Lagos - PS….I 💕You!

Just a mini post with a few pictures from our day in Lagos. Sardines are a specialty in southern Portugal, and my previous experience was just with the canned oily version - not my thing! But I had never seen or tried the fresh grilled sardines until Lagos.

Huge! And delicious! Another local specialty is Piri Piri Chicken. Tried that too. Roasted chicken in a somewhat spicy sauce. Excellent! And all the veggies are so fresh.

The previous day we had seen the cliffs and rocky formations from the water, so decided to do a good hike and see the panoramic views from a high elevation. Spectacular! I could post so many beautiful pictures but will just do a few to give you a sample. Julie and I agreed we don’t think we have seen more beautiful beaches anywhere.

So many gorgeous beaches one after the other along the coastline. Some quite remote and only accessible from the water.

I love this old bridge.. Hundreds of years old.

Top picture is of a place right on the edge of a cliff. We wish we had known about it before so posting it as somewhere you want to go. Can’t attest to the food but totally worth it for the view.!

More beautiful tile. It’s everywhere!

If you like a beach vacation I highly recommend the south of Portugal and specifically Lagos. It’s easy to fly into Lisbon, spend a few days there and then take the train or bus to Lagos and relax. Lots of water activities, biking, hiking, beaches, great food and places to eat. I want to come back already and that’s when I know a place is wonderful.

We have a little more time remaining in Portugal and then on to country number two. Thanks for coming along!😊

Day 5,6 and 7 - Cape St Vincent, Sagres and Lagos in the Algarve

We are spending a few days on the southern coast of Portugal and it is gorgeous! Wow! Portugal has become a must see destination in the past few years but what took so long? Our first stop was Cape St Vincent, the most southwestern tip of not just Portugal but the entire continent of Europe. Back when the world was thought to be flat it was considered to be the end of the earth. Been there! ✅

Cape St Vincent - spectacular!

Me sitting at the end of the earth! Not going to follow my usual advice of jump while you can😊

Lighthouse that sits at the very end, Sagres Fort and bottom left surfers. One of the great places to surf.

As I mentioned in a previous post Portugal is divided into regions each of which has a capital city for governing. The area we are in now which is on the far south is called the Algarve. The Algarve is known for it’s Atlantic beaches and golf resorts. Very crowded in August as many Europeans travel here for holiday, and it’s easy to understand why.

We headed to the resort town of Lagos where we are staying for 3 nights. Suffice to say we have fallen in love with it. And why wouldn’t we? It’s clean, beautiful, lots of outdoor things to do or just head to the pool or beach, great food and wine and lovely people!

Beautiful tile everywhere, pastel businesses, interesting squares with entertainment and flowers.

Let’s have some of that great food! Used a Rick Steves recommendation and as usual it was wonderful. It was Julie’s birthday so a special lunch was a must.

Don Sebastiao was so wonderful we made a reservation for the following night for dinner immediately. Happy Birthday Julie!

The Mediterranean salad for both of us and it was the best we have ever had. Even the capers were phenomenal.

We settled in at our beautiful resort right on the beach and relaxed a bit before dinner.

More birthday celebration. Appetizer that seems to be a local favorite. Half a fresh avocado with shrimp and kind of a thousand island sauce. Sea bass with fresh veggies and a crepe with ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert. A special meal not just for Julie but for me too!

Morning walk on the beach! Yes please!

Lots of opportunities to get out on the water and see the beautiful rock formations of the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic so we picked kayaking. Took a recommendation from the hotel and selected Kayak Adventures. As you would guess there are a number of companies to choose from providing a similar service. Along the coast there are lots of caves and grottoes to enter but I don’t think it’s wise to do it on your own because of the fairly rough waters due to all the ships and boats of various sizes plus the normal ocean currents so we went in a group with a guide. The company had a strong focus on safety so we felt secure and comfortable even though we both said it was the most challenging kayaking we had ever done. The guide asked us not to try and take pictures of all the cool stuff we saw as the chances of dropping your phone or camera were very high, plus it would slow us down so much that we wouldn’t get to see everything he wanted to show us. We had a great group of people - 6 double kayaks - and everyone complied. So lots of my memories will have to be mental pictures, but trust me when I say I won’t forget. We saw rocks in the shapes of camels, elephants, the Titantic, ice bergs etc. All created naturally by wind and water. Going in and out of the caves was challenging due to the waves but we made it and no one capsized - at least not in our group.

Getting instructions.

We stopped for a break on one of the beaches only accessible by kayak or climbing down a treacherous waterfall which the guide said was very dangerous.

The waterfall climb which if you look closely you will see two people attempting. No thanks!

