Lagoa…aaa…finally!

Posted on July 4, 2021 by Angels Travelling

Our first ever visit to Portugal was way back in 2015. We’ve mentioned this before, but seriously, it was love at first briso do mar. We arrived at our favourite resort a few hours later than planned because our flight was delayed, and it was dark. The no-street-lights-to-heaven dark. The we-are-miserably-lost kind of dark. We had the people at reception calling us every two minutes to find out if we’re okay and also trying to navigate us to the correct roads. So we had the nav-thingy continuously recalculating and quasi chasing its own tail because we were not on a real road, and the resort staff encouraging us not to fear, okay yes, the roads are very narrow, no problem, there are a lot of stones, no problem, we will not fall down a cliff, no problem. So don’t worry ma’am, you can stop screaming now. No problem.

In the six times we have travelled to Portugal, we’ve only stayed at this one five-star resort in the Lagoa area. The quietness and close proximity to the ocean, their large two-bedroom fully serviced appartments, with a big kitchen, and their out-of-season prices is what sold us from the beginning. It’s also in the central part of the Algarve, with fantastic opportunities to walk along the cliffs, going either east or going west. After so many years we got to know the staff and to us it felt like visiting family. We felt at home. Our last visit was a bit sad as ownership has changed, and renovations were in place. Apparently some of those big and beautiful appartments have been chopped up and turned into hotel rooms 🥺

Here are a few photos taken on different occasions of the amazing area in and around the resort.

We love…the cliffs and the ocean, even on cloudy days

We love…the secluded beaches

We love…the nature at the resort

We love…the cute animals greeting us every single day

but most of all…WE LOVE…the romantic sunsets

Vila Nova de Milfontes

Posted on June 25, 2021 by Angels Travelling

Let’s try this again…Lagoaaaa, here we come! In just about two hours we’d finally be able to put derriere-on-couch and sip something sporting a toothpick parasol. YAY! Oopsy! We. Did. Not. Get. Far. Sheesh! At least we were in another district. So redo YAY number one! YAY! Little steps. Then we entered a roundabout and saw the name Vila Nova de Milfontes, so took the exit with two wheels kissing the kerb. Phew! Wha-aat?

The advantage of travelling out of season is there are quite a lot of places to park, it mostly does not cost anything and spots directly in front of the beach are many. Not here though. Tis the time for fixing things, like roads. The whole area in front of the beach was being re-tarred or something, but we found a very dusty-cough-cough-spit spot somewhere behind somewhere. Whatever. We were happy anyway. Beach! Water! Asphalt perfume!

Vila Nova de Milfontes lies at the mouth-delta-estuary of the Mira River, so has this wonderful and huge river beach, the Praia da Franquia, as shown in the above photos. The weather was lovely, the sand not too hot, so we got naked. Hey, we only took our shoes off. 🤪 What a ~~geez this is strenuous~~ lovely walk all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. Well, we tried, but there was a sort of cliff blocking our way, so we had to walk all the way back again, or hopefully just for a few metres, please pretty please, until we could find an easy and safer climb back up to the street. Heh. Heh. Ha! There was no way we were going back, so the only thing to do was to ape ourselves up on little cliffy. Cliffy, the slippery sand dune, cough-cough-spit, with a huge parking lot on top. Hoo-rah-rah!

The view from the parking lot is also amazing. A short walk and there it is, right there in the middle of a little roundabout, big, bold and quite odd, the Estátua Arcanjo (Archangel Statue). It stands there facing the town with its back (wings) towards the Praia do Farol and the Atlantic Ocean. We thought it was an alien, but it’s a metal thingy constructed with all sorts of other metal thingies like spoons, nuts, bolts, chains, wires and we even saw a horseshoe! It looks like a serious message to us earthlings because he seems to be angry or screaming, but we’re not so sure. It’s fascinating though.

To the right of the statue one can walk down to the Praia do Farol and a beach hut eatery. Here the beach is a bit rougher with huge splashing waves. Keep going until you reach the Praia do Carreiro da Fazenda which is opposite to the river beach. It’s a stony walk, but easy peasy.

Talk about stones. Between the hut and the Praia do Carreiro da Fazenda lies a huge area filled with cairns. It’s not sure who or why this started, but ooh, the temptation to stack was so great that I made TWO! Mission accomplished! Here they are, Mighty and Shorty. Drink? Anyone?

Unfortunately we did not have time to visit the town itself, but that’s okay, there’ll hopefully be a next time! Next stop…really now…cross my heart and all that…Lagoa…

Porto Covo – a dreamy harbour hideout

Posted on April 11, 2021 by Angels Travelling

Yoo-hooooo! Lagoa, here we come. We were quite chuffed that we planned it all so well. The last stretch to our “home” quarters was only three hours away. One of us even had two cups of tea for breakfast because in three hours the pee-bag would only have to be emptied once and then squeezed a bit until we got there. Easy peasy, and then it happened. A roundabout and a hand-written sign. So we do another round contemplating if we should go there. We were only twenty minutes into our journey, but whatever. Round and round and round we go, do we do or do we not. After roundabouting (yes, it’s now a word) four times, we exited at Porto Covo. A dizzy business, but the breakfast stayed put and the nag-bag sat-nav with its please-turn-around-please-turn-around German rant could successfully be ignored. Speak to the hand because we see the sea, baby.

It’s a straight road right into the village with the sea always in front of you on the horizon. The fun started when we needed to find a parking space. It was jam-packed but we spotted one, and…oopsy daisy…did we just drive into the wrong end of the one-way road? Yep! No problem. A toot-tooter with flashing lights and head-shaking gave way and let us pass. Friendly people, these locals. The next problem was that the parking space was way too tight for our car. Someone had parked like a ninny. One of us got out and the other one burnt the clutch and smoked the brake pads, but we were finally in. African style. Just then the ninny came and removed his car. Life.

With burning smells in our noses, we locked up and walked towards the village. Oh my word! What an amazing and unexpected surprise. You enter a huge main cobbled square, the Praça Marquês de Pombal, and see lovely blue rimmed white houses with doors and shutters painted in red all around you. This is what one thinks of when they say fishing village. It’s like wham! dreamy houses to the left and to the right, and the sea in front of you. We did not know what to expect here, but this was out of this world. A quaint kind of out of this world. The diversion was absolutely worth it!

