Category: Europe

They couldn’t figure out how to rent three scooters, so dad and sons shared one scooter. Moments before, nephew #2 boarded and somehow managed to position himself in the middle.

Stopped at the tiny A Ginjinha Bar (recommended by Rick Steves, no less), established in 1840, counter open to the street. Here, purely in the interest of scientific exploration, my brother-in-law bought two shots of the only beverage on sale: one for him to share with my sister-in-law, and one for Dwight and me. We…… Continue reading Imbibing on the Sidewalk

Rode an ancient streetcar through steep, twisty streets from our rental apartment to the starting point of a Rick Steves audio walking tour we’d all downloaded.

Started our Lisbon explorations with a hike up to St. George’s Castle where we surveyed the city below. Walked down into the city where we focused on the Tagus River waterfront.

Local bus, local train, mainline train to Lisbon Oriente Station. Rode the metro, checked in to a rental apartment in a neighborhood of mainly Lisbon residents. Lisbon Oriente

One final Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Nature Park hike before we leave Salema tomorrow and ride trains north to Lisbon. Click through for a map. The green line defines the boundary of the nature park. We will have stayed in Salema for a full week.

Fajitas for dinner. Tex-Mex-Algarve.

Vertiginous view on our hike today to our turnaround point, ruins of a 400-year-old fort built to defend against pirates. Salema, the village where we’re staying, borders Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Nature Park, so we have easy access to trails. Inside Forte de São Luís de Almádena.

Hiked a trail starting a few blocks from where we’re staying. Excellent cliff walking, repeated ascents and descents, quiet beaches, an inland loop through arid countryside.