- Start of my personal journey!
- Life on the edge of the lake!
- In the Alps!
- Life on the edge of the lake!
- Last few days in Switzerland. Spain, here I come!
- Arrival in Barcelona
- First day of the tour!
- Exploring Barcelona city
- Petty Theft and Roman Relics!
- Hemingway, bulls, Bayonne and crummy French motel
- From topless bathing to Basque culture
- Art and non-art, tapas and pintxos
- Spain out of World Cup; King abdicates!
- Fiesta in Leon
- Glimpse of Lisbon and Cataplana in Coimbra
- A glimpse into pilgrims and hostals
- Stuck in parking garage in Madrid?
- Breakfast, culture and dinner feasts!
- Hanging houses and crazy plazas
- Don Quichote’s world
- Moors, Christians, Romans and ‘chiringuitos’
- Sinfully delightful day on the beach!
- Dancing in a cave with the gypsies!
- Dining with dockworkers and police!
- Beautiful city!
- End of the journey
- ‘Bon Dia!’ Portugal, ‘Hola!̶
- Parking, port and Porto!
- Oysters, sardines and plastic hammers!
We did not have enough time to visit any of the castles in Sintra and could only surmise their beauty. Our sprawling manor house was full of surprises and we enjoyed a delightful continental breakfast of Portuguese breads, cheeses, meats and fresh fruits in the huge dining room while six colorful parrots and about eight bunnies cavorted outside the big glass windows.
Herb and Judy went for a walk along the forestry slopes after breakfast and then we drove to Lisbon. With a stroke of luck we saw where the Hop-on Hop-off (HOHO) tourist buses gathered at Edward VII Park, and joined the throng for an introductory tour of Lisbon. It is amazing to think that so many seafarers set out on their journeys from here. We passed the church where Vasco da Gama lies buried.
We continued to the beautiful Best Western Hotel D. Luis, situated high on a hill, with stunning views of the ancient cobble-stoned university town of Coimbra. Being our last evening in Portugal, we negotiated with the chef that he prepare us a traditional Portuguese fish stew called ‘cataplana’. The dish is cooked in and served from a special copper pan (a bit like a ‘wok’) with the same name. It did not disappoint!