We expected a lot of touristy people seeing that the car park was filled to the brim, but no, here were mostly locals. They seem to frequent here especially during lunch times. There were long queues at all the restaurants after we ended our visit. Yes, we stayed quite long exploring because it was so beautiful. There are many beaches to explore and you can also take a lovely walk along the coast. You might see one or two who are brave enough to skinny dip in the ocean. Keep your eye on the path, it’s steep. After walking around for almost two hours, we sat on a bench and simply enjoyed the fantastic views.

Our three hour trip to Lagoa was now longer, but we were happy and thankful to have visited Porto Covo.

Sines – the beauty within

Posted on March 18, 2021 by Angels Travelling

You sit and watch the sun go down, kiss-kiss and count all your blessings and then realise that you still have to get to your new place for the night. Sigh. Then you enter the GPS co-ordinates into the sat-nav and it calculates that you will reach your destination in about one hour and ten minutes. No, not accepting that. It’s pitch dark and you need to get there pronto, so you “ask” your smartphone. The little so-and-so is not smart at all. It adds another seven kilometres and eleven minutes to your route. So you switch that little smarty-pants off and hit the road. Sat-nav shows that the road is straight and long. Very loooooooong. Alrighty then, let’s go! Hopefully no zzzz-ing behind the wheel. Did I mention the pitch darkness? It was worse! Every kilometre was as exciting as watching paint dry. No town, not even a village or two. Lights? Helloooo! Anyone out there? To the left and to the right, nothing. Nada. Zilch. Wait! There was one little round-about though. Wooo! Weee! Then silence. The only noise to be heard were two rr-rr-rr-rumbling stomachs. We were famished and also worried that we’ll have nothing to eat for the night. You can’t go to bed with a tummy full of oranges. You just can’t. Tried that once. Spent the whole night eliminating citrus waste. We hoped to dine at the hotel restaurant, but we had to be there before eight. We were also tired, but we stifled our yawns and pushed them pedals. Go, go, go! Ten or ~~twenty~~ so kilometres over the speed limit was okay, or…? Just asking for a friend 😇

To cut a very long story short, we reached our destination with fifteen minutes to spare before dinner. Those minutes were used to get into the basement parking. It was like dipping down from a rollercoaster, with lots of African screaming. The time actually didn’t matter in the end because the staff were very kind and accommodating. The manager thought it was more important to show us the hotel. We loved it! The view over Sines by night (see the above photos) was simply amazing! We checked into our cosy, (okay, a bit tight, but comfy) room, freshened up a bit then hit the restaurant. Fried fish please, and wine. Even though we gobbled it all up, the meal was disappointing. We had high expectations considering that the restaurant was highly praised. Whatever. The wine ~~and lots of cocktails~~ and sparkling water made up for it…and the disco afterwards. Tired??? Noooooo…💃🏻🕺

Sines really surprised us. It is beautiful, despite its large industrial port, a power plant and the oil refinery. These add a certain charm to the city. The marina and the huge Vasco da Gama beach with its soft golden sand puts the cherry on the top. Eating breakfast with a city panorama at your feet is a wonderful way to start your day. Oh, and eating all those delicious pasteis de natas too. Sugar rush. Our hotel was perched right on top of a hill, so exploring on foot was the better option. The rollercoaster ride was still talking to the knees. Thank goodness for custard pies 🥳 Camera? Check. Water? Check. Natas? Check. Check. Check. It went downhill from there, teehee 🤪

It is very pleasant to stroll along the beach. Now and again a dog would snarl and show you its pearly whites while trying to mark his territory. Then it’ll give up to go and pee on a brick wall. It was Sunday, so it was very quiet…and hot. It was also out of season so we were like the only ones ~~huffing and puffing~~ ooh-ing and aah-ing and taking lots of photos. Lots. The weather was lovely too. Sunny blue skies and a bit of humidity.

Then the uphill battle started 🧗🏻‍♀️🤣. There is an elevator thingy but seeing that it was the day of rest, it was locked up. Seriously though, the up-up-up was not as bad as the one that hates walking up anything expected. Easy peasy, especially after a night of hip-shaking…The views from up there were absolutely rewarding!

Sines has been around since the middles ages. The Visigoths, the Moors, the Romans, they all at one time or other settled in Sines. Vasco da Gama, the famous explorer, said to be the first European to reach India by sea, was born here. Yep, he’s the dude who landed in South Africa many moons ago, and who also named one of the provinces, Natal (Portuguese for birth of Christ). It has since been renamed to Kwazulu-Natal. How fascinating it was to walk on those same cobble stones that ole Vasco might have stepped on centuries ago, maybe not knowing that he would be making the world more spicy. Good spicy and bad spicy. They had the salt, but they needed some pepper, so off to India he went. One of his ships that sunk way back in early 1500 was found and excavated only about six to eight years ago. The Esmeralda! How fitting! 😇 A Vasco monument stands on the grounds of the castle where he was apparently born, looking over towards the vast sea and beyond. Sines is rightly proud of him because his explorations brought a lot of wealth to his country. History. We enjoy. We move on. Life is good. Te amo Portugal ❤️

We peeked into a quaint little church, !OOPS! Sunday mass, do not disturb, enjoyed the sights and sounds of the old town, saw some ruins, then finally sauntered our way back to the hotel. It was time to move on. Sines, you are a wonderful city. Obrigada.

Bathtub on a beach (Setubal – Troia)

Posted on May 22, 2020 by Angels Travelling

It was time to leave our palace and head off south, and to new adventures. We had to drive back to Lisbon. Ooh-wee! It was peak hour and we still had to cross the Ponte de Abril bridge. We heard “stories” about the traffic but, believe it or not, it was green lights all the way. We sailed through to the other side of the Rio Tejo (Tagus river), throwing an air kiss or two towards the Cristo Rei statue and hoping that this would be the last high, long and scary metal thingy we would have to drive on. 😱

It was a warm and fabuloso morning as we reached the ferry port in Setubal. We chose this route to our next destination, Sines, because we wanted to hug the coast all the way down. From Setubal it’s a thirty minute ferry ride across the Sado Estuary to the Troia Peninsula, then another hour from there to Sines. Sounds quick, but then there’s so much to see on the way. Let’s just say that we arrived at our hotel late at night. Dark late. Oops!

