On the road to Coimbra we took as side trip to the Roman ruins of the city of Conimbriga. Coimbra was actually named after this town. This huge Roman city dates to well over 2000 years old and remained an…
Portugal’s First Capital – Coimbra
We arrived in Coimbra for our overnight stay at Quintas das Lagrimas. This old palace, originally built in 1326 and its grounds are an attraction in itself. There are tales of Princess Inez being killed in the gardens by her…
On the Road to the Douro Valley. Bucaco and Lamega
About 30 kilometers north of Coimbra is the town of Bucaco. It is known for extensive gardens and hiking trails, but more so for its palace. This palace was built by the last Portugese king around 1903 but only occupied…
Douro. The River and Valley of Gold… Wine that is.
The story of the Douro Valley is that it’s name is derived from the golden color of the water due to the wash of the soil off of the hills. The real gold however is in the wine industry with…
Portugal Fun Fact.. Do You Know the Derivation of the Word Tea?
After Vasco de Gama and the other famous Portugese explorers discovered India and the Far East, trade routes were established. This was especially true for spices. Hence in Portugese…… TRANSPORTE ESPECIARIS A MAR. Just thought you may like to know.
Porto. Its all Downhill From Here.
Porto is a city that slopes fairly steeply down to the Douro River so you always start your tour in the upper city and end in the Ribiera district. We began at the Ingreja dos Clerigos. The attraction here is…
Porto, Day 2. A Little Art, A Little Culture, a Little Vino, and Even an Italian Dinner.
We started our morning at the Serralves Museum of Modern Art and Sculpture Garden. Some very interesting exhibits and a beautiful garden with works from around the world including Claus Oldenberg. Then it was back to the Ribiera to continue…
Madeira, An Island of Gardens
We flew to Madeira this morning about 600 miles out in the Atlantic off of the African coast. It is a volcanic island with steep cliffs cascading into the ocean. Its subtropical climate is also perfectly suited for spectacular growth…
Movin’ On in Madeira
Barry and I tried out one of the most unique transports in the world, but I’ll get to that later. If you can believe it the sunrise is the view from our Quinta. After an outdoor breakfast (most of our…
Exploring the Other Side of Madeira
After breakfast we hopped in the car to drive to the town of Porto Moniz on the northwest side of the island. The scenery getting there was awe inspiring as we drove through a central valley that separated the two…