Recent Articles
MATADOR NETWORK
PSA: Hawaii is Not a Theme Park
Last week saw the famed Eddie Aikau surf competition in Hawaii, a big wave extravaganza that only takes place when waves at Oahu’s Waimea Bay are at least 40 feet tall. With so many massive rollers smashing right onto the beach, one right after the other, the event was hair-raising. The scene on-shore was equally terrifying...
MATADOR NETWORK
At these Florence Workshops, You'll Learn the Secret of Handworked Leather
Walk through the streets of Florence, Italy, and you’ll be greeted not just by stunning Renaissance art, Baroque architecture, and the lyrical sound of the Italian language. You’ll also see leather everywhere: clothing stores carrying leather jackets, stationary shops vending leather-bound journals, and kiosks festooned with leather bags, wallets, and belts in every hue of the rainbow.
MATADOR NETWORK
This Portuguese Surf Town is Your Perfect Coastal Escape
The seaside town of Ericeira, Portugal, has become the new darling town for expats from Brazil, Australia, the US, and all over Europe. Packed with surf breaks you can survey from the cliffs above, Ericeira enjoys consistent Atlantic swells – the same swells that attracted the first international visitors, who were mainly surfers. Yet Ericeira’s charms, from its picturesque old town to its buzzing bar scene, extend well beyond the ocean, and some newer transplants don’t even surf. Here’s how to make the most of a weekend, a summer, or a lifetime in Ericeira.
MATADOR NETWORK
This Scenic and Quiet Hippy Surf Town Is the Perfect Getaway From San Francisco
Less than an hour from San Francisco, California, lies a four-mile long sliver of coastline sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the coastal mountains. Stinson Beach has a lengthy, soft sand beach and a low-key town center with little more than the essentials: a post office, grocery, two restaurants, and a handful of stores. At low tide, the Bolinas Lagoon at the town’s far end welcomes hundreds of harbor seals and thousands of birds. The friendly village vibe, abundant wildlife, trail-filled foothills, and vast, dune-backed beach feel a world away...
MATADOR NETWORK
Paris’s Museum of Jewish Art and History is a Must-Visit
THE CURRENT EXHIBIT AT THE MAHJ, the Museum of Jewish Art and History in Paris, is illuminating and sobering. You’ll recognize the showy colors of Marc Chagall and the emotive faces of Amedeo Modigliani. These artists’ works hang in the world’s important contemporary galleries, like New York’s MOMA, but not always with the context offered at the mahJ exhibit.
MATADOR NETWORK
Take your Loire Valley Visit to the Next Level with E-boats and DIY Wine Tastings
WITH AN OPULENT CASTLE seemingly on every hilltop, excellent food, and world-class wines, the Loire Valley understandably captivates visitors. But there’s more to the region than its history of extravagant nobility and their sprawling palaces, or “châteaux”. The region is also home to nature reserves, rivers, and forests. By e-biking or captaining your own electric boat, you can take in the sight from a less-traveled angle.
MATADOR NETWORK
This Artist Lends a Voice to those Who Are Less Heard, and the Results are Stunning
IF YOU FIND YOURSELF in downtown Quito, Ecuador, there’s a good chance you’ll see a very large mural proudly illuminating the side of a tall, multi-floor apartment building — standing out in bright contrast to the muted colors of the city.
MATADOR NETWORK
This Street Artist Gives Portugal’s Tile Tradition a Playful, Vibrant, and Modern Twist
A WALK THROUGH the Portuguese cities of Lisbon or Porto reveals one building after another whose facade is covered in decorative glazed tiles. Even in less affluent neighborhoods, where many structures have been worn down by time, these intricately painted azulejo tiles lend an elegance to the buildings they grace.
Books
Portugal: The MONOCLE Handbook
by multiple authors, including Noelle Alejandra Salmi
Frommer's SAN FRANCISCO
WITH KIDS (2nd Edition)
by Noelle Alejandra Salmi
Frommer's San Francisco
day by day (1st Edition)
by Noelle Alejandra Salmi
Frommer's San Francisco
day by day (2nd Edition)
by Noelle Alejandra Salmi
Frommer's SAN FRANCISCO
WITH KIDS (3rd Edition)
by Noelle Alejandra Salmi
Frommer's SAN FRANCISCO
WITH KIDS (4th Edition)
by Noelle Alejandra Salmi
About Me
Noelle Alejandra Salmi writes about travel, culture, and sustainability.
Noelle served as Outdoor Editor and Family Editor at award-winning lifestyle publication Matador Network. Her byline has appeared in USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, Santa Clara Weekly, The Spirit, Jornal do Brasil, Emerging Markets, and other newspapers. Noelle contributes to Monocle 24 Radio's The Globalist.
Noelle has also written for Monocle Travel, Matador Network, WestJet Magazine, Parenthood, Tablet Magazine, and several other outlets. She has authored multiple editions of Frommer's guidebooks and was an author for Portugal: The MONOCLE Handbook. She also worked for the Olympic News Service, Associated Press, and media outlets in the US, Germany, and Brazil.
Noelle received her BA in International Relations with departmental honors from Stanford University, and earned her Master of International Affairs degree at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. She is fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and German
Noelle and her husband divide their time between Europe and North America. They have three children.