We left Lisbon in the rain, reminding me that just over a week ago when I left San Francisco, it was also raining. A similar view. Morning traffic into Lisbon. We stopped at a roadside stand in Evora, a place known for its cork trees. A busload of Hungarian tourists took to the woods to …
We started out in Lisbon with a view from Parque Eduardo VII to the Tagus River. As we headed towards the water, we saw the cross on a hill on the other side of the river. It is the Santuário de Cristo Rei, inspired by a similar cross in Rio and constructed in thanks that …
We started out the day with a visit to Tomar, a town that was created inside the walls of the Convento de Cristo, constructed by the Knights Templar in Portugal in the late 12th century. We had very little time and very little guidance, so I don’t have much to say about it except it is massive …
Today we visited the town of Aveiro, known as the Venice of Portugal. The town is located on the coast where fresh and sea water meet. For centuries the residents have maintained salt flats and gathered seagrass. Aveiro has a history of being the base for Portugal’s cod fishing fleet. Downtown historic Aveiro overlooking the …
Our tour today started at the Cathedral from which we had a good view of Porto. In front of the Cathedral is a large monument. Our guide pointed out four hooks from which offenders were hanged in the past. I wanted to get back to the Cathedral later on the day, but I never made …
We started out for Porto today. It was a very pleasant drive with little traffic. Scotch broom, which one of the Aussies told me they call Wattle, covered the countryside. I’ve never seen so much broom, the plant vilified in Marin as an invasive. After a rather ordinary drive except for the brilliant gold of …