Portugal & Spain - 2025

We were so happy to eventually check into our hotel in Lisbon having spent 40 hours travelling, which included 29 hours flying time (3 flights) and 11 hours in three airport lounges along the way. Our longest layover was in Helsinki. A refreshing shower, comfortable chairs, breakfast with a glass of champagne in the Finnair lounge made it quite comfortable. All went according to plan - no cancellations or delays and a driver booked to take us to our hotel so we were both feeling relaxed. We settled ourselves into our hotel, showered and wandered down to the riverside to have dinner. It was busy and we felt the vibe. We plan to explore Lisbon later on in our trip.

Hong Kong airport - thank goodness we left from gate 30 and not gate 530!

Our hotel in Lisbon - basic but comfortable

The following morning, a ten minute walk from our Lisbon hotel to Oriente train station we boarded the fast (220 km/hr) train, arriving in Porto three and a half hours later.

Oriente Station - Lisbon - off to Porto

Porto is the capital of the North and Portugal’s second biggest city. We were told that a visit to Portugal is not complete without experiencing Porto.

We were met by Alex who manages the apartment we’d booked who insisted on carrying our two small suitcases. We soon knew why! Sixty nine stairs later Alex opened the door to our apartment. It is quite comfortable and in a great location.
A bonus being it is directly opposite the fresh food market which is very convenient. (Thank you Maggie)

In our two and a half days in Porto we have walked many kilometres up hills over cobbled and mosaic-tiled streets, and climbed thousands of stairs having followed a well-recommended self-guided walking tour and making our way based on our own research.

Our days begin with coffee and a Pastel de Nata (Portuguese custard tart). We have been spoilt as at the end of our street is a delightful cafe where you can watch the pastry chefs preparing batches of these delicious tarts. Apparently they make over 5,000 a day.

Here's the pastel de nata 'factory' behind glass.

Preparing the pastry

Filling with custard

Before and after baking

6pm is Aperol spritz time and there is no shortage of cafes, restaurants and bars where you can sit outside in the glorious weather.

Porto is one of the oldest European cities and dates back to Roman times and parts of Porto including the Ribeira district have been declared by UNESCO as World Heritage sites. Porto is often described as “gritty” and a working city and is renowned for its colourful history and iconic Baroque architecture, granite construction and world famous port wine. (our apartment's exterior walls are granite 'bricks' around 50cm X 50cm x 25cm, probably weighing half a ton each!)

Porto is also known as the city of Azulejo (tin-glazed ceramic) tiles. The tiles are predominantly blue and white and their original purpose was to waterproof the walls of houses and protect them from low temperatures and damp. It is illegal to demolish a building which has Azulejo tiles.

Sao Bento Station

Sao Bento Station

Death of St Francis of Assisi - Capela das Almas

Capela das Almas

40metre Azulejo frieze - Porto Cathedral

The Linda 1 vintage tram still operates, together with a funicular and a cable car, however we decided to use “shanks pony” to ensure no guilt on the next day when we once again indulge ourselves with a custard tart.

The Clericos Tower invited a climb - 225 stairs - which we did in the late afternoon - being rewarded with great views over Porto.

Clericos Tower

Porto is a busy vibrant city and folk are out day and night and we have found the people very friendly. One minute you are passing designer-wear shops and boutiques and around the corner is a small cafe with locals happily sitting drinking coffee.

Majestic Cafe - JK Rowling spent a lot of time in this cafe (note 'Bride to be' in front of the picture, having a sticky-beak with her entourage.

We have noticed how many people, young and old, male and female walk round smoking and vaping.

On our last day in Porto we made our way to the picturesque Ribeira district along the Douro river. Its Unesco World Heritage maze of medieval lanes zigzag down to the river. Today being Saturday it was busy, The promenade along the river is lined with restaurants. We found a tiny restaurant and decided to try the traditional Porto lunch - a 'Francesinha' - layers of toasted breads and assorted hot meats (ham, sausage) over which sliced cheese is melted by the ladling of a near-boiling beer and tomato sauce. Very tasty.

Also sampled the iconic lunchtime drink - white Port and tonic.

Ribeira looking to Dom Luis I bridge

Rabelo boats (used to transport port wine from Douro Valley to Porto)

Our afternoon continued with a tour at Cockburn’s Port cellars which included a tasting.

10 million litres of Port maturing

Some seriously aged Port

Tasting - up to a 30 y.o. sample.

On the way home we were run into by a festival parade (we have no idea what it was about) however we found ourselves caught up in the celebrations. Great fun.

We opted to make our way home walking over the top deck of the Dom Luis I bridge, completed in 1886 (we had gone across on the lower deck earlier in the day). The double hinged crescent arch is made of steel, 395 metres long, 8 metres wide and has two decks, crossing the Douro river between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. When built, it was the longest iron arch bridge in the world.

Climbed many stairs to reach the top deck.

View away from Ribeiro.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Porto and we leave with happy memories. Tomorrow the Douro Valley - yes more wine and port. Cheers for now.

We can now leave Porto having had a wonderful introduction to a vibrant city - don't miss it if you're in Portugal.

A two hour thirty minute crowded regional (no chickens) train journey from Porto found us in Pinhao, a village in the Douro Valley.

The first thing one notices is the beatiful azulejos (tile art) for which the Pinhao station is well known.

Pinhao Station - street side

Detail of an azulejo at the station.

Station from track side.

We checked into our very comfortable apartment overlooking the Pinhao river and were welcomed with a bottle of port wine and juicy sweet oranges from the owner’s property.

Apartment owner's own Port supply in the basement

'Working' on the blog in the evening

View from the apartment - Olive trees across the Pinhao River.

Riverfront

In 1756, the Douro Valley became the first wine region in the world to be demarcated and regulated, and was classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2001. It is recognised as one of the oldest wine regions in Europe, where wine has been produced for two thousand years. Hence our interest to spend a few days here.

The Douro Valley is the only place in the world that can legally produce what is called “port wine" - (similarly fortified wine in other parts of the world must be labeled 'port-style' wine not 'port wine' due to strict labelling rules)

Glyn had booked a 4x4 tour of the (very steep) Douro Valley region for Monday. Our handsome 24 year-old guide, Vasco collected us at 9.45 am - 27C. Our first stop was a leisurely boat cruise on the Douro River. Vasco pointed out various landmarks and well known port estates (Quintas). It was our first “wow” moment.

Driver/guide Vasco with Glyn

Quinta (estate) along the Douro River

Mosteirô Bridge

Mosteirô Bridge over Douro River

Croft's Quinta - River Douro

Douro River Cruise

Our 4x4 tour took us up the steep hills and tracks where we were able to be in amongst the vines. At times low ratio gear was needed to navigate stunning off-road trails, villages and private vineyards. We passed cherry trees, orange trees, olive trees as well as cork trees where we could see the cork had been harvested (nine years between each harvest).

Us looking out from a viewpoint above the Douro Valley

Douro Valley

Cork tree - waiting for regrowth

Cherry tree in vineyard - almost ripe

In days gone by, the port would be transported from Pinhao to Porto on flat-bottomed rabelo boats, the trip taking three to four days. Many of the old wineries have a chapel where workers and the rabelo boat crews could pray.

