Archive

Belem Tower, Lisbon During a recent trip to Portugal, I passed through Lisbon. Unfortunately I was only there for a few waking hours and only slightly more sleeping hours. In many ways, it was disappointing. I had never been to Lisbon before and didn’t know much about the city but in the short time I ...

Oporto, Portugal Blue and white tiles. Each, meaningless. But together, a grand image taking people off the street and inside the creation for a minute. All through the streets of Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city, these tiled mosaics bring life to the roads, the pathways, and the squares. But behind the colourful and active displays is ...

The Paper Museum, Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal When it comes to the family tree of Antonio Luis Marques da Silva, there’s a good chance it’s been cut down and turned into pulp. You see, paper is in the genes. His father was a trader in the Portuguese paper business. And, although it seemed coincidental ...

Sao Pedro Monastery, Arouca, Portugal Silence. The Sao Pedro Monastery in the Portuguese town of Arouca is quiet now, its rooms empty of the nuns who once lived here. But even in the days when it was full, there was no noise. No sounds escaped from the lips of the residents; no conversations echoed through ...

Santa Maria da Feira Castle “Welcome gentle ladies and noble knights.” It felt right, the introduction. After all, we were all dressed in our best medieval garb and we were in a castle first built in the ninth century. Yes, for tonight I could be a noble knight. We were a small group of travel ...

Fogaca It’s warm inside the café and we pull up some chairs in a cosy-looking corner. It’s nice to have a rest after walking around the small Portuguese town of Santa Maria da Feira. It’s also nice to not need to look at the menu. We know what we’re having – that’s the whole point ...

Arouca Geopark, Portugal It’s just a short drive from the sea to the mountains, first along modern national highways and then bended rural roads through traditional villages. With the water behind us, the ground rises and the salty air is replaced with the crispness of altitude. It doesn’t take long to leave the coastal cities ...