We had to wait quite long for the ferry in Setubal, so used this time to explore a bit, and eat ice cream. Slurp! A pity that we did not go into Settable town, but we did see the little marina, the dock, and also strolled a bit on the promenade.

Ferry Pier and Dock, Fontainhas, Setubal, Doca das Fontainhas, Doca de Recreio das Fontainhas, Setubal Marina, Sado Estuary, Portugal

A lovely day for a ferry ride, no wind and no choppy waters, just blues and greens all around. Blue skies. Blue waters. Green ferry. Green face. Yes, one of us has a problem. 🤢. Whatever, we arrived safe and sound on the other side. No upchucking, and no dolphins. We hoped to see at least one! We did see a few cargo ships, and the view towards Setubal is also interesting.

View of Setubal from the ferry going to Troia, Sado Estuary, Setubal, Troia, Portugal

Okay, so we were a bit “surprised” about the Troia Peninsula. At first there’s not much to see other than dunes and trees all along the road leading to the town itself. Troia is small but very popular as a holiday resort, with fantastic beaches and a lovely and informative wooden boardwalk. We picnicked on the marina then strolled along one of the beaches.

Marina Troia, Troia Peninsula, Troia Beach, Sado Estuary, Praia de Troia, Portugal

Troia Peninsula, Troia Beach, Sado Estuary, Praia de Troia, Portugal

Walkway, Boardwalk, Troia Peninsula, Troia Beach, Sado Estuary, Praia de Troia, Portugal

Troia Peninsula, Troia Beach, Sado Estuary, Praia de Troia, Portugal

The bird can be explained, but how did a bathtub get washed on the beach?? 🤣 🧐 🤪

Art, Bird, Boardwalk, Troia Peninsula, Troia Beach, Sado Estuary, Praia de Troia, Portugal

Beach Art, Troia Peninsula, Troia Beach, Sado Estuary, Praia de Troia, Portugal

Troia Peninsula, Troia Beach, Sado Estuary, Praia de Troia, Portugal

This route to Sines is amazing! We spent a lot of time on the coast. The road is almost on the edge of the ocean, with only sand dunes between you and your car. Where the road did not meet the ocean, we detoured until the sand came through the air filters lol! Yep, crazy couple. We stopped quite a lot along the way, climbed over the dunes, more like stumbled hee-hee, and took the time to wait for the sun to set. Then it got dark quickly! At least we arrived at the hotel in time for supper…

Rattling americanos in Lisbon

Posted on April 29, 2020 by Angels Travelling

BOA VIAGEM LISBOA ESPERA POR TI (Have a Nice Trip, Lisbon Awaits You)

The first thing we were thrilled about was that the city of Lisbon was not very far away from our hotel in Estoril. The second was that it was cheaper and very easy to take the train rather than drive to the busy city. No parking problems, and definitely no driving stress. We chose well. Our hotel was not only fancy, it was just a few steps away from the beach (depending on who’s walking, or talking 🤪 ), with the train station right next to it, and only a thirty-minute train ride away from Lisbon. We bought a 24-hour return ticket and only paid six euros each! What they don’t tell you though, when you buy the ticket, is to make sure you sit to the right in the direction of travel towards the city. We only chose that side because of the morning sun and were rewarded with a lovely train route along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and as we neared Lisbon, we travelled along the banks of the Rio Tejo (Tagus river). Ooh-aah-ohh-wow! Yep, it was obvious who the tourists were.

We didn’t know where we wanted to start first once we reached Lisbon, nor did we have any concrete plans on anything special we wanted to see. The concierge at our hotel gave us a map and a few tips, but we ended up exploring it our usual way, by getting lost.

The final stop is at the Cais do Sodre train station. This not a spectacular building on the inside, even though there’s quite a few typical Portuguese mosaic panels (Azulejos) and artworks on the walls, but its plus point is that it sits next to the Rio Tejo, the watery introduction to Lisbon, and our orientation or focal point.

Another highlight is just outside at the front of the building, the most popular tourist attraction that squeaks, screeches, and rattles all day long, the one and only, rat-ta-tat-tat, electric americanos. These colourful historical trams haven been rolling, climbing and honking in Lisbon since the first one came over from America (Americano) way back in 1873.

Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal, Tram, carros americanos, city

The most famous one used by tourists and locals alike is the yellow number 28. It tends to get very full, but if you’ve managed to get at least a standing space, it is worth the noisy ride. They squeak, that ear-piercing metal on metal kind of squeak, around every curve (there are lots of these), or have to screech to a halt quite often when silly people cross in front of them. Then they honk. All. The. Time. As a “honk-honk-shake-rattle-and-roll-it-is-me” warning, or when a parked car has blocked the line. The rattling, well, it is what it is… 🤣 Ouch! It is quite amazing how those drivers manage to move through all those narrow and curvy streets without hitting anything!!

Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal, Tram, carros americanos, city

If you stand with your back to the Rio Tejo, beautiful Lisbon lays in front of you, and yes, get your knees ready because it’s only uphill from there! 🧗🏻‍♀️ 😉 Worried? No! Why? If our patellas did not pop in Porto, then they will not limp in Lisbon, so bring it on! Haha! Seriously though, the area between the Cais do Sodre station and the Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square) is very flat with an interesting and bustling waterfront promenade. Hmmm. Step to the right, step to the left, step back – one, two, three, now step to the right, step to the left, turn around and hop, hop, hop. Hee-hee! That’s what it felt like trying to decide which way to go as we did not want to miss anything. We zig-zagged. Promenade, little garden next to station, cross over to Duke of Terceira Square, back to Rio Tejo at the Commerce Square, promenade. And in-between all that, there was something fishy!

