Category: Portugal
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Lazy Day
In 2021 we went to Lamego and climbed 600 some steps and walked a steep road to the old castle. This year we slept late and wandered around Régua. Not a lot to see, but they were preparing for the Round 4 of the UIM Formula 2 Championship. They were unloading as we were walking…
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Favaios
The judge dismissed the claim—but as the execution was taking place, the roasted rooster stood up and crowed.The judge realized the pilgrim had been wrongly accused and rushed to the gallows. He arrived in time to save him. Our lunch, grape harvesting and stomping was at the Quinta Avessada. It is a family owned vineyard,…
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España
Today the long and winding road went to Salamanca, Spain. While we were close to the border, we were 2 hours away from the city. The market in the center of Salamanca has food you would not see in Amarillo. Not sure I need any further explanation. Salamanca began as a settlement long before the…
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Stuff and Castelo Rodrigo
Thank you in Portuguese is obrigada (or o). If a female is saying thank you, she would say obrigada with the “a”. The man will say, obrigado, even when speaking to a woman. It is all about the person speaking that defines the gender of the word. There are 5 Viking ships that travel down…
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Mateus Palace and Sandeman
Just outside Vila Real, tucked into the hills at the edge of the Douro wine country, sits the beautiful Mateus Palace (Casa de Mateus).The family who built Mateus Palace accumulated their wealth through a combination of wine, land, and strategically arranged marriages. The palace reflects that wealth, with elaborate woodwork and furnishings made primarily from…
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Travel Day to the Ship
Coimbra has been a university city since 1290 and one of the oldest in all of Europe. It is located almost halfway between Lisbon and Porto and was a stop on our ride to our boat. Joanina Library on the campus houses around 60,000 books. The library has traditionally used bats to help control insects…
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Viking Connection in Lisbon
Yesterday we ended this part of the “on our own” portion of the trip, that is until we return from Morocco. We changed hotels to the Corinthia, the hotel that Viking chose. It is basically a business hotel, with a convention center. We miss the Corpo Santo, it had character and much more individual attention.…
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Monserrate and Sintra
An English merchant Gerard DeVisme leased the estate and built an elaborate Neo-Gothic mansion there in 1790. He eventually left Portugal, and the property later became associated with another famous English visitor, Lord Byron. In the 1850, Sir Francis Cook, an extraordinarily wealthy English textile merchant and art collector purchased and refurbished the home and…
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Fatima, Nazaré, Óbidos
Jacinta, Francisco (siblings) and Lucia(a cousin) lived near the village of Fátima and spent their days tending sheep. On May 13, 1917 they saw a woman whom they identified as the Virgin Mary in a field. She appeared to them on the 13th day of the month, asking them to return on the 13th of…
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Over 23,000 Steps Day
The Tagus River feeds into the Atlantic just off the coast of Portugal. There were two large cruise ships ported here this morning. In 1375 Ferdinand I, started building a medieval wall around Lisbon. It was approximately 5 km (3.1 miles) around the city. Part of this wall was unearthed in 2015, when they began…
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Travel Day
It is a sleep deprived evening here in Lisbon. The O Português Chiado gave us a taste of some of Portugal’s finest foods; octopus, cod, polenta and beef cheeks. It is always a challenge to duck out right after eating in Europe, they so want you to stay for the entire evening. Taking the subway…
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Soon to Leave
We are about a week from flying to Lisbon to start our trip. We are excited to repeat this trip. The beauty of the Douro and the friendly Portuguese people have us coming back.
Kauffman Commentary 