I spent the last week visiting Portugal. My husband and I have been lucky enough to be offered trips like this through our business. I must admit, it was not on my list of "1000 places to visit before I die".....but when opportunity knocks....
Impressions- A language that would take me a lifetime to learn....nothing like I've ever heard, most likely a mixture of the many places that Portugal conquered centuries ago. ........great seafood, duh, it's on the ocean....speaking of which, I can't tell you how many people (smart ones, at that) that were confused as to where Portugal is actually located. I told our great guide, Margarida, that they need a major promotional department..........GREAT PASTRIES........an incredible mixture of styles and cultures.......art and architecture that I would like to see restored, PLEASE........good road system....beautiful wine country outside of Porto, where they grow grapes to make......TA DA...Port wine....yes, that's where it comes from....lot's of blue tile mosaics and majolica.....
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One of our favorite places was outside of Lisbon called Sintra and the castle there called Palacio de Pena. Your fairy tale castle comes to life. Built in the 19th century over an old 15th century monastery...which in turn was built over another religious site....incredible "karma".
Oh....and I found Prince Charming.
....who then wisked me off to Cabo de Roca, the western most point of continental Europe.
The wine country of the Douro River Valley.....
Life is just a bowl of...fresh picked roadside cherries.