Keep your eyes peeled so as not to miss the Loja das Conservas, (photos below) a shop created by the ANICP – National Association of Canned Fish Industry, to highlight and sell the products from the Portuguese canning industry. An amazing shop if you’re looking for variety. There are hundreds of colourful cans stacked on two walls with information about each of the companies. There is a huge assortment and it’s difficult to choose only one tin to buy. We ended up with three. Oh, and there are also a few free fishy nibbles to try. This is not the only shop selling traditional canned fish in the area, but this one is more touristy, so tends to be more expensive. Whatever, enjoy and feel the holiday spirit!

Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal, Loja das Conservas, House of Canned Goods, Canned Fish, Tin Fish, Tinned Fish, Fish

The Commerce Square is probably the most important square in Lisbon. Eavesdropping on one of the guides, he said that at the last New Year celebration, hundreds of thousands of people gathered here to welcome the new year. There are two long archways on each side of the square where you will find restaurants, shops and…a beer museum. Slurp! We only looked, even though one of us was starting to get thirsty, lol. We bought a take-away snack instead, the traditional Pasteis de Bacalhau or codfish cakes. It was lekker, BUT the price shocked us though. Oh well, tourists we are…

Praça do Comércio, Commerce Square, Arch on the side, Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal

Museu da Cerveja, Beer Museum, Beer Restaurant, Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal

Praça do Comércio, Commerce Square, Arco Triunfal da Rua Augusta, Triumphal Arch of Augusta Street, Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal

Now we start to climb. Up. Up. Up. Then, ta-daa, a church. Hallelujah! All those pews just waiting for weary feet 😇 😇 This is a very special Catholic church. This is where Saint Anthony of Padua was born, a gifted preacher, teacher and patron saint of lost things and small miracles. His birthplace is accessible for everyone to see, though the room is a bit tight, especially when there are a lot of people. The Church of Saint Anthony is right next to the Lisbon Cathedral and has colourful ceilings with a very attractive altar. It is also much quieter, so easy to while away for a few hours. We did not have the time, so up and out! Lisbon Cathedral was waiting hee-hee…

Igreja de Santo António de Lisboa, Church of Saint Anthony of Lisbon, Birthplace of Saint Anthony, Portugal

The Lisbon Cathedral, or Saint Mary Major Minster or simply the Sé de Lisboa (below) is the oldest church in Lisbon and has survived many natural disasters in its eight hundred and seventy-odd year history. During this time many renovations have taken place that is why there are so many architectural styles to be seen, like Gothic, Baroque and Rococo, to name but a few. To visit the cathedral does not cost anything, but if you want to see more, like the cloister and the treasury, then it costs a few euros each. It was worth every penny because the view from the gallery is awesome! It’s also quite something else being covered in bright rainbow colours while standing under the rose window! The sun shone through the window for only a moment, covering the walls, and us, in beautiful colours! Ooh, getting emotional here…

Lisbon Cathedral, Sé de Lisboa, Tuk-Tuk, Portugal

Lisbon Cathedral, Sé de Lisboa, Altar, Portugal

Lisbon Cathedral, Sé de Lisboa, Tuk-Tuk, Portugal

Outside the Lisbon Cathedral is a tuk-tuk “terminus”. One of us had to empty the bladder, hop-hop-squeeze, so we asked one of the drivers where the nearest waterhole was. A few minutes later he had convinced us to take a ride with him. The most hilly part was still to come, he said. Just then an americano came by, seeming to drag itself up the hill, honking and squealing as if to say, take-the-tuk-tuk! We took the tuk-tuk. A very expensive ride! A one hundred euro adventurous ride. Getting in and out was not something for short legs. The only way was to do a bum slide, then drop. Don’t ask. Besides, the beauty of Lisbon can NOT be enjoyed to the full when you’re being tailgated by an angry americano! The 28! Yep, he was one of those always in the way. Honk-Honk! LOL! No problem, he said. It is normal, he said. So we’re not going to get bumped or pushed out of the way then? Nooo, everything okay. Alrighty then. So we wobbled our way up to Our Lady of the Hill viewing point. What a breathtaking view over Lisbon! The weather could’ve been better though…too many clouds…BUT, no rain!

Miradouro da Senhora do Monte, Our Lady of the Hill Viewpoint, Miradouro da Graça, Grace Viewpoint, Graca, Graça, Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal

Next stop was the oldest neighbourhood in Lisbon, the Alfama District. WOW! We were gobsmacked! It is a maze of narrow alleyways, cobbled streets, old houses, little squares, restaurants, cafes and what else, lots and lots of stairs. It survived the big earthquake, with subsequent tsunamis and fires, in 1755, so has retained its cultural and historical heritage. We really enjoyed our time here!

Alfama, Alfama District, Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal

We tuk-tuk’d our way through many other interesting attractions. At some we asked him to stop so as to have a closer look, bum slide drop, and others were enough to see in passing. Our tour ended at the Baixa Food Market. YAY! We were famished! We said good-bye to Mr. No Problem and followed the smells of food. It is not a big place, but there are more than enough choices of meats, cheeses and other traditional foods on offer. We had the typical fried sausage washed down with a sangria. Dessert was pastéis de nata. They were created in Lisbon, so, when in Lisbon, nom-nom-nom, then eat what the monks created so many years ago, custard tarts!

Mercado da Baixa, Baixa Market, Food Market, Baixa, Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal

Lisbon can be seen from many viewpoints across the city. One can take a boat ride and enjoy the view from across the Rio Tejo, or use a tuk-tuk (pricey), or the trams, or go up in a lift. There’s a metal thingy, the Santa Justa Elevator, with an observation platform presenting panoramic views over the Baixa District and beyond. This lift is also used as an easier way get from upper Lisbon to lower Lisbon or vice versa. It’s very popular, and only twenty or so can use the lift at a time, so long queues.

Elevador de Santa Justa, Santa Justa Elevator, Santan Justa Lift, Baixa, Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal

Ferry, Boat, Tours, Tajo River, Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal

Below are some very interesting buildings, statues and artworks Lisbon has to offer. Click on the photo for more information. Enjoy!

