Olá! Bom Dia! Como vai? ~ Portugal

Any Portuguese Town looks like Bride’s finery ~ something old, something new, something borrowed, something new.

Portugal is one of the most enchanting European countries where millions of tourists have left pieces of their hearts. It’s not hard to fall in love with Portugal. For me since I combined this with a visit to Spain I don’t believe I did it enough justice and definitely plan to go back when and if I can.

Porto

The town that gave the country (and port wine) its very name, Porto is Portugal’s second-largest metropolis after Lisbon. It's an age-old city built on the hills overlooking the Douro River, and today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Bridge was constructed by Gustave Alexandre Eiffel most famously known for the Eiffel tower, and is named for Queen Maria Pia.

I tool the cable car all the way to the top and walked around at the top even as some of my companions browsed the shops before we went for a port tasting.

There is something so romantic to watch these boats carrying barrels of port floating down the River Douro. We had lunch overlooking this sight and soaked in the atmosphere.

Azinheira tree where the Virgin Mary appeared to the three children

Sanctuario De Fatima

In May, 1917 three children (ages 7, 9, and 10) claimed to have encountered the Virgin Mary on their way home from tending a flock of sheep. The oldest girl, Lucia, was the only one to speak to her. Later this story was confirmed as a part of the Mary Miracle and now thousands of pilgrims flock to this site to pray for their own miracles.

Obidos

Originally gifted to Queen Isabel as a wedding gift creating a tradition where subsequent Kings of Portugal presented this picturesque little town to their queens as a wedding gift. Don’t forget to taste the Ginja De Obidos; a sour cherry liqueur that comes from this region or to browse these shops for cute souvenirs to take home.

Belem Tower

Belém Tower, is a 16th-century limestone fortification located in Lisbon that served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. It was built during the height of the Portuguese Renaissance.

Padrao dos Descobrimentos or Explorer’s Monument

A Close Up of the Navigator’s monument so you can see the detail

Erected in the honor of Portugal's Prince Henry the Navigator in 1960, this is a dramatic work of art in stone that commemorates Portugal's many famous explorers and adventurers.

Seaplane Monument

The seaplane monument recognizes the perilous flight of Gaga Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral across the South Atlantic from Lisbon to Rio De Janeiro in 1922. It took them79 days to make the trip with several stops on the way. Today we can cover the same distance in 10 hours 4 minutes non stop. This monument recognizes the contributions of pioneers like these who blazed the trail for modern aviation.

The Jeronimos Monastery is the most impressive symbol of Portugal's power and wealth during the Age of Discovery . King Manuel I built it in 1502 on the site of a hermitage founded by Prince Henry the Navigator, where Vasco da Gama and his crew spent their last night in Portugal in prayer before leaving for India.

Queluz Palace Exterior View

Queluz Palace Interior

Queluz Palace Gardens

Queluz is a beautiful national palace that served as the official royal residence during the 18th century and where the mad queen Dom Maria I was hidden away from public view. This fascinating palace is located partway between Lisbon and Sintra, which means it is often overlooked by tourists, but for those who visit will be rewarded with an exquisite Baroque palace with it’s intriguing history.

There is a hall of mirrors that is modeled after Versailles but I did not find it as impressive as Versailles. Perhaps it was that this was a palace I visited next after my visit to St. Petersburg to find that the richness of European palaces and museums paled by comparison. I believe I might have irritated my fellow travelers on that trip.

The tile work however is impressive both inside and outside in the gardens and I loved the tooled leather display.

Driving along the coast we came to the south western tip of Europe. This is the last piece of home that the Portuguese sailors would have seen on their way to discover the unknown lands.

As I stood on the shore I contemplated the various explorers setting sail to discover the world. Of course the world has shrunk so much now and we are instantly connected along electronic highways and aircraft have made the distance so much shorter.

There is so much more to Portugal to discover and taste so I’m absolutely down for another visit to this beautiful country.