By Michael L. Weiss | Besorah from the Journey Porto is a city that shimmers even in the rain. Perhaps it’s the granite—carved and weathered like an old scholar’s face. Perhaps it’s the azulejos—those iconic blue-and-white tiles that seem to tell entire epics on public walls. Or perhaps it’s simply the people, whose hospitality and […]
By Michael L Weiss | A Besorah from the Journey Sometimes the most meaningful experiences unfold not according to our plans, but by divine choreography. This past Saturday in Porto was one such moment. Our scheduled guide had a family emergency, and in her place arrived someone unexpected—a lawyer turned tour guide, whose English was […]
By Michael L Weiss | Besorah: Good News from the Journey Somewhere between the stony silence of ancient mountains and the murmuring flow of the Douro River, there exists a landscape so heartbreakingly beautiful it seems crafted not by geology, but by poetry. This is the Douro Valley of Portugal—where time slows to the rhythm of the […]
By Michael L Weiss | Besorah: Good News from the Journey Tucked into the terraced hills above Portugal’s Douro River, Six Senses Douro Valley is less a hotel and more a well-choreographed sigh of relief. Once a 19th-century manor house, now a modern-day retreat, the property exudes a quietly confident luxury that makes you want to cancel your return […]
A Hidden Legacy of Faith, Trade, and TragedyBy Michael L Weiss | Besorah: Good News from the Journey In the medieval tapestry of Portuguese history, the Templar knights are most often remembered for their military exploits, architectural grandeur, and secretive rituals. But interwoven with the story of these warrior-monks is a lesser-known but profoundly meaningful thread: the […]
Where Legends Were Built in StoneBy Michael L Weiss | Besorah: Good News from the Journey We often say at Ocean Reef that we are more than a community. We are a family, bound not only by friendship and shared experience. We are also united by the values we hold dear: faith, unity, discovery, community and remembrance. […]
By Michael L Weiss | Besorah: Good News from the Journey There’s a saying I’ve heard often in my life—G-d moves in mysterious ways. Those words never felt more alive. This was during our journey from Lisbon to the Six Senses in the Douro Valley, Portugal. First a little recap. When we landed in Lisbon, I was still […]
By Michael L Weiss | Besorah: Good News from the Journey Lisbon, Portugal — where every cobblestone tells a story, every pastry has a fan club, and every street musician seems to be auditioning for a Grammy. We touched down in Lisbon with the energy of seasoned travelers and the ankles of weekend warriors. Our home base? The […]
History, Food, and the Spirit of Endurance in Portugal and Spain The sunlight spills over tiled rooftops in Lisbon’s Alfama district, casting golden hues on the cobbled alleyways below. In the quiet shade of a 12th-century synagogue in Girona, Spain, ancient stones whisper secrets in Ladino, the language of Sephardic Jews. In the aromas of […]
The voyage from sea to city in Japan is less of a journey and more of a cultural slingshot, which we found ourselves strapped into after bidding farewell to our ocean-bound abode of the last five weeks. Leaving the ship with our seven (magically multiplying in weight) bags, we anticipated a simple transition to terra […]