Tag: portugal

The Douro Valley was a top priority for a day trip from Porto. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – extending over 600 kms. The hillside vineyards and wineries are very picturesque! Here’s a description that I found online which describes it perfectly:

The Douro Wine Region Valley, up to Barca de Alva, is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. First, the river carved the deep valleys out of the land and then Man transformed the schist mountains into soil and walls and planted the vines, green in summer, flame-coloured in autumn. With knowledge handed down from generation to generation, he inclined the terraces to expose the vines to the rays of the sun which give the grapes the warmth that the wine craves. It was from the fruits of the land and Man’s labour that this unique wine and landscape were made.

I should have booked the tour before heading out on my Camino. Many of the tours were already booked by the time I came back to Porto, but I was able to grab a spot in a small group tour for May 27th. We met near Porto City Hall. The group consisted of two couples from Dublin and a group of three consultants working for Accenture in Amsterdam. All young professionals.

It takes about 1.5 hours to drive to the Douro Valley from Porto. One impressive part of the journey is the Marao Tunnel built in 2016. It is 5.7kms long and reduces travel time substantially. The journey to our first stop took a little over an hour.

We stopped in the town of Pinhao for a short break. I took in some views of the rive, hillsides and crossed over a pedestrian bridge with beautiful views of the arched Ponte do Pinhao over the Douro.

The next stop was over a winding road to the Quinta de Siexa, producer of Sandeman ports and Mateus wine. I was amazed that some large buses travelled up this road! Beautiful views from this Quinta and we enjoyed an informative tour with a tasting of a white and tawny port on a picturesque patio. I’m not a big port fan, but these were nice to taste.

We wound our way up the valley to our destination for lunch at a lovely restaurant with a nice view. It was a typical Portuguese lunch of roasted lamb and a fish stew. Of course, it included bread and local olive oil. The service was excellent and the wine was good.

After lunch, we were dropped off along the Douro River to enjoy an hour-long boat cruise through the valley. I met an Irish woman who had done a walking tour through the vineyards earlier in the day. I would have loved to have done that! It was a pleasant boat ride, although quite a few people on board so it was hard to get the photos that I wanted without being in someone’s way. The views from the river really highlighted the vertical landscape of the vineyards and gave us views of various Quintas. Most vineyards grow olive trees alongside the grapes, and often various citrus trees as well. I can’t imagine picking grapes in these vineyards!

Then the final stop of the tour at D’Origem Winery and Olive Oil Museum. We had a tour of the museum showing the ways of extracting olive oil in the old days. Now it is all done by machinery. The tasting was done on a patio overlooking the valley. We enjoyed a glass of white and a glass of red, along with local honey and almonds and bread to dip in the local olive oil. The views from the winery were also beautiful.

Now it was time to hop in the van and make the 1.5 hour trip back to Porto. Although we had threatening-looking clouds, there was no rain during our tour. However, my walk back to the hotel was quite soggy!

Although it was a pleasant day, I didn’t care for our guide. I didn’t feel he was knowledgeable about the area. I would do things differently if I return:

1. Instead of booking a Viator tour, I would spend the extra money for a personal tour guide and book this at least a week in advance. This would provide a much better experience like visiting smaller family-run wineries, accessing different view points and learning more historical/cultural background.
2. Another option would be to take the train to the area and stay a couple of nights. Some wineries are within walking distance, but I am sure there would be options to find a guide if needed. And it would be easy to access hiking trails!
3. Renting a car and driving would be my last of different options. It definitely gives one more freedom for stops, etc. but you would miss out on the “secrets” of the area you would get with a local guide.

Douro Valley is beautiful and not to be missed if you are in the area of Porto.

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While planning my trip to Portugal at the beginning of this year, I started looking at day trips from Porto, knowing that I would be spending several days in the area. This trip caught my attention. When we visited Portugal in 2019 we connected with a guide (through a colleague at UBC). Joao had posted on his blog that he had visited here so I asked him how it was. He said, “Fantastic, you have to do it!”. So I booked the full-day tour for May 26th.

From my hotel, I walked to the meeting point leaving time to have coffee and some breakfast at what turned out to be one of my favourite cafes, Pastelaria Tupi. Lots of locals here! Then down the street to look for our guide, Ricardo from Ennetours and his white van. Once all 8 travelers arrived, off we went, crossing the Ponte de Feixo bridge over the Douro River and heading south-east for about 1 hour. We stopped in the town of Arouca for a coffee before completing the last part of the drive along a narrow winding road to get to the trailhead at Areinha for the start of the Paiva Walkways and access to the Suspension Bridge.

