We are here in Portugal now, to stay. We aren’t writing so many posts, but we do want to share our photos. We’re going to write more about our travels around Portugal, and about daily life.
This list is in reverse chronological order, most recent at the top, so when there are several posts about a trip, scroll to the bottom of the set to read about a trip from the beginning.
Living in Portugal – Diary
- Seven Hanging Valleys Trail – video
Watch some video of our walk on the Seven Hanging Valleys trail in Portugal’s Algarve region, with original music by Pam. Read details and see David’s photos of our April visit to Carvoeiro in Portugal’s … - Baby Bird on Our Balcony
On Wednesday morning, I noticed a gray bird on the balcony of my study. Then another bird arrived, a white wagtail, bringing a worm. We had a fledgling white wagtail as our guest! The little … - A Week in Paradise in Portugal
We’ve just booked another outing, a week’s stay at Paradise in Portugal, a Quinta near Saboia in the south of Portugal. The lodge is a combination of rural retreat and birdwatching immersion. It’s on the … - Train Trip to Carvoeiro in the AlgarveIn April 2024, we traveled by train from Lisboa to the town of Carvoeiro in the Algarve, the southern coast of Portugal. We wanted to see the famous cliffs and we wanted to go before …
- Excursion to Óbidos
Óbidos is a famous Medieval village on top of a hill. Its wall encircles the hilltop with its castle at the highest point. It is near the coast of central Portugal, inland from Peniche. You … - Finding Concert Information
Concert info in Portugal is scattered over many websites. Some seemed out-of-date, a leftover from COVID? But concert seasons are picking up. Some ensembles or venues only list immediately upcoming concerts, so it’s hard to … - Wonderland Lisboa 2023The holiday lights are lit! Throughout November, city workers have been putting up panels of Christmas lights on street light poles, heart-shaped ornaments dripping out of the trees, and, especially throughout the city, garlands across …
- 7-9 Oct 2023: Lisboa
Oct 7 Ajuda, Alcantara, City center: Day 13 We took the train to Belem then a bus up the hill to the Palácio Nacional da Ajuda. Just before going in, we saw a mounted troop … - 5-6 Oct 2023: Porto, Foz and Back to Lisboa
Walking around Porto and Foz: Day 11 From our hotel, higher up the hill from the river, we walked to the Jardins de Palácio de Crystal, saving energy by walking across the hillside without going … - 4 Oct 2023: Douro Valley
Douro Valley by bus and river boat: Day 10 About two weeks before our Porto trip, David booked a Douro Valley bus tour with Living Tours. 8am was the start time. The street outside their … - 2-3 Oct 2023: Porto
Train to Porto: Day 8 We took the Alfa Pendular express train from Oriente train station in Lisboa and arrived at Campanha station in Porto around noon. A rideshare took us from the station to … - 1 Oct 2023: Parque das Nações, Lisboa
Parque das Nações: Day 7 After more morning laundry to prep for our trip to Porto tomorrow, we decided to visit Parque das Nações (Park of Nations), site of the 1998 World Exposition, and now … - 30 Sep 2023: Ericeira
Trip to Ericeira’s Beaches: Day 6 The weather was still hot, so we decided to abandon the city and escape to the beach. We got a rideshare to Ericeira, a town on the Atlantic coast … - 29 Sep 2023: Lisboa & Cacilhas
Laundry, Eduardo Parque and Ferry: Day 5 Hot weather arrived! We had a slow morning that included laundry and resting.We went to Eduardo VII Parque in the center of Lisboa and visited the Estufa Fria, … - 28 Sep 2023: Alfama and Fado
Playing tour guide with friends: Day 4 Walking uphill in Alfama Today we walked through the Alfama district, starting from Praça do Comércio.Our first stop was the Sé, which is the word for the main … - 27 Sep 2023: Sintra Palaces
Playing tour guide with friends: Day 3 To avoid the hoards of tourists in Sintra, we bought tickets ahead of time for the earliest entry into the Pena Palace at 9:30am. We got a Bolt … - 25-26 Sep 2023: Cascais and Lisboa
Playing tour guide with friends 25 Sep Leisurely afternoon in Cascais: Day 1 We met our friends at the airport in the morning and took a Bolt rideshare to our apartment in Caxias. They took … - Playing Tour Guide in Lisboa & Porto – Overview
At the end of September we had our first guests. We eagerly became their tour guides. We still had a lot to learn about what to see in Lisboa, so beforehand, we did research and … - Month of August 2023 – ActivitiesWe’ve had several grocery store trips trying to keep up with having fresh foods in the house, with less restaurant eating. We especially like the Continente in Santo Amaro. Their in-house foods include good bread, …