We arrived in Lisbon this morning around 8 in the morning to cooler than normal temperatures. It has been very hot in Portugal this past summer to the point where people were dying from the heat and forest fires, but the cooler weather has arrived last week with Hurricane Lesley. It is exceptionally rare for hurricanes to hit the coast of mainland Europe, but regardless, it did hit the northern part of Portugal and France causing considerable property damage and leaving thousands of people without power for days.

We didn’t linger in Lisbon for very long... we picked up a car at the airport and started driving towards the Algarve region - Portugal’s hot and dry south region.

Our first stop is at Albufeira, visiting \240our friends Helena and Jack.

Helena and Jack, friends through sailing - have been our “slip” neighbors in Gimli for close to fifteen years - have had a family casa here here for over thirty years. The place is situated only a couple of blocks from the beach and is absolutely beautiful. It has two suites - one downstairs and one upstairs. We are renting the place upstairs, and will use it as our home base for about a week while we explore the region before we move on.

Today we drove to the “edge of the earth”. In the days before Columbus, when the world was presumed to be flat, the rugged southwestern tip of Portugal was considered the spot closest to the edge of the earth... and I can tell you that after being there today, I understand why.

We set out early in the morning with Jack and Helena, - ok it was 10, but that’s early for us - to drive out to the most southwestern tip of continental Europe, Cape Sagres.

Our first stop along the way however was to Castelo de Silves, a castle about 25 km inland. The large sprawling castle was \240originally built in 201 BC by the Romans, but was later conquered by the Moors and was transformed in to an imposing citadel in the 10th century. The views were stunning from the lookout towers, and the structure was impressive by its sheer size and thick walls. It’s amazing how these structures stand the test of time.... \240there’s no way that anything that was built today would last thousands of years.

From there we drove directly to the coast town of Sagres. When we arrived, we quickly realized that Cabo Sao Vincente (Cape St. Vincent) and not Cape Sagres was the actual southwestern tip of Europe, so we went directly there. The “end of the world” is a craggy, windswept, wedge-shaped point that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. The surrounding sea cliffs that are about 200 meters drop to the ocean are dramatic... and quite unforgettable. \240What was fascinating is to see fisherman fishing off those high cliffs. \240Although we didn’t see anyone catch fish, Jack talking with fishermen was told that the fishing can be quite good and the fish are exceptionally good from there.

For lunch we drove back to town and before we knew it we found ourselves at the harbour - \240it doesn’t seem to matter where we are, we always end up by the water - where we found a lovely restaurant called Restaurante A Tasca, famous for good seafood, and a wonderful sunny terrace overlooking the harbour. We had delicious local seafood dish called Cataplana, it’s fish cooked with spices and tomatoes in a copper pot. While eating we enjoyed watching a sailboat trying to get in to the harbour with large following seas for a couple of hours. Life doesn’t get much better than that!

After lunch, we went to check out Fortaleza de Sagres. In 1420, Prince Henry the Navigator used his order’s money - powerful brotherhood of soldier monks - to establish a school for navigators. Although not much remains of the original structure, it was a pretty interesting place to explore.

After two busy days on the go, today started out slow. We had coffee and a leisurely lunch at our little casa while we contemplated what do today. Although we’re both still adjusting to the time change... \240some of us are a little more cranky when we don’t get enough sleep. So my idea of going back to downtown Albufeira to look around in the daylight was kiboshed right away. Instead we decided to go for a day trip to a real, living small town called Tavira, close to the Spanish border - a refreshing break from the more touristy and busy parts of Algarve.

We arrived in Tavira shortly after one, and spent the next couple of hours walking the cobblestone streets exploring the town’s history... but it wasn’t too long before we realized that we were waisting a perfectly good beach day - sunny, +27 degrees. We quickly hopped back in our car and drove to the ferry station... because, you see Tavira has an island beach called Ilha de Tavira. A 10 minute ferry ride brought us to a beautiful six mile sandbar beach, where we spent the rest of the afternoon. Swimming in the Atlantic in October - it’s like swimming in Lake Winnipeg in early June - it makes you feel alive!

We arrived back to our casa around 7 o’clock in the evening, tired and starving... \240only to find that Helena has been cooking all afternoon to make us dinner. The meal was out of this world - Portuguese bean and vegetable soup, and seafood jambalaya!

Yesterday we stayed close to “home”. Jack and Helena had the shutters replaced on all the windows, so we thought it would be prudent to stay out of the way. We walked to the beach and watched the tide come in... had grilled sardines and Piri chicken for lunch, and we explored the little gift shops along the way.

In the afternoon when we got back, the workmen were still there, so we got in our car in search of another beach. Our criteria for a good beach is typically based on “no people” which is not easy to accomplish, but it being off season, we managed to come close. We found a small tucked away beach called Praia Costello about 6km from here. Although it wasn’t completely deserted, it was close!

