Portuguese Sidewalks

— During our first walk in Lisbon, Portugal, there was one thing that caught our eyes immediately: the intricate and carefully crafted Portuguese sidewalks. We were staying just a couple of blocks from the tree-lined April 25 Avenue. Once we … Read More

Fake Ruins (Ruínas Fingidas)

In 2018, we spent a month in Portugal traveling all over the country. One of our stops was the city of Évora. We stayed right in the middle of the historical city center and parked our rental car near the … Read More

Douro River

— When in Porto, Portugal’s second largest city, you owe it to yourself to experience a sunset by the Douro River. Do it as we did in 2018. Go across the Dom Luís I bridge to the Vila Nova de … Read More

Praça D. Pedro IV

— Walking around the city streets in Lisbon is one of the most fascinating things. Even if you have no purpose whatsoever, the historical lessons you relive are priceless. Not too far from where we were staying in Lisbon, when … Read More

Praça Dom Duarte

— This is one of those moments captured just by chance. As we were visiting the Castelo de São Jorge in Lisbon, we were admiring the beautiful cityscape from that vantage point. The castle sits high above Lisbon and provides … Read More

Douro River

— One of the things we had decided in advance we’d do while staying in Porto (Portugal) was to take a cruise down the Douro River. We thought it would be a relaxing day. We were right about that, and … Read More

Teatro Nacional São João

— Every day we were in Porto, we walked right by this beautiful national theatre, São João. Built at the end of the 18th century, the theatre opened its doors on May 13, 1798. Back then it was simply called … Read More

Praça da Liberdade

— A starting point for the major attractions in Porto, the Praça da Liberdade (Liberty Square) used to be the political and cultural center of Porto in the 18th century. Its construction began in 1718 and was known back then … Read More

Igreja do Carmo

— What you actually see in the photo here is two churches. The Carmo Church was built in the 18th century in the rococo and late Baroque styles, and it depicts the Brown Scapular imposition on Mount Carmel in an impressive azulejo (Portuguese … Read More

Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora

— The Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora (Monastery of St. Vincent Outside the Walls) is one of the most important historical buildings in Lisbon.  When we visited it, our primary intent was to see the Bragança pantheon where the  last … Read More

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