Any recs/advice for Portugal?

[pumpkin]

My friend and I have booked a last minute tour in Portugal for the end of October. I’m excited to travel again, but am feeling rusty and realizing I have to figure out how to wear real clothes and not just the Birks & Uggs I’ve lived in the last 2.5years.

Anyway, if anyone has any recommendations or advice, please share.

[RockNVoll]

Not sure if you're asking for recs on what to wear or recs for, presumably, Lisbon? In any case, I'll just say go eat at the Time Out Market and get pasteis at Manteigaria. I'm sure others will have lots more ideas, but those two are fond memories for me.

[pumpkin]

Aug 21, 2022 21:48:52 GMT -5 RockNVoll said:

Not sure if you're asking for recs on what to wear or recs for, presumably, Lisbon? In any case, I'll just say go eat at the Time Out Market and get pasteis at Manteigaria. I'm sure others will have lots more ideas, but those two are fond memories for me.

Thanks! Honestly, I have no idea what I’m really looking for so am open to hearing it all, lol.

We’ll have time in Lisbon, Évora, Sintra, Coimbra, Porto, and Tomar.

[mrsGreeko]

We went in March, but with our three kids so obviously that changes things. We loved Sintra and really enjoyed Evora. Lisbon was alright too. We also stayed near Faro, but it was off season, we should have went to Lagos or Porto instead. I wrote up our entire trip story for my local board and I could copy here if you want.

[erbear]

Portugal is my favorite place in the world.

In Lisbon -- definitely go to Time Out Market, probably more than once . There is a great restaurant called By the Wine that we have eaten in a bunch. There is a super delicious Mozambican place up the hill under the castle that was super delicious. We did a food tour and it was very fun. Go to the castle, go out to Belem, wander around.

Porto is a really cool city. We did a porthouse tour at Calem and it was fun. We drank a lot of port....There was a great outdoor rooftop beer garden that we really liked. Had a great dinner at Bao (??) -- definitely a bun place. Again, just walking the city is amazing!

[Nonny]

I'm coming over here to butt in on pumpkin's thread (and I totally get you having to dress like a real person). Only I'm looking to Portugal and Spain next spring, not this fall. I have a thread about it over on ML.

mrsGreeko, I'd love to hear your write up.

erbear, what's the name of the Mozambican place?

[pumpkin]

Aug 25, 2022 20:31:59 GMT -5 Nonny said:

I'm coming over here to butt in on pumpkin's thread (and I totally get you having to dress like a real person). Only I'm looking to Portugal and Spain next spring, not this fall. I have a thread about it over on ML.

mrsGreeko, I'd love to hear your write up.

erbear, what's the name of the Mozambican place?

Nonny, we can tag team this as I just saw your post and plan to read through it later. I wish we were doing Spain too, but this is totally last minute so only Portugal this go round. Also, we’re in relatively the same area so I’ll totally share any stuff from leaving from Sea. I’ll try to remember to touch base when I get back (or feel free to PM me) 😊

[erbear]

Aug 25, 2022 20:31:59 GMT -5 Nonny said:

I'm coming over here to butt in on pumpkin's thread (and I totally get you having to dress like a real person). Only I'm looking to Portugal and Spain next spring, not this fall. I have a thread about it over on ML.

mrsGreeko, I'd love to hear your write up.

erbear, what's the name of the Mozambican place?

Cannot remember. Cantinho Aziz or something?

[Nonny]

Aug 25, 2022 21:19:57 GMT -5 pumpkin said:

Aug 25, 2022 20:31:59 GMT -5 Nonny said:

I'm coming over here to butt in on pumpkin 's thread (and I totally get you having to dress like a real person). Only I'm looking to Portugal and Spain next spring, not this fall. I have a thread about it over on ML.

mrsGreeko , I'd love to hear your write up.

erbear , what's the name of the Mozambican place?

Nonny , we can tag team this as I just saw your post and plan to read through it later. I wish we were doing Spain too, but this is totally last minute so only Portugal this go round. Also, we’re in relatively the same area so I’ll totally share any stuff from leaving from Sea. I’ll try to remember to touch base when I get back (or feel free to PM me) 😊

I've been sitting here dying of the heat all day, book marking things, and chatting with people about this trip on a FB group too, and now I feel like I could easily spend a week each in just Barcelona and Lisbon. I don't even have a budget or dates nailed down yet. LOL!

[mrsGreeko]

It’s long and full of other random unhelpful details, but there’s probably something on there that’s useful.

I write down our trip stories to put in the photo books I make for the trips and I usually share here, so here’s Portugal during covid.


3/19-3/28/2022

On Friday March 18, 2022 we got our rapid covid tests so that Portugal would admit us. This was kind of a pain because we had to use an urgent care and they had to do a whole exam even though I told them it was for travel. I should have told them it was for exposure to get insurance to cover it since we had to do the entire exam anyway. We only had to test everyone over age 12, so DS was spared from having to test. All came back negative which was a huge relief.

On Saturday we woke up, packed and finished all the pre-departure things that needed to be done. We left home and arrived at the airport. The airport was complete chaos with so many people and we were unable to check in at a kiosk so we had to wait to see an agent. Finally we were able to see the agent, but he couldn’t figure out what was wrong with our tickets. We spent a lot of time waiting and then he finally realized that our tickets hadn’t been synced when they changed our return flights so he did that and we got checked in finally. Made it through security and to the gate with no issues. Got some food, filled up water bottles and got on our plane bound for London.

The flight was uneventful. Lots of movies and fitful sleep. Landed in London, went through passport control, got some breakfast, and waited for the next flight. While we waited DH and DD2 played a dancing game with a robot. When trying to board the next flight we had to wait for awhile to get our TAP boarding passes. Finally got on the plane and more TV and sleeping on the flight to Lisbon.

When we landed in Lisbon we got our luggage, got our rental car, and headed off to Sintra. After a few missteps we arrived at our apartment and got unloaded. Our apartment was located on a pedestrian street so it was very quiet. We got settled and then walked down the pedestrian street to find food. Since it was Sunday, a lot of things were closed. We finally found a restaurant, Regional Sintra, and went in and ordered food. They brought out olives, cheese, butter, and bread as is traditional in Portugal. The cheese was so good, it was a goat, sheep and cow milk cheese. The rest of the food was simple and plain. Nothing particularly special, but good enough. We wandered through a souvenir shop on the way home and noticed that they had so many things made of cork. We had no idea that was a thing in Portugal. We wandered unsuccessfully around looking for dessert for a little bit. We got back to the apartment and everyone was tired so we went to sleep.

DH and I were up in the middle of the night with the jet lag for a few hours. But we were able to fall back asleep until morning. In the morning we slept in a little and then woke up and had coffee. DH and I popped into the market downstairs to grab a few things while the kids slept and then we came back and got the kids moving. We walked across to the little cafe, Cafetaria Tulipa, across the street. The cafe was pretty crowded and it was unclear how to proceed. We pointed to things in the case and then sat down and a waiter brought us our orders. The pastries were really good as were the cappuccinos. DH went to order a bottle of orange juice and a whole orange. When they brought it to him they brought him the bottle of orange juice and a cup of fresh squeezed orange juice made from the whole oranges in the case. He drank it all.

