So there are a few small things that, for me, really differentiate life in England and life at home. The key word for the first of these is “pedestrians.” As in people crossing the street. You think the challenge of people vs. cars vs. traffic signals is interesting in the U.S.? I’m not sure it […]
We head east on Piccadilly towards the Circus, which is really just the roundabout where Regent Street, Shaftesbury Street, and Piccadilly Street (along with a couple of smaller streets) converge. That said, this entire area is something akin to a circus – bright lights, milling crowds, lots of noise. I guess all that’s missing is […]
A few notes about the UK’s national museums. First, they are, as a rule, well curated and well laid out. And, perhaps excepting the British Museum, they usually focus on a particular/singular subject or topic. Second, they are clean (although, in a few cases, the men’s bathrooms can be a little nasty – more on […]
Peso de Regua is on the Douro River, on the way to Lamego, where we stop for a little walk about and some lunch, followed by a flat bottomed boat cruise on a stretch of the Douro near the town of Pinhão. On the highway to our destination(s) we pass through very hilly countryside dotted […]
Amarante is 35-40 minutes out of Porto, heading east towards Lamego. The town’s name derives from the Portuguese word for love: Amar – to love. Sao Gonçalo – the Portuguese Saint Valentine – was from Amarante, thus the name and “love” connection. Amarante is a small town on the Rio Tamega – a river that […]
It’s a long haul, flying from San Diego to Europe. We usually fly direct to London and then travel to other destinations from there. Best time we’ve done to London – just under 10 hours. Worst time, headwind all the way, was over 13 hours. Given the time, and cost, of flying to and from […]
Fitapreta Vinhos – this winery and venue are located some 5+ miles outside of Evora, Portugal. It is very beautiful. The winery was established some 20 years ago by a (then) young Portuguese man who had spent 1-2 years living and working in Napa Valley to learn the craft of wine making. He then moved […]
The remainder of the folks who also extended the food & wine tour an extra 2 days in Lisbon headed to Sintra this morning. We had seen Sintra on our 2017 tour that started in Lisbon and opted to explore the city on our own with a few ideas in mind. We thought about taking […]
On the way to Lisbon we stop at a couple of places, including a cork factory located about 30 minutes from Evora. The owner’ son, Davide, explains about the growing and harvesting of cork, which involves peeling bark from the cork tree (interestingly, in the oak family). Whole sections of bark are removed from the […]
On the way fron Evora to Lisbon we visited an olive oil farm, Amor e Cégo. A slim man in his late 40’s, Joao, is the owner, the farm having been handed down to him by his grandfather. Only 12 acres, it’s a small operation run by Joao and his wife, only using seasonal help […]
We head south out of Lamego heading towards Evora, several hours south. On the way, we stop at Soito Wines – a small, family owned winery that has been in operation in the Dão region since 2013 – for a wine tasting and lunch. Though only making wine for 10 years, Soito has won a […]
Tuesday 9/12 We visited the Casa de Mateus – a beautiful estate near Vila Real, and the ancestral home of the noble de Mateus family. There is a lovely pond as you enter the grounds, with a very large cedar tree near the entrance to the estate home, there since 1870. A guide takes us […]
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