We saw a herd of goats when Ricardo parked the car and we had a short walk to the Auroca 516 Suspension Bridge where we could see the bridge in all its splendor. After a few photos, we walked to the entrance.

A little bit about the bridge. It was built in 2020 by a group of mountain climbers and highly skilled engineers. It’s the 2nd longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world (the longest is in Nepal) and is 516 meters long (as indicated in the name) suspended 175 meters above the Paiva River . It is a fascinating story of construction. Here’s a link to learn more: Ponte 516 Arouca: Site Oficial Ponte Suspensa

Now back to the crossing…I do have some issues with vertigo and I was feeling a little anxious. And, at the bridge, Ricardo let us know that we would need to walk to the other side…and back again! That’s over a kilometer of bridge walking!

A young Moroccan woman, Ines, who was in our group was feeling anxious as well. We agreed to support each other during the bridge walk. The number of people on the bridge is limited, but you do pass another group coming the other way. And there are strict rules – no running or bouncing, and no sitting down (they take that as a sign you are in distress).

Ines and I started together. The bottom of the walkway is grated, so you can see through it. I focused on looking ahead and after a while, I relaxed. This bridge is very well constructed. I started feeling a little giddy…truly enjoying the experience. Ines and I traded phones to take photos of each other.

On the other side, Ines wandered off to a spot well away from the others. I found out later that she asked the park rangers if she could have a cigarette to calm her nerves! After about 15 minutes we started back to the other side. I was much more confident now and took in the amazing views of the Paiva River and the wooden walkway that we would soon be walking on. What a great experience! Definitely a highlight of my time in Portugal.

Once back on the other side, we were able to start the Paiva Walkway. Both the walkway and the suspension bridge are located in the Arouca Geopark, a UNESCO Geological site. The boardwalk and path hugs the Paiva River between Areinha and Espiunca. There are over 400 stairs on the boardwalk. Because we started at Areinha, we walked downstream and down the stairs (not up)…thankfully!

Ines and I walked together. I learned that she is studying law in Paris and after this trip she will be going to China for two months before returning to school. We had a great conversations.

About halfway through the 8 km walk, we encountered another suspension bridge. This one was bouncier, but very short and not very high. No problem getting across and back for that one! At this point, we had the choice to keep walking, or have Ricardo drive us to the end where we would meet the others. We selected walking. He did tell us that we would have to pick up the pace, as some of the others had passed through about 20 minutes before us.

The views continued to amaze. There were a few beaches along the river, where people could swim. It wasn’t too busy on the path and we didn’t see anyone picnicing or swimming. We knew we were on a tight time line, so we marched on…taking photos along the way.

When we arrived at the end of the trail, everyone was there, and we had made up about 15 minutes of time, so the other walkers only waited about 5 minutes for us. Everyone was amazed that we go there so quickly!

Back into the van for a 20 minute drive back to Arouca for lunch. We dined Asquinha da Quinta and enjoyed the regional speciality of Vitela Assada a Regional – roasted veal. The meal was delicious, the veal was so tender and served with roast potatoes, wilted spinach, tasty bread and olives, along with wine. Afterwards, Ricardo took us to the town square where we enjoyed espresso and a selection of portuguese sweets from Loja Does Doces Conventuais. I was so full after that!

We discovered that Ricardo works in the Arouca tourist office when he is not conducting tours. No wonder he is so knowledgeable about the area.

Across from the town square is the Monsteiro de Arouca. Ricardo arranged a tour through this historic site built in the 12th century. It became a female Cistercian Monastery with its most famous inhabitant, Queen of Castile, who entered the monastery at the age of 13 when her husband died before the marriage was consummated. It became the property of the State Portuguese in 1834 and the nuns continued living there until the last one died in 1886. We heard that part of monetary will be converted to a hotel.

Thankfully, we missed the downpour of rain happening while we were touring inside the monestary!

After the tour, we loaded into the van and made the 1 hour journey back to Porto. It was a great day! I highly recommend this experience.

