After a 2 year delay, we finally had our trip to Portugal – 18 days in Lisbon, Porto and driving around the countryside. Thoroughly enjoyed.
About 5 centuries past its peak but interesting country side, great roads winding through mountains and valleys, stone buildings, terraced vineyards and cork forests. People are very nice although apart from the bread and pastries, the food is mundane. Portugal is rather removed from the rest of the world and vice versa .
Finished with 5 days in London – theatre, opera, museums (our hotel was beside the British Museum), and pubs. Noticeable absence of Chinese and Russian tourists. Enjoyed a cigar lounge in each country (accompanied by port in one and scotch in the other). Everyone wore masks everywhere in Portugal, and hardly a soul in London.
Crazy tower in Sintra that descended a few hundred feet into the ground.Eclectic AirBnB in Porto overlooking the river. Wild design of a renovated apartment that took 2 years and 5 builders (the first 4 quit). Angular walls and ceiling, lights under glass in floor and ceiling, and no knobs or hardware showing (you push to open the doors and cupboards). You drive your car into an elevator that rises to your floor where you then park by your apartment door.Thousands of acres of terraced vineyards in the Douro Valley that are too steep for machinery. Stunning views and very old small villages strewn about.Some wild fortress towns along the Spanish border – this one has stone buildings constructed around and amid immense boulders.Stayed at several Posadas – government-renovated old castles, monasteries, hospitals and such like. Each unique and each a treasure.Attended 2 Fado concerts – lovely Portuguese blues. Was introduced to Fado at a concert by Katia Guerreiro at the French Ambassador’s residence in RiyadhPart of the atrium of Tate Modern in London (former turbine hall of a power station). A magnificent and immense building beside the Thameswith ok modern art.Dining / bar hall at the Royal Opera Hall. You can reserve a table and pre-order food and drink and keep the table before the performance and during the 2 intermissions when it gets very crowded and animated (for an opera crowd). Very very civilized and an excellent performance of La Traviata.
A much better and more comprehensive coverage of our trip can be found at daihime.com for you Japanese readers (or those who enjoy google translate).
Happy to be back home with the blossoms blooming and everything turning green. This month I hope to make progress on our bedroom door (using another of the MEC doors) and the tea pavilion (although golf, kayaking, motorbiking and other diversions may slow progress).
