It’s no wonder that those who want a balance between city and country life find Viana do Castelo so welcoming in northern Portugal. It’s a town of 85000 people at the heart of the Minho…
Allis Ubbo, Olissipo, Olisipona, Al-Usbuma, Lixboa, Lisboa…each of these names for Lisbon represents a different period of occupation: Phoenicians, Romans, early Christians, Moors, later Christians, Pombaline. Entering NARC and millennia past And each period can…
We were thrilled during our long, leisurely visit to “Superstar Pharaohs,” a rewarding exhibition at the Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon. We took our time to peruse 250 pieces that show how the history of the…
In brief: Two palaces with origins in the 17th century made for a visually entertaining and historically fascinating celebration of Portuguese heritage in Lisbon. One weekend across Portugal in September, citizens and tourists honored the…
In brief: On a beautiful October day, we once again enjoyed the birds, greenery, waterways, and guide, within the scenic wetlands of Samouco and EVOA. On a beautiful fall day out in nature, we once…
In brief: As a fine exhibit here showed, Banksy keeps meeting walls he likes, on which he likes to critique what he doesn’t like about our world. Self-portrait, Banksy He kept meeting walls he liked.…
In brief: We found lots of local charm in May, inside a spectacular venue and outside at our favorite park. Outside at Monsanto A warm morning, a brilliant sky, and abundant wildflowers kissed by bees…
In brief: A local pro tennis tournament proved especially fun as an antidote to all the covid limitations. We returned to Lisbon just in time to attend eight hours of a professional tennis tournament on…
In brief: A surprise weekend brought us together with old friends, opened new sights in the western Algarve, and delivered a homey touch of Nepal. In late March, we enjoyed a kind of homecoming, a…
In brief: São Roque was a shrine honoring a protector, then a heavenly 16th century church. Grand chapels enhanced it over time, but little of its rich history was lost. A pandemic threatens Portugal. People…