After that we walked up towards the train station and found a tuk tuk to take us up to Pena Palace. The kids loved riding in the tuk tuk, especially DS. Our driver, Carlos, was very friendly. He dropped us off at Pena Palace and got a 5 euro tip because he didn’t have change. He gave us his number and said to call when we wanted to come back down. We tried to purchase our tickets online while standing in the line, but were not successful because it wouldn’t take our normal credit card so we waited in the line. Got to the front and it still wouldn’t take the card, so we used a different one and it worked just fine. Probably should have tried that online! Our timed entry wasn’t for 25 minutes or so, so we decided to walk around the forest nearby a little bit. Then we headed into the palace. We did not buy the bus tickets so we had to walk up the hill. It wasn’t too bad, but it was a bit of a hike. We got up to the palace and decided to do the interior first. That was a good decision as there was no line, but when we came out later, there was a long line. The tile work and painting work was really impressive in the palace. We walked on the walls a little and saw the exterior and decided to stop in the cafe on site for lunch. Again, no real indication as to how it worked. They had a menu, but that wasn’t what they actually had for purchase. So we pointed to things in the case. DH, DD1, and I had salads. DS had rice and cheesecake and DD2 had cheesecake. There weren’t a lot of choices.

After we ate we walked back down to the entrance and then down the hill to the Castle of the Moors. We explored the ruins for a while. The walkways were narrow and a little nerve wracking at times. DD1 bumped her head on a doorway and got a headache. We grabbed some popcorn, coffee, and candy bars from the snack stand and wandered back out to the road after calling Carlos to come back. He said he would, but we waited for a long time and he never showed up so we walked back up to the Pena Palace to find a tuk tuk there. DS was very disappointed that we did not have Carlos as our driver again. We probably could have just walked down into town, but we didn’t know. The tuk tuk brought us into the tourist district and recommended we try the traditional pastries at Piriquita. We wandered through souvenir shops where DS bought a little wooden cross bow with cork tipped arrows. There was a little shop selling shots of ginja or port out of a window. Ginja is a sour cherry liqueur that they serve in chocolate cups. I tried the ginja and DH tried the port. Then we stopped at Piriquita for some pastries. There was a whole store dedicated to canned fish so we went in and bought some ridiculously overpriced sardines, canned tuna, and canned sea bass. Then we headed back to the apartment for a little rest. We all rested for a little while and then walked back to the tourist district for dinner. We wandered around looking for a restaurant that had a good looking menu. We found one, Paris Cafe, and went in. The food was very very good. So were the desserts. After dinner we headed back to the apartment to go to bed.

The next day we woke up and it was rainy. We had breakfast at the same cafe, but this time DH only ordered the fresh squeezed orange juice. Then we had some time before we had to check out so the girls and I walked back over to the tourist area to do some souvenir shopping. DD1 and I bought sweatshirts and DD2 bought some cork bracelets. We came back and walked down to the market nearby. It was interesting with chickens with their heads still attached for sale, and lots of fruits and vegetables and breads and other foods. We packed up and loaded up the car. I went to return the key to the host in the hostel, but I couldn’t get into the hostel without a code and I couldn’t figure out how to call him. Luckily a woman was going into the hostel and let me in. I left the keys and we were off on our drive to our next place in the Algarve region.

On the drive we noticed large nests on the electric wire towers. They were stork nests. We drove about half way there and came upon a highway rest stop and decided to stop there for lunch. They had a cafeteria inside so everyone could get something. The food was pretty good. Then back on the road for the rest of the drive. We arrived at the Martinhal family resort in Quinta do Lago and checked in and found our townhouse. It was so big and had a yard with it’s own pool. We went to the little market at the resort to buy breakfast stuff. Then we relaxed for a little while. We googled and found a restaurant called The Shack that looked like it would be a good restaurant for us so we drove over to it. Unfortunately they had just closed their kitchen 10 minutes before we got there. So we went to the restaurant next door, Casa do Logo. The food was really good here. Then back to the townhouse for bed.

The next day we woke to a lot of rain so we let the kids sleep in. Then we got them up and we went to try to see the flamingos on the Ludo Trail. We parked and wandered on a boardwalk next to a disgusting swampy area, which didn’t seem much like the descriptions. We did not see flamingos and went back to the car in the rain. We needed to get lunch by this point so we found a restaurant called Izzy’s Beach Restaurant that was on the beach. It was nice listening to the waves and seeing the ocean, but the weather was definitely not cooperating. The food was really good though, the piri-piri chicken was amazing.

We decided to find a gelato place and we did, but there was a drunk homeless guy sitting outside that was being really loud so we hurried up and ate and left. After that we found a grocery store to shop in. We love shopping in grocery stores in foreign countries. We picked up some cookies and wine and found out that they had a juicer in the produce section for fresh squeezed orange juice. So we had to get some fresh squeezed orange juice of course. After the store I accidentally hit the wrong destination in the GPS so we had a bit of an adventure and drove through Faro before eventually getting back to the townhouse for some rest. It stopped raining and I still wanted to see flamingos so DH and I went to see if we could find the other end of the Ludo trail. We did, but we drove down in between some houses to get there. I’m not exactly sure that was how you were supposed to do it. This trail was beautiful and we probably would have seen flamingos if we had done this trail that morning. We didn’t have a lot of time before it got dark so we walked down a little ways, but didn’t see any flamingos. We got back to the car and DH started driving down the wrong pathway, but we eventually figured out how to get back to the road. We got back to the house and tried to figure out dinner. We spent a lot of time and ultimately decided to go back to the grocery store because they had a food court inside. Again it wasn’t clear exactly how to do it, but through some trial and error and some translations from a nice lady we got our food and sat down to eat. The food was fine and it allowed everyone to get something they liked without too much trouble. Back to the townhouse. DH let DD1 try driving the manual car we had rented around the resort a little bit while the younger kids and I relaxed at the townhouse.

We had to check out by 10am so we got up early and packed up and got on the road for the drive to Evora. When we got to Evora we needed lunch so we stopped into a McDonalds because it’s always fun to try McDonalds in foreign countries. DH ordered the pea soup instead of fries with his sandwich. It wasn’t good. After lunch we drove into the walled city of Evora a little bit and found parking, except it appeared to be hotel parking so after some hemming and hawing we moved the car into the city a little further where we found a paid spot. It was not raining and looked like the weather would hold for a while so everyone except DH left their raincoats in the car. Then we walked to the Chapel of Bones. The Chapel was really interesting. We looked at the art they had and the nativity collection and when we got outside it was pouring rain. So we darted across the square to a little restaurant and got coffees and snacks. It was still pouring when we were done so we popped into a souvenir shop quickly and bought 4 ugly cheap plastic jackets. Not long after that the rain stopped. We found the Roman ruins and looked at the aqueducts and then got back in the car because it was raining hard again. On the way to Lisbon we stopped at some neolithic ruins, Almendres Cromlech. It was absolutely pouring at this point. The kids refused to get out of the car, but DH and I walked the 500m from the car to go see the ruins. They were pretty neat, but we didn’t linger long because of the rain. Then we drove onto Lisbon.