All labour was manual (and still is) due to the incredibly steep terrain. It has become more difficult to get local labour to hand-pick the grapes, so now many labourers come in from Bangladesh and India at harvest time. It is hard work and at harvest time (mid-August to end-September) temperatures here can reach 45C.

The terraces are built with stone wall support and it has been suggested that if all the stone walls were joined together it would be longer than the Great Wall of China. The soil is ‘schist’ - a slate-like metamorphic rock. Apparently it acts like a sponge and soaks up and holds moisture for the vines to reach deep down for their water supply.

Stone walls forming the terraces - probably a few thousand kilometres of walls in the Douro Valley

Stone posts (not wood) used for trellises

We were treated to a lavish 3-course Portuguese lunch in the village of Sao Martinho de Anta. We were welcomed with a muscadel aperitif and seated at a table in the garden of the restaurant with an assortment of small bites. The main meal was three different cuts of meat cooked in the traditional Portuguese manner over an open fire, with potato cooked in big pots and coarsely mashed with very small pieces of smoked sausage. Very tasty. The dessert was “Bolo Barrochao cake” with slices of fresh orange. Glyn is trying to find the recipe!! We were served excellent wines and the meal ended with a delicious smooth vintage port wine. It was very special and will not be forgotten.

Entree - delicious - discovered that 'tempura' originated in Portugal and was taken to Japan by early seafaring traders.

Restaurant cooks on open wood fire

Restaurant uses old-style 3-legged cast-iron pots over an open wood fire

Maitre'd about to pour Vintage Port

'Curtain' on glass from Vintage Port

Vasco took us to the local bakery in his home village - Favaios (named for Roman Emperor Flavius) - where bread has been baked in the traditional way in two wood-fired ovens for as long as he and others in the village can remember (actually 158 years). Needless to say the bread was fresh and very, very good. We left with a loaf (€0.65 = AU$1.10) to have in our apartment with a local cheese and wine for our casual dinner.

Vasco's village - Favaois

The Baker - who's been doing the job for many, many years using wood-fired ovens.

Barbell-shaped bread loaves - also known as a 4-corner loaf - their speciality.

Firewood for Bakery - Favaois

Ancient bakery oven - Favaois

'Goko' and an 'Avo' who's been baking bread for a very long time.

We then moved on to a small winery - Quanta Terra (many lands) - so named because they don't grow any grapes themselves but source from two selected small regions in the Douro Valley area. Wines were 'interesting' on palates tuned more to heavier Australian wine, but we found a couple that hit the spot. However, being a boutique winery the prices were very steep for what we thought were OK but not great and we didn't 'invest'.

Quanta Terra (= many lands) - Boutique Wine Group

Quanta Terra winemaker 'selling' the story of the winery

Tasting room - Quanta Terra

Vasco was knowledgeable and very pleasant and good company. Oddly, we were his first clients from Australia. He asked us as many questions as we asked him. He was great and insisted on taking us to other great view sites and places of interest. He finally dropped us off at our accommodation at 6pm. It was a fun day where we learned so much and enjoyed his company.

Today is rest day. We know from experience, when taking “on the move” holidays, we need to plan a rest day, and Pinhao in the Douro Valley is the perfect place. The weather is already 33 degrees in the late afternoon. We took a stroll down to the river for a late lunch and tonight we sit out on our balcony enjoying a wine and port as we take in our last views of the Douro Valley.

Over the years we have been fortunate to visit wine areas in various parts of the world, however the Douro Valley is by far the most spectacularly beautiful we have been to.

Tomorrow we catch an 8.07am train to Porto where we will change trains on our way to Aveiro a city on the west coast of Portugal set along a lagoon called Ria de Aveiro.

All for the moment...... Just a few random photos to finish.

Douro River Cruise

Rabelo-style boats - Douro River Cruise

Poppies in bloom following heavy rain in mid-May

Pinhao riverfront

We left Pinhao on a bright sunny morning and while waiting at Pinhao station we noted the community gardens alongside the rail tracks with plenty of tomatoes, onions and potatoes growing well.

We arrived in Aveiro after a relaxing train journey (amazingly big comfortable seats and tons of legroom) from Pinhao to Porto - along the Douro Valley, hugging the bank of the Douro River - with beautiful scenery all the way - terraced vineyards to begin with, giving way to steep hillsides covered in trees - and then a train change at Porto with only 10 minutes to find our platform for the Lisbon train which would stop at Aveiro. Ivor was the hero and steered us to the platform (down stairs and up escalators).

When the train pulled in at our platform, it was like a rugby scrum to find our carriage and board the train. Fortunately we had first class tickets and the ticket inspector soon directed us and we relaxed for the short thirty-five minute train ride to Aveiro which hasn't originally on the plan, but after reading aboutit, and it being on the line to Coimbra, we decided to add it to the itinerary.

Our host Joao, kindly collected us from the station - another beautiful old building decked with blue azulejo tiles - and settled us into the apartment. It is compact but lovely; beautifully decorated and in a perfect location in the city centre. It is be our home for two nights, giving us one full day to wander around the city.

We dropped our luggage and headed off for coffee and a pasteis de nata (never insult the Portuguese national pastry by asking for a custard tart).

Needing more sunscreen, we found a rather unusual (for us) shop directly across from the apartment. Chock full of toiletries and cosmetics of every description - dozens of every item on the shelf - covering two floors and set up Ikea-style with a one-way path zig-zagging through half the ground floor, up the stairs, through the upper floor and back down through the other half of downstairs. Very bright decor!

Next stop the supermarket and then the tourist information office to collect a map and purchase tickets for the museums. Followed by an afternoon of wandering around the touristy old town area, admiring the colourful buildings and the tourist boats (moliceiros) cruising the canals.

In the evening we found a delightful restaurant next door to our apartment where we enjoyed a fabulous 'small plate' dinner; olives to start; pork with pickles; spicy prawns; mixed salad; and a carafe of sangria; all for €20 = AU$35 (cash only which is not unusual in Portugal). We were seated next to, and chatted to, a local businessman which is always a sign the food is good.

Interesting ceiling ornamentation in Taberno do Arco (Tavern of the Arch because it's located just inside a highly decorative arch attached to the building where our apartment is located).

Aveiro is famed for its canals, art nouveau and art deco architecture, and its colourfully painted moliceiros boats which were originally used to harvest seaweed and for fishing. The city lies on the edge of the Ria de Aveiro, a saltwater lagoon, and drying and harvesting salt was a significant industry in earlier times.

Aveiro is also referred to as “The Romantic City”. This is evident by the thousands of coloured ribbons tied to bridges over the river - a custom that began when a young couple began to exchange messages on ribbons tied to one of the bridges. There are many bridges over the canal, and almost all of them are festooned with ribbons, many of them have love messages written on them. I overheard a young girl saying it could become a problem when a couple breaks up as it would be impossible to find the original 'love you' ribbon to cut up.

We also stopped in briefly at the market in the late morning, but the action in the fish market stalls was well over by then.

A quick visit to the city museum gave an interesting insight into the history of the city, and being a very 'tiled' area, seeing the mould for a 3D tile and also the finished product caught our eye.

Also eye-catching was this Pina-colada claim in a back street....

Our main quest was to look for the interesting houses and buildings. A plaque in the front of the house to identifies it as protected. Many are in disrepair as we imagine the rules and restrictions in trying to renovate would be very costly.

What follows is a collection of photos of what we thought were interesting buildings, with the art deco and art nouveau influence showing through.

