Tag: EverydayAdventures
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Street Party
The atmosphere of Porto when we arrived on the holiday weekend was definitely that of a street party. The weather was ideal for it: sunny and warm. Tour guides carrying bright green umbrellas bustled their groups everywhere you looked, children played patty cake while parents lounged on the lawn in one of the squares, art […]
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Castle of the Knights Templar
Perched on a hilltop in Tomar, is a castle built over 800 years ago by the Knights Templar. The church is an impressive circular (eight-sided) oratory modelled after one in Jerusalem. From the outside, it is an impressive sight, but from within, even more so. The castle includes the Convent of Christ complex built around […]
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The Big Wave Pilgramage
When planning our trip I looked at a variety of accommodations, including those on AirBnB. Little did I realize at the time of booking that our accommodations in Nazare that overlook the beach would introduce us to a famous Big Wave professional. Garrett McNamara is famous for introducing Nazare to the Big Wave surfer world. […]
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Next stop – The Alentejo region
Heading north we entered Portugal’s largest region, the Alentejo. Despite the rain, we enjoyed the landscape of rolling hills, olive tree plantations, fields of grape vines, interrupted by whitewashed villages and medieval cities that dotted our route. One such city is Beja. Although not as touristy and well known as Evora, it was a delightful […]
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Algarve beaches
They seem to go on for ever. We stopped at Armacao de Petra for a late lunch in a restaurant right on the beach. It was a very modern building with very cool hanging beaded lights that seem to capture the airiness and colour of the water. Beyond our table a father and son flew […]
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Cliff top trails and white horses?????
As previously mentioned, we decided to follow the cliff top trail from the parking area to see the Benagil caves from above. The trail was a section of the inland Rota Vicentina trail. It was arid and rocky and definitely well travelled by those wishing to see the scenic coastal views and emerald-coloured water from […]
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Hike Portugal
Rota Vicentina is a walking trail in Portugal that runs 350 km down the coast called the Fisherman’s Way, and a second route inland. Both are made up of sections and connect through villages. During our meandering into Salema, a small coastal town in the Algarve we came across a trailhead sign board. We had […]
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Benagil Cave from Above
A beautiful spring day in the Algarve bought us to Benagil caves and beach. A stunningly beautiful beach with cliffs surrounding the beach from which many book tours on kayaks, paddle boards or small motor boats to visit the cave and other grottos along the shore. A few hardy soles ventured into the water, but […]
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An unexpected discovery
Housed within what was once a water tower for the City of Tavira, is a camera obscura providing a 360 degree panoramic view of the city. Think back to school science projects, especially all you photography enthusiasts, for you may have made a similar device consisting of pinhole for light, a dark room, mirrors and […]
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Impressive Mosaic Tiles
When we talk about our history in Canada, we are only really talking about less than 200 years. In Portugal, history is a completely different experience. We visited the Milreu ruins in Estoi; a Roman villa inhabited from the 1st Century AD. Columns around the courtyard, bathing pools, underground heating and temple were a few […]