I guess because it is off season, the beach chairs are free so we grabbed a couple and watched the surf and kids play on the beach for a couple of hours. Despite being a little cooler and cloudy today I went swimming - \240which Is always a treat in October!

Helena once again was waiting for us with dinner... she is cleaning her fridge out because they’re heading back to Winnipeg on Thursday - but it still feels like we’re being spoiled. This time she made a cod and potatoes casserole, another traditional Portugues dish. Simple but absolutely delicious. When we get back to Winnipeg, Helena is going to take me to the local Portugues deli so I can pick up the ingredients to make some of the traditional dishes. I’m super excited about that!

Today is our last day here. We’re packing up and continuing our travels to Évora, about 2 hours north from here. Although we’re excited to explore more of Portugal, we’re kind of sad to leave this place - it’s starting to feel like home!

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills with populated with sparse large pine trees, which eventually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees.

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills with populated with sparse large pine trees, which eventually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees.

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills with populated with sparse large pine trees, which eventually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees.

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills with populated with sparse large pine trees, which eventually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees.

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills with populated with sparse large pine trees, which eventually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees.

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills with populated with sparse large pine trees, which eventually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees.

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills with populated with sparse large pine trees, which eventually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees.

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills with populated with sparse large pine trees, which eventually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees.

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills with populated with sparse large pine trees, which eventually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees.

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills with populated with sparse large pine trees, which eventually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees.

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills with populated with sparse large pine trees, which eventually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees.

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills sparsely populated with large pines, which gradually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees. Jack and Helena suggested that we check out a large dam along the way, and the picture perfect medival city of Monsaraz. It pays to take the road less traveled...

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills sparsely populated with large pines, which gradually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees. Jack and Helena suggested that we check out a large dam along the way, and the picture perfect medival city of Monsaraz. It pays to take the road less traveled...

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills sparsely populated with large pines, which gradually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees. Jack and Helena suggested that we check out a large dam along the way, and the picture perfect medival city of Monsaraz. It pays to take the road less traveled...

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills sparsely populated with large pines, which gradually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees. Jack and Helena suggested that we check out a large dam along the way, and the picture perfect medival city of Monsaraz. It pays to take the road less traveled...

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills sparsely populated with large pines, which gradually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees. Jack and Helena suggested that we check out a large dam along the way, and the picture perfect medival city of Monsaraz. It pays to take the road less traveled...

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills sparsely populated with large pines, which gradually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees. Jack and Helena suggested that we check out a large dam along the way, and the picture perfect medival city of Monsaraz. It pays to take the road less traveled...

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills sparsely populated with large pines, which gradually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees. Jack and Helena suggested that we check out a large dam along the way, and the picture perfect medival city of Monsaraz. It pays to take the road less traveled...

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills sparsely populated with large pines, which gradually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees. Jack and Helena suggested that we check out a large dam along the way, and the picture perfect medival city of Monsaraz. It pays to take the road less traveled...

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills sparsely populated with large pines, which gradually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees. Jack and Helena suggested that we check out a large dam along the way, and the picture perfect medival city of Monsaraz. It pays to take the road less traveled...

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills sparsely populated with large pines, which gradually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees. Jack and Helena suggested that we check out a large dam along the way, and the picture perfect medival city of Monsaraz. It pays to take the road less traveled...

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills sparsely populated with large pines, which gradually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees. Jack and Helena suggested that we check out a large dam along the way, and the picture perfect medival city of Monsaraz. It pays to take the road less traveled...

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills sparsely populated with large pines, which gradually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees. Jack and Helena suggested that we check out a large dam along the way, and the picture perfect medival city of Monsaraz. It pays to take the road less traveled...

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills sparsely populated with large pines, which gradually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees. Jack and Helena suggested that we check out a large dam along the way, and the picture perfect medival city of Monsaraz. It pays to take the road less traveled...

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills sparsely populated with large pines, which gradually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees. Jack and Helena suggested that we check out a large dam along the way, and the picture perfect medival city of Monsaraz. It pays to take the road less traveled...

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways, to ensure we took a more scenic route, and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind. The winding roads took us through arid hills sparsely populated with large pines, which gradually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees. Jack and Helena suggested that we check out a large dam along the way, and the picture perfect medival city of Monsaraz. It pays to take the road less traveled...

We said our tearful good byes to Helena and Jack - ok, it was only Helena and me who were crying - and we set out towards the southeastern Alentejo region of Portugal, specifically to the historic town of Évora.

We changed the GPS settings in the car to stay off any toll highways - to ensure we took a more scenic route - and we left the sunny coast of the Algarve behind.