As we drove into Lisbon proper at rush hour traffic got extremely bad. There was an accident blocking the road we needed to turn on so we had to drive in circles for a bit down one ways to get where we needed to go. Finally got into the apartment. Luckily there was an italian restaurant, La Tagliatella, downstairs because everyone was tired and cranky and no one had the patience to go far to find dinner. The food was a variety of pasta with a variety of sauces or pizza. That was it. It was fine. Then dessert and back up to the apartment to go to sleep.

The next morning DH and I woke earlier than the kids and walked to a little grocery store around the corner to buy things like more freshly squeezed orange juice, pain au chocolat, cans of sardines, cookies, milk, yogurt, pears, etc. We bought the Lisbon card online before leaving the apartment. Then we walked over to the metro station and had to buy tickets to get to where we could pick up our Lisbon cards. The metro was really clean and nice. We arrived at Praco do Comercio and picked up our Lisbon cards then went to the Lisbon Story Center (included with our Lisbon cards) to learn the history of Lisbon. It was mainly an audio tour while you looked at a few pictures. I don’t think DS was able to get as much out of it. After we finished that we had lunch at Can the Can. The food was pretty good here.

After lunch we walked to the Arco do Rua Augusta and went up to the top to see the view (included with our Lisbon cards). We walked down Rua Augusta looking in the shops. We stopped in an Ale-Hop to buy a USB charging hub for European outlets and they talked DH into buying a back massager and then I was convinced to buy wireless ear buds for myself and the girls. We were going to take the Elevador de Santa Justa up to the Carmo Convent because it was included with our Lisbon card, but the line was really long as a man came up and said he knew a better way so we followed him to a free elevator with no line. It wasn’t the historic fancy elevator, but it did the trick with no line. We tipped him a euro or so for his help. Then we went to the Carmo convent, which was a church destroyed in the 1755 earthquake. The church was interesting, but they also had several Egyptian mummies on display inside.

After the Carmo convent we went next door to the Museu da Guarda Nacional Republicana. It was free with the Lisbon card. It was an interesting museum detailing mainly the revolution that overthrew Salazar in 1974. Everyone was tired though so we caught the metro (now free with the Lisbon card) back to the apartment for some rest. After a few hours everyone was refreshed and we decided to go catch the historic tram at the beginning of the line to avoid the crowds. We rode the metro to the start of the tram line and after some back and forth finally figured out where to catch the tram (free with Lisbon card). We got on and got seats and rode it around until it seemed like we were in Baixa-Chiado area. Some of the streets the tram went down were so narrow the tram barely fit. DS really wanted ramen and it was 9pm by this point so we found a ramen restaurant, Afuri, nearby the tram stop and walked over. The restaurant was packed, but they found us a table right away. The ramen was really really good. Then we caught the metro to the apartment and went to bed.

The next morning, DH and I woke up and went to the grocery store again. After we got the kids up we took the metro to the Praco do Comercio again. We needed to get covid tests to return home so we found a place near the Rua Augusta, but we hadn’t made appointments so I quickly made appointments and sent each person in to get their test while I made the rest of the appointments. Once we’d all been swabbed we walked back to Praco do Comercio to catch the modern tram (free with Lisbon card) towards Belem. We got off at the LX Factory to have lunch. The LX factory area was a happening place. We ended up at an Argentinian restaurant, El Chanta, for lunch. The bathrooms at the LX factory were extremely interesting, full of graffiti and interesting art. The lunch was good. We walked around LX factory for a little bit and then walked to the Ponte 24 de Abril. We learned about the history of this bridge and went up one of the pillars. DS and DD1 are not big fans of heights. DS would not walk on the glass floor because he was too nervous. DD1 did briefly, but was not a fan. We then caught a train towards Belem (free with Lisbon card). The graffiti in the train station was impressive. We got off the train at the Belem station. There were some little restaurants there so we stopped for gelato by the river. Then we decided to walk to Belem tower. It was much further than we anticipated. We did see a cool monument to maritime exploration on the way and we could see fish in the water as we walked, which enthralled DS. We eventually arrived at Belem Tower. There was a long line that didn’t seem to be moving so DH asked what was up and we found out that they were waiting for people to come out to let people in. It was after 4pm at this point and it closed at 5pm so we decided not to wait. We looked around the tower from the outside and DS climbed a tree and tried to climb the tower. Then we caught the bus back to the Praco do Comercio. We split up to do some souvenir shopping. DS ended up with Pokemon cards, DD2 a plastic vulture figurine, and DD1 with a necklace and ring. We met back up and found a restaurant on Rua Augusta to eat dinner, Cafeteria Sao Nicolau. The food was okay, but it was interesting people watching as we ate. Then we hopped back on the metro back to the apartment to pack up. The kids still had a little souvenir money to spend so we went to the grocery store for candy.

We had an early morning flight and the time changed in Europe that day so we had to get up very early and it felt even earlier. We all got up and finished the last bits of packing and then packed up the car and turned in the keys and were off to the airport. We found a gas station to fill up at and then we arrived at the airport where we had to do two circles because we missed the tiny rental car return sign the first go around. Got the car turned in and got checked in for our flight. They only gave us boarding passes for our flight from Lisbon to London for some reason. We got through security and decided to get breakfast because it looked like our gate was right there. But we had to go through passport control to get to our gate so we felt more pressed for time than we should have been. We finally got through and to our gate, where they put us on a bus. The bus drives us out to the tarmac where we waited on the bus for 30 minutes next to our plane. They finally let us out of the bus, but they allow people to board the single aisle airplane from the front and the back which is a total disaster. Finally everyone is seated and we take off. But this puts our arrival into London 20-30 minutes late. We had a tight connection and we apparently did the connection part in Heathrow wrong as there were no signs indicating anything so we ended up missing our flight from London to Washington DC. They were not able to rebook us on anything that day so we had to stay in London overnight. They sent us to TAP airlines to get vouchers. They gave us vouchers for bus, lunch, dinner, breakfast and 2 rooms at a Best Western nearby. We have to get new covid tests so we go to the testing site in the airport only to find a ridiculous line and a woman tells us to come back in the afternoon. We find the Hotel Hoppa bus and a man tells us it would be better to take a regular bus. So we go off to find the regular bus, but that is a bust and we just end up back at the Hotel Hoppa stop.