National Pantheon, Panteão Nacional, Church of Santa Engrácia, Igreja de Santa Engrácia, Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon City Hall, Praça do Município, Municipal Square, City Square, Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal

Church or Monastery of São Vicente de Fora, Monastery of St. Vincent Outside the Walls, Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

Praça do Comércio, Commerce Square, King Jose 1 Statue, Arco Triunfal da Rua Augusta, Triumphal Arch of Augusta Street, Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal

Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal, Duke of Terceira Statue, Terceira Square

Abstract Sculptures, Praça do Município, Municipal Square, City Square, Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal

Jardim de Roque Gameiro, Gardens of Roque Gameiro, Homem do Leme Statue Sculpture (Helmsman), Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal

There are only two bridges over the Rio Tejo in Lisbon, the Vasco da Gama and the 25 de Abril. The latter is the one you see from most viewpoints, and also has the Christ the King Statue almost next to it, but it’s a bit arduous to get there. A fifteen minute ferry ride to the other side of the river, then another twenty minutes with a bus.. Too much hassle for us, and it was too late anyway. Hotel!!!!!!

Our walky-talky-clickety-click-snap-slurp-munch-munch day in Lisbon was over and we had not even seen half of what is has to offer. We were tired, but happy. We spent the night rubbing shoulders with VIP’s and drinking cocktails. Tum-di-dum. Shh…

Getting beachy along the Silver Coast

Posted on April 4, 2020 by Angels Travelling

We waved good-bye to the gondolas bobbing on the water as we headed off to our next destination, Estoril Cascais. Our goal was to drive as close as we could to all the beaches along the beautiful shores of the Silver Coast. This route would take two or more hours longer than the quicky on the highway, but whatever, talk to the sand! Someone’s ample gluteus maximus had just about moulded itself into the drivers seat when your beefiness wanted to take a quick look at the Aveiro Lighthouse (Farol de Aveiro), or mostly known as the Lighthouse of Praia Barra (below). Said! Done! Little beach walk! Awesome! 😁

Lighthouse of Praia da Barra, Farol de Aveiro, Barra beach, Portugal, Silver Coast

Public Toilets next to the Carlos Roeder Square at the Lighthouse of Praia da Barra, Farol de Aveiro, Barra beach, Portugal, Silver Coast

Carlos Roeder Remembrance Square, Praca Comendador at the Lighthouse of Praia da Barra, Farol de Aveiro, Barra beach, Portugal, Silver Coast

Lighthouse of Praia da Barra, Farol de Aveiro, Barra beach, Portugal, Silver Coast

We only managed to drive a total of twelve and a bit kilometres since leaving the hotel in Aveiro, so no, we did not get far. Oops! Shortly after leaving the lighthouse, these unusual and attractive candy striped houses (below) looked too interesting to ignore, so of course we had to stop. We’d never seen anything like this anywhere else in Portugal. Costa Nova is a colourful fishermans village on a strip of land with the Atlantic ocean and a vast beach at the back, and probably the widest part of the Aveiro river to the front. These colourful houses (palheiros) were once used by the fishermen as storage spaces, but have since been converted into holiday homes, restaurants or shops. Some of the other houses are painted in bright colours or adorned with beautiful local tiles. We did not spend a lot of time here, what a pity, and only stopped to take a few photos. Next time, baby! 👍

Palheiros, Striped houses, Costa Nova do Prado, Costa Nova beach, Silver Coast, Aveiro river, Rio de Aveiro, Portugal

Okay, let’s get outta here already! Vroom-vroom-screech! Geez, we’re such acquaholics! A bit of water and we screech to a halt. A dog sleeping on the grass jumped up and growled at us. Did we scare you woofy-woofy? Lake Barrinha, near the Praia de Mira, seems to be a much loved area for joggers, cyclists and dog-walkers. We decided to walk a few metres in, take a few photos, then be on our way, but someone’s camera was giving problems. She handed it over to the expert. He took the memory card out and !PLOP!, it fell through the slats of the wooden boardwalk, and right into the mushy ground below. That’s it, bye-bye, but he was having nothing of that. As calm as the sliced cucumber we’d just had for breakfast, two long legs with boep started to scramble over the splintered railing. !PLOP! Small space, wet ground, spider webs? No problem! He got the card! Ta-daa! A Knight in shining armour!

Wooden Boardwalk, Barrinha, Lake, Praia de Mira, Mira beach, Silver Coast, Portugal

Cormorant, Bird, Barrinha, Lake, Praia de Mira, Mira beach, Silver coast, Portugal

Coot, Bird, Barrinha, Lake, Praia de Mira, Mira beach, Silver Coast, Portugal,

Happiness comes in waves, and we saw a lot of them along the Silver Coast. We stopped for a quick picnic at the Praia do Norte (North Beach) near Nazare. What a lovely way to nibble, and we were the only ones far and wide!

view of the Farol da Nazare, Lighthouse of Nazare, view from Praia do Norte, North Beach, Nazare, Silver Coast, Portugal

Praia do Norte, North beach, Nazare, Silver Coast, Portugal

Next stop was the famous Nazare lighthouse and the Fort of Saint Michael the Archangel. The crazy aunty was at it again. She navigated us on to a holier than thou dirt road, yes, there were potholes and bumps everywhere! Too much effort to direct us to a new tarred road through town, hey? Grrrr! Whatever, we know how to rock and roll, baby! So there! Wow! The view from the top over towards the town of Nazare is simply breathtaking! It was also very busy, and every Dick, Tom and Maria wanted to take a selfie with the red thingy. We walked around, waved at the fishermen below, admired the view and finally managed to get a few photos of the lighthouse, sans selfie sticks hahaha…

Farol da Nazare, Lighthouse of Nazare, and Forte de Sao Miguel Arcanjo, Fort of Archangel Saint Michael, Nazare, Silver Coast, Portugal

Farol da Nazare, Lighthouse of Nazare, and Forte de Sao Miguel Arcanjo, Fort of Archangel Saint Michael, of Praia Nazare, Nazare beach and Nazare, Silver Coast, Portugal

bird sculpture, seagull art, artwork, Farol da Nazare, Lighthouse of Nazare, Nazare, Silver Coast, Portugal

fishing boat, fisher, seagulls, view from Farol da Nazare, Lighthouse of Nazare, Nazare, Silver Coast, Portugal

Fishing boat, Farol da Nazare, Lighthouse of Nazare, and Forte de Sao Miguel Arcanjo, Fort of Archangel Saint Michael, Nazare, Silver Coast, Portugal

