Olá amigos!
Summer is here and I’m excited to see where the next few months take you all. I’ve already started seeing some vacations pictures and I hope you all make the most of the warm weather and enjoy the sunshine at home or abroad. 🙂
On my end, I’d like to share a little bit about my recent trip to Portugal! It wasn’t a typical, touristy trip. I spent the entirety of the trip with my boyfriend and his family, allowing me a unique glimpse into Portugal. As my 31st country, I wanted to discover the countryside of Portugal. Spending less than 12 hours total in Lisbon, I think we accomplished our goal. 😂
After flying from Boston to Lisbon, we took a 2 hour train ride north to Aveiro where we set up base-camp. We spent the week exploring the cities of Aveiro, Porto, Braga, Guimarães, Sintra and Belém. We rented a car to effectively travel cross country, so I can’t speak to the reliability or ease of the transport networks, but I do know that Portugal has a national train system and there are coach lines (like Flixbus) that would allow you to travel to the countryside if you wanted to do so.
In Aveiro, we passed our mornings weaving in and out of age-old churches while strolling through the “old town.” Our afternoons were spent at the sand dunes and our evenings were dedicated to the family card game called “sueca.”
The majority of my trip was in Aveiro, as that is where my boyfriend’s sister was completing her finals week at university. I was the only tourist I saw the entire time, making for a genuinely immersive experience.
The day before my birthday, we drove up north along a scenic coastal highway to Porto! The second largest city in Portugal, it’s situated along the Douro River. Upstream, world-renowned vineyards produce “Port Wine” which is bottled and stored in the cellars of Gaia, a suburb of Porto.
As an early birthday gift, my boyfriend’s family took me on a boat tour of the river / harbor area surrounding Porto. Afterwards, we found a rooftop terrace for some spectacular views coupled with a Port wine tasting. Typically served as a dessert wine, we tried the rosé variation. I don’t care much for wine, so while it was a culturally rich experience, I wouldn’t necessary recommend this wine to someone unless they enjoy sweet, dry, red wines. (Hopefully my non-somelier analysis makes sense.)
For a blast from the past, we ventured up to Braga. Every year, locals gather here for a festival showcasing traditional art, music, and dance from the northern regions of Portugal. Not far from Braga, we joined pilgrims who were journeying to a nearby religious site called “Bom Jesus do Monte” (pictured below). Built in 1722, this Roman Catholic Basilica has become a destination for pilgrimages as summiting the hill is believed to bless the visitors and forgive their sins.
As a surprise, my boyfriend took me to the oldest surviving castle in Portugal! He knows I have a love of history, so he explained the story of Portuguese unification as we walked the grounds of the Castelo de Guimarães (also in Braga).
For my history buffs out there, here’s your brief recap… In 1128, there was country called Portucale. When the count died, his son named Afonso Henriques had to gather troops to fight off his mother’s lover who was trying to take over his county. He won and exiled his mother. In 1131, his cousin (a count in charge of a nearby city/region) swore allegiance to Alfonso. In 1139, Afonso declared himself the first King of Portugal and set out to unify all the surrounding counties. The rest is history. 🙂
(Also, I may have pulled some info from Wikipedia to fill in the details I couldn’t recall, so I can’t 100% guarantee the accuracy of this info…)
As we neared the end of our trip, I wanted to squeeze in one more castle… Belém! If you’re staying in Lisbon, Belém is another gem and it is easy to get to. Protecting the entry of the Tagus River, the Tower of Belém is the historic protector of the Lisbon harbor. You can tour the inside of the tower and learn how it played a vital role in managing the water traffic in and out of Lisbon.
As a final surprise, my boyfriend took me to the #1 place on my list:
O Palácio Nacional da Pena! (Sintra, Portugal)
For years, I’ve seen dreamy photos of this storybook palace. I mentioned wanting to go here, but my boyfriend insisted it was “too far” from where we were staying in Aveiro. On our last day, my boyfriend and his family drove us to Lisbon. I kept seeing signs for Sintra, but didn’t say anything until I noticed we purposely took an exit for Sintra (turning off the highway to Lisbon). It was then that they told me we were indeed going to Sintra! I was elated.
We arrived right at opening, so we shared the breathtaking views with just a few other tourists who braved the stormy weather. There is a bus that transports visitors from the base of the mountain to the palace for a small fee. We chose to hike the trail, allowing us to stop to appreciate the splendor from all different altitudes.
A week was not nearly enough to see Portugal. I want to enjoy Lisbon and the south (Faro, Portugal). I’d also like to take a trip to the Azores Islands, the fairytale-like archipelago my boyfriend calls home.
For those that have been or want to go, what else should I add to my list?
As always, wishing you my best from 30,000 feet,
– Paul