We get the bus and end up at our hotel. On the bus I contact my friend in Letchworth to see if she is around and maybe we could go up and say hi. It is mother’s day in England so they have plans. It takes the hotel a while to find our reservation and get us checked in. We finally get lunch at the hotel restaurant. The main menu looks pretty good, but they have a special menu for voucher people. It’s okay though, we can get 2 courses. After we eat we go up to the rooms to rest and so I can make new covid test appointments at Heathrow. We get the appointments and order and Uber to take us back to the airport. We go to the test area which thankfully has a non-existant line now and get our covid tests. Then we stop in the little shop in the airport to buy things like deodorant, contact solution, UK power adaptor, and canker sore gel (The UK has the best stuff, called Iglu). We go back to the Hotel Hoppa stop and catch the bus back to the hotel again. Then we just hang out in the rooms until it’s dinner time. We go down to the restaurant and are presented with the same menu as we had at lunch. Eat and then go back to the rooms to go to sleep. Get up really early to get to the airport by 5am as that is when we were told to be back. We get in the line to check in, but it’s not moving because they haven’t opened the check in kiosks. They don’t actually open those until 5:30am. The agent checking our covid tests and such recognizes us from the previous day and doesn’t actually check our covid tests. We get checked in and get our bag tags changed and go to security. Get through security and get breakfast. Then make the really long walk to our gate. Finally get on the plane. The ride starts to get really bumpy as we get near Newark, which makes DS get sick. He gets sick all over his mask so we throw that away, but he mainly made it in the bag so it’s easy to clean up. He doesn’t put a mask back on. We go through passport control with Global Entry, thank goodness because the normal line was long, but it only took us like 3 minutes, with the hardest part being getting DS’s face scanned by the scanner. DS walks through security with no mask and no one says anything. We find our gate and then get ridiculously expensive really disgusting food to eat. Get on our last plane. DS doesn’t wear a mask and still no one says anything. We finally land in Denver and get our luggage and my mom comes and picks us up and brings us home.

[keweenawlove]

We went in May 2019 and stay in Lisbon, Lagos, Porto, and the Duero Valley.
-We were excited for Porto but enjoyed Lisbon a lot more. Porto was so much more crowded and touristy. It was so much fun to just wander the city. We stayed in off the "pink street" which was a major party street but the rooms were surprisingly quiet.
-Kayaking the coast in Lagos was beautiful. You might be too late in the season for it but the coast will be beautiful no matter what.
-Sagres (where sailors thought land ended) was fun for a "end of the Earth" type feeling. We had fun watching the surfers at the beaches there.

[mrshandy]

Ok posting my insanely long Portugal review. That I posted on my local board. 



Ok if anyone reads all of this. You deserve an espresso and a pastel de nata.



Summary - Portugal is amazing and everyone should go! We did so much in a week it's hard to believe. It's the first time that I've really been to Europe with the money to experience it properly.



Portugal tips:

Masks - Wearing masks inside is just a given wherever you go. I had a good supply of disposal masks and some N95 for H and me, the kids refused to wear them so I let them wear surgical masks. Wearing it for 9+ hours at the airport was the only time I was fatigued of masks. At restaurants you wore them everywhere except at tables. The restaurants were mostly small where we went, but eating inside was the risk we were willing to take. If we would limited ourselves to eating outside only, we would have been freezing and we would have had no where to eat.

Money – We did a mix of cash and cards. I got 200-250 euros every few days from the bank. There was one restaurant we went to that didn’t take cards so it was good to have that on hand. Also it was nice just to pay cash for an ice cream, pastry, or café. THEY DO NOT LIKE AMERICAN EXPRESS. We mostly use Amex at home for the rewards and planned to use it for this trip, but brought a backup Visa just in case. We ended up using this most of the time. Only a few places in Lisbon took Amex.

Phones – we paid for the travel pass $10/day for my phone then ended up using it for H’s phone a few times. We needed it anytime we separated. So many things required phones so this really is essential.

Food – Breakfast at the hotel was great, lunch varied from grab n go sandwiches, dinners we always tried to really enjoy, coffee midday was a good way to offset the midday wine. 😊

Walking – Definitely need comfortable walking shoes. I had some slip on skechers that worked pretty good.

Transportation – We rented a car to take us around the countryside. Definitely was necessary. We didn’t use it once we got to the hotels. But it was great to be able to see sights in between the hotels and just to carry around our crap. LOL.

Souvenirs – So much great stuff to buy. I wish I had packed less so I could have fit more stuff. Lesson learned for next trip. We got a few trinkets and some wine. Could not find a Christmas ornament anywhere in this country.

Weather – Overall the weather was very mixed which made packing challenging. Mornings were chilly and you needed a jacket, midday warmed up so you could getaway with a sweater. One day I attempted shorts and regretted it when cloudy/rainy weather rolled in 30 min later.



Day 1

H and I went for COVID tests in the morning that we weren’t really sure we needed, but whatever. We went to a clinic close to our house. Rapid tests that took way too long, but we both tested negative so yay. I booked these flights in June 2021 and they changed from a connection in Montreal to a direct flight from Dulles which worked out great. We left for the airport around 645PM for a 1020PM departure. I dropped H off with the kids, luggage (totally forgot DD’s car seat whoops) at the departures area, then went to park the car in the economy lot.

Everything went smoothly getting through security. We used our Amex perks and found the Turkish Airlines lounge. We all grabbed snacks and drinks until it was time to head to our gate. Our seats changed from what we picked out so that was annoying (H and the kids were in middle seats and I was next to them). I settled in to try to get some sleep right away with a neck pillow, ear plugs, and eye mask. I skipped dinner because we had just ate.

I snoozed off for a little while and then woke up and it was light out. We had a little snack and coffee and then we landed shortly afterwards.



Day 2 - Evora

Getting off the plane, we had to present our COVID vaccination cards and our negative tests (I can’t remember if they really looked at it). Then we got into the Customs line. Oh boy…I tried to get some snacks for the kids and we went to the bathroom, but the vending machine wasn’t working. We got into line and it was AWFUL. I guess I wasn’t prepared for waiting for 2 ½ hours in line being hungry and exhausted. Hindsight, I will make sure to have extra snacks for everyone just for this line. Another thing I will consider is flying in on a weekday if possible. When we finally got through, our luggage was waiting for us and we found the first café to grab some food, coffee and sit down for a few minutes.

Then we had to find where to go for the rental car shuttle. That took another 20-30 minutes or so and we got on the shuttle to the rental car place. The rental car took another 30-45 minutes of waiting for this and that. By that point, I was losing patience and so tired and frustrated. When we finally left, we had been at the airport and rental car place for 4 hours. I was worried we wouldn’t be able to check into the hotel but we still had a 90 min drive.

Driving away was wonderful after waiting so long. We had arranged for me to pay $10/day to use my phone during our trip so we used my phone to navigate. We also paid for me to be the extra driver although we never used it LOL. And had to pay for a car seat for DD since we forgot hers.

Navigating into Evora, I knew that parking was a little dicey around the hotel (it’s on a very narrow street), but once we got close to it, we found a spot and it was Saturday so it was free. Our final trial was dragging all our luggage through the cobblestone streets and finding the hotel. Thank god for navigation. The hotel was lovely. (Noble House Apartments) The room was a little smaller than I booked. But we made it work. The view was awesome. Just stick your head out and look down the street at the apartments and cathedral. H and I enjoyed the complementary bottle of Port! After a long day, that hit the spot so much.

