Lisbon: Two Perfect Days

We had two full days in Lisbon. Well, more like a day and a half because we didn’t get out of the guesthouse until noon after our late night at the bullfights. You know your day is off to a late start when breakfast is a sandwich and a beer (Dave). I found a shot of espresso and a pastry.…

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Portugese Bullfighting: A Very Different Experience

    We went to see Portugese bullfighting in Lisbon last night. We had driven up from the Algarve, dropped our car off at the airport and taxied to our guesthouse arriving around 4:00. We bought our tickets to the bullfight online and relaxed for awhile since the event didn’t start until 9:45. Our taxi driver had given us quite…

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Portugal’s Algarve: Time to Recharge

Portugal’s Algarve region is home to some of the most beautiful beaches we have ever seen. Our four nights here have been the vacation within our vacation and provided a chance to recharge our batteries in advance of our time in Lisbon. We stayed in Salema, a lower key town on the Algarve about Midway between Lagos and Sagres. Oddly…

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Evora: Old World Portugal

Our two nights in Evora took us to old world Portugal. Evora is in the Alentejo region where it is hot and dry. We stayed at the new Valeriana Exclusive Guesthouse right in the center of the old town. It’s always tricky driving through these old towns. Streets are a tangle, many are one-way, and they are usually paved in…

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Hidden Portugal: The Schist Villages

Portugal is not as popular with American tourists as the rest of Europe so much of it may seem hidden. We (well, I) wanted to discover more Hidden Portugal. And I found it in the Schist Villages. These 27 villages lie in the Serra da Estrala mountains in central Portugal. Their name comes from the Schist stone that they are…

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Good Luck in the Douro Valley, Portugal

No trip to Portugal would be complete without Port wine and the Douro Valley is the source. We experienced good luck on numerous occassions during our visit there. There are several towns in the Douro but to immerse yourself in Port, stay at a Quinta like we did. The Quinta de Marrocos and their staff were wonderful! The Quinta sits…

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