DSC06002

We walked over 11 kms today on a warm 28 degree day and returned to the same little restaurant for an early dinner before settling down at our apartment for a glass of wine and chocolate. A perfect end to our stay in Aveiro.

Tomorrow Coimbra (the University town) awaits.

Friday: We were once again spoilt by or host Joao in Aveira who kindly offered to collect us and take us to the station for our 11.39am train. We particularly wanted to arrive a little early for Ivor to photograph the beautifully decorated old train station. When Joao left us his parting words were, “if you get into any trouble in Portugal ring me and I will help you”. We hope we don’t have to take him up on his offer!

Tiles depict Fishing and Salt Harvesting - the two main industries of Aveiro in earlier days.

After a comfortable one-hour train ride we arrived Coimbra and jumped into a waiting taxi to take us to our apartment, perfectly located on the edge of the old town. Another 56 stairs to climb to our apartment. One benefit is we’re the only apartment with a small balcony to sit out on in the evening. Our host, Ricardo, is a keen rugby union man so immediately he and Ivor connected, which is always handy in a strange country. He too said we should not hesitate to call him if we needed anything. Could it be they see us as a rather elderly couple who need all the help we can get? To be fair we are easily old enough to be their parents.

Our main reason to visit Coimbra is that it is home to the country’s oldest and most prestigious university founded in 1290. We arrived a week after the end of the University academic year and by all accounts our timing was good as the university students party hard and last week the small streets were blocked with students dancing and drinking and obviously having a ball until all hours of the morning. In fact, Joao’s son had travelled down from Aveiro the previous weekend to join the fun. The final year students celebrate by burning the ribbons they use for tying their books together. Ricardo said “Coimbra smelt like beer”. After settling in and putting our feet up until the temperature dropped to 32C, we ventured out.

It was pleasant wandering around the maze of small lanes in the Old Town and taking in the sights. There was a peaceful demonstration happening highlighting the deaths of children in the Gaza war. Children’s clothing and photos and documents depicting children who had died in the war were joined together with string and stretched along the mall for a couple of hundred metres. It was a sobering moment.

A very poignant question!!

Fado musicians - in bronze.

Very fruity fruitcake!

Merangues - small, medium and HUGE

Resting alongside a statue of a Tricana (the term for a local woman) in traditional folk dress resting after a trip to the well.

Shop dedicated to sardines in tins - any number of brands.

Sardines tins.

We found a lovely spot to enjoy a drink and listen to a local street musician before returning to our apartment for a light snack.

Many buildings in Coimbra need restoration; due to rent control making renting unprofitable, or due to inheritance squabbles, with the buildings consequently falling into disrepair. Zooming in on the picture from our balcony shows the poor condition of a number of the buildings surrounding our ‘old city’ apartment.

Saturday. We had booked tickets to visit King Joao’s Library (Biblioteca Joanina) at 10am and cheated on the steep climb up to the University campus with an Uber ride. Arriving we passed through iron gates leading to the expansive courtyard of the old University buildings. Impressive.

The Baroque library is located in an elegant building. The Noble floor – the main library space - consists of three halls filled with shelves and verandas ornamented with rich cravings. There are six embossed and inlaid tables made from precious tropical woods. Just beautiful! The library contains 60,000 volumes representing the best of what was printed throughout Europe from the 15th through the 18th centuries. The vault is primarily designed to protect the books (the exterior walls are just over 2 meters thick). For about two and a half centuries two colonies of bats have lived in the library to help with pest control. At the end of the day the beautiful tables are covered with leather to prevent damage from bat droppings.

Originally the University managed its own precinct, including a prison. Not sure whether this was for miscreant students only. Tough penalty for out-of-line students one imagines. Either way we inspected the VERY uncomfortable lodgings with stone walls a metre wide.

Inspecting a cell - 3m X 3m bare stone inside

No photography allowed inside the library so we’ve pulled a few images from the internet.

Panorama - Coimbra University - Biblioteca Joanina on LHS

Biblioteca Joanina - Main hall - Noble floor.

Biblioteca - ceiling.

We decided to have our morning coffee in the student cafeteria. A coffee, a bottle of sparkling water and a toasted sandwich all for five euros ($8.30).

Outside in the square we noticed a group of very well-dressed people gathering. It happened to be the 20-year reunion of their graduation. They decorate the inside of their black gowns with badges - not sure of the significance of each badge, however they are very colourful.

As we were leaving a student (Alekema) from Bangladesh who was not able to return home for the university break was selling different coloured pens denoting the various faculties. She was obviously a very bright student since entry to Coimbra University is not easy and Alekema was studying chemistry, with two master’s degrees obtained in Bangladesh and then further study in Denmark before now attending Coimbra University.

We made our way back to the apartment – losing our way a few times – with a stop at the municipal market where we noted the obligatory salted cod stall and the (very healthy??) smoked sausage stall.

Then a quiet relax as the temperature had hit 35C..... and later we headed back for a quiet drink and bite before a good night's rest.

Coimbra is not hugely attractive but very interesting with some great history.

Now on to what is reputed to be Portugal's beauty spot - Obidos....

Rosangela - an Uber driver - dropped us at Coimbra station where we boarded our very colourful train for the trip to Obidos. The 3-car unit looked 'interesting' from the platform but was pleasant enough on the inside, and being a Sunday there weren't many passengers other than a few family groups who climbed aboard around half-way, loaded with beach umbrellas and the local equivalent of an Esky. They all got off at São Martinho do Porto which apparently boasts "one of the most beautiful beaches in Portugal, a bay shaped like a scallop with calm waters and fine white sand" but not visible from the train station.

We were met by our lovely B&B hosts, Gilberto and Cecilia and made very welcome by being served a glass of Gilberto’s 'Gingha' or 'Ginjinha' (pronounced 'ginger') liqueur - made by infusing sour cherries macerated in brandy (or fortified wine) and spices - which he poured over an alcohol infused sour cherry. It sure hit the spot!! Ginjinha originated in the 17th century in this area and is made from locally grown sour Morello cherries.

“Obidos Patio House” was originally Gilberto’s grandfather's house, located inside the castle walls, and Gilberto and Cecilia converted it into a three bedroom B&B. Fortunately the low door frames have warning signs for Ivor.
It is delightful with many personal touches, including a tiny decanter of Gilberto's magic brew in the bedroom for a nightcap.

We noticed a drop in the temperature (20 degrees with a cool breeze) as we spent a few hours finding our bearings around the village in preparation for a full day of discovering this lovely village tomorrow. We spotted a sign “Avocado - happy and healthy food”. Yay! Lunch was sorted. We have missed our avos!

As luck would have it, a 3 piece blues/rock band (about our age 😅) from the UK were setting up for a gig in preparation for a tour in Europe. They were really good and we enjoyed sitting listening to their music which we could relate to; however unlike most of the patrons (mainly Brits), we weren’t up for beers at 3.00pm.

We enjoyed a delicious breakfast the following morning, with freshly baked homemade warm pastel de nata - custard was still hot and pastry was excellent. (Cecilia has promised to give Glyn her recipe.)

It was a very cool day with a strong breeze and for those of you who know Glyn, it meant a “jacket day”. The sun did poke out occasionally for Ivor to take photographs.

We took the opportunity to warm ourselves a little by trying a local treat - a small chocolate cup of gingha - sipped gently - and then one eats the cup.