I took a walk to find a local grocery store and just soaked up this beautiful medieval town. I picked up a Portuguese newspaper to put into our car windshield as recommended in the Rick Steve’s book to prevent theft. Although it had a big rental car sticker right on it. Despite the exhaustion, it was amazing. I had made reservations at a local taskinha (Taska Fina) since it was Saturday and I didn’t want us to be stuck with no food. Most restaurants in Portugal don’t open until 7 or 730PM, so I had made a 730 reservation. I had found it in one of the travel books. It was tiny and fabulous. We ordered a bottle of wine and some delicious pork dish. The Alentajo region is known for its pork. DS ordered an egg and pork dish. It was an amazing introduction to Portugal and one of our favorite meals. DD was whining for ice cream even though it was freezing, so we got some ice cream on the way back. Of course, she hated it. DD was definitely tired and cranky and extra whiney about everything.

We were all tired so it was time for bed. H and I slept with DD and DS slept in a couch pullout. Of course he woke me up in the middle of the night because it was uncomfortable. I slept fine on it. But whatever.



Day 3 – Evora/Coimbra

I went for a short run in the morning which was a great way to see the town. I had my phone and ran towards the city wall and just ran along the wall and then made my back to the hotel. I’ve always been pretty good at navigating and it was nice to tap into my navigation skills again.

Breakfast was at 830 and we went downstairs to enjoy our first Portuguese breakfast. It was a really nice continental breakfast with yummy pastries, breads, eggs, bacon, espresso, fruits, etc. We ate a bunch so we wouldn’t have to worry about lunch later.

Because of the delays at the airport, we hadn’t really seen any of Evora and were happy to have a 12PM checkout so we could see some of the sites. We made a beeline for the Capella dos Ossos or the Chapel of Bones. A chapel made out of Bones quite macabre but I figured the kids would think it was neat. It was pretty cool and crazy to think about how many dead people were there.

I stopped at a little shop nearby where they didn’t speak English and it looked authentic. I picked up a lovely small plate and magnet (neither of which said Made in China 😊).

Next we visited the Cathedral and museum accompanying it. I probably appreciated it more than the kids. But it was neat to see all the relics from the church over the years. DD was whining all day about buying a toy and I just took to ignoring her.

Finally we had to book it to the hotel and pack up. We checked out and swung by a grocery store on the way out of town. I was hoping to pick up something for lunch, but I was overwhelmed and didn’t really find what I was looking for so I just got a few snacks, wine, etc. We made the snap decision to go visit the prehistoric ruins in the outskirts of town. I didn’t realize it was so far. It was pretty out in the country, but it took a while to get there and it wasn’t that neat. We did swing by a café to grab some easy lunch. After that it was time to head to Coimbra.

The drive was uneventful. I had wanted to stop at the Roman ruins, but there really wasn’t time. We arrived at the hotel (Solar Antigo Luxury Coimbra) around 4ish. Parking was again interesting. We had to find street parking and got lucky and found some just a block away. It was free since it was Sunday. The hotel was again on a side street. We checked in and our room was kind of neat. There were two rooms with two bathrooms and a common area. H and I enjoyed some wine and soaked in the view with the windows open. Kids relaxed with their tablets and it was nice.

We did have someplace to be at 6 so it didn’t last too long. I had booked us for a show at the Fado centre. Fado is a musical tradition in Portugal, but most places have performances late at night in bars so this was a good way to see a show without staying out late. Everyone really enjoyed it except for DD was whiney and hungry. We got a little sample of port and booked it out of there. After that, it was a little challenging to find someplace to eat. Most places close down on Sundays. We were frustrated with indecision and had to hike up the crazy Coimbra hills. We made our back to the hotel and regrouped.

Finally, I found someplace that was open and we all sat down to dinner. The location was nice with a little fountain next to it. Nice for the kids to run around. H loved his food and I was so-so on mine. Most of the places we went didn’t have kids menus. So we got into the habit of finding something that we could split with the kids or ordering an appetizer for them. The kids got more and more adventurous with their food as the trip went on so that nice.

We headed back to the hotel and had a few more drinks (I regretted it the next day). Then bed too late for me.



Day 4 – Coimbra/Arouca Bridge/Porto

This was a long day and probably too long. Hindsight! I’m a go-go-go kind of traveler. I want to see everything and do everything especially because we’re in a place where there is so much to see. It’s understandable that the kids might have trouble keeping up.

The hotel served us breakfast in our room which was nice. Coffee, breads, pastries, meats, cheeses, etc. It was nice and convenient. We ate breakfast. I was a little hungover and hadn’t slept well. We packed up as much as we can then we had to catch up sightseeing. We hadn’t really seen much in Coimbra. We headed towards the famous university, bought tickets, the library tour wasn’t until 10AM so we had a little time to kill. We saw the laboratory which had a little museum and then walked towards where the library was. It was pretty, but the beautiful square was under construction so the scene wasn’t quite ideal. I took some pictures and it was time to head to the library tour.

The library was beautiful and very cool. Even the kids enjoyed it. But no pictures were allowed so that was a shame. After that, we had to book it back to the hotel. Check out wasn’t until later, but we had a long drive. Lunch was rushed and leftovers from breakfast. I had booked us to see the world’s longest suspension bridge. I had had trouble paying online so I had to visit the tourist office so they could pay. That was really complicated and annoying. We had wanted to go at 1PM, but it was too late when we got there so we booked for 230PM. It wasn’t worth skipping since we had already driven out of the way to get there.

So again we had some time to kill. We drove towards where the bridge was and stopped for a little snack at a gas station/café. There were a lot of windy roads that were pretty but made everyone a little car sick and H nervous. Parking was challenging. The signage was a little confusing. But we found someplace and started walking towards the bridge. It was really pretty, strolling through little paths, seeing cute houses and the peaceful Portuguese countryside. We were in a less touristy section of Portugal where a lot of people didn’t speak English. We followed the signs and found the bridge. Finally at 230, there was a little presentation and we walked across the gorge. It was beautiful. I’m not really scared of heights so it didn’t phase me. The kids enjoyed it. But in hindsight, it added an extra hour to our trip and we spent about 45 min there. There was more that we could have seen, but we really didn’t have the time or energy to do all of the hiking across the bridge. That was a shame.

The walk back was more challenging since it was uphill. We made it back to the car and it was time to head to Porto. At this point the kids were bickering awfully and DS had a big meltdown on the way. It was not a good spot for it. H needed to focus on navigating the narrow windy roads. There was so much yelling and cursing. It was rough. I just tried to keep the peace and get DS to calm down and not attack DD. I think he was just feeling tired and carsick. He had been staring at his tablet for a while in the windy roads which will definitely do it.

Everyone was thrilled to make it onto a main highway and look at the Douro River and get closer to Porto. We were looking forward to staying there for two nights. Hindsight again, it sucks staying somewhere one night, but it’s hard when you’re only staying for a week. So much to see, so little time. It’s definitely a tradeoff. We got to the hotel around 515PM. We had booked parking with the hotel nearby. This was H and I’s favorite guesthouse that we stayed at. Canto de Luz. Highly recommend to anyone staying in Porto. Our room was lovely with a beautiful balcony and there were lots of nice little amenities including laundry service, Alexa, Netflix on the TV. They tried to book us a reservation for dinner but the restaurant we wanted was closed.

