Portugal – Roaming About

Tag: Portugal

Porto, the Pearl of Portugal

Most people who visit Porto really like it, so I did have a level of expectation about it. Usually, that’s not a good thing and we try to avoid it, but … Porto didn’t disappoint. And I liked it better than Lisbon.

Welcome to Porto!

Quick stop in Lisbon

Our “big adventure” started on April 4th, when our easy travels by rental car came to an end. The logistics from this day on – how do we get to Belgium with Maya without a car? – had been weighing on us and a lot of research, planning, and reserving had recently become a part of our lives. None of which we normally do.

Crossing the Vasco da Gama bridge into Lisbon by car

The Vasco da Gama bridge is 7.5 miles (12 km) long and the second-longest one in Europe. It is also the longest bridge in the EU.

After the 2.5-hour drive from our last rental house in Cuba with our already vacuumed car, Mark dropped Maya, me, and our five pieces of luggage off at the Oriente train station in Lisbon, before removing the last of Maya’s hairs with a lint roller. We had heard that there are heavy fines when you return a rental car with dog hair.

Maya and I sat on a blanket outside the station – and were almost reprimanded by security guards as being homeless loiterers (because that’s what this scene might have looked like; and in a way, we were) – and waited for Mark for an hour and a half. Luckily, returning the Seat rental car after nine weeks wasn’t an issue.

All our belongings at the moment

Waiting for Mark at the train station

Then, all of us had to wait for another four hours (because we booked the cheapest train fare) before we could hop aboard for the 3.5-hour journey to Porto. Mark and I took turns staying with Maya and the luggage, when the other person stretched their legs.

A big mall in Lisbon East

Exploring the waterfront during my long wait

Vasco da Gama bridge

Very cool statue of a lynx made of recycled materials. His feet are old trash containers.

The train ride went relatively smoothly, despite us not having picked good seats – this was our first experience on a train with a dog and Maya’s first train trip as well – and our dog having to be muzzled.

Most of our waiting time was spent at this cafe

Not the most comfy train ride…

Porto

The three of us took a cab from the Campanhã train station to our rental accommodation in the Bonfim district and we are glad we did as it would have been a long, uphill walk with quite a bit of luggage.

Our train station in Porto

Living room and kitchen area

Again, we had picked an interesting apartment. We mostly liked it but there were some oddities, like having the shower stall in the actual bedroom and the toilet in a closet. Is that where the European term WC – Water Closet – comes from?

The bedroom of our Porto apartment

Our toilet closet

We did get used to these quirks when we figured out that “backing into” the toilet closet after pulling our pants down and bending over was the easiest way to take care of business. The kitchen was inadequate for longer stays, but being here for only four nights worked just fine. And, as always, the walls were thin.

Since we had arrived quite late that first evening, we decided to grab a fast meal at a vegan place nearby. Little did we realize that this was a fancy, set-menu experience only. We would have liked to have arrived earlier for such a feast, but we nevertheless indulged in this four-course meal at 9pm! It was a nice surprise to learn that Maya was welcome inside and coddled.

First course of the vegan tasting menu

The second course was a delicious beet salad

Third course of the evening

One of the two main dishes consisted of roasted vegetables.

The second main dish

Day one

Our first full day in the city started with a delicious brunch at Tomás Coffee Brunch, something we never do. When we go out, it’s usually for the main meal of the day, at lunch or dinner time. Again, Maya was welcome inside!

A nice breakfast in Porto!

The vegetarian brunch platter for Mark

A salmon brunch platter for me

In the afternoon, we explored the Bolhão (only a few minutes “down the road”) and Ribeira districts on a self-guided walking tour. It brought us past cool churches, buildings, and plazas. We were so happy it was a sunny and warm day.

