For the past few years, Portugal has ranked pretty high for tourism and vacations, especially among Americans (and Brits, although they have been visiting Portugal for years). Portugal has a great deal to offer in terms of affordability, beauty, fantastic food, and the people are incredibly nice. Most people coming from North or South America …
The first time my wife and I visited Lisbon, our tutuk driver took us into Alfama. She asked if we had tried ginjinha yet. We had only been in the country about 24 hours and didn’t even know what ginjinha was. If you’re planning your time in Lisbon and want to make sure each neighborhood …
Read more “A day in the Alfama District: Lisbon’s historic neighborhood”
Águeda is not one of those well known towns that are visited by thousands of tourists every year. It sits quietly to the east of Aveiro, a quick drive or 30 minute train ride into the town where its narrow cobblestone streets and traditional architecture make it just as enchanting as other Portuguese towns. But …
Read more “Águeda, Portugal: The colorful city of Umbrellas”
In the center of Portugal, off the beaten path of the big cities, beaches and tourist spots, sits a pure treasure. The schist villages of Portugal dot the mountain sides and breathtaking landscapes of this region and are a great place to take a break from the normal tourist destinations. These historic villages were created …
Read more “Exploring the Schist Villages of Central Portugal”
Those of you planning to take that dream vacation to Portugal this year should consider taking a day or two to experience a private tour with an expert tour guide. Sounds kind of strange coming from us who love to wander around, yes? But sometimes, we enjoy a great tour, especially with a knowledgable guide. …
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Located 1 hour and 40 minutes outside of Lisbon in the heart of the Alentejo region is Évora, an incredibly well-preserved medieval city, one of the oldest cities in Portugal. Évora has one of the best-preserved and most atmospheric towns in Portugal, with winding narrow streets and historic monuments that make this an easy day …
Just outside of Coimbra, sits one of the most well-preserved Roman archaeological sites on the Iberian Peninsula, the Conímbriga Ruins. From intricately designed mosaic floors to remnants of residential quarters and public spaces, Conímbriga paints a vivid picture of daily life in a Roman city during the 1st and 2nd centuries. We were rather captivated …
Read more “Uncovering Conímbriga: Roaming the Ruins of a Roman City”
This past year was quite a year. We thought we’d share what we considered to be some of the bests in 2023. Well, as you well know, 2023 was a big year for us. We sold everything and moved across the Atlantic Ocean to Serra D’El Rei Portugal and began all new lives! Community makes …
Our first Christmas in Portugal turned out to be one of the best and definitely most different we have had. Last year, we spent the season in a whirlwind because we knew it was our last in the states for awhile. We attended all of the parties, went to many different light shows, saw all …
Summer in Portugal means beaches, vacations and festas! These festas are popular parties that each village has during the months of July through September. Some last for a weekend, some go through the week. This years festas for Serra d’el Rei was four nights of a grand party. Last may, our town had a festa …
Read more “Summer Festas: Celebrating the heart of Portuguese Community”