Category Archives: Portugal – Europe

Stop and stay awhile (or not?)

Posted on September 20, 2017 by

When we’re charmed by a place on our travels, we have a hard time leaving. It didn’t take long for us to feel that Cascais had become one of those special places for us. So, we were faced with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Portugal - Europe | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

What we chose to do in Lisbon

Posted on September 15, 2017 by

The lists of the best things to do in Lisbon stretch on and on and on. We couldn’t do everything, and actually we could do very little since we had decided to limit our Lisbon outings to a total of … Continue reading →

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The beach quiets down

Posted on September 10, 2017 by

We’ve been in Cascais for a month, and every day we walk a short block to the beach to observe the busy life of a beach resort. Cascais has been full to overflowing with tourists from Portugal and all over … Continue reading →

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Something we could all use

Posted on September 5, 2017 by

So many things in life can bring us down. One thing we have found that adds a touch of sheer joy is turning a corner and discovering a grand work of art. Cascais is a beach resort town on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Portugal - Europe | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Camera exercise – stretch your skills

Posted on August 31, 2017 by

Sometimes when we are lucky, we visit a place where it seems almost impossible to take a bad photo: dawn in the Florida Keys, the red rocks in Utah’s national parks, the canals in Venice. Most of the time though, … Continue reading →

Posted in Portugal - Europe | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

No amount of planning could have prepared us for this day

Posted on August 26, 2017 by

Oh, how we wanted to visit Sintra! Who wouldn’t with the many historical sites that included a palace that looked like it was the set for a Disney movie. We wanted to get the most from our visit so we … Continue reading →

Posted in Portugal - Europe | Tagged , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Sintra: were our expectations too high?

Posted on August 21, 2017 by

Sometimes a sightseeing trip falls way below our expectations. We’re glad to say that it rarely happens, but our much-anticipated trip to Sintra took a turn for the worse soon after it started. We’ll tell the tale of our bad-to-great … Continue reading →

Posted in Portugal - Europe | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

A favorite country. A different place.

Posted on August 15, 2017 by

We had a lovely time in Madeira and loved Porto. Should we go back to Portugal? YES! This time we’d go somewhere new, but where? We ticked off what we should look for: a smallish city, a beautiful place with … Continue reading →

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The question is “Barcelona or Porto?” And the answer is…

Posted on January 17, 2015 by

A friend asked us “Barcelona, Spain or Porto, Portugal?” and it’s a close call. Both cities rank high on our list of best places we’ve stayed. So, how to decide, if it’s an either-or choice? Our previous post, “Choosing where … Continue reading →

Posted in Around-the World - 2013-14, Portugal - Europe, Spain, Trip Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Recycle. Decorate. Have a little fun.

Posted on January 10, 2015 by

Porto, Portugal pulled out all the stops with public art. We knew that our walks in Porto would take us past sculpture, painted murals, and tiled buildings. All the old telephone booths in the heart of the city were spectacularly … Continue reading →

Posted in Around-the World - 2013-14, Portugal - Europe | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments