Portugal

I went to Portugal in October 2024 thinking that it may be the off-season and there would be fewer travellers. There were fewer travellers, but not a lot fewer because if the airport was any indication, I'd be sharp elbowing my way through the country once I got outside. The lineup snaked in various directions to passport control and when I got to the machines, some of them weren't functioning properly and there was no one there to assist, just two young guys standing at a counter, shrugging. 

After one night I downloaded the FLIX bus app and paid for a bus to Evora. Loved the ancient cobbled streets in the old town and a central square with wonderful little cafes and bars. In Canada there are few bakeries of the quality here and I ate dozens of custard tarts before my stomach whined and protested. What's funny is that with all the bakeries and goodies to eat here, I saw few obese people and the few that I saw were probably from my corner of the planet.  

I got a room at the Moov Hotel for 65 euros a night and it was quiet except for the rain, which had the intensity of a firehose, but luckily I brought my umbrella to Portugal. 

At the Sto Humberto Cafe I had a delicious kidney/brown bean with pumpkin soup. I could have stayed in Evora for weeks it was so delightful. 

The wall that surrounds Evora old city. 

wall around Evora

 

The

My next stop was Castelo Branco where I stayed at the Girossal for 3 nights. The weather was dismal. One thing I notice about Portugal is the lack of music, I never heard music playing anywhere. Perhaps I'm in the wrong place.

church in Castelo Blanco