Sign in the sidewalk near the Bolhao market

The Chapel of Souls tiled church

Porto’s city hall

Random building in the historic center

The Igreja do Carmo (right, 18th century, with blue tiles) and the Igreja dos Carmelitas (left, 17th century, classic façade). are separated by a 1-meter-wide house. They look like one massive church but are separate, divided by the “Hidden House” (Casa Escondida)

The Thirteen Laughing at Each Other statue by Juan Muñoz is located in Jardim da Cordoaria

Jardim da Cordoaria

Mural near this central park

The Torre dos Clérigos (Clérigos Tower) is a 75-meter-tall (246 ft) Baroque tower designed by Nicolau Nasoni and completed in 1763

The backside of the church that’s attached to Clérigos Tower

We gazed at a couple of tiled churches and strolled down towards the water, where we found a surprisingly lively scene, after enjoying the peace in the back alleys of Ribeira, which is located much lower than Bolhão. We had no idea this city was built on a hill too.

A nice square that is now under construction.

São Bento train station

The inside of this train station is a work of art with most walls covered by blue-tiled scenes.

View over Porto’s center from Miradouro da Rua das Aldas

Porto Cathedral

Another view from Miradouro da Rua das Aldas

Entering the Ribeira district

Narrow alleys in Ribeira

Colorful buildings in Ribeira as we descend towards the Douro River

Village Life in Southern Portugal (And Our March 2026 Expenses)

May 10, 2026 / Liesbet / 27 Comments

From Órgiva in Andalusia, Spain, it took a full day of driving – and topping up with expensive fuel thanks to the newly created war – in our rental car to reach the final two Portuguese destinations of our Southern Iberian Peninsula trip.

Sniffing the air in the Portuguese countryside

It was the middle of March by then. We had a five-night gap between two-week rentals and, since I wanted to explore the Algarve a bit more, I had booked a short stay in São Teotónio, in Portugal’s Alentejo region. Sleeping in the actual Algarve province was cost prohibitive for us.

Alentejo Region in Portugal

Visited places in Alentejo, Portugal

São Teotónio and the West Coast

The only nice day in the forecast was the day after we arrived, a Monday. An online friend of mine – fellow memoir author and successful artist Alison Sheldrake – lived in nearby Aljezur and we agreed to meet for lunch that day in Odemira, only a ten-minute drive north of us.

To fully take advantage of the sunshine that day, Mark, Maya, and I set out on a coastal walk in the morning, which might not have been the best idea as we showed up to our date sweaty and exhausted!

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Ready for a walk along the cliffs

Waterfall on one of the beaches

View over the west coast of Portugal

Nevertheless, it was a great opportunity to check out two pretty beaches that are part of the famous Fisherman’s Trail. One even had a waterfall!

Pretty bay

Taking a break along the Fisherman’s Trail

For a couple of hours, we enjoyed local food and getting to know Alison and her husband, Dave, better. Their rescue dog, Zara, and ours, Maya, got along just fine. Well, both pretty much ignored each other after the initial introduction. It was a lovely time.

Alyson and Liesbet, fellow self-published authors

Lunch with Alyson, Dave, and Zara

Rescue dogs Zara and Maya

Rain was predicted for the following afternoon. Once again, we tried to make the best of the weather before that happened by driving farther north and focusing on exploring the coast and another section of the Fisherman’s Trail.

We started at Furnas Beach, which sported a wide stretch of sand and the mouth of the Mira River. Curious about the town across the river, we made the 20-minute detour into Vila Nova de Milfontes to check it out.

The big beach near Vila Nova de Milfontes

We spotted a fort on our drive out of Vila Nova de Milfontes.

Then, we followed a dirt road for a while to gaze over a cliff and cove before reaching Cavaleiro Beach. We didn’t feel energetic enough to climb down to the actual sand and then back up again.

Following a dirt coastal track

View along the cliffs

Despite the grey skies, the water of the Atlantic Ocean looked attractive.

Instead, we continued our drive to the lighthouse to eat our sandwich lunch on the boardwalk and check out popular Cabo Sardão while backpacking hikers continuously passed by.

Zambujeira do Mar – a mouth full!