DS was still being grumpy and refused to go to dinner with us. H, DD and I went out alone. We had found a place on google maps and walked there only to find it closed. So we were wandering again. It was Monday so a lot of places were closed. Finally, we wandered and found a place that was able to take us. H and I enjoyed some beer and ordered the local sandwich dish, Francesinha. It was yummy and a complete gut bomb. Glad I ordered the half portion.

I rushed through dinner and stopped at a café on the way back to grab a burger for DS. He was hungry but in better spirits when I got back.

After some bed negotiations and shuffling (DD was really challenging because she didn’t like to sleep in the dark unless she was being snuggled), we all tried to get some sleep and wake up in better spirits.



Day 5 – Porto

Breakfast at Canto do Luz was fantastic, espresso, pastries, bread, eggs, waffles for the kids. We would have liked to have a more leisurely morning, but we had reservations for a food tour at 10AM. So we left a little late and started the 10 min walk to where we were meeting the food tour. We were a few minutes late but it wasn’t a big deal. We weren’t that hungry, but the tastings started slow. There were 8 people on the tour total so that was really nice.

We started with a trip to one of the oldest supermarkets in Porto. We did some samplings of cheese and meats and crackers. It was a good start. Our tour guide was super nice and great with the kids. Next up we went to the Mercado del Balho which is the famous market in Porto. Unfortunately the original location has been under extensive renovation for years so we went to the alternative location which was nice but not as iconic. There we tasted some delicious Vinho Verde and canned sardines on bread. It was so yummy. He told us all about the sardine industry, the market, the wine. It was really interesting.

As we walked around the city, he answered questions and highlighted different locations. Porto is just fantastic in my opinion. So walkable and so many different places to explore. Every block shows you something different. It reminded me of Lyon where I spent 5 months in college. Like Lyon, it is 2nd largest city in the country. So it is a little less touristy but there is still so much going on. I really fell in Porto and would love to go back and spend weeks there to really do it justice.

The next stop was a Confeiteria Moura where we had two pastries Jesuita and Limoneta and an espresso. It was nice to have a break from Pastel de Natas and they were so yummy. I’ve already been googling some recipes to make it at home.

After that was a Bifana and a glass of Vinho Verde which is a local beef sandwich. It was really yummy and better than the gut bomb from last night.

Last stop was Garrafeira Oli Portugal, a wine shop where we tasted 3 different Portos and we learned all about the difference between the types of Porto. So delicious. Our fellow tourgoers didn’t drink all of theirs and I was about to steel it. Lol. Lots of awesome chatter with our tour guide. I bought a couple of bottles that we look forward to enjoying someday. But the kids were getting bored and we were ready to move on. So finally it wrapped up and we gave a generous tip to our tour guide and headed back to the hotel for a little rest.

That didn’t last long because I knew that there was so much more to see. So I rallied everyone and we headed out to the Livraria Lello, which is a famous fancy bookstore. This was a mistake. There was a long line to get in and it cost like $5/person. We spent about 20 minutes in the place and it was cool, but totally a tourist trap and would not recommend the trouble.

After that, we walked towards the waterfront and stopped at a few shops along the way. The waterfront was beautiful, albeit a little touristy and crowded. The kids kept bugging us to go on a boat, but it seemed overpriced and we weren’t sure how it all worked. So we walked and the kids were getting pooped out so H found a tuk tuk driver to take them back to the hotel. I wanted to go up on the second level of the bridge and walk across the river, there is a usually a funicular that goes up, but it was broken so I walked up the stairs.

It was kind of nice to be solo and just explore on my own. The upper level of the bridge was beautiful and I took lots of pictures. Once I got across, I thought about heading back and there was a tram stop that looked like it went near the hotel so I grabbed a ticket and jumped on.

I made it back ok and H and I chilled on our patio with a glass of wine. Then H and I decided to go back to the market and buy a few items. Our kind hostesses had made reservations at a local place so we headed there around 730. It was tiny and perfect. I split a pesto/Salmon dish with DD that was delicious and DS and H split a fish stew that is a popular local dish. DS loved the stew even though he doesn’t even like fish. 😊 Both of them were so yummy. We had dessert and port and DD and H headed back to the hotel to get some rest. DS and I made a diversion to visit the world famous fancy McDonalds in Porto. It was fancy, nothing too amazing, but DS ordered a sundae and we headed back to the hotel.



Day 6 - Nazare

The next day was challenging because we needed to be out of the hotel by 9AM to get to Nazare for our 11AM surf lesson. Our hostesses served us a delicious quick breakfast. I felt bad that we were in such a hurry and that the kids were so picky about rejecting half of it. After fighting some Porto traffic and getting a little lost, we got out and were only a few minutes late.

The ride was uneventful and we made it to the Nazare seaside right on time. DS and I were signed up for the surf lesson. H and DD were going to just hang out enjoy the beach and walk around a little bit. We got in our full-body wetsuits and the sun was shining. It wasn’t quite beach weather since it was mid 60s. We did some dry land surf prep and practice. Neither DS nor I had surfed before. But DS is a decent snowboarder so I figured he would be fine.

The water was COLD! But we started trying to wide the waves. I of course struggled a little. And it wasn’t long before the combination of the waves and heavy surfboard caused my shoulder which I dislocated last year. I felt it slip out and freaked out. It went back in, but I was still in a lot of pain. I knew at that moment that I was done. I didn’t want to risk a full dislocation. So I got out and just spent the rest of the time watching DS who was doing great. He got up a bunch and looked great. I’m sad I couldn’t get up, but I tried and it was only 25 euros per person so I felt fine giving up.

We wrapped up after an hour and a half or so. DS and I both changed into clean clothes. At that point, everyone was starving and ready for a nice lunch. We walked around and saw a few touristy places and places we thought were open that were closed. The streets were narrow and beautiful, perfect for strolling and exploring. Finally, we stumbled on a place that looked good and was open. We sat outside in the narrow street. H and I split a bottle of Vinho Verde. This was one of the best meals that we had. H ordered the grilled octopus and I ordered a fish dish. Both of them were FANTASTIC. The simplicity of them being cooked in garlic and olive oil just allowed the fish and octopus to shine.

After that, we headed towards the hotel, Hotel Praia. This was the largest hotel we stayed in. Check in was a little rough since I accidentally booked next night. Thankfully, it’s off season and they were able to change us easily. We found parking closer to the hotel. They usually have a nice parking lot for guests, but the street was being repaved so we were on our own for parking. The hotel was a nice space for everyone. Two floors with a patio, one bathroom, kitchen that we didn’t use. It was nice to have space to spread out.