Back to Don Sebastiao for dinner - this time trying the inside dining room which is quaint and fancier. Grilled shrimp for Julie and seafood stew for me. I wouldn’t mind going back again!

Our original plan was to take a day trip to Faro which is the capital city of the Algarve, but we decided that we really just wanted to spend another day in Lagos so that’s what we’re doing. Hiking, beach and pool in that order. And more great food! Can you blame us?

Still more to see and do so check back again soon. Portugal💕💕💕💕

Day 4 - Evora and the Alentejo

Today we checked out of our hotel in Estoril and drove to Evora which is deep in the heart of Portugal. Portugal is divided into regions and we are now in the Alentejo region which is hot and arid. Evora dates back to over 2,000 years ago, because remember Portugal is one of the oldest countries in Europe. Evora was once a Roman town and still has sites where you see the evidence.

Roman Temple dating back 2,000 years. Part of the forum and main square.

Everything I read said how dry it always is there, but not today. It started raining and while not a downpour was pretty steady. The locals said it was a blessing. They grow grapes and olives so really needed some rain. We next went to see the Evora Cathedral which dates back to the 12th century. It is a mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles and is most known for a 15th century painted statue of the Blessed Mother pregnant. Apparently that didn’t go over well so the statue was removed and hidden for 200 years. Now it is beloved and a symbol for mothers and their love of their children.

You can see her round belly and her hand resting on it.

The Cathedral also has a very old (16th century I believe) organ that is still played. The horizontal pipes sound like trumpets.

We tried to see another church called Saint Francis but there was a wedding and nervous groom getting ready to start, so instead went next door to see the Chapel of Bones. Yep bones! Sounds creepy and it actually kind of was. It was the work of three Monks that got the bones and skulls from various churchyards in the area. They were concerned about society’s values at the time and thought this was a good way to remind people that we are all the same regardless of wealth. In the end we all die and money doesn’t make a difference in the bigger picture. Still true today.

The sign in Portuguese at the entrance says “We are here and waiting for you.”

It stopped raining and cleared up nicely so I was able to go back and take a picture of the Evora Cathedral. You can really see how old it is.

Time for lunch! We wandered down some little side streets and settled on a place that only had 4 tables. It was great but I forgot to take pictures of our food🤦🏼‍♀️ Melted sheep cheese with tiny toasted bread and a roasted chicken salad over cold pasta and greens. Delicious! Bottom right was the sink to wash your hands. So unique!

We had some additional time so just walked around the main square and browsed in some cute shops. It was very quiet in town - maybe the rain kept people away? Only about 10,000 people live within the walls and there is a university there also.

Our egg tart quota has not been met for the day so found an adorable coffee and pastry shop down one of the tiny little streets. Only 1 euro for this delicious piece of heaven.

Tonight we are staying in a nice hotel in a vineyard close to Beja so when a wine tasting was offered we had to say “why not?”

The white was my favorite. Got to go down into the cellar too.

For dinner we ate in the hotel and had a very forgettable meal so no pictures to post. The highlight was gelato with chocolate sauce. Not every meal can be a winner so I’m not complaining. More sites to see tomorrow!

My current summary of Portugal is GO!! It’s beautiful, relaxing, delicious food and wine, lots of history and the people are so nice. Check back soon as tomorrow we are heading further south.

Day 3 - Fátima, Óbidos & Sintra

An action packed day! 3 amazing towns and all quite different. I will post pictures and a little bit on each. First stop Fátima. On May 13th, 1917 three children were tending sheep and the Blessed Mother appeared to them and brought a message that peace was coming and the end of World War I. She appeared to them on the 13th of each of the next 5 months and on October 13th 70,000 people assembled there and witnessed a miracle. Since then millions of people have visited there and now we can say us too! Of course now it’s a large complex of various buildings - a chapel built where Mary appeared, the original basilica built after for the large groups of people to attend Mass, a new church that seats 9,000 people, a museum and various other places of worship. We had an hour and a half there so lots of ground to cover. We were fortunate to receive communion in the apparitions chapel where an English mass was going on first, visit the basilica where the body’s of the three children are buried, the museum and light lots of candles.

Top - Chapel of apparitions, Bottom left - statue of Mary on a marble pillar where she actually appeared, Bottom right - original basilica where the children are buried.

Candle lighting is a big deal to Catholics, and they have taken it to a new level at Fátima. They have a special area off to one side of the Apparition Chapel where you actually light the candles, but you go to another area to purchase them. The candles are quite inexpensive as they recycle them. After you purchase the candles you take them to what I call the inferno. If you want to experience the fires of hell - Fátima is a place to experience it. At times the flames were shooting 4 feet into the air - I felt like the hair on my arms was singed! I finally resorted to literally launching my stack of candles into the flames. I prayed for Tom, Keeley, Matt, Anna, and all my friends and family. It was a special experience.

