Category: Puttering through Portugal

Yeah, I like me a good cemetery. I think cemeteries give Grubb the heebie jeebies though he claims to like the skulls and bones in catacombs.  He always gives me the “oh brother, here we go” look when I suggest we go see this one or that one. I am not an extremist about this. You…

An Albuquerque statue in Porto? How could we resist? We weren’t sure whether it was the seafaring Albuquerque who bullied his way into India and points east, but according to our Google map the “Albuquerque Statue” was in the middle of a park making up a roundabout near a graveyard Ella wanted to visit. So…

This past week has been spring break for the kids in addition to the Easter holiday, so things are hopping.  Even Google maps says so. “Busier than usual” appears a lot as we scan the map.  Busses are jam packed and popular areas like Ribera, are full to bursting. We see Camino pilgrims hiking through with…

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All of the above were strutting their stuff in the Jardim de Cristo Palacio this morning. The Palacio is a circular dome that serves as an events arena. The Jardim is a gathering of gardens terraced into the steep hillside overlooking the Douro River. Paths lead up and down and all around with medieval turrets…

Our big meal of the day was a hit. Especially after the cacophony of the immersive Kahlo experience. Grubb says he will describe the Frida experience. I am going to trust him on that.  I started with a glass of sangria. Some of the best I’ve ever had. In fact, if i seem a bit…

“It’s Easter Sunday. I thought we’d go to Jardim de Cristo Palacio”, Grubb said. “OK. But will the palace be open?”, I asked. “It’s not a palace.” Grubb states. “It’s a Palacio you said?”, I asked, confused. “Yes” “But not a palace” “Yes” “Yes, it’s not a palace?” “Yes. And plus, there is a delta…

Who can spot the buckets of Nutella? https://photos.app.goo.gl/zTsnUxeq1EbxVQeX9 Bom Jesus de Monte https://photos.app.goo.gl/v4k7uKCxSu77xhQV9 Catedral de Santa Maria de Braga https://photos.app.goo.gl/mnWEqjWsQySBmdXG6

A town (really, a small city that used to be a quaint town) that lies 60 km northeast of Porto. By car, it’s 45-50 minutes. We chose the regional train. You can’t beat 3 euro round trip per person. Unless you factor in the 25 stops. Still, just under 1 hour 20 minutes. 9:00 on…

Sunny. Seventy degrees. Yawn. Bus to São Bento station. Then the train to Braga. Twenty-five stops later, we’re there. The basic idea was to go north and stop in some picturesque town before we got to Spain. Braga, whose citizens are reputed to be the happiest in Portugal, seemed a good pick. Besides a brooding…

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Gelato. In this shop, you purchase a cup or cone in your desired size and then you are entitled to as many flavors as can be crammed in. I chose Chocolate, Café, Bourbon (cream heavily flavored with bourbon) and Pistachio. Grubb’s choices were Indian mango, fig, blueberry amoretto and strawberry cheesecake. That kept us going…

But after the beautiful bookstore and before the church, we stopped for a Delta cappuccino. The Igreja do Carmo or Church of the Venerable Third Order of Nossa Senhora do Carmo was built on land adjacent to the Church of the Carmelites. At the time, two churches were not allowed to share a wall, so the Casa Escondida do…

You might have heard of a bookstore in Porto, the Livraria Lello, beloved by Harry Potter fans. One the most beautiful bookstores in the world if you’re inclined to favor wooden two story shelves with a deep golden varnish bisected by a crimson spiraling staircase spreading its Victorian wings along the upper landing. Narrow and…