Some places on Earth just feed your soul.  We entered Portugal from the north and got a chance to experience Porto, Portugal.  Then we traveled south to the bigger city of Lisbon, and from there, we took a bus down to the Algarve Coast and spent a couple of weeks in Lagos.  Portugal stole our hearts with its spectacular sights and its friendly and kind people.  The cities, bridges, vineyards, and beaches of Portugal each deposited more sunlight into our souls. We then spent a few days in Barcelona and though our time there was short, it gave us a lot to look forward to when we visit Spain again in the future.  Overall, this region of the world is truly special.

Porto & Douro Valley

Some of you may have heard of or had port wine.  I was hilariously reminded of the fact that many people at home in Wisconsin or around the Midwest probably know port wine most commonly found in the port wine cheese spread that many love (including myself).  Port wine is more of a dessert wine and for good reason.  The sugar content is really high and it drinks almost like a cognac or a sweet liquor.  It is beloved by the Portuguese people and most of the vineyards and wineries that produce port wine are in the Douro Valley.

Douro Valley Tour

Britta and I had a great opportunity to take a day-long tour of the Douro Valley.  We booked ourselves an Airbnb experience with Manuel and his family to get a full feel for the valley and what it has to offer. Our day started with a drive from Porto to the valley where we stopped in the village of Pinhao.

In Pinhao, we took a boat tour on the Douro River and learned about the valley, the river, and how the area is able to have such rich land for vineyards. “Douro” means “golden” in the Portuguese language and it was shared with us that when the rains come into the valley, the loose sediment falls into the river.  This is not all that uncommon, but since the water is crystal clear, the sun hitting the river after the rains makes the river look like it glows golden. Most other days, the water is crystal clear and reflects its surroundings.

We also learned that the vines in the valley have quite a history as well.  Back in the late 19th century, a killer beetle was introduced from the US to the Douro Valley inadvertently.  A farmer brought over grape vines and the beetle came with them.  However, the vine that he brought over was immune to the beetle.  The unfortunate part was that the beetle was deadly to the grapevines in the Douro Valley.  This caused a lot of havoc.  There were many things that farmers tried to get rid of the beetles but they were just not going away.  But, after a long couple of rounds of research and engineering, it was determined that the grape vines could coexist with the beetles if the roots were that of the grape vines brought over.  But, that did not mean that the rest of the vine had to be.  They determined they could actually graft the old vines onto the roots of the invasive vines from the US (Texas to be specific) and be able to accomplish coexistence.  So, the grape vines in the Douro Valley flourish today as a result.

We also got an opportunity to tour a local vineyard called Quinta do Beijo.  We got to try the many types of port wines based on their age.  There are basically three different types: white, red, and tawny.  The first two are more tied to their color but the tawny is more of a golden brown and is the closest to a liqueur.  We also tried several of their red and white wines.  But, the coolest experience was actually being able to go inside a wine barrel that had been used for multiple decades. Britta took a step towards confronting her fear of tight spaces and went through the small door and into the wine barrel.

Porto

This city surpassed our expectations.  The city is built on the delta of the Douro River entering into the Atlantic.  A good portion of the port wine wineries lay home here along the river.  You can get port wine in the grocery stores and every restaurant you see.  But, the best parts are the views the city offers. There is this really high bridge, Dom Luis,  which is devoted to walkers and the metro line.  It creates a great perspective of a city built along the fairly steep river bends leading to the ocean.

Porto is a decently walkable city with lots of character.  I will say though that the hills were no joke.  Getting from the water up to where we were staying on the top of a high point by a Cathedral, was a hike and a half.  I just chalked up the hills to being part of our workout routine for our time in Porto.  We took advantage of our time in the city to walk and I even got a haircut!  The people are so friendly and the time spent just listening to the church bells and seeing the old white, clay-shingled buildings was well worth the trip.

Lisbon

We made our way south via train from Porto to Lisbon.  I was actually kind of bumming when we left Porto.  It was a great time and the city gave us a lot to miss.  But, Lisbon welcomed us with open arms and we got to enjoy a couple days there even with a little day trip to the beach.

Cascais

We took the metro to a train station where we took a regional train to this little beach town called Cascais.  It was our first taste of the beach vibes of Portugal which you will learn about later.  It was so great to feel the warm sun as we sat on our Sandcloud towel.  We grabbed a couple of mojitos from the beach side bar and listened to a book together.  We made our way to get some tapas at a local place and enjoyed our way there through the quaint streets of Cascais.

We had some pretty good size hills to climb in Lisbon as well.  But, it was well worth it because the walks we had around the old neighborhood of Alfalma were so calming and generous with their views of the rest of the city.  This area has winding streets with mostly walkers, but the prevalence of trams touring the hilly city.  It reminded us a lot of San Francisco.