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Since I started my Camino at Matosinhos (after taking the Metro from Porto), I decided to walk to the beach town on one of my days in Porto. It is an easy path, you just go downhill (through some beautiful side streets) to the Douro River and follow the river until it reaches the Atlantic Ocean then continue along the ocean path. It was about an 11 km walk from my hotel.

Along the Douro, I discovered a big music concert being set up at the Alfondega do Porto site. And near the same site was a Van Gogh exhibition. The sunflowers reminded me of Taylor and I had a few moments there thinking of her.

The Arrabida Bridge (one of 6 bridges crossing the Douro River in Porto) came into view. It was an engineering masterpiece completed in 1965. Apparently, you can walk over the bridge arch but I was not interested in doing that! This bridge is only 3 km from the ocean, so it withstands some pretty gusty winds. Right next to the bridge is a building for the engineering company which also houses a restaurant with some pretty amazing views.

The path continued to the Atlantic Ocean and the community of Foz do Douro. There’s evidence of a fishing village and a memorial near the local rescue station.

Soon I came to the breakwater (protecting the estuaries of the Douro River) with two lighthouses and some interesting art. Just across the road is a fort built in 1647, Fortaleza de Sao Joao do Fao. Beaches along this stretch were small sandy patches amongst rocky outcroppings. People found many different places to bathe in the sun!

Continuing along the path, I found interesting beach-side restaurants, a group of youth cleaning a section of the beach, a young woman doing yoga on the boardwalk and a 1930’s neo-classical-inspired pergola at Praia do Molhe beach.

One of the most interesting moments of this day was meeting a couple of fishermen who had stopped at a refreshment stand on the promenade. They were still in their scuba gear and had three large eel-looking fish on their hooks. I asked if I could take their picture…and the younger man asked if I would send it to him on Instagram…which I did.

Later I passed by the Forte de Sao Francisco Xavier on the water and noticed a group of men playing cards on the rocky shore below.

I have been amazed with the amount of outdoor exercise equipment all along the coast of Northern Portugal, and just before Matosinhos I found another one with a fair amount of activity on a hot day.

Then the views of Matosinhos beaches were in front of me. This is a popular local surfing beach, although the waves are very small during the summer. Nevertheless, a beautiful stretch of beach only a 25 minute metro ride from the city centre. Lots of restaurants along the water.

I wandered through the streets of Matosinhos, looking for the metro to find my way back to Porto. Eventually I found a section of the city where there appears to be a local market and fair being set up. It was fairly quiet, but I imagine it would be bustling on the weekend.

I enjoyed my walk to Matosinhos. I would encourage anyone going to Porto to explore this area. Easily done by tram, bus or metro…no need to walk the whole way.

On June 1st, just two days after my retirement, we boarded a plane with our friends Dave and Susan for a vacation in Portugal…one of my bucket-list destinations. I have included some pictures in this blog, but you can see more in the Gallery section.

Lisbon:

Love, love, love Lisbon! Our home base was in Alfama in a comfortable and functional Air BNB. Alfama is the oldest neighbourhood in Lisbon. First settled by the Romans and flourished in Moorish times. It is built on the slopes above the Rio Teja and has endless winding alleys and tiny public squares. We learned that many apartments were being converted to Air BNB’s which was starting to make it unaffordable for the locals. As of the end of 2019, no new holiday rental licences would be issued.

We arrived during the month long Festival De Lisboa. The streets were colourfully decorated and came alive in the evenings with booths selling wine, beer, and local food such as grilled sardines. Music filled the alleys and live entertainment popped up on the weekends.

Through a colleague at UBC, I was introduced to Joao Guadalpi (his wife’s cousin’s husband) who is a tour guide in Lisbon. His company is called West Portugal Tours…we highly recommend him. Our first full day (June 3), we spent 4 hours with Joao on a walking tour through the city. His historical knowledge and story telling was impressive…and he is a really nice guy as well.

Highlights: Miradouro de Santa Luzia, Castelo De Sao Jorge, Elevador de Santa Justa with amazing views of Praca do Rossio, Igreja do Carmo, the neighbourhoods of Chiado (shopping) and Bairro Alto (nightlife and restaurants), introduction to pasteis de nata, Lisbon Rail Station…and so much more.

Further exploration included a day trip by tram to Belem to see the Tower of Belem, Monestary of Jeronimos, and Casa Pasteis De Belem where they have been making these delightful custard treats since 1837 with a secret recipe originating from the monks who developed this famous tart. And yes, I waited in line to get a half-dozen of these delicious treats for me and my travel companions!