Obidos is a village with 3,100 inhabitants, encircled by a ring of medieval walls. Until 1883 Obidos was the exclusive property of the Queens of Portugal (referred to as “The Town of Queens”) as in the 13th century King Dinis gifted the castle to his queen Isabel. It is one of the most perfect examples of a medieval fortress. It is listed as a UNESCO Creative City and a paradise for book lovers from all over the world. There are fourteen book shops in Obidos. Apparently writers workshops are held here as an annual event and well supported.

This bookshop occupies what was previously a church, and the circular arrangement of shelves was interesting

In this next bookshop we saw a shop assistant on a ladder who was vacuuming the upper bookshelves as we walked in.

We spotted a number of books translated from English - including Woody Allen's 'Zero Gravity', plus a selection of kids books that included good old Roald Dahl favourites.

And Ivor - a fan of Asterix and Obelix - found the recipe book that he might have purchased if he had any idea of how to cook.

Obidos has a long history. The Obidos castle dates back to the Roman era, however it is the medieval period that truly defended its rich character. Following the Christian conquest of Portugal in the 12th century, King Afonso took control of the site and transformed the fortress into a stronghold.

The city wall has a circumference of around 1.5km and surefooted people without a fear of heights can walk the whole way around on a walkway less than two metres wide with a sheer drop on the inner side - which cancelled out Ivor immediately. The pic below shows a few people hugging the safety of the outer balustrade while another strolls confidently on the 'drop-side'.

Climbing up the stairs does provide a good vantage point for photos of the town.... and that's our 'Obidos Patio House' accommodation on the RHS.

The Church of Santa Maria was the setting for the wedding of King Alfonso V to his cousin, Princess Isabella of Coimbra on 15th August 1441, when they were both children. Alfonso’s V aged 10 and Isabella aged 9. How could that happen?

And in the street above Santa Maria church is the town's pillory, where miscreants were chained and publicly punished for their misdeeds.

This was a Roman town in its early years and we assumed the the aqueduct was a Roman construction, but turns out the 3.6km watercourse was funded in 1573 by Queen Catarina of Austria in exchange for the lands of Varzea from the town council.

Obidos is very much a must-see tourist stop and by 9.00am the buses were already unloading sightseers.

Obidos is listed as one of Portugal's most picturesque towns and we are so fortunate to have been able to stay here in lovely accommodation and see for ourselves the beauty of Obidos.

Hopefully the photographs have told the story, with a few more below:

The restaurant around the corner has an outdoor BBQ oven where this fellow is cooking pork steaks.

This shop told us that their highest selling products weren't the usual sardines, but rather the roast codfish, shrimp and octopus lines!

Streets are very narrow, and this entry portal zigzags hard right and then hard left making it a route to be very carefully negotiated. This was also part of the original defence strategy to make it difficult for invading forces to enter the city walls.

We ate at this restaurant the evening before leaving Obidos. The name - 1st December - references the date in 1740 when Portugal began the Restoration War to reclaim its sovereignty from Spain.

And bougainvillea are in flower everywhere in Portugal now.

We have met a few expats living around here from the England, Scotland, America and South Africa. They seem happy and enjoying life, and why wouldn't one - plenty of sun, not too expensive, friendly people!!

Next we're off to Lisbon on a one hour bus ride and a 3-night stay with lots to see and do.

After two delightful days in Obidos we farewelled lovely hosts Gilberto and Cecelia. Gilberto kindly drove us to the bus stop for our one hour journey to Lisbon’s bus terminal.

An Uber ride from there delivered us to our rather unexpectedly fancy apartment (no stairs) in a lovely part of Lisbon in the early afternoon. We are located close to the city centre, the Rossio square and train station. A perfect location.

We headed out to explore our neighbourhood for a few hours and on the way back purchased supplies for our three days in Lisbon, returning to the apartment for dinner (mixed platter of cheese, olives, fruit, and salad) accompanied by wine we had purchased earlier. We are relaxed and ready to walk up and down hills over the next few days as Lisbon is not a flat city! Rick Steves describes Lisbon as ramshackle, trendy and charming; however, we would add ‘city of hills’.

The jacaranda trees (from Brazil) are in full flower, decorating the Rossio Placa.

Like many European cities Lisbon has a long history dating back to the Romans (2nd century) and Moors (8th century). On the morning of All Saints Day in 1755 a tremendous off-shore earthquake rocked Lisbon, followed by devastating tsunami and days of fires. As a result, much of the city was destroyed and then rebuilt, under the (despotic, autocratic) rule of the Marquis de Pombal who was King Joseph I’s de facto chief minister (BTW, an alumnus of the University of Coimbra which we visited a few days ago).

We booked a Historical and Cultural walking tour with “GuruWalk” – a service we’d discovered through Canadians we met in Obidos. The ‘guru’ guides could be retired academics, architects or history students. It is free to book on guided tour, however at the end of the tour you pay your guide in cash the amount you feel the tour warranted.

The two hour thirty minute tour was led by Marco, a 30 year old local who had also spent some time in Colombia. We were joined by three youngish folk from Austria. Marco was great and very knowledgeable and extended the tour so we could climb up another long hill to a viewpoint overlooking Lisbon. He also recommended a tasca (a very small cafe) where we could partake in the best ‘bifana’ - pork, slow cooked in red wine and beer and spices (typically paprika and perhaps a dash of piri-piri) for sixteen hours, shredded and served in a soft roll. We had been told you cannot leave Lisbon without enjoying a bifana, so we followed Marco’s advice and he was spot-on – a delicious treat.

Scenes from the tour with Marco.

The castle up top of the hill - not a highly recommended site for a visit - so we climbed to just below the walls.

The arch above this door was cracked by the 1775 quake, but the building survived.

Views inside the handsome church in which an antisemitic riot began when a crowd of churchgoers attacked and killed several people in the congregation whom they suspected were Jews. The violence escalated city-wide, with between 500 and 4,000 'New Christians' - the name for Jews who had been forcibly converted to Christianity - being killed.

The memorial stone outside the Church of the Massacre.

The 25th April 1974 was the date of the 'Carnation Revolution' - the military coup that overthrew the government - the day the military refused to act against demonstrators and the people on the streets inserted flowers into the barrels of soldiers' rifles.

The small 'tasca' where we enjoyed a spicy bifana.

The owners are an Indian couple....

Late afternoon we headed to Martim Moniz Square to ride the famous #28 yellow vintage tram which is a Lisbon classic, and yes, very “touristy”. We read that the best time to go was early evening. We arrived after 6.00pm to find a queue stretching down the road – meaning a lot of tourists had read the same message! An hour later we boarded one of the #28 trams which wound around the city’s narrow streets through the various districts in Lisbon. A great rattly ride on ancient 18-seater unit, and a unique way to experience Lisbon.

Join the tram #28 queue.... Glyn towards the left edge of the pic - jumper draped over her shoulders. And a yellow ambulance parked on the tram tracks to attend to someone who'd had a fall in a nearby building.

Photos on the fly as we rattled round the narrow streets.

Sharp right hand bend coming, so the tram has to cross over to the left to get around (a bit like the 'old' days before power steering when Grandad would swing left before turning right).

