Here is a photo slideshow, with music, of our tour of Portugal. It runs about 25 minutes.

Continue reading Portugal, a Postscript →

We were in  our hotel lobby at 5 AM, ready for our cab to the airport. We were fortunate; a large group had to leave at 3 AM! We had an easy flight from Porto to Madrid, and the passport control line was short. From Madrid, we had a direct flight to JFK. Although the line there was long, the reentry process was problem free. Continue reading Portugal, Day 17 – October 6, 2017 →

This was our final breakfast of the tour. I made a sandwich of ham in a croissant for myself. For dessert, I chose something we had not seen since we left Lisbon, a pastel da nata. This one was just as good as I remembered, with a flaky crust and a creamy custard filling. Continue reading Portugal, Day 16 – October 5, 2017 →

At the breakfast buffet, there were two offerings that we had never seen before: poached eggs and watermelon juice. Everyone  wished that we could stay at this hotel longer and enjoy more  of its amenities, but after packing, we were back on the bus. Continue reading Portugal, Day 15 – October 4, 2017 →

We packed and boarded the bus for a  family owned farm  in the Douro Valley called Santa Eufêmia, where, in addition to growing  grapes for port wine, they also grow almonds, olives, and figs. We marveled at the beauty of the farmland. We were near the city of Porto, which is famous for port wine. Wine was featured in every course at lunch! Continue reading Portugal, Day 14 – October 3, 2017 →

Nick was disappointed with the breakfast choices because there were no cakes, pies, or other desserts. He satisfied himself with scrambled eggs with bacon and a croissant. My breakfast was scrambled eggs, banana yogurt, and a Portuguese roll.

Mutiny was beginning in the ranks. Some of our companions were saying that they were getting tired of cathedrals. Surprise! There were to be no cathedrals today! Instead we went to a ceramics studio, where we observed all stages of the making of ceramic tiles. Continue reading Portugal, Day 13 – October 2, 2017 →