Ascenor da Nazare 1889 – 2014: 2014 marks the 125th anniversary of the Nazare’s Funicular. This century-old public transport mode was inaugurated on July 28, 1889. The funicular railway is considered to be one of the better initiatives of the town’s history, allowing the growth and development of the district of Sitio, on top of […]
Nazaré – Portugal’s Famous Fishing Village
Portugal’s Famous Fishing Village: We arrive in Nazaré at lunchtime, after a 45 minutes drive from Batalho. This little fishing village with its huge stretch of beautiful sandy beach is a pleasant change of scenery from the castles, fortresses and churches that we’ve been visiting. We’ve already been primed on what to eat here, which […]
Port Wine from The House of Sandeman – Porto
The House of Sandeman and the History of Port Wine : Port wine it seems was discovered in the 17th century when British merchants added brandy to the wine of the northern Douro region to prevent it souring and to improve its shelf-life during shipment to England. The wine was called Port, after the port […]
Port Wine Tasting at The House of Sandeman – Oporto
Meet the Mysterious Don at The House of Sandeman: We’re on a port wine-tasting tour of The House of Sandeman. Our “Don” guide (in fact, a blonde woman dressed like Antonio Banderas in “Zorro”) meets us at the entrance. Even after claiming for years ‘reformed status’ as regards his time as an ad agency creative […]
Chimneys of the Algarve
Algarve Chimneys – Sightseeing Attractions: Throughout the Algarve you’ll notice that the walls of houses are mostly whitewashed. As we know, the Algarve has very long, hot summers and the whitewash deflects the hot sun from the buildings. Why So Many Chimneys? Why then you may ask do these same houses have so many chimneys, […]
A Sunset Cruise on the Douro River
A Pleasurable Douro River Cruise from Porto: With the sun setting in the horizon, we board our Porto Cruz river boat at the Cais da Ribera, one of the quays where river boats are moored. The ramp from the quay to the boat looks steep, but I make it okay, even on high heels and […]
Porto Sightseeing Tour on a Vintage Tram
Porto Tram City Tour: On your Oporto holiday, you can visit Oporto’s historical monuments, theatres, cafes, restaurants, city hall and more on a vintage tram. This charming Porto City Tram Tour is a Hop-on Hop-off tour that gives you the freedom to stop for as long as you like at places of interest. Starting at […]
Cafés That Have Become Part of the Landscape of Oporto
Cafés that are not just coffee houses: On your Oporto holiday, make time to have a break at some of the city’s cafés, not just for the coffee and cakes, but because these grand looking cafés represent a period of life in Oporto in the past. The Café Majestic is one such café which we […]
Mercado do Bolhão – Oporto's Central Market
A Noisy and Lively Market in the Centre of Town: Mercado do Bolhão, a noisy and lively market in the heart of Oporto city, is a nice place to visit if you’re looking for a change in scenery from your usual sightseeing attractions. The market is housed in a two-tier covered building and there are […]
Faro’s Sé or Cathedral – Sightseeing Attraction
Faro’s Sé with its Eccentric Organ: Faro’s Sé stands in the square that’s called Largo da Sé. The Sé is a cathedral and the seat of the bishop. The Sé stands on a site that was formerly a mosque. The first Christian church in Faro was built on the site but when the English attacked […]
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