Two minutes from our apartment is a super restaurant - “Honest Greens” - serving fresh ‘wholesome’ food. Their motto is “Improve society through healthy food”. After our bifana lunch it was a great option for a 9.00pm dinner; ‘Spring Burrata’ to start, followed by ‘Wild Mediterranean’ with Roasted Sweet Potato as a side (see the interesting menu attached).

We had booked tickets for the Monastery of Jeronimos in Belem - the area down by the Tagus River (which is in fact a very wide estuary at that point). Seems every tourist in Lisbon had the same idea. They only allow a certain number of people in at one time - our waiting time was an hour in a long queue in rather warm sunshine. It certainly was worth the wait – beautifully crafted construction that was spared damage in the 1755 earthquake.

The 'line' for the Monastery - the American we spoke with didn't understand the word 'queue' (as many of us know).

A most ornate doorframe for the gents!!

The monastery had 12 confessionals along this corridor (each door opened to a confessional) - in days gone by the monastery catered to the confessions of sailors and travellers as Belem is where many voyages commenced and ended.

On the way to the National Coach Museum we stopped to view the Monument of the Discoveries - which celebrates the exploration feats of Portuguese in the Age of Discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries, and was created as part of the celebration of 500 years since the death of Henry the Navigator, who is the lead figure of the statues that include famous names such as Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan and Bartolomeu Dias.

A quick lunch in Belem before visiting the National Coach Museum – a very worthwhile 40 minutes admiring the range of coaches, charabancs, cabriolets, etc. on view. Anyone who was someone obviously spent up big to impress.

Rolls, Bentley, Jaguar and Mercedes insignia are tame compared with this 'rear spoiler' on a Papal carriage.

And 'mag' wheels don't have a patch on these carriage wheels.

A Portuguese saddle - looks comfortable, but we're no judge, neither of us being a rider.

The sports car - drive yourself or rely on a postillion mounted on one of the horses.

A 2-person sedan, carried by two mules or horses.

And finally the childrens version,

Our last night in Lisbon we treated ourselves to a delicious dinner and excellent red wine at a small restaurant across the road called "Wine Not” – indeed, why not?

A wine list of a different design!!

So we farewell Lisbon and look foward to our two night stay in Sintra. We far prefer visiting the small towns and villages where we find we get a real feel for the place and usually meet interesting people.

SINTRA

(BTW, for a larger/clearer text font, you might like to change the Style when viewing entries - go to 'Change Style' on the RHS, click on the box that says 'Travellerpoint Default' and a list of styles should be presented. Select 'Postcard' and then click on the box that says 'Choose new Style'.)

A thirty-minute train ride from Lisbon found us in Sintra at 12pm.

The station and the ticket office look a bit special.

Sintra is described in our guide book as a mix of natural and man-made beauty, fantasy castles set amid exotic tropical plants, lush green valleys and craggy hilltops. Sintra was popular as a summer getaway for the Portuguese kings.

Our accommodation for two nights at Chalet Saudade Vintage B&B guest house was an easy five-minute walk from the station. We were delighted with our large and very comfortable room. The guest house is beautifully appointed and a substantial breakfast was served in the cafe across the street, also owned by our hosts.

From the front, Chalet Saudade looks like a 2-storey house, but we didn’t realise that it stands on a steep slope and has another three floors below ground level. That was just the start of our ‘almost vertical drop-off’ experiences around Sintra.

We had booked 3.30pm tickets for the afternoon of our arrival for the Peña Palace so after a quick bite of lunch and giving up on Uber (four drivers accepted then cancelled) we jumped aboard the #434 bus which in itself was a (tortuously) fun ride up the steep, winding (understatement) narrow roads to the Palace. Even with booked tickets we had to join a queue. Ivor kindly did the honours while Glyn found a place to sit for the 30 minutes wait.

The Peña Palace is built on the site of an old monastery that goes back to the Middle Ages. Unfortunately, the 1775 Lisbon earthquake caused major damage with very little left of the original buildings. Along came Prince Ferdinand (later King Ferdinand II); in 1838 he acquired the old monastery and transformed it into the 19th century romantic fantasy style castle it is today. The family lived here at various times of the year until 1910 when many of the Portuguese nobility fled to Brazil to escape the revolution. The Palace was classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995. The interior of the palace is beautifully restored and the furnishings are much as they were when the occupants took flight.

Next morning we had 11.30am tickets for Quinta da Regaleira. A Gothic/Renaissance style mansion built between 1904 and 1911.
It was designed by Italian Luigi Manini for a disgruntled but very wealthy monarchist, António Augusto de Carvalho Monteiro, two years after the Royal family was deposed. The castle is impressive from the outside, however our interest in visiting was to explore the magnificent gardens with lush landscaping. One works one’s way up past the chapel, passing tunnels, caves, turrets with spiral staircases, a 90-foot deep well with spiral pathway down to the bottom, all the while taking in views of lush vegetation and plentiful flowers.

'Palace'.

Chapel.

Gardens.

The 'unfinished' well.

The 'finished' well - 90 foot down.

Monteiro was quite a person it seems – when he died his funeral was held in Lisbon; a train was booked to carry the body and mourners from Evora to Lisbon; businesses in all the towns along the route closed their doors as a mark of respect when the train passed through; and the cream of Portuguese society as well as his many employees attended the funeral.

We spent two hours meandering around the gardens, following pathways and climbing up to viewpoints before our bus ride back into the village for lunch, and we then headed to the Moorish Castle in the afternoon.

The Moorish Castle is located in a beautiful mountaintop forest setting (watching the Google Maps display of the route as we were driven up the mountain was like watching a snake writhe).

The castle was built by the Moors and was taken by the Christian forces in 1147. We found ourselves climbing both the lower and the higher towers and were rewarded with wonderful views down the valleys towards Sintra and other villages.

We've had a busy two days in Sintra and loved our time here. Tomorrow it’s a train back to Lisbon with a connection to Evora - our last Portuguese village before flying to Seville in Spain.

EVORA

We boarded the 8.06am train in Sintra heading for Lisbon and a change of trains for our two hour journey to Evora (pronounced EH-VOH-RAH) with a population of 57,000 people and which has been an important city for 2000 years - from the Romans to the Moors to Portuguese Kings.

Evora (also Ebora) is our final destination in Portugal; a walled city, located in the middle of the great Alentejo Plain, which made it easy for early traders to travel through, and so it became a commercial centre, and it is the capital of the Alentejo region. Lisbon and Porto account for 2/3 of Portugal's 10.5 million citizens, and Evora is the 'big city' in the South.

The town boasts two sets of walls - inner (very old) and outer (old).

Our host Luisa met us and proudly escorted us to our apartment for our three night stay in the centre of the town surrounded by whitewashed buildings, cafes and narrow lanes. She welcomed us with a bottle of wine, sheep’s cheese and fresh bread.

View into the main square from the balcony.

Soon after settling in and doing a load of washing, we found a delightful outdoor restaurant “Pateo” for a late chicken salad lunch accompanied by the traditional Portuguese drink - white port and tonic. Perfect on a 35C day.

Glyn loves the ad by the local optician/publican!

We were just settling down in bed around 10pm when the sound of drumming got us back up and out onto the balcony to find a brass band and parade passing below.
How did they know we were in town? 😉
We asked the Tourist Info man about it the next day and he had no idea....

The 'Welcome Parade'???