The winding roads took us through arid hills sparsely populated with large pines, which gradually gave away to more fertile land covered with vineyards, orange groves and olive trees. Jack and Helena suggested that we check out a large dam along the way, and the picture perfect medival city of Monsaraz. It pays to take the road less traveled...

We arrived in Évora late afternoon, and checked in to the Moov Hotel Évora - another good recommendation from Rick Steves’ travel guide. Considering that we only booked the hotel on the way to Évora it was a darn great deal of $75 CAN/ night. The hotel incorporates the facade of Évora’s first bullring, but has a surprisingly modern interior, with small, but very comfortable rooms.

By the time we checked in and got cleaned up it was time for dinner. One of the things we both love about traveling is trying local foods and dishes. The Alentejo Region of Portugal is a major producer of wheat, cattle, wine and olives. As a result, the region has its own proud cuisine - rustic and hearty, with lots of game and robust wines. We were told that we should think of it as the “Tuscany of Portugal”. Well, we were not disappointed..... We stumbled upon an amazing little restaurant called Dom Joaquin - which means “talented Jack”, \240very appropriatly! The food was unbelievable!

I had darkened pork cheeks cooked in red wine, with steamed small potatoes, and chestnuts. Stephen had the lamb! The look on Stephen’s face said it all! We savoured every bite of our meal and every sip of the wine.

The next day we spent exploring the town. Évora, awarded as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 is a city steeped in Roman and medieval history... as a result there was no shortage of things to see.

We’re continuing our trek the north. Over the last few days we visited megaliths 2,000 years older than Stonehenge... prayed at Fátima... and explored the third oldest university in Europe, in the beautiful city of Coimbra.

Visiting the Stones

Leaving Évora, we decided to take a short jaunt to visit Cromeleque dos Almendres - a Portugues Stonehenge, dating from about 5500 B.C.

We’re so glad that we decided to visit the Douro Valley! We knew that we needed a break from the hustle and bustle of city touring, but it wasn’t until we were in the mountains surrounded by vineyards, forests of olive and almond trees - that we realized how much we craved being in nature.

The scenic Douro Valley is the birth place of port wine.... as a result, the place is covered in endless rows of rock terraces covered in grape vines. We heard that the hillside changes colours throughout the year, from dusty brown in winter, to green in summer, to glowing red and gold in fall. It was breathtakingly beautiful!

We arrived in Porto around 5 o’clock yesterday afternoon. Our drive from Douro Valley, about a two and a half hours ride through the scenic mountains and valleys was throughly enjoyable. The GPS in the car took us on a wild ride “off the beaten path” but hey... \240we saw the country side.

When we arrived we had a very difficult time finding our apartment in downtown Porto, especially in the rain.... and once we did, we realized that there was a mixup with our booking. It took us over an hour to sort things out, so by the time we settled in, we were ready for dinner. Finding a good place to eat in a new city can be a crapshoot, even with all the online tools. We have been mostly relying on recommendations from our travel guide, and we have not been disappointed yet. We had an absolutely amazing meal at Cantinho do Avillez. The chicken livers with caramelized onions in Port was to die for!

I find the first evening in a new city is always exhilarating... trying to find your bearings, taking in the sights and sounds of a new city never gets old. Our walk to the restaurant, which was about 15 minutes away, took us through the heart of the city and quite close to the Sao Bento Train station which we popped in to see. WOW- absolutely beautiful entry hall decorated with impressive azulejo (blue and white tile) murals.

Perhaps because it was a cool and drizzling kind of day, but my first impression of Porto is that it has a gritty and somewhat shabby Old World charm.

On our way to Lisbon we took a little detour to Nazaré, a busy beach town in the summer... but somewhat quieter in the fall.

Our first day in Lisbon, or Lisboa, as the locals call it - meaning “calm port”. We spent our day exploring the beautiful Alfama neighbourhood, the colourful sailors’ quarter. This is one of the few areas that survived the 1755 earthquake that pretty much wiped out the rest of the city. It was also nice to see the sun again!

Woke up Sunday morning to F-18s buzzing our building - which for the record is very loud. We knew that there was something special going on in the city because lot of the streets were barricaded off on Saturday, but we couldn’t find any information about it from anyone, not even on-line. As it turns out, Lisbon was having a military parade to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of WW I.

Our first order of business today was to go buy Port to take home. We walked to Napoleao Wine Shop, - a well respected wine store in Lisbon that lets you sample for free, and packages everything well for safe transport. (We didn’t eat before we got there - we left pretty happy!)

Following our happy purchase, we strolled to the Bairro Alto and Chiado district in the afternoon.

Woke up early this morning so I could get to market hall before it got too busy. Mercado da Ribeira, or Time Out Market is kind of like the Forks on steroids. It’s huge!