Portugal
City Guide Portugal
Portugal, Onand Off the Be Ate N Path
Ilise_harris 4 people, 10 days, 1 car, 2,000 miles First stop, Moinha Do Maneio, near Penamacor, where Rui and Annabella converted the rubble of Rui’s grandfather’s mill into a boutique hotel. River, burro, wood burning fireplace, and rosemary scented air welcomed us to Portugal. from here we explored the medieval Village of Monsanto built in and around gigantic granite boulders, considered the most Portuguese of Portuguese villages. We hiked to the castle with its stunning panoramic views in just about an hour, leaving time to visit Idanha da Valho, another ancient village, pastoral, with grazing sheep, meandering river, serene and enchanting.
The Beira region actively preserves its heritage with regular events. The Aranhas folkloric dance festival took place under a big tent, set up with wooden tables, where locals from all the neighboring villages come out to party. Food is free. Pots of simmering goat were cooked over open fires. Local bread, olives, and cheese rounded out the meal, which was consumed without utensils, unless you carried a knife in your pocket. The locals happily shared their knives, and bought rounds of local wine and beer, lavishing us with hospitality.
no longer a shabby European Capital, Lisbon is a cosmopolitan hub. Ferry across the Tagus River for stunning views of the city. Walk along the piers past graffiti covered abandoned warehouses to either one of the two waterfront restaurants for fresh seafood and superior people watching. Filipe (filipeejane@gmail) took us for a generous and exuberant city tour in his motorized tuk-tuk. forty-five minutes outside Lisbon is Sintra, a castle lover’s paradise. The bus and visor crowd can make for heinous congestion. The Moto Club de Sintra , a vintage motorcycle museum, is tiny and worth a stop. The highlight was the Convent Capuchos. Isolated in a sea of fern and forest, the friars worshipped the natural world in a small austere stone monastery insulated with cork.
Bussaco Palace, built as a royal retreat at the turn of the twentieth century, was our base for hiking the Schist Villages. These 27 tiny stone villages are sprinkled over two mountains, once nearly abandoned, are coming back to life, connected by paths for hiking or biking.
porto is a must see and taste sensation. Situated on the steep slopes of the Douro River, the boats go up and down under the six bridges, and ferry across to the famed Port manufacturers. The gondola ride provides spectacular views. We took a tasteporto food tour with owner Andre, before he becomes famous from an appearance with Anthony Bourdain for Parts Unknown. The foods were nothing we couldn’t discover ourselves, but the backstory provided nourishment. Andre’s knowledge of history, architecture, and passion for the food culture of Porto gave meaning and context to even a simple ham sandwich.
Portugal is worth discovering. Once the foremost world power, to day a rising star .