As it happened, the following day was in fact Portugal's National Day holiday, so it may have been connected but maybe not, because the National Day commemorates the death on 10 June 1580 of Luís de Camões, a poet and national literary icon, not a major victory or discovery, and on the day itself there was zero by way of celebration that we could see.

The city is surrounded by cork trees, olive and almond groves, and vineyards and the Alentejo supports extensive cereal cultivation. (see further on re grain/codfish trade)

As in much of Portugal, the tourist shops are full of products made of cork - hats, handbags, bracelets, belts, even shoes.

This shop shows the raw material alongside finished products.

The next morning, with no set plan we set off mid-morning for our coffee and pastel de nata before shopping for a few essentials. Black tea and muesli both a challenge!. After three very small “mercados” we settled on All-Bran flakes (we think….). And found a delightful lolly-shop along the way, and also a strange window display of marrows(?).

Being a cool day we wandered up and down narrow lanes and roads and along the way we found the University, the Roman Temple ruins and the Evora Cathedral. Ivor to the top of the cathedral (not that high) for a photo opportunity.

The University is the second oldest university in Portugal (after Coimbra). It was established in 1559 as a Jesuit university. Then, two hundred years after it was established, the University was a target of the Marquis of Pombal’s Jesuit oppression, and King Jose I decided the Jesuits had become too rich and too political so he closed it down in 1759.

It was reopened nearly two hundred years later – in 1973 - as a secular university, injecting 7,000 students into the Evora community.

We didn’t enter the Uni, but we hear that each faculty is decorated with blue tiles depicting the subject taught, and that each ‘classroom’ has a pulpit – the theory (back in the day) being that lessons delivered from up high were beyond rebuttal.

Classroom - University of Evora

We then returned to our favourite restaurant “Pateo” for dinner - when you find something good do you stay with it or do you keep exploring? A bit of both we suspect.

We are pacing ourselves and ensuring we get time to rest as walking along these uneven, cobbled and steep streets can be hard going.

We had read that The Chapel of Bones is one of the best-known monuments in Evora so the following morning we headed there. It was horrible (Glynis), a bit disconcerting (Ivor) to see walls built of skulls and bones set in concrete. We were in and out in a few minutes.

One perspective is that death is part of the lifecycle - this message clearly comes across via the sign at the entrance - "We bones are here, for yours we wait".

In need of a change we continued on to the display of Nativity scenes on the upper level of the church. The majority of the over 200 Nativity scenes displayed are part of private collection of some 2,600. It was wonderful and we spent a very pleasant time admiring the sets from all around the world. Some were quite quirky as well as quite beautiful.

Later in the day Ivor had booked a two-hour Historical & Cultural walking and photo opportunity tour of Evora with “GuruWalks”. Glyn decided to relax in the apartment to give her little legs a rest as we have a big day tomorrow.

The GuruWalks tour was informative – but difficult to stay on track due to the constantly changing eras covered – Roman at one moment, early Portuguese, then Moor-dominated, then Restoration of Portuguese rule, back to something Roman.... all a bit confusing.

Not a lot more than we'd already seen, the most impressive being the 18km aqueduct bringing water to Evora and which still 'works' when there's heavy rain.

Houses built into the gaps between the aqueduct arches,

Remains of a royal palace with peacocks strolling around - including mother hen with chicks.

On the downside, Evora was one of the two centres for the Inquisition 'trials' (the other being Lisbon) and this building was where thousands of victims were questioned, tried and sentenced.

And next door was the home of the bishop in charge of the Inquisition, with the emblem of the Inquisition above the door.

After three weeks in Portugal, we were a little over Portuguese food and on the guided walk Ivor discovered a quaint “hole in the wall” restaurant offering Italian food - Buona Forchetta - Good Fork.

We promptly booked a table and enjoyed a fabulous dinner - in front of a picture of Vesuvius - before returning to our apartment to enjoy a bedtime drop of Portuguese red wine. Portuguese wine, especially the reds, have been excellent to the point that the reds have become Glyn’s preferred drop much to Ivor’s delight!

Our flight from Lisbon to Spain had been changed to 10.25pm 😳 and as we had to check out of our apartment at 11.00am we had booked a tour departing from Evora to Monsaraz at 11.00.

But before leaving the city we stopped for coffee and met a lovely Zulu fellow - Zwelihle - coming from a town not far from where Ivor and his brothers grew up in Zululand, South Africa. He came across to play soccer in Portugal and with the season finished, is working in the cafe while sorting out paperwork for residence. We had a good chat and wished him well with his career and paperwork process.

Our guide for the day was Fabio, who had studied tourism at the Evora University. He was very interesting and good fun to be with. We had heard that the city boasted 24 churches, but Fabio said 32 - 16 inside the walls and another 16 outside!

En-route to Monsaraz we stopped at a pottery. It is a family business; the father still wants to keep the business making some of the pottery in the traditional hand-crafted manner while his son runs the machine-assisted production lines, and the daughter has a line in artistically hand-painted items. The handmade pottery was lovely and Glyn left wishing we had room for a couple of salad bowls.

The founder of the pottery

Handcrafting and painting the old way.

Machine-produced product - one assumes the pile of clay below the machine goes back into the process.

And this is the raw clay, not sourced locally but bought in.

Loading up for the modern oven - upgraded from the old fire-pit that still exists.

If only we had more space in our cases.....

Monsaraz, a historical village, is one of the oldest in Portugal and maintains the magic from ancient times. Made of limestone and schist, stories are told of Kings (Moors and Portuguese), heroes and Knights Templar – the local heroes are obviously favoured – including the famous Giraldo (a mercenary who provided services to both Moors and Portuguese) but is renowned for his capture of Monsaraz from the then-ruling Moors and presenting it to the then-King of Portugal.

Monsaraz is surrounded by castle walls and at one end of the town there is a bullring (naturally no longer used). Fabio informed us that once a year there is still a “running of the bulls” through the narrow streets. It is one of the oldest villages in Portugal and listed as a museum village.

Lake Alqueva

Had a quick bite for lunch at the Tavern of the Knights Templar.

It was a good day and ended with a wine tasting in what was the old schoolhouse in Monsaraz, and the tasting included a comparison - the winery’s Reserve blend (delicious) that had been stored in Lake Alqueva (just a few km from Monsaraz) at a depth of 30 metres for 12 months, compared with the same wine that hadn’t done the submerged storage; definitely a significant improvement, and evidenced by the price differential.

A good note to finish this post:

So, we farewelled Fabio as he dropped us at the station in Evora and prepared ourselves for the long night of travel ahead, with an arrival time in Seville scheduled for 00.30am.

BTW....

The codfish/grain trade.

Fabio turned out to be – like most in Portugal – a lover of codfish, a.k.a. ‘bacalhau’. The cod arrives in Portugal salted and dried and must be soaked in water for 24 to 48 hours – with regular changes of the water - to dissolve out the salt before it can be cooked.

We had seen the other end of the process in Iceland and Norway last year, where most of the cod is caught, salted and dried. And we’d learned of the trade between Iceland/Norway and the southern European countries, with cod going South and wheat and grain going North, where short summers don’t allow for those crops.

A codfish stall caught our eye on our first day in Portugal (at the Porto market) and we’ve seen it everywhere along our way through the country.

Evora to Seville - we're gone from warm to a bit warmer - now mid- to high-30s.

