PORTUGAL VACATION 2023 [] BEST PICTURES
What a wonderful vacation! Portugal with family to celebrate Rembe & Dana’s 10th wedding anniversary. Nice. Very nice.
Berto and Mirabelle were real troopers. They behaved – most of the time 🙂 Hanging out with Dorothy and Jeff was fun as always. And following the tour expertise of Dana and Rembe made it all work. (And we did it all walking and using public transportation).
Porto’s “faded grandeur”* was magical. The old town is compact, walkable, and lively. (*Per the guidebook, only Cuba has a similar ‘faded grandeur’).
Oh, and the wine! Can’t go wrong – even with the 3 Euros bottles. Simply perfect for meals at outdoor cafes. The wine tour down the Duomo River was stellar. And the Porto tastings was delicious.
Oh and the churches! The beautiful “azulejos” tiles are everywhere. And the Baroque interiors are so rich. (It was strange to do Midnight Mass without much fan-fare and then have churches closed on Christmas Day. Hmmmm).
Oh, and the food! Bacalao – in whatever form – is always tastee. (We did not try tripe).
Traveling to Lisbon on a fast train was efficient, quick and easy. It got us there in time to enjoy dinner and stroll the streets.
The next day was a day trip to Fatima – with a twist. On the way there we stopped at a medieval town (Óbidos), Nazaret (the big waves) and a majestic monastery. Fatima was a unique holy experience, where we prayed for the whole family – particularly the young – and world peace.
The last day we enjoyed a leisurely ride on two “hop on hop off” Yellow Bus routes, and rode a light rail and an uphill trolley. This was the perfect way to take a quick peek at all major sites.
Portugal may not be as polished and pristine as other European countries. But its beauty shines through loud and clear. It is welcoming, full of history, easy to navigate via public transportation, and has plenty of photogenic sites and vistas – and awesome food. (And it is relatively cheap).
Wonderful memories were made; and we have stories for a lifetime – including GD’s (minor) fall and Berto and Mirabelle’s childhood shenanigans.
CHRONOLOGICALLY
Portugal DAY 1 (Thu Dec 21 & Fri Dec 22) Arr Lisbon / Train to Porto
Portugal DAY 2 (Sat Dec 23) Porto
Portugal DAY 3 (Sun Dec 24) Porto hop on hop off + Noche Buena
Portugal DAY 4 (Christmas Day) Scavenger hunt + Asian food
Portugal DAY 5 (Tue Dec 26) Douro wine tasting
Portugal DAY 6 (Wed Dec 27) From Porto to Lisbon + RemDana Anniversary
Portugal DAY 7 (Thu Dec 28) Fatima + Óbido, Nazaret, & Monastery
Portugal DAY 8 (Fri Dec 29) Lisbon hop on hop off
Portugal DAY 9 (Sat Dec 30) Fly back home
COLLECTIONS of GIFs
EXTRA – Berto describing where we stayed: Porto / Lisbon
