Portugal
Portugal was a last-minute trip. Not needing any real excuse to travel, my husband and I cashed in our Delta miles for 2 tickets to Lisbon. We’d never been before but heard wonderful things. Since we’re both photography buffs, we researched the best places for sunrise/sunset pictures, breathtaking vistas and unique stops along the way.
We began and ended our journey in Lisbon. We visited Belem Tower and the National Museum of Ancient Art. Lisbon is a pretty big city. There’s interesting architecture, old culture and lots of local “character”. The buildings – old and new – are decorated with a variety of vibrant colors, tiles and street art.
Portuguese food is largely seafood-based. Bacalau, squids and sardines are readily available. Luckily, hubby was able to find plenty of meat options. And if you’re vegetarian/vegan traveling to Portugal, we found loads of choices every place we went.
After 3 days in Lisbon, we flew to Madeira to – hopefully – catch sunrises/sunsets. Unfortunately, with the exception of our first day there, the weather didn’t cooperate. It’s a funny island with its own weather patterns. Apparently, it’s common for flights to be canceled and rerouted due to limited visibility around the island.
Final approach into Madeira
Luckily, there were plenty of things to see and do. The cable cars were a blast! You get a wonderful view of the land from high up. The ride each way takes 20 minutes. After enjoying that we spent time at their botanical garden (their Japanese Garden puts the Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s to shame!). We snapped pics of flamingos and some statues.
And apparently, Madeira is a popular retirement spot. Germans, Brits and Americans can all be spotted in large numbers. It’s hardly surprising since your money goes a lot farther there than in the U.S..
After flying back to Lisbon, we rented a car and drove to Nazare, a small seaside town enjoying their off-season. Those of you who know me well know that I’m not a sun-worshipper. However, in February, the beaches of Nazare are the place to be if you like peace and quiet. Their gigantic waves are legendary (professional surfers are here in the high season in November) and wonderful for photography. We spent a few hours on the beach with our cameras. There’s a funicular you can take to the mountain top with amazing views of the water (and the surfers!).
From Nazare, we traveled to a few UNESCO monasteries on our way to Porto. What an amazing city! It’s hard to describe the difference between Lisbon and Porto, but the vibe was just better. We spent a lot more time walking the hilly terrain and visiting the waterfront. We still had little success with sunrises and sunsets. But it didn’t impact our travels too much. We still had plenty to fill up our days.
On our way back to Lisbon, we made pitstops in Aviero (the “Venice of Portugal”), amazing caves (Grutas de Mira de Aire) and a too-short stop in Sintra at the Palacio de Pena. Two weeks isn’t enough time!
Still, it’s nice to be back into the yoga routine again. Believe it or not, I had a hard time finding yoga in Portugal! Lots of spas, but no way to get a class. That said, my body is happy to be back on the mat and getting some much-needed stretching. If you’re around, check out the schedule on my Yoga page. I’d love to see you and practice with you.