Fabio had dropped us off at the station in Evora for our 5pm train to Lisbon Oriente station, where we caught a taxi to Lisbon airport, followed by a 10.30pm fifty-minute flight to Seville, and a taxi from the airport, and we finally arrived at our apartment in Seville at 2.00 am having been overcharged by the taxi driver. Ivor was not prepared to hassle at that hour of the morning.

The apartment is on the ground floor and we were kindly met by elderly Gustamo who showed us how things worked - very good at that hour of the morning. Our host, Ricardo, had left us a bottle of chilled white wine in the fridge and, as tired as we were, we decided to put our feet up and wind down with a most welcome relaxing glass!

The apartment building was built some time ago....

Seville is the capital of the Andalusia – which covers the south of Spain - and many cultural phenomena that are seen internationally as distinctively Spanish are largely or entirely Andalusian in origin, including flamenco and, to a lesser extent, bullfighting and Hispano-Moorish architectural styles, both of which are also prevalent in some other regions of Spain.

After a good sleep and a rather late start to the day, we set out to follow our audio guide. It was a lovely introduction to Seville and its history as the tour took us through various districts including the old Jewish quarter and the rather up market Santa Cruz area lined with cafes, Michelin restaurants, bars and small shops, and along narrow lanes which twisted and turned. One lane is so narrow it is referred to as the kissing lane as the story goes that as the lane is so narrow neighbours could stand on their balconies and greet each other with the traditional European double cheek kiss.

Moorish style home - built around a central cool garden - view through the gate.

Plenty of Flamenco-themed artefacts.

Narrow streets that don't run straight for too long.

The big advantage of these narrow streets and lanes is that for most of the day they have shade. By 4 pm (temperature 32-degrees) we were in need of some refreshment and found a fabulous bar serving great tapas and cold sangria.

Plenty of little (orange) tree-shaded plazas to relax and cool down.

A 'kissing lane'.

Restaurants provide a fine mist to keep outside tables cool.

The closest Ivor got to a game of golf on the trip - taking a pic of a mini-golf venue offering "18 Hoyas" of mini golf.

This ironwork cross in the Plaza Santa Cruz marks the spot where a Jewish synagogue once stood, dating back to Moorish occupation. But in the 14th Century, Christians began to view the Jews with suspicion, accusing them of all sorts of things from poisoning wells to ritually sacrificing Christian babies. In 1391 the anti-Jewish feeling flared and Christian mobs killed some four thousand Jews and another five thousand were driven from their homes and possessions were confiscated. The synagogue was demolished and a Christian church built on the spot, and the area became known as Santa Cruz (Holy Cross).

We arrived back at our apartment early evening to freshen up and relax before going out for dinner. We went to a restaurant recommended by Ricardo and decided to order a paella (when in Spain....) - it was a disappointing choice unfortunately!

Our planned activity for the next day was a three-hour tour to the Royal Alcazar de Sevilla and the Seville Cathedral starting at 12.30pm. Again, a very hot day.

The Royal Alcazar of Seville is a beautiful palace. It was built many centuries ago and has a mix of Moorish, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. The palace was originally a Muslim fortress but later became a palace for Moorish rulers and later for the Spanish Kings. The current King stays here when in Seville.

Intricate Moorish plaster work abounds. Beautiful.

And cool verandahs shaded by vines.

Our time at the palace ended by us taking a walk through the gardens surrounded by orange trees, and we ducked under arches and around ponds to view the lap pool and then down to the indoor pool (not sure anyone actually swims there).

Our next stop was the Cathedral of Seville and the 104-metre high Giralda Tower. The Cathedral of Seville is the largest church in the world after St Peter’s Basilica in Rome and St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Like many Cathedrals in Spain, the Seville Cathedral was built following the ‘Reconquista’ on the site where a Moorish Mosque once stood. The Giralda Tower was originally the minaret of the mosque, repurposed as a bell tower with a rotating sculpture known as the Giraldillo (weather vane), from which the name "Giralda" is derived; it takes the form of a woman carrying a flag pole, and is 4 metres tall and approximately 4 metres wide, weighing 1,500 kilograms.

The decoration behind the altar is quite stunning and the ceiling is magnificent.

This marble is not from Carrara, but an even more valuable variety we're told.

Magnificent huge tapestries on the walls.

The cathedral is truly impressive in its dimensions - according to local oral tradition, the members of the cathedral chapter said "Let us build a church so beautiful and so grand that those who see it finished will take us for mad".

This is a BIG door.

The remains of Christopher Columbus are housed in the cathedral; his tomb is held aloft by four figures representing the four kingdoms of Spain that existed during Columbus' life.

To ascend the tower, one walks up 34 ‘ramps’ rather than stairs – designed so that the muezzin could ride a donkey - 5 times a day - up to the top to give his call to prayer.

The Bullring is visible in this photo from the top of the Giralda.

Our last day in Seville we walked to the Triana district as recommended by our host. It was very different to Seville Old Town where we are staying and sightseeing. Being a Saturday, many locals were out going about their activities, rowing and kayaking on the Guadalquivir river, cycling on the river path, families walking babies in prams and having coffee, and stopping to listen to a busking guitar player (we joined the audience) – we thought he was playing a Dire Straits number at one point, but Shazam said “Cannot find a match” so perhaps it was his own composition – a really good number.

And while we were on our walk, we stopped in at a smallish church and found someone we thought we recognised. John Paul II in a very good likeness.

We had a fun time walking around the Mercado de Triana, a colourful indoor market with meat, fish, breads, fruit, vegetables and cheeses all beautifully displayed. Stalls selling tapas and Sangria – and yes, we found a table and shared a tapas and paella accompanied by cold sangria for lunch.

On leaving the market we discovered that it was built on top of the ruins of St George’s Castle so in we went. It is now a museum with few walls still standing, but the museum contains some magnificent artefacts, including a rather unusual figure of Barabbas (spelled Barrabas on the placard).

Beautiful filigree work on the robe in the photo above.

The castle also turned out to have been the centre of the Inquisition process for a very long time, and we listened to a harrowing audio account of one falsely-denounced young woman – an artist who was accused of conjuring spirits with her painting. Also very interesting was note on the wall describing the Inquisition procedure. Not much justice offered there!

Another beautiful building in Seville is the Plaza Torres de la Maestranza - the Bullring. We hadn’t booked tickets and the thought of standing in a line for who knows how long, in 35 degree heat with no shade, meant it was not going to happen, so were happy to see it at a distance from the bridge in the Triana district. Bullfights are held there regularly and are still popular with the locals and tourists (not these tourists!).

We read that Spain turns pedestrians into what are called “wall crawlers” - people walking right up against the walls, catching whatever shade they can. That’s us for sure! They also have a name for the Brits who tend to get sunburned – “shrimps”!

We have loved all the orange trees planted everywhere in Seville. They are perfect for this climate as they never lose their leaves and give shade all year round. When they start to blossom it is beautiful, and one enjoys a delightful citrus perfume – just not at this time of year. The Seville oranges are bitter and are exported to the UK for making marmalade or turned into marmalade which Spain exports to the UK. You can identify a Seville orange tree by the shape of the leaves - a small leaf at the base of a larger one.

We returned to our favourite tapas restaurant for our final dinner in Seville.🥲

Cheeky wine list from 'our' tapas restaurant.

