Where am I – enjoying a week in Portugal: a land of sunshine, fascinating history, beautiful countryside, great food, lovely welcoming locals - and Port!
Porto - didn’t fail to live up to my sky high expectations - what a beautiful place on the banks of the Douro. We spent hours and hours tramping around, crossing the iconic Ponte Luis Bridge to sample some Port at the Calem cellar door. Soaking up a magnificent sunset (and an impromptu gig in the Jardim do Morro.) Grabbing a snack roasted veal plate from Casa Ines at the Time Out Market - which turned out to be one of the best things tasted on our entire trip! And failing (twice) to sneak in to the Livraria Lello bookstore - hot tip, book a timeslot ahead of time so you can make it inside, and if you purchase a book the cost of entry goes toward this. We also sampled the signature francesinha sandwich (layers and layers of bread, meats, cheese and sauces), and my advice here - order one between two to share, or suffer the repurcussions!
We stayed at the gorgeous Torel 1884 - boutique hotel and former palace, dating back (to 1884!) Just around the corner from the super charming pedestrian only thoroughfare of Rua das Flores which was full of smart restaurants, shops and lively evening buskers. There’s a day to night cafe / restaurant / wine bar on site as well as a lovely library space upstairs, which was the perfect spot to spend some downtime after hours and hours spent rambling around the city exploring.
We joined a small group day trip to the Douro Valley with Living Tours (who we’ve been supporting for years, and always receive the best feedback from clients.) Now I’ve done it myself, can see why! It was a wonderful full day out; visiting the little town of Amarante on the Tamega River. Followed by a tasting at Kopke, the oldest Port Wine House in the World (established 1638!!) We sailed along the Douro river on a traditional Rabelo boat, and spent the most divine long lunch at a family home near Pinhao. **Something I didn’t appreciate until we did this day out - Port comes in so many different varieties, not just the sweet aged tawny but also white (which I thought was delicious) and even rose.
Lisbon - reached by leisurely and very convenient high speed AP rail from Porto. Such a different big city vibe when compared to Porto, but my goodness we loved it!
Spent a memorable sunset clambering over and around the ramparts of the Castelo de São Jorge - followed by a few beers and a plate of petiscos watching the sun go down across the city. And another evening we took in a haunting Fado performance in the most unique setting - underground in the the disused Patriarchal Water Reservoir! **Ask us how and we can book this unforgettable experience for you too.
We also hired some bikes and road along the coast to the Belém Tower (clad in scaffolding at the time of our visit.) Saw the majestic Monument to the Discoveries, which sits next door to the Tower and is an incredible celebration of their 15th and 16th century Age of Discovery. And joined the hours long queue (worth it) to enter the stunning Jerónimos Monastery.
We did go to the Time Out Market here as well, but it was much bigger and busier than Porto and a bit overwhelming. We stopped by briefly for some Pastel de Nata and would recommend, but probably only early in the day before the lunch / through to dinner rush.
Better (in our eyes) than Time Out was the vibrant LX Factory, a repurposed factory / now arts precinct with some fun bars and restaurants, and a great collection of jewellers, start up shops and other creative folk.
Here we stayed at Dare Lisbon House - a fabulous little character filled property, made up of just 23 uniquely designed serviced apartments. It was excellent to have the friendly 24/7 front desk team to quiz on local recommendations (from the best way to get around and explore all the different neighbourhoods, to local dining tips and the best local stores.) And each morning hanging on our doorhandle was fresh bread and a fridge stocked with fruit and yoghurt to enjoy our own breakfast. Plus they’re also less than 50ms door to door from Bifanas do Afonso, a hole in the wall hotspot for the Portuguese specialty Bifanas - yummy sliced pork in a bread sandwich, simple yet utterly mouthwatering!
We also spent a fun filled full day trip (with the aptly named team from Happy Tours) to explore the fairy-tale palaces and lush, mountainous scenery of Sintra. Combined with the beaches and pretty coastal towns that make up Cascais. This did require an early start, but it’s far and away the best way to do this - ensuring you’re at the gates of Sintra Palace before it opens and before the crowds descend. Happy Tours were such a passionate small group specialist, we loved our time with them and would continue to recommend. Lunch (with abundant free flowing wine) was also a highlight on this day out - the family that hosted us were incredibly generous, and the meal was fantastic.
Evora - next up was the officially titled “Very Noble and Ever Loyal City of Évora.” Reached by another direct train from Lisbon (under 2hrs) this was yet another highlight. We only had a brief time but I’d love to have stayed on longer - I definitel didn’t fully appreciate before our visit that it was such a foodie little town, bursting at the seams with so many great options it was hard to settle on one!! We had the picture perfect European experience of piazza drinks and nibbles in the town square (accommpanied by a very talented violinist busker), then the best dinner at Lombardo - which we found tucked away down a very inconspicuous backstreet.
I’d point out a few of the other restaurants on our wishlist were closed (Monday night) but I guess you’ve got to spend Monday somewhere!
The town is perhaps best known now for it’s ancient Roman Temple of Évora (also called the Temple of Diana.) I loved the view of this (and the broader town and countryside) best from the rooftop of the Cathedral. And it’s other major ‘attraction’ is the unsettling Capela dos Ossos, Chapel of Bones - quite literally a small chapel filled with the remains of over 5,000 corpses which were exhumed from nearby cemetaries in the 17th century by three Franciscan friars. At the entrance pause and check out the sign which welcomes you with the following “We bones that are here, for yours we wait.” Enjoy!
We spent our stay here in Evora at the very comfortable 4* Hotel Albergaria do Calvário, just next to the medieval city walls and the Aqueduct.
