Blogs from Northern, Portugal, Europe - page 2

Following the success of yesterday’s plans, we thought a repeat today was a good idea, but with a different lunch destination. First we thought we’d check out this weird thing I’d seen (not on TikTok) called Bom Jesus. I hadn’t bothered to do any reading at all but the pictures looked cool, so off we set. After a false start at some other stairs leading to heavenly redemption, we found the right place. Despite the pious religious motifs scattered left, right and centre, it was actually pretty spectacular, and we meandered up and down the stairs for some cool photos, in between trans-continental tales of the dog’s escapades around the neighbourhood. Next stop Braga for some lunch. We had a quick look around the historical centre before hitting the main drag for a restaurant where we ... read more

My trip to the Lisboa area, and Porto are, as they say, "Up in the air" for now. My friend has not yet closed on her beach home in Cascais, due to many issues related to closing the sale. So, as always, I have a Plan B just in case. So, after a few days in Munich, I will either take the train to Slovenia, then maybe on to Athens, or perhaps make a little side trip to Albania. The train from Munich to Ljubljana is rather short, just over six hours. And very affordable. It takes about the same amount of time as flying. In fact, travel experts are suggesting I fly into Venice, and take the bus! I don't think so! Actually, I ended up in Lisboa on Monday. I decided that heading south ... read more

First some wine basics for the region: DOC (or DOP): DOC stands for Denominação de Origem Controlada and means the wine comes from a strictly defined geographical area with recommended and permitted grapes and maximum vine yields (to control quality). Technically there are 31 DOCs in Portugal, although 3 of them overlap, making it seem more like 28.... read more

Having been here once before, I can tell you that Portugal is a very underrated place to visit. The weather is great, the food is both hearty and interesting, the wines are inventive, and the people are friendly. Portugal is pricier than a super cheap getaway to the Southern United States, but compared to the rest of Europe, it's very economical, which is one reason why so many Americans are retiring here. With the dollar about even to the euro, you can expect to pay around $75 for a mid-range hotel and $20 for a three-course meal with drinks. That's quite a bargain for some of the world's best cuisine. One fact I did not know: Portugal has the oldest (1139) borders in Europe. Portugal is situated at the south-west point of Europe and also includes ... read more

Today we got to have Francisco and Vanessa as tour guides, to show us around Porto. They picked us up at 9:30 to drive into the city. They manage several short term apartment rentals, so they showed them to us. Then we did a walk around the city, down to the river, and then to a restaurant for lunch. We had franceszinhos, which are these huge stacked sandwiches (normally with meat, but there was a vegetarian option), topped with an egg, smothered in cheese and sauce. Super filling! After lunch, we walked to a park with beautiful views of the city, and then headed back to Espinho, stopped at an Intermarche to pick up my favourite double chocolate ice cream bars, and then back to home as the sun went down. Unfortunately, they head south for ... read more