What we have learned is that throughout Spain, and very evident in Seville, the Virgin Mary is hugely venerated, with colourful processions, masses and festivals throughout the year, and holds immense importance in Spanish culture and religious life as a symbol of purity and grace.

Walking back to our apartment at 9.00pm in 35 degree heat in broad daylight we found ourselves watching a religious parade led by youngsters we assume were altar-boys and accompanied by a brass band. A statue of Mary was being carried by a number of men inside the cloaked ‘pedestal’ and as they are unable to see where they are going the “foreman” on the outside talks to the men inside giving them orders to turn, lift or lower the statue. All this in 35-degree heat and they shuffle along at a very slow pace.

White shoes of the bearers showing under the drape.

Even though June is not the main tourist season, Seville was busy. However, we never found ourselves overwhelmed and we had time to explore and enjoy our time in Seville.

And we leave you with a little test - what's the number represented by these Roman numerals?

Tomorrow is Cordoba.

CORDOBA

After catching an early train from Seville, we arrived in Cordoba at 9.30am, the last city on our four-week itinerary before we head for home.

Cordoba is the hottest city in Europe in summer. In July 2022 they had 19 days of 40-degree weather. We can count ourselves lucky as it is only due to reach only 37 degrees by 5 pm tonight!. It is an oppressive heat and even when overcast for a few hours there is no relief however we are coping quite well. We have noticed many houses and buildings are in the Moorish style with an internal courtyard, as is the case with our building. This creates an internal area where shade can be found most times of the day.

With map in hand together with Ivor’s phone and Google maps we set off to familiarise ourselves with the main part of Cordoba as we have two guided tours booked at different meeting points.

In no particular order, some images from our wandering....

If your vine doesn't flower, try some thick wire and a few bottles.

Note the long heavy whip(?) hanging down - one assumes for crowd control! Not required for us tourists this particular day. 😁

We visited the Calahorra Tower Museum, in an ancient defensive fortress one end of the Roman bridge, The museum celebrates the period when the Jewish, Christian and Muslim cultures lived in peaceful coexistence and yes, another tower for us to climb; after which a tapas lunch with large cold Sangrias hit the spot.

Three of the leaders in the 12th-13th centuries who are connected with Cordoba.

Alfonso the Wise, was King of Castile, León and Galicia and employed Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars at his court

Moses Ben Maimon (Maimonides) - born on Cordoba - a Sephardic rabbi and philosopher - he was also a preeminent astronomer and physician, serving as the personal physician of Saladin (who defeated the Crusaders at the decisive Battle of Hattin in 1187, capturing Jerusalem).

Averroes - an Arab Muslim polymath and jurist from Al-Andalus who wrote about many subjects, including philosophy, theology, medicine, astronomy, physics, psychology, mathematics, neurology, Islamic jurisprudence and law, and linguistics.

Scale model of the Palace.

A window in the tower museum

Some tourists hanging about.

Our first walking tour at 8.00pm was of the Jewish quarter. We thought best to have dinner before the tour and we headed to the Mercado Victoria (a.k.a. Victoria Market 😁) - an indoor local food market where you walk around and select from all the food on offer (tapas, paella and lots more) and choose a drink from the many bars. All very casual. The bill for our dinner was $43.00 (a cocktail, a beer, two glasses of wine and a seafood salad for two). It was fun and a good place to relax before the one-hour walking tour at 8.00pm in 35-degree heat. A fan purchased in Seville has become Glyn’s favourite accessory.

For those who drink them, a good price.

The Jewish Quarter tour provided insights into the Sephardic traditions and skills, particularly filigree work with gold and silver and production of gold and silver thread which was spun with silk to make it pliable. Our guide Ricardo (French, and a rugby fan 👍) pointed out places he suggested we return to the following day, which we did.

The next day was the tour of the Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral that we’d been looking forward to. On entering, the courtyard was impressive with ponds, fountains and orange trees.

However, the courtyard and exterior did not prepare us for the “wow” moment as we entered the prayer hall of the original Great Mosque – magnificent double arches made from red and cream bricks defined the naves (originally 11, but added to greatly over the centuries) supported by different types of marble columns which were mainly recycled from earlier Roman constructions. Our guide was excellent and managed to share so much with us in the seventy-five minutes allowed in the cathedral. The original Muslim chapel was completed in the year 786 to accommodate 4,000 people, the 47-metre tower was built in 952 and by 966 the mosque has been extended twice to accommodate 40,000 Muslims for prayer time. The population in Cordoba had grown to 500,000 at that stage (by comparison, London then had around 80,000 residents, and Paris around 50,000).

The original Great Mosque prayer hall.

When the Christians arrived in Cordoba, rather than demolish the mosque the Catholic Church built a cathedral in the middle of the mosque’s prayer hall. This was dedicated in 1246 as a place of worship and mass is still held in the cathedral, but weddings and funerals are not allowed to be performed in the central cathedral (unless it’s a Royal event). The building, an amazing mix of Moorish and (later) Renaissance architecture, is a monument to the shared history of the two religions - Islam and Christianity - that were inspirational in creating the Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral as a place of worship.

And this is the Cathedral element within the Mosque prayer hall.

We also did a quick climb of the tower adjacent to the Mosque-Cathedral for a look at the views.

A fire showing in the distance.

The temperature was rising, hitting 42C and we took shelter in our air-conditioned apartment for a few hours in the afternoon to try and catch up on our travels. A good decision as the temperature was still 40C at 7pm when we went to dinner. Being our last night, and given that we had yet to see a live flamenco performance, we booked tickets for just that. It was a fantastic evening, colourful and loud, with guitar and vocals backing the stamping feet and clicking castanets.

On our last morning we set off to find the famous flower patios in Cordoba. Every May since 1921 Cordoba holds a Patio Festival and competition when residents are invited to decorate their patios with flowers. It is pretty competitive and during the festival all the patios are open for public view. Outside of the competition week a few remain open for the public (with a donation, which was a pleasure to do).

The most successful patio garden contestant's record - posted on the wall outside the house.

Literally a 'watering can'

And using the watering can....

This (watering can) gardener's son makes jewellery and 'we' purchased a set of earrings.

A statue of the Patio Garden project.

We departed Cordoba in the afternoon by train for an overnight stay at a hotel near Madrid airport for our morning flight - the first of the three flights before arriving in Melbourne at 11.30pm Thursday night. We made sure to have our puffer jackets handy.

This sign was in our apartment in Cordoba, and after four weeks with carry-on luggage and clothes in need of refreshing this sign said it all.

Ivor has been a star arranging taxis, Ubers and finding our way through little lanes and cobbled streets (says Glynis) and Glyn did a tremendous job planning and booking the trip (says Ivor).

We have missed our family and friends, however we have made wonderful memories and have learned heaps over these past weeks, met and chatted to folk from all over the world, enjoyed interesting food and sampled good wine, had lots of laughs, caught seven flights, ridden ten train trips, sampled twelve different beds and puzzled over the same number of shower tap settings (none of them operated the same way), used a dozen hairdryers (Glyn says some more ordinary than good), and we are still very happily married and look forward to seeing everyone when we’re back again.

Although it can be time consuming when we are travelling, we find a record – blog terrible word) – is a good way we can keep a record of where we’ve been and what we’ve seen, and, should friends and family be interested, we are only too happy to share our time away.

Best Regards to ALL – and thanks for the kind feedback, we’ve enjoyed reading the comments!