Blogs from Portugal, Europe - page 8

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

We arrive in Lisbon at just before 8am. Lisbon is the capital city of Portugal, it is also the westernmost large city in Europe. Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, predating London, Paris and Rome. A traditional form of transport in Lisbon is the tram, they were introduced in the 19th century and imported from the USA. The distinctive yellow trams are one of the tourist icons of modern Lisbon. They are well suited to the steep hills and narrow streets. We are going on an organised trip to Obidos a picturesque village about 90 minutes away. We board the coach and make our way there. The guide tells us that she will be taking us to a little shop where we will be given a cherry liqueur in a chocolate cup. ... read more

Rather than explore all of the wines and regions of Portugal, I will focus on the Douro Valley, home of the most famous Portuguese wine, port, and more recently some enticing red wines. In fact, my trip up to Porto from Lisob is designed to do just that. Focus on ports and red wine. Do not be alarmed if you know very little or nothing about Portuguese wine. I was the same way back in 2001 on my first trip here. My golf buddy and travel mate, Mr. Mike made sure I got a deep and informative introduction into Portuguese wines, particularly vintage ports. We spent most afternoons, after 18 holes of golf, tracking down vintage ports. The two names you may be familiar with are port (of course) and Vinho Verde. But Portugal has 14 ... read more

Seven good reasons:One of the best health systems in the worldMiles of gorgeous coastlineEurope’s best-value capital cityOne of the safest places you... read more

Here is the secret to eating in Portugal: Portugal’s cuisine has long resisted the encroachments of fusion or molecular gastronomy. Hearty to a fault, family-run restaurants churn out satisfying variants of bacalhau (salted cod), piri-piri chicken, and ultra-sweet cakes. Another reason, Portugal is relatively cheap, and we are told by travel experts and foodies to forget about counting calories here. Local wines are fairly priced, and very underrated. A word to the wise when dressing up for dinner: do not wear heels. Why? the hilly streets are steep, cobblestoned, and are known as "heel eaters" for lack of a better term. And dinner does not usuall... read more