Spain and Portugal 2022

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Planes, Trains, Buses
Planes, Trains, Buses

Purchased the final tickets for a family trip this summer with our nephews and their parents. Portuguese train tickets opened up this week for our day of travel. By buying them now, we paid less than half the price closer to the day of travel. We’ve now reserved our complete journey from Minneapolis, back to Minneapolis. Every ticket is digital via these apps. Alsa: bus, Spain and Portugal.Renfe: rail (high speed), Spain.CP: rail, Portugal. Related

Ready for a Quick Getaway
Ready for a Quick Getaway

Our backpacks wait near the front door for tomorrow’s trip. We’re strong proponents for traveling light, but we’re bringing a few extra clothes this time because we won’t be walking much more than a mile at a time with the packs. These 35-liter packs will still easily fit the overhead bins. Related

An Unplanned Flight
An Unplanned Flight

Posted An Unplanned Flight. Related

Nerja Selfie
Nerja Selfie

Arrived Nerja, Andalucia, on schedule after our overnight journey. Took a selfie on the grounds of our hotel for the next week. Related

Dreaming of Paella
Dreaming of Paella

We’ve been talking for months about revisiting this restaurant by the beach for paella. There was plenty paella to feed the six of us at lunch, including two teenagers. In the foreground, shrimp are being rinsed in a sink, and chopped-up wooden pallets wait to fuel the fire. Related

A Goose Chase
A Goose Chase

We divided into three teams for a scavenger hunt I’d created for the GooseChase app. The theme of six “missions” was “Nerja Rocks (Literally).” Goofy photographic evidence was encouraged; pixelation protects reputations. Related

Frigiliana Day Trip
Frigiliana Day Trip

Rode a local bus to the hillside town of Frigiliana. Wandered through a maze of steep streets past whitewashed houses. Related

The Remains of Lunch
The Remains of Lunch

“Something light,” we said. Big plate for the (almost) 15-year-old (left). Almost nothing for the 13-year-old (right). Generous tapas for the rest of us. Time for a siesta. Related

Sunday Stroll
Sunday Stroll

Climbed up from Nerja’s Burriana Beach. Walked past avocado, citrus and banana trees, then an ancient aqueduct. Related

Up Next: Seville
Up Next: Seville

Nephews and their dad (and the rest of us, off-camera), about to board a bullet train to Seville. Related

Looking Up
Looking Up

A day of different spaces, starting with Seville’s massive Cathedral, ending with a flamenco performance in a small space. Here, the oval dome of the Cathedral’s Charter House exemplifies remarkable Renaissance engineering. Related

More is More
More is More

Explored the palace and gardens of the Royal Alcázar of Seville where ”less is more” is not a guiding principle. Later, as the temperature climbed to 110°, we dispersed to our hotel’s rooftop pool and air-conditioned siestas. Related

Backpacking
Backpacking

Walked from our Seville hotel to a bus station, long distance bus to Lagos (Algarve, Portugal), local bus to dropoff point, mile hike to a house we’d rented in the village of Salema for a week. Here, nephew #1 explores the roof, and eyes the Atlantic where he and his brother later swam. Related

Supermarket Hike
Supermarket Hike

While the boys and their mom enjoyed the beach and the waves, we hiked to a supermarket where we filled backpacks with fresh produce and meats for the grill. We got in a pleasant hike and stocked up beyond the limited selections at two small stores near where we’re staying. Related

Atlantic Breezes
Atlantic Breezes

Salema, Portugal, where we’re currently staying, has ducked Europe’s most extreme heat. Atlantic breezes make daily highs around 80° feel comfortable.

Cliff Hike
Cliff Hike

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. Related

Vertiginous View
Vertiginous View

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. Related

Tex-Mex-Algarve
Tex-Mex-Algarve

Fajitas for dinner. Tex-Mex-Algarve. Related

Time to Water the Plants
Time to Water the Plants

9:30 a.m., Salema, Portugal: Dwight watered all the houseplants in Minneapolis where it was still night. Misters are on autopilot, but he prefers to run watering zones manually. The system has been reliable, but I find myself imagining additional fault-tolerant features to minimize the possibility of returning from a trip to racks of dead plants. I do need to improve the moisture sensors. Related

A Final Algarve Hike (For Now)
A Final Algarve Hike (For Now)

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. Related

Lisbon Oriente
Lisbon Oriente

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 Related

The Big Picture
The Big Picture

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. Related

Twisty Streets
Twisty Streets

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. Related

Imbibing on the Sidewalk
Imbibing on the Sidewalk

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 stood on the sidewalk, sipping the strong cherry-infused distilled alcohol. The nephews might’ve had a taste, but I’m pleading the Fifth. Related

Three Guys on a Scooter
Three Guys on a Scooter

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. Related

LIS–BOS
LIS–BOS

On board, Lisbon LIS–Boston BOS. Related