Artwork, Sculpture, Seagulls, Farol da Nazare, Lighthouse of Nazare, and Forte de Sao Miguel Arcanjo, Fort of Archangel Saint Michael, Nazare, Silver Coast, Portugal

Modes of transport to the lighthouse, wink-wink. A horse-back rider or a tuk-tuk?

horseback rider on Praia do Norte, North beach, Nazare, Silver Coast, Portugal

Farol da Nazare, Lighthouse of Nazare, and Forte de Sao Miguel Arcanjo, Fort of Archangel Saint Michael, tuk-tuk, Nazare, Silver Coast, Portugal

We left our car parked nicely on the side of the dirt road, but when we got back, some flipdiot (flipping idiot) had parked us in. Now really! All that space and he had to kiss the back of our car?? A lot of stinky brake fluid and clutch fumes later we managed to get the car out without dropping over the cliff. It was getting dark and we still had a long way to go. Bring us to the highway, you crazy thing. She did, but via, via, via! We found our hotel quite easy, BUT, we were at the wrong end. We went round and round like a merry-go-round around the block trying to find the entrance. We throttled the nutty aunty and one of us walked to try and find it. Geez, how complicated, but we eventually found it. A Valet and one of the Doormen took over the parking and baggage stuff while we checked in. It was another one of those old Palace Hotels that we love and so luxurious. The Palacio is also famous because a James Bond movie was filmed here. Kings, queens, spies, writers, famous actors, athletes and other celebrities have stayed here. Photos of their visits line the walls of the hotel. We were so happy that our top floor suite had a view over the bay, so we opened a small bottle of wine, and enjoyed this awesome sunset. A soothing end to a very long and eventful day. All the nights we were there, we took romantic walks in the gardens opposite the hotel, and loved these colourful dancing water lights. Ooh! Love!

Colourful Water Feature, Jardim do Estoril, Estoril Gardens, Casino Estoril, Palacio Estoril Golf and Spa Hotel, Estoril, Cascais, Silver Coast, Portugal

Sunset, Palacio Estoril Golf and Spa Hotel, Estoril, Cascais, Silver Coast, Portugal

Aveiro – the Venice of Portugal

Posted on March 30, 2020 by Angels Travelling

The rainbow over the wine barrels of Quinta da Pacheca must have been a very good sign that all will be well because we reached Aveiro without any dramas (thousands of roundabouts do not qualify as a drama…yes??) or nasty surprises with aunty GPS and her mid-life crisis. We would have liked to spend another day sniffing sweet wine barrel vapours, but we needed some vitamin sea as soon as possible. It was still cloudy but at least the rain had stopped. Yippee-Yay-Yay! In all the years visiting Portugal, this was the first time we experienced such a lot of rain in one go. Typical in the north, we were told. We wanted to take the more scenic route through the countryside towards the coast, but sight-seeing and raindrops are not best friends, so we used the highway with many tolls and high bridges…gulp! A few hours later we landed on the Praia da Granja beach (farm beach…BIG question mark) in Espinho, and only because we took a wrong turn. We used this “mistake” to stroll along the boardwalk (below) and enjoy a mini picknick . Oh happy day!

Praia da Granja (Farm beach) in Espinho

Aveiro is a more than one-thousand-year-old lovely city with canals, colourful Moliceiro boats (gondolas) and interesting bridges, and this is why it is mostly compared to Venice in Italy. Okay, we don’t know how busy Aveiro is during the holiday season, or if they too have thousands and thousands of tourists squish-squashing one another, but we found it pleasantly quiet.

Canal in Aveiro, Portugal

Canal view from Aveiro Palace Hotel

Moliceiro boat – Gondolas. Canals. Aveiro

Moliceiro boats – Gondolas. Canals. Aveiro

Canals. Aveiro, Portugal

Moliceiro boats, Gondolas Art Aveiro

Moliceiro boats, Gondoals Art Aveiro

Moliceiro boats, Gondolas Art Aveiro

Aveiro boasts many historical buildings in all sizes, architecture and colours, one more interesting than the other. The Cathedral with its impressive bell tower, the New Art Museum and the Municipal Building, and not forgetting the little tiny houses seemingly hugging each other, as if they’re keeping each other from falling over. There’s also a shopping centre next to one of the canals. No time to shop. We walked everywhere, and were so grateful that it was not a too hilly city! We did not take a boat trip, nor did we go on the little choo-choo. Per pedes it was, that is how we found a little shop selling South African goodies! Yoohoo! Biltong!

Cathedral of Aveiro

Assembleia Municipal de Aveiro – Edifício da Capitania. Aveiro Municipal Assembly Captaincy Building

Museu Arte Nova Aveiro. New Art Museum Aveiro

Aveiro, Portugal

As almost everywhere in Portugal, typical blue azulejos tiles adorned a few buildings. The old train station, pictured below, is currently being renovated so should look even more amazing once finished.

Old train station, Aveiro, Portugal

Aveiro, Portugal

Wonderful street art/grafitti donning the walls in and around the city (below)

Grafitti, Street Art, Aveiro, Portugal

Many hours later our sore feet reminded us that we needed to put them up, so we made our way to the Praca do Peixo (Fish Market Square). We were also famished! The Square is the nightlife hub of Aveiro with its many restaurants and bars. During the day visitors are also spoilt for choice at the many eateries where one can try traditional Portuguese food, be it meat, fish or otherwise, or eating standing, sitting or on the go. We felt for something fishy, but without having to take our shoes off hee-hee, so one of us ordered eel stew ew eww…uhm…sorry…yumm-yummy…🤥 washed down with a cold beer, glug-glug, and the other, the not so adventurous one, grilled sea brass. Hmmm…lekker! 😋

Eel Stew, Ferro Restaurant, Aveiro, Portugal

Sea Brass, Ferro Restaurant, Aveiro, Portugal

Okay, there was just one teenie-weenie little drama when we arrived at our hotel. The elevator was out of order so we had to use the stairs. We were on the top floor! Oh, okay! Thanks to their porter service we did not have to lug all our bags up ourselves, that’s why it’s only an itsy-bitsy drama 🤪😘