The walk along the Tagus river as it enters the Atlantic was very enjoyable. Unbelievable view of the 25 of April Bridge renamed to commemorate the revolution of April 25, 1974 that restored democracy to Portugal. The design was inspired by San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Another highlight was the 170 ft high Monument to the Discoveries built in 1960 to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator.

We hopped on a local ferry one night to travel to Cacilhas (just across the river) to enjoy the sunset with a view of 25 of April Bridge and dinner at a centuries-old establishment called O Farol for a seafood dinner. Sunset was spectacular. Dinner was OK.

Craig and Dave explored the War Museum, while Susan and I set out to find the Tile Museum. We didn’t find it; however, we explored another neighbourhood with colourful murals and walked around the outside of Santa Engracia which contains centotaphs of Vasca da Gama, Henry the Navigator and the famous fado singer Amalia Rodrigues. Later we took a tuk-tuk to the Gracia neighbourhood for another spectacular view of the city and a ride back down on the famous Tram 28.

It is so easy to walk around the neighbourhoods of Baixa, Chiado and Bairro Alto . I spent our last afternoon in Lisbon wandering the streets and soaking in the atmosphere. I watched a vernacular make it’s way up a steep hill while cars and pedestrians travelled all over the tracks. Took about 20 minutes for it to travel up the hill…about 5 blocks!

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Lisbon (Silver) Coast

Another highlight of our Trip was a full-day tour with our Guide-extraordinaire, Joao (West Portugal Tours). First stop of the day was in the small town of Serra da Vila to sample a local treat where they are made. The Pateis de Feijao are a delicious almond tart and they pair well with a robust espresso!

Next stop, AgedaMae Winery. This is a relatively new winery with their first production in 2011. Since then they have won numerous awards for their wine and their business. Their signature “Dory” label reflects the family’s history in the fishing history, with the cod fishing dory boats on the label. Wines, both red and white were tasty.

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On the road again, this time to the fishing village of Peniche (home town of my co-worker’s wife). Amazing views from Baleal with interesting rock formations. Peniche is historically a fishing town, so what better place to have an enomous seafood lunch than here! Joao made a reservation at a small family restaurant, Marisqueira Mirandum where we experienced an amazing seafood platter that included crab, lobster, prawns, sea snails, barnacles accompanied with a great Portugese white wine. Soooo good!

Next a short drive to Nazare, a very famous surfing beach. You may remember hearing of an 80 foot wave ridden by a Hawaiian surfer in 2017. This is the place. Sitio is the place overlooking the beautiful beaches and this is where we stopped. Legend has it that a nobleman was hunting on a misty day and the deer he was pursuing fell over the cliff. He was about to do the same and called out to Our Lady of Nazare and he was saved. He ordered a chapel to be built, which still stands today with beautiful Portugese tiles lining it. We also saw the “ladies with the seven skirts” selling treats of candy and roasted nuts. These women represent the tradition of fisher wives who would await the return of their fishermen husbands on the cold and windy beaches.

Final stop of the day was at Obidos, a beautiful city within the walls of what was once a medieval castle. It is now a tourist destination with the town well looked after. We learned that Portugese houses are typically painted with blue or yellow trim. We noticed that throughout our trip. In the summer, they hold a medieval festival here, and it is a charming place to wander at any time, especially some of the back alleys

Sintra and Cascais

Sintra and Cascais was easy to get to via train from Lisbon which takes about 90 minutes. Once in Sintra, we hopped on a bus to explore the various sites located in hills of Serra de Sintra. The first stop was Castelo de Mouros, a 10th Century Moorish castle overlooking the town of Sintra and surrounding hills. Lots of stairs and hills, but beautiful scenery. We had views of several estates and castles.

Hopped on the bus again to Pena Palace, a colourful palace that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the seven wonders of Portugal. Unfortunately, it started to rain while we were here, so standing in line to go inside the castle was not something we wanted to do. It was pretty impressive from the outside, and we did get a chance to walk through the gardens during a break in the rain. Back on the bus, we decided not to view the other sites in Sintra. Back in town, we hopped on a bus to Caiscais. The windows were foggy, so not too much to see. There were sections of the road where cars had to back up to let the bus through. Very glad not to be driving!