Top left - Julie lighting her candles, Top right - large modern cross in the square, Bottom - crown the Blessed Mother statue wears on the 13th of every month that has one of the bullets that hit Pope John Paul II on the 13th of May, 1981.

Next stop - Óbidos. I had never heard anything about it until I started researching Portugal, and what a delightful town! Óbidos sits atop a hill, with a 14th century wall 45 feet tall surrounding it. It has narrow lanes lined with whitewashed houses trimmed in blues and yellow. Lots of cute shops and restaurants, and lunch was uppermost in our minds. We went off the beaten path and picked a great little spot where we could sit outside in what felt like someone’s back yard. It was called The History Man.

Caprese salad for Julie and veggie with goat cheese for me. And delicious inexpensive Portuguese wine😊

The walls of the city while totally intact are under renovation, and the tour guide advised us strongly to not climb up and walk on the wall. So of course Julie insisted that we immediately find a place to climb up and do it. I’m glad we did - the views were wonderful!

Height is not my favorite! Top right - you can see two people walking the wall. That’s where we were!

Óbidos really feels medieval.

Last stop - Sintra. Sintra is just 15 miles from Lisbon. It was the summer getaway of Portugal’s kings, and there are many castles and palaces. One of the most famous is the beautiful Pena Palace which I visited in April 2016. If you’re interested in seeing it refer back to my archive and an entry dated April 25, 2016 for the history and lots of pictures. We had an hour and a half on our own so browsed through the cobblestone tiny windy streets in pursuit of Ginja, a cherry liquor that is pretty much the national beverage of Portugal. You see it being sold everywhere - always priced at 1 euro - a shot glass or a smaller amount in a chocolate cup. We had been wanting to try it and this time we were doing it.

We went with the dark chocolate cups. Tasted like a chocolate covered cherry. Ginja has a very high alcohol content so a little goes a long way but it was delicious.

Lots of tiny streets like this with shops and restaurants.

Beautiful tile everywhere. I love the yellow and blue.

Sintra

Back to Estoril for dinner and packing. Off to central Portugal.

Spaghetti Bolognese for Julie and risotto with cod for me. More Portuguese red wine too. Delicious!

Such a great fun interesting day. We are both loving Portugal. The weather is great, the food and wine fantastic and inexpensive and the people are so lovely. There is so much history here. I can’t wait to see more! Thanks for coming along!

Day 2 - Lisbon

This was a fun but busy day which means this will be a short blog post as we have another busy day planned for tomorrow, and the internet at the hotel is very slow tonight. Kind of makes me sad because I have so many pictures I love and want to post them all. But I’ll just have to be satisfied with hitting a sampling of what stood out to me most.

We headed into Lisbon to take a walking tour of the Alfama area, which is the oldest area in Lisbon. Lisbon is called the city of seven hills, and Alfama is on the highest hill, so has the best panoramic views of the city. There was a huge earthquake in Lisbon in 1755 which destroyed all except the Alfama area, so it’s the best representation of the original city. And at the top of the hill is the Sao Jorge Castle. There is not much left of the original castle but it does give you a fantastic view of the city, so that was where we headed on the walk.

Entrance to the castle.

It was windy on the terrace of the castle, but there were these cute cut out places to sit right on the wall and look out over the city - so of course Julie and I had to try it.

Alfama is a tangle of tiny winding streets with lots of cool little restaurants and shops. And you just keep climbing higher and higher.

Just one of many staircases we climbed to get to the castle.

I love the tile houses and all the beautiful intricate patterns. The Alfama like much of Lisbon is undergoing a major renovation, but the laws are very strict in terms of making any major changes. If a house or hotel or business has a tile facade then it must be kept even as far as color and pattern. So many great examples and this was definitely not the best example but just so sweet in terms of the detail.

On our walk through one of the shopping areas we saw a store that was very old selling salted cod. Cod is one of the main dishes in Portugal and is prepared hundreds of ways. I just assumed that it was because it was available abundantly but actually learned that it is all imported, and shipped salted and dried. When you buy it then you take it home and soak it to remove the salt and cook it. Who knew!

Salted cod sitting in huge pieces on the counter. No refrigeration necessary.

Our other event of the day was dinner and Fado music. Fado is kind of like Portuguese Blues. A singer is accompanied by one or several musicians playing a Portuguese guitar, and it’s a sad melancholy tune. Of course it’s all in Portuguese so we couldn’t understand the lyrics - but it is quite haunting. And the dinner was great!

Sea bass with mashed potatoes and carrots. Chocolate dessert with raspberry sauce and a tiny macaron!

I’ve got to get some sleep as we start early tomorrow. More to come! Thanks for checking in and sharing my day😊