Again everyone wanted to chill, but I wanted to see the town so we headed out. It had been really warm right when we got to the hotel so we all changed into shorts. LOL of course when we walked out the door, the clouds started rolling in and then later light rain and wind came. That was a misstep. We walked towards the waterfront and stopped at a few shops. Then headed for the funicular which would take us to the top of the cliffs. The funicular was fairly easy. The top of the cliff, we really felt the wind, but the views were spectacular. It was definitely touristy up here, but we enjoyed walking through the town. Then we headed towards the lighthouse, DS and I took the scenic route walking along the cliffs. DS enjoyed this a lot climbing over rocks and taking in the scary views. We got to the lighthouse paid the entry fee. They had surf boards from all the famous surfers who had braved the waves. The waves near the cliffs were pretty small.

It had started to rain and it was chilly so we grabbed a tuk tuk to take us uphill and headed back towards the town. We all were tired and went back to the hotel after this. The kids wanted to go to the pool. So I took them. They enjoyed playing in the pool. It was small but had a nice view. There were a few adults there so I had to try to get them to tamp down on their craziness. But they had fun and actually played nicely with each other. There was a whole lot of fighting on this trip with the kids, but there were moments and even more than moments where they got along and found little games to entertain each other. It was nice to see.

Dinner was challenging since a lot of places were closed for the season and it wasn’t reflected on Google maps. After going to a few places where they were closed, we finally stumbled on a place and sat down to dinner. I ordered the fish stew and H ordered a pork dish. It was a fine place, but definitely a little overpriced for what we got. I think it was our most expensive meal of the trip. Afterwards it was time for us to head back to the hotel.



Day 7 – Sintra/Lisbon

Breakfast was a nice continental breakfast with the usual pastries, eggs, bacon, espresso, etc. Again we had a early departure. I had purchased tickets to Pena Palace in Sintra for 1130. We headed out around 9ish and it was an easy drive to Sintra. Sintra is a truly amazing but overwhelming place. I knew we couldn’t see everything, so I wasn’t quite sure what we should see. It was way more touristy and crowded than Nazare.

Parking was interesting. We had no idea where to do it. But we found a parking lot that was relatively cheap so we parked there. Maybe there were better options, but we needed to just make a decision and park. The parking attendant was helpful giving us directions to the bus stop and which bus we should take. We walked the short walk to the bus stop and jumped on the bus. It was pricey, but that was really the only way to get there.

The drive took longer than we expected, but we finally got to the bottom of the Pena Palace. Then we had to take another bus to get to the top of the Palace. So many buses LOL.

We waited in line to get into the Palace. The kids were cranky about everything since they didn’t care about the Palace. DD was ready to go home to VA at this point. ☹ I enjoyed the Palace, but the kids were bored and not feeling it. It was also crowded with lots of fellow tourists. After we finished the palace, everyone was ready for lunch. We visited the café and that took forever. The kids were cranky and there were lots of people around. We had some yummy food and that revived everyone.

We wondered through the gardens a little bit, but I think there was much more to see. We were on a timeline since we had to return the rental car near the Lisbon Airport by 4PM. So we headed for the bus and took the bus back to the station. There was a little time for shopping and a pick me up at Café Saudade. We ordered coffees and pastries which hit the spot! The Café saudade and Travesseiro were very delicious.

I felt like we barely scratched the surface in Sintra but we were out of time and went back to the car. The trip to the rental car place was uneventful. It was back towards the airport. We returned the car and caught an Uber XL to the hotel. The hotel was Caso do Principe. A small B&B in Principe District of Lisbon. Lisbon was quite the transition. So many people and so busy. Our room was in a huge old fashioned room. It was a lovely, but a little small since it was just one big room with a bathroom.

The kids were exhausted so we just let them on their devices. H and I went out a few times to grab wine from a nearby shop and then drinks at a nearby bar. We decided dinner would just be takeout. There was a local place that had grilled chicken (Frangasqueira Nacional). We had read about it in our travel books. I ordered some chicken and other meats and sides and we took it back to the room. It was a little challenging to eat in the room but the food was delicious, cheap and a nice break from seafood and pork.

We all got to bed at a decent hour and looked forward to our last full day in Portugal.



Day 8 – Lisbon

I finally was able to squeeze in a run. So I went out for a 3.5 mile run that allowed me to see many of the city sites. I love going for runs on vacation because it allows me to explore and see more of the sites. Our hotel was in a good spot and easy to navigate. Breakfast was coffee, bread, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs. Comparatively, it was not my fave. No espresso! So sad. I would have loved for a leisurely morning, but we did have a few items on the agenda. First up, was a COVID test. We had asked the receptionist and she said we could go to the local pharmacy. So we went around 930ish. But this too way too long since I couldn’t fill out the info on my phone. It just wouldn’t work. 45 min or so later we all finally got our negative tests! Yay! We can go home. I had worried a few times (every time someone had sniffles), but tried not to go nuts about it. Que sera sera.

Next, we had to book it for our yellow boat tour at 1100. It was 25 min walk downhill towards the waterfront. We got to the boat spot and got our tickets with enough time. Then the kids finally got their boat ride. We enjoyed it, but it was kind of longer than I expected and we were done after about 45 minutes. We finally arrived an hour later in Belem.

We had planned to have lunch. DD took a fall when running on the sidewalk so we needed to find a pharmacy. Of course the pharmacy was closed and the lunchspot I had read about it in the book was closed. We had to improvise and found a random spot that was very not touristy. But lunch was delicious and reasonably priced. I had a pork/bean stew that was a local specialty and a Vinho Verde. I’m not really sure what was in it, but it was YUMMY. DD enjoyed it some as well. DS and H had a pork and egg dish. Everyone walked away full and refreshed.

We made our way towards the famous café Pasteis de Belem for some Pastel de Natas. There was a decent line and lots of people around, but the line moved quickly. I was skeptical whether this was worth it and it was just a tourist trap, but I stayed the course, ordered some Natas and coffees for H and I. We ate a lot of Natas over the trip, but these were by far the best! I ordered 6 of them and ate like two of them since DD didn’t like them. Crazy girl.

After this, we made our way to Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. This is one of the main sites in Belem and there was a little bit of a line which of course the kids whined about since they weren’t interested in the Monastery. We opted just to visit the Monastery and not the Archaeological Museum. The Monastery was neat for me and H, the kids were bored and cranky. We didn’t spend too much time since we had to make our way back to take the boat back to Lisbon at 3PM. We walked back and caught the boat and assuaged our cranky kids with some ice cream. So much sugar was consumed by the kids, but I tried to let that go.

The boat ride back was shorter and uneventful. We debated what to do when we got back. We were running out of time and hadn’t seen much of the city. I had really wanted to ride the famous 28 trolley and the yellow boat ticket was supposed to work for the trolley as well. DS had been bugging us to ride an electric scooter for days. Finally we relented and we decided that me and DS would ride an electric scooter where the trolley start was and H and DD would ride a tuk tuk. I have never done one of the scooters before even in DC. They kind of terrify me.

It took a few minutes to figure it out, but finally we got our scooters and we were off. It worked good in the large plazas by the waterfront, then once we got into narrow sidewalks and busy streets, it was challenging. Finally, it opened up and it was kind of fun to buzz through the streets and we found a bike lane that would take us where we needed to go. We offloaded our scooters at a park where they had a parking station and saw the long line for the trolley.

