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.
Lisbon is a wonderful city. I took a bus tour and, of course, went into half a dozen bakeries. You can't beat Lisbon for its bakeries and restaurants.
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| castle Lisbon |
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| narrow, crowded streets in Lisbon |
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After two days in Lisbon 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.
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wall around Evora
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The Roman ruins in Evora.
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| Roman ruins Evora |
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| Roman ruins Evora |
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.
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| church in Castelo Blanco |
