Blogs from Portugal, Europe - page 254

'Ola! This blog recounts my trip to Portugal last month, my first journey to the continent and a much-needed escape from the drudgery of London in mid-winter. Back in December, Kate (genius friend who masterminded the trip to Scotland) suggested we take advantage of the new year seat sales that the discount carriers (Ryan Air, Easy Jet, etc) put on in January to lure desperate, pale-skinned and swollen Londoners away from their few quid remaining from the excesses of Christmas. And frankly, a trip to the continent is far less expensive than the consequences of the new year sales here in London, where one could find themselves in a total frenzy of bargain heaven. This is a lesson I learnt early upon my arrival in London - I am still recovering from the cost of having ... read more

Before I start, I have to ask you a very important question that has been bugging me for a while now: "If R2D2 is such a smart robot, how come he has to whistle all the time. Why couldn't they teach this ugly sliding cylindrical box some fucken English? Or Spanish, since he looks like some mail-ordered-trash-can out of a discount janitorial supply catalog?" OK this will conclude the venting portion of this e mail - and if any of you took offense to my racial remark, admit this - it was good line, and then - Grow up! Now I want to write something nice. PAULA & CARLOS Barbara and I spent the Christmas, New Year's Eve, and more, as Paula and Carlos guests - staying at their great 200 years old vaulted ceiling loft ... read more

OK so I am now back from Portugal. The trip started Thursday afternoon, when I met Freya downtown and we waited for Jeff to come pick us up in the rental car which he was picking up from the airport. Jeff soon arrived, we quickly jumped into the car as Jeff had parked in the middle of a Taxi queue line. Driving in Granada is interesting, the main part of the center is closed to only Buses and Taxi´s (and a hell of a lot of moto´s) so we had to take a backwards way out of town but finally made it out to the freeway. settling down into what was going to be a 9.5 hour drive ahead of us to the norther Portuguese town of Porto, I just kind of zoned out. After ... read more

Beautiful. It's hard to say much else about it. This place left me speechless and at the moment the only word to descibe it is 'beautiful'. The people are incredibly nice and very mellow. Life in Porto seems good, peaceful, and happy. I had a hard time leaving this place, and in this place was the first time that it really hit me. I'm not home anymore. I am in Europe! I am in Portugal! I have seen two countries in one week! Crazy! I fell in love with Porto. I had never felt so content in my life. Sitting in a quiet bar with good company, sharing a local red, interacting with the people all made me realize why I came. At this moment, I realized why I have always felt the urge to leave ... read more

On the road, north, after a thunderous drenching in Sagres. Headed to Evora, an ancient walled city, to the east of Lisbon. We took a lunch break in the town of Almodovar, where we were, I certain, the first Americans they had seen in a long time. In a local bar we had a great meal of fish and beef with beers. The locals cleared a space for us and only stared for the first half hour. Arriving at Evora at approximately quitting time, we plunged into the traffice swirl around the walled city and around and around the circulos, in an effort to make our way up the hill to the Posada Loi's. Herv's infallible sense of direction finally got us there, with only one false turn up a one-way street. The natives were most ... read more