Jill Farrell, Livermore, Calif. Is it sexist to say "nice legs"? My wife and I were touring Israel with an international women's group. On the bus we learned that we would visit a synagogue in Tiberias and that everyone would have to be dressed appropriately. Our guide looked at me and said, "No shorts, Roger!" Everyone heard, and one woman tossed me a colorful wrap. "I can't," I said. "Go ahead, try it on," she replied. As we were walking up to the synagogue, our guide said, "Roger, you need a hat." A woman from Atlanta offered me one—a little white number with a pink bow. Well, I had gone as far as the skirt, so why not? At least it fit me. But as I was approaching the entrance—women using one door and men another—I had a moment of hesitation about which door to go through! Roger Blakewell, Schofield, Wis. It's amazing what chefs can do with foams these days In 2006, my brother took our 92-year-old Sicilian-American father to Sicily. Dad has macular degeneration and extremely limited eyesight. They went into a restaurant to see if it looked like a good spot to have dinner, and my brother stopped to read a menu in a glass case on the wall. When Dad asked what he was doing, Phil answered that he was reading the menu to see if they should eat there. Then he looked over at Dad, who was leaning forward, also staring at something. Phil asked him what he was doing. He said he was reading the menu, too. "Dad," replied Phil, "that's the fire extinguisher." Rita Messina, Bothell, Wash. There are gods for that? My husband and I went to Phoenix in the summer. It was over 100 degrees, so we decided to buy some beer. At the store, we noticed that someone had left a half case of Corona on the median in the parking lot. We talked to the store manager, who told us to take the beer if we wanted it, so we did. On our evening walk, we realized that we had forgotten to get a lime for the beer. Just then, we noticed green fruit in and around the bushes we were passing—they were miniature lime trees teeming with ripe limes! We picked one up, took it back to our room, and enjoyed our beer with lime, feeling fully provided for by the beer gods. Lee Fenton, Shoreline, Wash. She really deserves a tip On our visit to Costa Rica's Proyecto Asis animal sanctuary, the owner asked my wife and me if we wanted a banana. The second I peeled one, a friendly kinkajou named Benjamin darted out of his cage and crawled all over me trying to get the fruit. I gave the banana to my wife, and Benjamin jumped over to her, apparently finding it comfortable when she leaned over so her back was a flat platform. The owner kept handing Benjamin fruit to eat on my wife. We didn't mind; we were just happy to meet such a cute creature. He left the peels on her back when he was done, but no tip. Mike Smith, Santa Fe, N.M. Very busy, it seems My husband and I were in a harbor in the Bahamas when we saw a small boat with several mattresses stacked in the back. Then we noticed the boat was named Gettin' Busy. We laughed so hard Kalik (the local beer) almost came out of our noses! Ashley Gobble, Oklahoma City, Okla. The new eco hairdryer Several years ago my sisters and I took a trip to France with our father, a Frenchman. He hadn't taught us to speak the language, so we relied on him to translate. One afternoon, he took a nap while my sisters and I got ready for the evening. My younger sister showered first, and as she dried her hair, the hairdryer blew out. My older sister called down to the front desk and tried to ask for a replacement. After 20 minutes, still no dryer. When my father woke up, my younger sister told him that our request for a hairdryer had been ignored, and she implied that the staff had refused our request because we were American. My father was very bothered by the matter and went to ask about it. A few minutes later he returned to our room with a hairdryer in hand and asked, "Which one of you geniuses ordered this?" My older sister said she had. He told her that instead of requesting a hairdryer (une sèche-cheveux), she had requested a hot goat (un chèvre chaud). Sandra Wolters, Atlanta, Ga. We can't believe it either My husband and I took a cruise to Cozumel, and on the last night, we put our luggage in the hall—everything but what we would need the next day. We awoke the following morning and began to dress. I had a three-piece outfit: pants, top, jacket. I pulled on my top; after looking for my pants, I realized that I didn't have them. What to do? The ship's gift shop was closed. I considered wrapping myself in a sheet, but how dumb would that be? Then it hit me. I held up my black jersey jacket and slowly put my legs in the sleeves. My husband gave me one of those "I can't believe it" looks, but it worked. After breakfast and socializing, we went to disembark. At that point, my jacket began to slip downward, but my husband found our luggage and got me my pants. A few minutes and a trip to the ladies' room later, I was dressed properly. Linda Sears, Winston-Salem, N.C. A brand-new BFF? While touring Cartagena last summer, we happened upon a local with an exotic pet: a sloth. Most of our family was repelled by the sight of this creature. The sloth had long, gangly limbs and big claws and moved with a creepy slowness. Before we could escape, the freaky creature reached for our animal-loving 8-year-old daughter, Julie. We were horrified when Julie welcomed it into her arms! The sloth was clearly well trained. It readily posed for a photo and then proceeded to hold her "ransom" so we would pay an exorbitant fee to its owner. After a bit of back-and-forth, we got it down to $5 and beat a hasty retreat. Catherine Bartz, Newport Beach, Calif. That is so not tempting We spent most of our time in China in a rural province, where we seemed to be the only Westerners. We ate the local fare, and it was delicious, but more often than not we didn't recognize most of what we were eating. After nearly two weeks of unusual and often unidentifiable food, we moved on to a larger city and checked in to a beautiful five-star Western-style hotel. Much to our surprise, the strangest food of our trip was listed in English on the hotel's enormous room-service menu: a dessert called Chocolate Puke. We passed, of course. Sarah Thornhill, Pawleys Island, S.C.