Chapel along the coast

Arriving in Zambujeira do Mar

Quick walk through town

By the time we reached the cute village of Zambujeira do Mar, threatening clouds had gathered. We stubbornly walked through town and along the cliff trail before running back to the car as the first fat raindrops appeared.

Threatening skies approached.

Following the boardwalks along the coast

The weather remained crappy for the rest of our stay in the area. We dealt with research, searching for a 4×4 Vario van, travel logistics, future bookings in France, and job and writing tasks for me. In between storms, we walked into the center of São Teotónio for groceries.

Arriving by rental car in road work-ridden São Teotónio

The main, broken-up. square of São Teotónio

Ironically, our shortest stay during these 2.5 months in southern Europe turned out to be the most pleasant regarding accommodation. This small rental house – for once – had everything we needed, including modern appliances. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t nice enough to sit outside on the patio.

Our comfortable village house

Our village home in São Teotónio

The kitchen even had a dishwasher. We would have preferred a washing machine, though.

The bathroom was super roomy and comfortable.

Dipping Our Toes into the (Eastern) Algarve of Portugal

March 14, 2026 / Liesbet / 32 Comments

The Travel Plan

During our last three weeks in South America in December, Mark and I needed a “What’s Next?” plan. We had just sold our truck camper in Chile and were officially homeless. Finding our next campervan would likely take a while — we’re very picky. (If you have a Mercedes Vario 4×4 for sale or know someone who does, please let us know!)

After more than two decades as nomads, we don’t really have a home base. Mark’s niece and her husband moved into “our” room above the garage at his mom’s house in Massachusetts, which is a win-win for everyone involved. Living in “our” guest bedroom with a shared bathroom in the middle of a New England winter would only work for about a month. So where could we go after that?

Renting a place in the Caribbean for a few winter months was too expensive. We didn’t want to go to Belgium yet to stay at my parents’ “little house,” because winter there is cold and rainy — and Mark can only stay in my home country 90 days out of every 180. It made more sense to use those days closer to summer. And we were ready to leave South America and its Hispanic culture.

Then an opportunity appeared. A friend invited us to stay at her rented house in southern Spain for a couple of weeks. My parents would also be nearby for their winter break. Add our curiosity about Andalusian villages and the discovery that Mark, as my spouse, didn’t have to do the Schengen shuffle while traveling with me — and the southern Iberian Peninsula became the obvious destination.

Yes, the irony of going from Hispanic South America to Hispanic Spain isn’t lost on me. There are plenty of similarities, but luckily some differences too. 🙂

We started in Lisbon, Portugal, mainly because rental cars were much cheaper there than in Spain, and we could take a direct flight from Boston with Maya. Our plan was to stay in the region for two months and then slowly make our way to Belgium – by train! – in early April. That would be the real adventure of this trip.

The Blogging Plan

This year, I had hoped to publish simple monthly wrap-ups. But honestly, we are doing and seeing so much — way more than we did in South America — that those posts would become ridiculously long.

Writing chronologically and geographically is tricky as well. During our first two weeks in Spain, we actually spent more time in Portugal. So I’m splitting that period into two blog posts: one highlighting our visits in Portugal, and the second focusing on southern Spain.

The Algarve — Part One

Faro

On February 1^st, we brought the rainy and windy weather with us from Lisbon to El Rompido, Spain. After a wet drive without mountain views, we greeted our friend Patti and stayed indoors for the next few days, trying to be warm and dry.

Leaving Lisbon in the rain

Spain, here we come!

On the first decent day — which turned out sunnier than expected — Mark, Maya, and I drove to Tavira to meet and pick up my parents. It had been a year and a half since we last saw each other in person.

And, back into Portugal for sightseeing

Seeing my parents again after a year and a half

We didn’t need an early start because crossing the border into Portugal meant gaining an hour. In theory, we would arrive at the same time we left, since the drive itself took about an hour. Of course, that also meant the return trip would take two hours. 🙂

(As always, hover over or click on the photos in the galleries to read their captions.)