I decided to stay the course so DS and I got in line. I got a frantic phone call from H that he had lost my debit card and had no way to get money. Insert eyeroll here. Why oh why couldn’t you have brought your own debit card as well? I was basically the money manager for the whole trip so when we split up I had to give money to H.

Since they had no money H and DD had to walk. But it worked out ok since there was a decent line and we weren’t getting through it anytime soon. They arrived. We waited another 20 minutes or so and were able to get on a trolley. We didn’t have seats which was annoying but we survived. The trolley ride was fun and went through all the streets. DD was once again bored and ready to be done. But H, DS and I enjoyed it. I wish we could have jumped off somewhere, but I knew that everyone was too tired for more sightseeing.

We got to the end of the trolley line and decided to grab an Uber back to the hotel. Once we got back, everyone was exhausted. H and I drank some wine, kids went on tablets and we packed up to leave the next day.

We hadn’t been able to make reservations for our last night. We had a few places that were nearby and decided to go as soon as they opened and hope for the best. We chose Mercearia do Século based on the travel books. It was just a few blocks. We arrived right at 7pm and got a table. It was a hole in the wall with just a husband/wife duo serving everyone. We felt a little out of place with the kids. But we tried not too worry too much. We ordered some delicious wine and I got an octopus dish and H got something else I can’t remember and DD got a cod dish. Everything was fantastic and this place was just spectacular and wonderful end to our trip. We of course got dessert and port to finish the evening.

Then it was time for bed.



Day 9 – Time to go home

Our flight left at 1220PM so we had some time in the morning for breakfast, to finish packing, and then grab an Uber XL to the airport.

Check in was mostly easy. We showed off our negative COVID tests to the airline only if I remember. There were two layers of security that we didn’t realize. We spent some time in one of the airline lounges and got lunch and my last espressos.

The flight back was delayed but uneventful. Everyone watch movies and screens and enjoyed some rest time after a busy vacation.

Overall, I LOVE Portugal. It’s a beautiful place with so much delicious food and beautiful sights and wonderfully nice people. I feel like it has so much of what France has, but less stuffy and doesn’t take itself as seriously. I tried to pick up as many phrases as I could and use them when I could. Most people spoke at least a little English. I like that many places we were the only Americans. There were tourists but many of them were European or from other countries. All the cities we went to were very hilly so the weather was actually ideal for walking around. I wish DD was a better traveler and more interested in things. But we did get many complements from people on how well the kids behaved and that it was very cool that we were taking them to places like this. Not the best place for younger kids at least not the vacation I planned. DS did pretty good so I’m hopeful that DD will get better with age. Fingers crossed.

[mrsukyankee]

mrshandy, sounds amazing and also exhausting. TBH, I'm not sure I would have kept my cool with all that you planned/did (I like to spend more time in fewer places and at a leisurely pace). It's great to hear about all the locations and gives me some ideas for future trips.

[doctoranda]

I loved Lisbon. I don't remember all we did but remember lots of strolling, great wines, Belem, and listening to Fado in a restaurant/bar that only sold charcuterie and wines.

[lust2hart]

pumpkin, I just got back from a week in Spain and then a week in Portugal. I posted in Nonny's thread on ML but wanted to make sure you saw this too. This is mostly a C&P from the other thread but I added in some more details for Portugal.

We were in Porto 3 full days. We stayed at Carris Hotel in Porto, along the river. This was a great location for us as we were in Porto primarily for the port, so being on the river meant a quick walk across it to the port houses on the other side. If you don't care so much about port tastings or touring the houses, I recommend staying up the hill in the old city center, and exploring that part of the city - the riverwalk is packed and it is very difficult to find a place for dinner if you don't have a reservation.

Our first day was open; we spent it doing the Rick Steves walk and enjoying leisurely meals. Luckily for dinner we were able to walk in to a restaurant along the river - but I think it was our 4th try - and had a really great meal at Muro do Bacalhau. The second day was our winery tour in the Duoro Valley. It was a 1.5/2 hour bus ride into the Valley, then we went on a little river boat tour for an hour, and then we visited a winery, then had lunch, then visited another winery. Again, if you like wine/port, this is a nice way to spend a day. I would skip the boat tour and opt for visiting a 3rd winery instead. Our third day was open as well. We started with a port tasting at Kopke port house and then we went our separate ways for the afternoon - I wandered around the city center some more while DH toured/tasted at more port houses. We ate dinner up the hill, at Cafe Piolho, which I recommend for the experience.

Then we took a bus to Nazare and were there for 1.5 days. It was a nice way to start winding down the trip. The beach is beautiful but the Atlantic water was pretty cold. We didn't get in the water but did spend several hours just sitting on the beach our first afternoon. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. The second day we took the funicular up to Sitio which is on the cliff overlooking Nazare and walked out to the end of the cliff so that we could see the "surfing beach." The views are stunning. We stayed at Hotel By The Beach which was in a great location and I would recommend it. We had our best meal of the trip in Nazare, at A Tasquinha. We had a seafood spaghetti that is making my mouth water now just thinking about it!

We took a bus to Lisbon and spent an afternoon/evening in the Alfama district, and then our flight out was the next morning. We had a great meal in Lisbon, too, at Miss Can.

Rick Steves's guidebooks are invaluable. Our first activities in Barcelona and Porto were his walking tours as a way to get acclimated to each city. We also did the Alfama walking tour in Lisbon and then wandered around on our own in the district for the rest of the evening. The restaurants Cafe Piolho, A Tasquinha, and Miss Can are all recommended in his books. We even got free glasses of port at A Tasquinha because we had his book with us.

[pumpkin]

mrshandy & lust2hart, thank you both for all the info. I’m taking notes and excited to go, but still trying to wrap my head around getting organized.

[neonpink]

I just got back from time in Seville, Lagos and Lisbon.

I loved all 3 cities.

Highlights: sea kayaking in Lagos and enjoying the water and small beach town vibe.

Seville- gorgeous streets and historical palaces. If you watched game of thrones they filmed at the Royal palace and the Roman city Italica about 15 minutes out of town. It was so cool to explore a mini colosseum. Climbing the bell tower in the cathedral offers a gorgeous view and close ups as you walk up of gothic architecture.

Lisbon- the city is beautiful and lovely to explore. I bought some amazing ceramics here. If you’re a soccer fan try and catch a match with locals. I stayed at CR7 - great location and owned by Ronaldo a world famous player. The hotel rests us a soccer bar and it was fun to watch with locals. Make reservations to tour the castle if you want to go. The line wraps down the street.

If you want to explore between cities and not rent a car. Flixbus is cheap and a nice way to get between Portuguese cities as they don’t have trains. It was $60 euros to get from Lagos to Lisbon and the bus had wifi and was easy. Ubers in all cities I went to were very cheap by American standards.

The seafood was delicious and the custard pastry in portugal a favorite I am missing.

This trip I didn’t try to do too much but relax and be a temporary local as much as I could. The Iberian peninsula life is so relaxed compared to my busy American life.