A barrel for two wine-o’s

Posted on March 26, 2020 by Angels Travelling

We were a bit sad to leave Porto, but happy that the day started off sunny, and best of all, dry. Yoo-hoo! No drip, drip. Ha! Ha! Haaaa! Little did we know that the two hour drive to our next lodging would be filled with drama and lots of drip, drip. The sweaty kind of drip, drip. We started off with taking the wrong exit on the highway. It might be a laid back country, but in this city there was havoc on the highway. It was peak hour and we were driving too slow. We had to find somewhere to make a u-turn, (was that a no entry sign? Oops!), drive all the way back and start over again. The further from the city we were, the quieter the road became. We could relax! No wait! Those bridges! High, higher, highest! Geez, and over one of them, the highest and the longest, it rained non-stop. Vision was non-existant. We crawled along, hoping that no-one bumps into us from the back, or that we bump into someone at the front. After fifteen minutes the spook was over. We needed something to settle our nerves, so made a detour to the nearest supermarket. After scoffing at least four Pastéis de Nata’s (Portuguese custard pies) each, and on a too-much-sugar high, we were so ready to get to our hotel asap. Ha! Ha! Haaaa! We did not reckon with our GPS! That nasty little so and so directed us to hell. We should have relied on our own brains and turned back when we saw that the road got narrower and narrower as we proceeded, BUT, there was nowhere to turn, back or otherwise, so onward we went. We had to flip the side mirrors inwards, which made it worse because now we really could not see the rocks and bushes threatening to scrape the car. One of us squeezed out through the door and tried to “navigate” the other one. A mess! Big car, tiny road (what road!!??) and to top it all, a downhill gradient of at least thirty percent! We had to roll down inch by inch, trying to keep all four wheels from slipping into the deep ditches on both sides. Drip! Drip! Drip! The German was a superstar! He got us out of there despite ear-piercing screams filling the air. We now really needed something to drink!

We stopped along the banks of the Douro river to catch our breaths, calm our shaking legs and also to admire the beautiful scenery. We were now on the wine route and all would be well again…wink…wink!

Wine Route Varais, Viseu, looking over the Douro River towards Juncal de Cima, Vila Real

Juncal de Cima, Vila Real

3 bridges in Juncal de Cima, Vila Real. Regua Pedestrian Bridge, Ponte Rodoviaria da Regua and Ponte Miguel Torga

Quinta da Pacheca (our choice of stay)

There are a lot of wonderful places to stay in the Douro Wine Valley, but we chose the Quinta, because they had the barrels…

Quinta da Pacheca Wine House Hotel, Lamego

We did a guided mini tour of the cellar (below). This one is not in production and is only used for touristic purposes. Thereafter we had a complimentary wine-tasting with four of their wines, two of them port. The highlight was the 40-year-old. Other than the four on offer, we could also try some of the other wines. Needless to say, everything tasted so good, that we spent a lot of money, a LOT, buying lots of wines, LOTS. Hot cash card hee-hee. Thank goodness for their postal service! We tipsy-toddled over to our sleeping quarters to prepare for supper.

Quinta da Pacheca Wine Cellar

Wining and dining in style. We were so mellow by now, forgotten was the drama of a few hours ago. It was time to eat, drink and be merry! 😋

Quinta da Pacheca Wine House Hotel

The Wine Barrel! What an amazing experience. As mentioned, they are the only hotel in Portugal where one can sleep in a real wine barrel, smack in the middle of the vineyard. A wine-o dream! We were astounded at how roomy and cosy it was, with all the luxuries one needed, especially the complimentary bottle of port wine. 🍷 The round bed worried us a bit because we were afraid to end up on the floor, but wow! it was very comfortable and big enough for tossy-turvies 🤣 😍

Quinta da Pacheca Wine House Hotel Wine Barrel

The next morning we woke up to this amazing rainbow! What a special way to start the day! After a scrumptious breakfast we packed the car (guess which one 🤓 ) and zoomed off to our next adventure. It was time to be beachy…

Quinta da Pacheca Wine House Hotel Rainbow

Quinta da Pacheca Wine House Hotel Wine Barrel Rainbow

Quinta da Pacheca Wine House Hotel Vintage Car

Rental car at Quinta da Pacheca Wine House Hotel

Porto – Palaces and Port Wine

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Angels Travelling

ps: Pre-Lockdown Travels

One can never get enough of Portugal. We should know, because we have been visiting this beautiful country for the last six years already. This is where we escape to from the bleary winters up north, where we spend a lot of time when we’re here hiking along the cliffs of the Algarve, or exploring the vast countryside. This is where we have friends and where we feel at home. One of us always had one foot in southern Europe, had already set plans in motion to move when, !BOOM!, love happened. We met, we kissed, and then discovered that we both have the same dream, braaivleis, sunny skies and sea bouquets! Go figure! So when we left the snow-covered airport and set foot in Portugal for the first time so many years ago, it was love at first warm sea breeze for both of us, even though it was quite dark due to a horribly delayed flight. Bem-vinda!!

This year we needed to see the other coasts of Portugal, for personal reasons, so decided on a two week road-trip, starting from the city of Porto in the north, then closing off in our favourite area, the Algarve. What an amazing journey it was! So much to do, so little time!! 🤪 Oh, and we were still alive, just.