The airport of Faro is close to its historic downtown

The main entrance to the old town

Downtown Faro

Walking in the historic downtown of Faro

Lavish building within the walls

Tiled facades again

The Cathedral of Faro in the historic center

A pricey but tasty three-course day dish with seafood, a drink, and olives

The place to have lunch!

Our little family group spent part of the day exploring historic Faro — wandering narrow streets, having lunch on a sunny patio (Maya wasn’t allowed inside), and strolling along sections outside the old city walls.

The city sign with Maya

My dad leaning on the F of Faro

Roaming the streets of historic Faro

Maya meets another dog.

Stork on the roof of the gate

Leaving the old town through a different gate

The elaborate gate seen from the outside

Another historic building outside the old town

A different side of the city

Church along the way to a more impressive church

Mark, Maya, and I in front of the Igreja do Carmo in Faro

The bell tower of yet another church

No excuse to leave dog shit on the sidewalks!!

Tavira

Since we had time left that afternoon, my parents introduced us to Tavira, another beautiful town. As usual, we hadn’t done research beforehand, which meant every corner of the historic center revealed something new and charming.

The Roman Bridge in Tavira is a 17th-century, 7-arch stone pedestrian bridge spanning the Gilão River.

Pretty building across the river

Chapel in Tavira

Church tower aiming for the sky

Old fort walls

Mark and Maya on the fort walls – Can you see Maya’s head poking out?

A short walk on the uneven walls

Looking back into the garden of the old fort

Mother and daughter in Tavira

One of the ruined towers of the fort

Another church in Tavira

My dad in front of another church

Bell tower against the sky

A simple church facade

Tavira’s town hall

Praça da República is Tavira’s main square.

Good girl, Maya!

Our Introduction to Portugal – Four Days in Lisbon and Sintra

March 4, 2026 / Liesbet / 40 Comments

When Mark, Maya, and I arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, after a bad experience with the airline company TAP Portugal, there was a lot of talk about “the storm” that had hit the southern Iberian Peninsula on the evening before our arrival and which had caused some of our delays. For the first time, we checked the weather. It didn’t look promising.

Welcome to Lisbon, Portugal!

There was more rain — and wind — in the forecast, but we would make the best of our four-day stay, despite already missing out on a free taxi ride promised by Booking.com (because we had to postpone our arrival), moving our accommodation out for two days, having less time on the peninsula, and needing to pick up our rental car earlier than expected.

Maya in front of the Lisbon sign

Since we had a six-hour delay (in addition to the two-day delay because of the blizzard in New England), we had to skip our nap upon arrival after a red-eye flight. All these experiences helped with our need for flexibility and resilience. We were not going to complain. Not even about our tiny and moldy, wet apartment, where nothing dried. Because its location in Alfama was perfect. It was our first time in Portugal. And we had finally arrived in Europe!

(As always, hover over or click on the photos in the galleries to read their captions.)

Half of our luggage and Maya on the cobblestones of Alfama, Lisbon

Small bedroom

Small dining room

Maya loved “her” couch in the small apartment.

Dated kitchen

Tiny bathroom

Day one

Since it was noon by the time we checked in, we hit the cobblestone streets after taking a shower and settling in. We decided to try a typical local lunch of grilled sardines and a white fish. For some reason, I’d forgotten that serving entire fish with all the bones — and sometimes intestines — is a thing in Europe. While the flavors were great, I’m a lazy person when it comes to eating. The less work, the better. 🙂

Only fish with bones

Alfama alley

Lone winter tree in Alfama

One of the main roads in the Alfama neighborhood of Lisbon

Many displays of azulejos – white and blue tiles typical of the region

Strolling around the Alfama neighborhood

Many houses have tiled facades

Panteao Nacional

Tiled buildings

Detail of the tiled walls

My first pastel de nata pastry: yum!

In the afternoon, we explored the cute and mostly pedestrian Alfama neighborhood, climbing its hills, strolling its cobblestone streets, and eating my first of many pastéis de nata. For someone who loves pastries and pudding, this treat is heaven!