Lisbon sits along the Atlantic Ocean and the city itself is quite old and rich with history.  However, what I learned about this city which explains a lot of its character is that it suffered a devastating earthquake in 1755.  As you can probably guess, buildings were not as equipped for earthquakes in that time.  And on top of that, a large tsunami hit their shores as a result of the earthquake.  These events destroyed most of the city (about 85% of the buildings) and killed between 12,000 to 50,000 people.  With the city having about 200,000 people in total, this was more than a catastrophe.  But, in comparison to the rest of the European countries we have been to so far, this created a huge amount of “newer” buildings and architecture.  A lot of the city had so many different types of architecture and late 16th century influence.

Lagos

The Algarve Coast lays along the southern border of Portugal.  The Atlantic jets in and out of the European continent along the coast.  As a result, Portugal is blessed with beautiful beaches and glorious sea breeze.  Sandy beaches are encapsulated by short bluffs.  This makes for a great experience of laying out on a beach and feeling like you are in a movie scene.  As you might have seen on our Instagram, the beaches were the highlight of Lagos.

We were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by such a welcoming and perfectly small community in Lagos.  We spent our mornings at Coffee & Waves which personified the aloha and surf theme of being on the coast.  The food was fantastic and refreshing.  The head baristo had a great aptitude for coffee, espresso, and traveling. We even earned a hug each from him as we departed the area after our time in Lagos.

We got the opportunity to walk through the streets full of restaurants, bars, and little shops.  We were blessed to be there on a somewhat off-season time.  The crowds weren’t really crowds and the walks could be strolls without much effort.  The sun shone down every day but the sea breeze gave us a reprieve and drew us closer to the beaches.  We spent our first week in the Old Town Lagos and later migrated a little out of the center of the city to a place with one of the most beautiful beaches we have been on.

Praia Dona Ana

That beach was Praia Dona Ana and it really blew us away with its bluffs, wide sandy shores, and soft breezes. The rugged cliffs surrounding this beach created an intimate environment to breath in the ocean air and bake in the rays of the Portuguese sun.  The water was clear yet choppy with a beautiful dual tone of blue coloring as they approached the beach.  It was topped off by having an accompanying little beachside bar restaurant with cold draft beers and foamy piña coladas.  We brought books and headphones to help us soak in the sun and sneak in a nap on the beach.

Ponta da Piedade

Besides the food and the beach weather, we got to experience the breathtaking sights of Ponta da Piedade.  With just a walk of about 20 minutes from the place we stayed just off the beach, this point made for a great pay off.  Most of the walk was at a slight elevation and the sun bore down successfully.  But, what we saw was hard to even capture in pictures.  But, we tried.

Lagos also brought us some social joy as well.  We had the opportunity to have a visitor along with us in Brandon.  Being one of our best friends and most compatible travelers, having him was such a joy.  We got to share our experiences through both Portugal and Spain with him and gain another perspective as well.

Barcelona

Speaking of Spain, we got a great taste of Barcelona.  I mean this literally because the tapas, pinchos, paella, and sangria were fantastic.  I love the idea of having a little of everything in a meal and that is just what tapas give you.  Spain has a lot more to offer and we definitely want to experience that in the future, however, Barcelona was our only stop on this trip.

Barcelona (coming from the airport) really gives me Los Angeles vibes.  The city is much larger than the cities we had been through in Portugal.  The sprawl and appearance of smog give me that idea of LA, but the streets in the depths of the city give me more of a New York City  feel.  The streets are tight and the density of the buildings tower over you creating much needed shade as you walk the sidewalks.  It seems like everyone has a dog and the breed does not matter.  Pugs, greyhounds, beagles, and Pomeranians alike walk on leashes and run in dog parks. Paella, a classic Spanish rice dish, is on the menu of almost every little restaurant off the street.

Park Guell

One day we visited one of the most iconic parks in Barcelona: Park Guell.  The architecture in the buildings and benches of the park were a unique addition to the art landscape in the 18^th century.  The art is really colorful and most of it is decorated with tile fragments.  There is a feel of randomness in the fountains and columns throughout the park.  But, even if Guell’s art isn’t your thing, the view of the city from the park is a great consolation prize.

Sagrada Familia

We also saw the unique wonder Sagrada Familia.  It is the largest unfinished Roman Catholic church in the world.  It has been in the works for more than 100 years.  It is planned to be completed in 2026 (probably delayed beyond 2026 due to Covid) which marks the 100^th year anniversary of its originating architect Antoni Gaudi.  I say that this is a “unique wonder” because it truly is one of the most unique buildings I’ve seen in Europe.  The steeples are majestic but are covered by eccentric letterings and colorful sculptures.  Each side and angle of the building exposes another unique set of steeples and sculptures.  The ornateness and layers of new, unexpected sights along the outer walls of the church keep you captivated.  You have to crank your neck to see to the top and cranes are busy working to lower cement machines to build on for years to come.  It truly is a sight I would have never thought to see, but was glad I did.

Recap

Miles Walked

• 94 miles over 26 days

Next Up!

• Greece

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