Cascais, we are sure, is a beautiful place. The rain had followed us, and although we did walk around, our siteseeing was limited by the weather. We enjoyed the harbour and found an interesting outdoor art installation. Many people describe the seaside area as a “typical Portugese town”. I found it to be a little like a tourist area in many cities…pleasant, with lots of restaurants and tourist shops. During our time in Portugal we were lucky to truly enjoy typical Portugese towns.

Atlantic Coast

Leaving Lisbon, we drove over the …..bridge on our way south via the Atlantic coast. Our tour guide Joao had given us many suggestions on where to stop on our way to the Algarve. The first day we travelled directly to Sines, a small port and fishing village where we stayed overnight. It was great to walk around the small streets (not to great to drive on) and along the beach. Found a wonderful sunny patio for a late lunch, and later a pub just two doors away from the hotel.

The next day, we had several stops along the West Atlantic coast. Porto Cova, Vila Nova, Arrifana (where we found a lovely family run seafood restaurant…one of the best meals we had in Portugal). The stop at Bordeira beach was amazing. The wooden boardwalk afforded some amazing views of the coastline where surfers enjoy the waves. You can walk from the beach to the little town of Carrapateira.

Algarve

Next stop was our Airbnb in Luz in the Algarve. Checked in, went grocery shopping and a quick walk around the town.

Our Airbnb was spacious and had a beautiful view of the beach. Lots of room and several patios! Definitely a comfortable place for the next 6 days.

We explored the area around Luz both by foot and by car.

Day trips took us several places. Lagos (only 5 kms away for a walk along the promenade, then a walk cliffside at Ponte de Piedade, visiting Praia D Ana. We travelled to Sagres and St. Vincent cape, where explorers left to discover Brazil, India and Africa. This is where Henry the Navigator established a nautical school. It truly felt like the end of the world.

One of the most outstanding days in this area was spent on a small boat touring the coast areas between Portomao and Albufeira and included a stop at the famous Bengali Cave. Our tour hosts were entertaining and accommodating (Royal Nautic). We cruised by dolphins, Carvoeiro, Praia de Rocha, Praia de Bengali and much more. Afterwards, we drove to Carvoeiro for a closer look.

Another day, we headed West from Luz and simply explored many small towns, villages and shorelines. Quite by accident, we came across a nude beach…didn’t stay too long there! The small village of Salema was lovely and I would definitely think of staying there on another trip. We found old forts and many (very) narrow streets in the neighbouring towns.

On our last day, we went on a quest to see the oblelisk that we could see from our Air BNB patio, high a top a hill overlooking Praia de Luz. After winding our way around to the far side of the hill, we stopped at Praia do Porto de Mos…and there we found a trail. It was a pleasant walk with several look-outs along the way. The obelisk was unimpressive…just a marker…but the hike and views made up for it.

The last night in Luz, was a fresh seafood feast. There was a great fish monger (and French bakery) just a block away from our condo. Menu consisted of grilled sardines, swordfish and tuna cooked on a barbeque with wood briquettes. The final night’s sunset was also amazing.

Monsaraz and Evora

After our 6 days on the Algarve, we headed up the middle of Portugal to Evora, with a stop at Monsaraz on the recommendation of Joao (our Lisbon tour guide). Monsaraz is a walled medieval castle surrounded by olive groves and vineyards. There are outstanding views of the Alqueva reservoir and of Spain on the other side. Had an unpleasant experience at lunch (a very rude waiter, and an attempt to overcharge), but otherwise it was a nice stop.

We arrived in Evora late in the afternoon on a Sunday and managed to find our hotel after parking the car. Narrow, cobbled streets everywhere, most of them one-way. The old town is compact and very easy to walk around. The influence of the Romans, Moors and Portugese are every where. One of the most interesting sites was the Chapel of the Bones (Capela dos Ossos). Three monks lined the walls of the chapels with bones from various Evora churchyards in the early 1600’s to remind the rich residents that material things do not matter in death. During our evening wander after dinner, we found a “interesting” live art exhibit. I was more fascinated with the facial expressions of some of the audience.

Final road trip back to Lisbon where we stayed overnight in a hotel near the airport to catch our morning flight the next day. Not too much around, but we did find a lovely little restaurant near a man-made lake where we enjoyed a cold beer and watched the locals celebrating the long weekend in the park.

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Adios Portugal. Hope to visit again one day.

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