Last month, my husband and I went to Portugal on vacation. Normally, flights from our closest airports involve layovers, usually somewhere in Europe. The first time we went, we spent a few hours at the airport in Paris. When my husband took my daughter last year, they almost missed their connecting flight in Amsterdam (due to horrendous lines at customs, and by “lines,” my daughter explained, they really meant a mosh pit of humanity. They literally had to run through the airport to catch their flight. I am not a runner, to say the least. I have bursitis in the hip that was replaced several years ago, arthritis in my other hip and one knee. I’m not running anywhere. So my husband and I decided to beat the system. We got a great deal on nonstop airfare from New York City to Lisbon, and made that our “layover”. Cheap fares from South Florida to New York are abundant, and this trip involved us visiting all three New York City airports! (We flew into JFK, out of Newark to Portugal, and back into JFK, then out of LaGuardia to home.)
We stayed over one night on the way to Portugal, and two nights on the way home. It worked out perfectly, and unless we get a great deal on nonstop airfare to Portugal from Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach (highly unlikely) then this will be the way we travel from now on. My son and his family are in Brooklyn and I consider spending time with them to be the highlight of any trip, so win-win!
We had a great time in Portugal, ate some amazing food, met really lovely people, hit several museums (World of Wine and the Chocolate Experience museums were highlights) did a tour and tasting at Cockburn’s Port house across the Douro River from Porto in Vila Nova de Gaia, and a guided tour through the Douro River valley that included stops at two wineries, a farm to table lunch at one of the wineries, and a boat ride down the Douro as well.
We had to meet our winery tour group at a theater in downtown Porto. My husband and I are annoyingly early for everything, and this was no exception. I thought we’d grab a coffee at the cafe that Google Maps showed nearby, but it was closed – it looked like it had closed years ago. Then we saw what looked like a cafe across the street, which turned out to be the restaurant of a hotel. We stopped in the lobby and asked if we could get some coffee, but they weren’t open yet. They asked what we wanted, and my husband asked for an espresso, and I asked for a cappuccino. They asked us to wait in the lobby, and a few minutes later gave us our coffees in to-go cups, which I had not seen before in Portugal. When we asked how much it was, they wouldn’t take any money! He wouldn’t even take a tip (it’s not really a tipping culture there.) They said they couldn’t ring us up because they weren’t open, so it was on the house. I could never imagine something like that happening in America. Yet one more reason to love Portugal!
We did get to visit the Bom de Jesus do Monde, but due to the language miscommunication, we were dropped off at the top. We got really lucky that day – every year, all the firefighters in Portugal visit there and they run up all 572 steps with full gear. It was really something to see! They come with their families, and it’s a big celebration. We even saw some firefighters from other countries, like France and Spain. Some of them were definitely slowing down as they reached the summit, but most just flew up those steps. They are all timed, and there are speeches and awards. We took the funicular back down, and that was really cool – it runs on water! This funicular has been running since 1882, and still functions exactly the same way it did back then.
The new AirPods Pro 3 came out a few days before our trip, so we snagged a pair. These are amazing – they have something called Live Translations, which translates in real time, like at the UN! For now, they only translate French, German, Spanish (from Spain, there are differences), and Brazilian Portuguese. Even though European Portuguese is slightly different, they worked really well, and it was an incredible gift to have that ability.
There were some foods we were really looking forward to having again – the Pastel de Nata (a delicious custard tart,) the Francesinha sandwich, and all the fresh fish. I had read about a famous Portuguese clam dish called Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato, which roughly translates to clams with spiced butter, and it was one of the best things I ever ate. I also wanted to try Caldo Verde, the green soup that Portugal is famous for. We tried to find a restaurant that was known for the soup, but struck out. Instead, we went to a Petisco, the Portuguese equivalent of a tapas restaurant, and one of the specials that night was the soup. It seemed like every table was getting it, too, for good reason; it was so delicious! We had the best Francesinha in Braga – it is a big sandwich layered with different meats, topped with a fried egg smothered in melty cheese and sitting in a (usually very spicy, too spicy for me -I’m a wimp) flavorful sauce, only this one had just a bit of heat – it was incredible!
We had such a great time. The people are so nice, the food is amazing (and cheap!) and the lifestyle is perfectly suited to retirement, my goal. I can’t wait to retire there, but it is still a couple of years down the road.
Our next trip will be in July to Sicily, the land of the Alesi family. My husband is having a big birthday, and when I asked if he wanted a party or something, he said he wanted to take this trip with the family. I’m thrilled that my son and his family will be joining us, and my daughter, but sadly, his two sisters declined. If you have any suggestions about places to stay, please share! We need a large house, preferably with a pool, within walking distance of the beach.
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As always, thanks for reading, and stay safe.
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