Portugal

Portugal. It isn't all finely polished for visitors nor does it have the sparkle or mass tourists that most of Europe has. The people aren't particularly nice (although all the hostel employees were great!) and smoking is permitted everywhere. Perhaps that's why I am drawn to it. It's a poor country where elaborate fountains, sculpted façades and beautiful, painted tiles on building exteriors hint to times of past grandeur, when it was one of the richest countries in the world. There's enough grit to give the feeling of an authentic experience but not enough to make me feel unsafe or like a cash cow (as I did in Peru). I feel like the entire country just needs a good bath and a paint job to set it back on its regal path. And although I despise the smoking, it kinda goes with the whole attitude of the country. The north at least. And there is a definite distinction between northern Portugal and the rest of the country.

Porto is a colorful, hilly city on the Atlantic in the north of the country. Beautiful on a sunny day but it's often cold and rainy. It's famous for producing port wine, in red, white, rose and amber. Port is a sweet, high alcohol wine which tastes much like sherry. I am quite fond of it and after tasting regular Portuguese wine I think it's best they stick to their specialty. Portugal also produces 50% of the worlds cork and to my surprise cork isn't just for wine! It can be made into handbags, shoes, dresses, wallets, hats, etc. Interestingly enough I didn't actually see any Portuguese people carrying/wearing any of these items but I adore them because they are beautiful and practical since they are light weight, durable and waterproof. So I splurged and bought a few needed things for myself.

Coimbra, home to the country's oldest university, it was also once the capital of Portugal. A palace was built at the top of the hill that the city is built on but abandoned when the capital moved to Lisbon nearly a thousand years ago. About four hundred years ago the University purchased the palace and it is now both a tourist destination and functioning educational facility. The main attraction is the library. The most impressive one I've ever been in. Wow!! Fortunately I did manage to snap a couple photos before learning it wasn´t allowed. :-)

With winter quickly approaching and I still chasing summer, I headed south to Lisbon. If I'd only known then, I would have skipped that city and spent the entire time in Sintra. However if I had done that I wouldn't have met the wonderful, fun people that I did. My first night in Lisbon three Frenchies checked into my room and invited me out with them for a beer. One spoke Portuguese, one had been there before and all three were roommates back in Bordeaux. A really great group, we ended up spending the next 36 hours together. Friday night we went out bar hopping where things got a little out of control. Fortunately for a change I wasn't to blame. :-P. But it was all good and we had an absolute blast. The next day was a lot more low-key with a lot of walking around the city, a relaxing lunch and a Fado show in the evening. Not the best talent but I'd say it was more of an authentic experience than most people get. That night I had somehow convinced one of the hostel employees to bring us to Sintra, his favorite place in Portugal, on Monday. So the Frenchies left on Sunday and the French Canadian and I continued to hang out for the day playing tourist at all the places we'd missed the day before.

Sintra was beyond amazing. One of the top places I'd consider spending the rest of my life. There are dozens of palaces, spectacular gardens and cute streets. The main attraction, however, is the King's former summer palace at the top of the mountain and the surrounding forest. We spent five hours there taking it all in. My favorite palace ever! And the surrounding forest is so fun to explore with countless paths to take you to all sorts of places, some notable, like the royal stables or the chalet of the Kings' mistress. Others just take you for a walk through the woods. There is also the Quinta da Regaleira Gardens, a main attraction that we didn't have time to see. Unfortunately in the winter things close a lot earlier due to the short daylight hours. Of course I had to return! So return I did and spent a rushed three hours in this wonderland. There was another palace to explore, fountains, caves, turets, "lakes" and a 20m well to climb up. There were cork trees, sequoias, bromeliads and more. In the words of Junie B. Jones, Wowie Wow!Wow!

I rushed because it was Dec. 23 and I needed to get to the small town of Evora. I didn't want to be stuck in Lisbon for Christmas, preferring instead to be some place remote where I could work on my blog, my freelance writing course, do laundry and plan the next trip. Unfortunately none of that happened. Evora is a small town with a big cathedral, Roman ruins and the very cool Chapel of Bones. There is also a nice garden with peacocks to wander through which I'm sure is beautiful in the summer when the plants and flowers are in bloom. There were only six people staying in the hostel and I only met three others. A really nice, young French couple and I enjoyed the fire and wine in the common room and prepared a lovely Christmas Eve dinner together. They had fish and rice and I had the vegetables. We talked for hours and they invited me to join them the following day to go to Segres. They had reservations at a surf camp hostel and sold me when describing the location as 'more wild'. Since my rule of thumb is: always accept an opportunity that comes my way, unless I feel unsafe, I did. Besides, travel by car always trumps bus travel.

On Dec. 25th we left around 10:00 for the three hour trip. A picnic lunch was had on the beach in Lagos, just shy of our destination. It was sparsely occupied with a few brave souls taking a dip in the water. I put my feet in and although it wasn't nearly as cold as I'd expected it to be, the air was cold enough to deter me. Not to mention I don't have a swimsuit anymore.

The surf camp had room for me for two nights so I checked in with the Frenchies. There were only seven of us the first night but a few more joined my second night. I didn't go surfing but joined them for the ride and walked along the cliffs, took pictures and after the lesson we went to the places that only locals go. The views were spectacular and the bravery of the surfers impressed me. The waves were really big in these spots! That night we had a blast with some of the new arrivals. So much fun that I didn't want to leave the next day but unfortunately they were booked. One couple even offered to sleep in the yard in their tent so I could stay! And if I'd been able to stay that third night I would have tried my hand at surfing; the Portugese surf instructors are way cute! Unfortunately however the universe had other plans for me and I've been learning to trust and move with it. Onto Morocco via Seville.