Our plane landed in Porto tilting from wing to wing. We all screamed in terror 😱 as we were thrown from left to right, right to left. Those plane wings were literally mowing the grass patches on both sides of the runway! Then it suddenly screeched to a jittering halt. Hallelujah! Amen! Breathe out. Breathe in. Woo! Woo! Woo! Clap! Clap! Clap! Happy cry. Laugh. Kiss-Kiss. Hug. OMG! We were safe! 😰 Apparently Porto is a very windy city, but personally??? Methinks that the pilot made a boo-boo…

The Hotel (an 18th-Century former Palace)

Okay, so we get our rental car and make our way to the hotel. Easy peasy despite heavy traffic and rain. We were met by a very friendly car valet and a dashing doorman. Bags and parking sorted. Service at its best! We were escorted to reception and could not stop oohing-aahing and omg-ing at the amazing interior surrrounding us. We had just stepped into a two hundred and seventy year old former palace and national monument, and it seriously felt like being whizzed back to very posh times gone by. Mirrors everywhere! Oh no! Quick! The wild hairs on two tired heads were discreetly patted down, or tamed, and a bit of lippy applied before we sat ourselves down to check in. YAY! What a lovely surprise! We were upgraded to a fancier top floor suite facing the Douro river. The view from our window was absolutely amazing! Birds and boats by day, and sparkling lights at night (see photos below)

View from our room in the Pestana Palacio do Freixo Hotel by day over the river Douro

View from our room in the Pestana Palacio do Freixo Hotel by night over the river Douro

The interior, as mentioned, was jaw-dropping! Everything was tastefully decorated and it oozed eighteenth century feel in every nook and cranny. We spent both nights of our stay sitting on elegant and comfy couches eating delicious bar food and slurping one or three of the best port wines on offer. The bar food was more like that found in a fancy restaurant and cooked to perfection. One of us had the traditional Bacalhau (codfish) and the other one had grilled salmon. Important though, was the sweet and tingly port wine. Hic! There was also a beautiful young singer who sang some soulful and jazzy melodies in her soft yet powerful voice. Obrigada Carol, you are amazing!

Lounge area in the Hotel Pestana Palacio do Freixo

Seating in the Hotel Pestana Palacio do Freixo

View towards front door in the Hotel Pestana Palacio do Freixo

Bacalhau in the hotel bar

Mirrors in the Hotel Pestana Palacio do Freixo

Below are some photos of the exterior and gardens of the hotel. There is so much to see and admire! Unfortunately we did not have much time to sit down and relax at the pool or use the spa facilities, but there will be a next time for sure, God willing.

Hotel Pestana Palacio do Freixo

Gardens of the Hotel Pestana Palacio do Freixo

Hill in front of the parking place of the Hotel Pestana Palacio do Freixo

Porto – City of Surprises and older than JC (300BC)

It was raining. Again. We decided to explore the city anyway. Our hotel had a free shuttle service into town, so we used that instead of bothering with a bus. At first look you think, dab and grey. Then you look closer and all the walls start staring back at you. Walls filled with blue and white mosaic tiles, telling you stories of the past. Walls colourfully painted or sprayed with graffiti. Walls coated with oddities to create an artful mural. Walls lined with freshly washed clothes hanging out to dry. Wonderful walls that say: Hi, look at me!

Azulejos in Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto)

A Rabbit in Porto

Porto

Porto is also a city with a lot of steps and stairs and is quite hilly. Up, down, down, up through tunnels, interesting passages and narrow alleyways. To explore it is to have no knee problems or heavy lungs hahaha! We are grateful to be fit but…phew!…it was quite challenging at times. At least there are a lot of places all over the city to sit down and catch your breath. We spent at least eight hours exploring, so yeah, we deserved all that sweet-tasting port wine. Shhh! Oops!

Porto

Porto is also called the city of bridges, Cidade das Pontes. We ambled across the lower part of the busy double-decker Dom Luis 1 metal bridge over to the other side of the Douro river, and back over the upper part, over the arch. Going was not as adventurous as walking back, OMG! By then it was raining cats and dogs, with a wind velocity so scary that the acrophobic one thought we were going to be blasted off the bridge. See how high it is?? And this just after getting off a swaying cable car! So yeah! There was a lot of scary African screaming going on, especially every time a metro train came rolling by! Why oh why did we not use the tuk-tuk or a boat! 😝🤣

Dom Luís I bridge in Porto

Dom Luís I bridge in Porto, river Douro

Dom Luís I bridge in Porto, Rabelo boats on the river Douro

Metro train on the Dom Luís I bridge in Porto

Tuk-tuk in Porto

Cable car in Porto

Boats on the Douro river in Porto

There are also a lot of interesting buildings, churches and statues all over, especially in the older part of the city. The higher you climb, the better the view!

Statue of Vimare Peres in front of Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto)

view from Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto)

Pestana Vintage Hotel in the old part of the city Porto

Old part of the city Porto

Palacio da Bolsa or Stock Exchange Palace in Porto

Parish Church of St. Nicholas Porto

view from one of the steeples of Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto)

The Douro river divides Porto City and Vila Nova de Gaia. There is a lot to see and do on both sides of its banks. There are also a lot of eateries and wine cellars here. Hic!

view of Porto from Vila Nova de Gaia

view of Vila Nova de Gaia from Porto old centre

boats on Douro river Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia

View over Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia with Douro river

As we mentioned before, it was mostly a rainy day, but even through a camera lens filled with raindrops, the beauty of Porto could still be seen.

rainy view from inside of the cable car Porto

If you don’t like getting wet, there are also a lot of interesting buildings to escape into and explore from the inside, like one of the many wine cellars, sip-slurp-slurp-numm-hic. Or there’s a modern, made to look like an old traditional Portuguese restaurant serving freshly made Bacalhau balls with a glass of wine. Some say it’s a tourist trap and way too expensive, but hey, it’s your choice if you want to spend the money or not. It was full so we walked around the upper gallery, admired and left when the rain eased up a bit. The chandalier was spectacular though!

Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau Porto

Burmester Porto

Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau Porto

After many hours spent on our feet enjoying the sights and sounds of Porto, and after hanging ourselves out to dry for a few minutes heh-heh, we would relax in the lounge downstairs and enjoy the ambience, talk to fellow guests, and always holding a glass in our hands. Shhh! A well deserved end of day after being blown away by the life and uhm…wind of Porto. Live, learn and enjoy! Bottoms up! Cheers! Prost! Saúde!

Pestana Palacio do Freixo Porto

Angels Travelling

Travelling and Photography – Reise und Fotografie

Category Archives: Road Trip: Porto to Lagoa

Lagoa…aaa…finally!

Vila Nova de Milfontes

Porto Covo – a dreamy harbour hideout

Sines – the beauty within

Bathtub on a beach (Setubal – Troia)

Rattling americanos in Lisbon

Getting beachy along the Silver Coast

Aveiro – the Venice of Portugal

A barrel for two wine-o’s

Porto – Palaces and Port Wine