Blogs from Portugal, Europe - page 145

There have been so many moments on this trip when I feel like someone should come along and pinch me. I have to pause and take it all in because it almost seems surreal, like I am in a dream... Am I really sitting at a little table in the south of Spain drinking blanco sangria listening to this perfect musician playing the accordion? Or watching the flamenco dancers so passionately and aggressively expressing themselves through their dance in a tiny show theatre on some random side street? Could it be possible that I am in one of the 3 biggest cathedrals in the world? And are my eyes failing me? Or is that pair of Italian leather shoes really only 15 euro? I love this place And then there are the moments when someone needs ... read more

Last night, we covered a distance of 340 km from Sintra to Porto in less than three hours. The drive was uneventful since it was mostly on freeways. We noticed speed limit signs but most people didn’t bother to obey. Several times we ran into fast Audis and we decided to create a convoy of speeding Audis; TT, A5, A4, and S6. The convoy did save us from the dull of straight driving on freeways. This morning, refreshed, we are up for a new city exploration. Fortunately, despite the fact that Porto is the second largest city in Portugal, its size is relatively small. We are looking forward to slow down our sightseeing pace a bit since today is our eighth day in our Spain-Portugal driving vacation. Porto’s Av. Diogo Leite along Douro River is where ... read more

Avenue da Liberdade From our hotel, we drive on Avenue da Liberdade towards downtown. This avenue is lined by world famous designers. It is as if we are strutting on Lisbon’s catwalk in a sporty and progressive Audi TT. Through our windows, we see a painter on the sidewalk sketching a couple in love, artisans offering handmade handicrafts, and a few outdoor cafes filled with tourists and locals enjoying their breakfast. Pombaline Baixa Arriving in downtown area, we are greeted by relatively easy traffic despite the fact it is the morning commute hour. The downtown area, Pombaline Baixa, was constructed after the 1775 devastating earthquake. The city blocks are well organized in grid with many one-way streets. Learning from the painful destruction, the city builders in 18th century constructed the buildings in Pombaline Baixa with the ... read more

After a few hours of downtown exploration, we drive eastward on Ave. 24 de Juhlo towards Belem. There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Belém: Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery. Built as a fortified lighthouse in 16th century, Torre de Belém was designed to guard the entrance to the port and the nearby Monastery. This place was where many of the great Portuguese explorers set off on their voyages of discovery. In its golden age, treasures – porcelains, silks, rubies, pearls – and spices – turmeric, ginger, pepper, cumin – arrived from far-flung corners of its empire in the East. From the West, Portuguese imported coffee, gold, diamonds, and red dyewood. Back then, Portuguese Maritime Empire made Lisbon the commerce center for Europe, Africa, and Asia. After walking around the tower ground admiring the intricate ... read more

Friday, June 17th, marked our first day in Portugal. We were filled with anticipation to discover a new country. Our only plan was to drive up the coast and stop at places that seemed interesting. Sometimes we would just stop in a town or at a beach have a quick look and jump back in and carry on our way. This day our first stop was the small village of Tavira. We jumped on a ferryboat for a 10-minute jaunt to Tarvia Isla. The tiny island was much more developed than we expected with a half dozen high priced seafood restaurant and crowded beaches. You can also camp on the island if you want to stay overnight. We opted to have lunch and a quick stroll to the beach before heading back to the mainland and ... read more