São Francisco – the Golden Church with the Tree of Jesse The exterior of Igreja de São Francisco does not excite people to want to dash into the church to have a look. From the outside, this 13th century Gothic construction looks rather plain and lacking in architectural grandeur. But, step into the church and […]
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 […]
Chez Lapin | Porto Restaurant | Eating Out in Porto
French by Name but Portuguese in Cuisine: Tonight we find ourselves in Chez Lapin, a rustic restaurant on Oporto’s waterfront, close to where we disembarked from our river cruise. Although this restaurant has a French name, Chez Lapin serves traditional Portuguese and Oporto cuisine. I ask Sergio, the owner’s son, what was behind the French […]
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 […]
Café Majestic – The Grand Café of Oporto
More than a Café …..: Majestic by name and majestic by architecture, this café has become a prerequisite stop by visiting dignitaries, media personalities, artists and everyone who’s anyone visiting Oporto, as well as the humble tourists like us. The Majestic’s guest book lists all the personalities who have stopped to have coffee in this […]
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 […]
Portugal Tour – A Regional Tour of Portugal
Portugal Tour – Our Portugal Tour Route, Itinerary and Comments: This is the itinerary of our 10-day Portugal tour which is called ‘A Regional Tour of Portugal’. Our tour route goes in an anti-clockwise direction, starting in Lisbon and heading down south to the Algarve and then head ups up north along the eastern border. […]
Tour Routes in Portugal
Suggested Tour Routes to see the best destinations in Portugal Portugal is quite compact and easy to travel around. However, most widely sold tour offerings combine it with Spain, and a few even add Morocco. This means you get to see Fatima, Lisbon and not much else. But there are some “purely Portugal” tours available […]
Take Better Digital Photos eBook
Guerrilla Travel Photography eBook