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Darren and Janet
Darren and Janet

Darren and Janet

traveled in 34 countries Read more🇦🇺Adelaide
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  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    Night swim
    Boat Quay, the old and the newMarina Bay Sands, visible from everywhere!High rises, with high rise gardensClarke QuayMall's Balls, deconstructed

    Steamy Singapore

    April 20, 2023 in Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    We caught the train from the airport to the city, arriving at our hotel at 8am... a little too early to check in, so we dropped our bags and went for a walk in the local area.

    We found the nearest supermarket, had some morning tea, and found a few caches before heading back to check-in at 11.30am.

    Neither of us slept much on the flight, so we had an afternoon nap before going for another walk along the river late afternoon.

    It was very hot walking around, 32 degrees and super humid, so we had a bite of tea and went back to the hotel for a swim before bedtime.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    Arriving Zurich Airport
    1Watching some planes take off before we departSuper quiet at Changi this morning

    Zurich Flughafen

    April 19, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Only one activity today, a flight to Singapore.

    The nice thing about an airport hotel, it's just a walk to the terminal.

    We departed a few minutes late at 11.55am, but arrived Singapore on time at 5.50 am... to 30 degrees and humid!

    Changi Airport is as quiet as a mouse, we were off the plane and had our bags in hand by 6.15 am, ready to catch the train to the city...    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    1
    1The River Limmat flows through Zurich1Funicular to the university2Zurich is tram central!1Funicular behind airport precinct1Zurich central train station1Lake Zurich, start of the River Limmat

    No time to zzz in Zurich

    April 18, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We only have one day in Zurich, so caught the train to the city this morning. This was our first lesson in what an expensive city this is - return train tickets were $22 each (for a 24 hour pass anywhere around the city).

    We walked across the many bridges in the city, up and down the funicular to the university, and around the old town streets, stopping for lunch and a few caches on the way. (Lunch from a street caravan was a burger, pesto pasta and 2 cappuccinos... $57. Ouch!)

    We noticed plenty of Lamborghinis, Bentleys and Maserati's in the streets, and had a quick look in the Tesla dealership in the heart of the city.

    We caught the train back to our airport hotel late afternoon and went for a walk around the park behind the airport, home to the shortest funicular in Switzerland with a length of 78.5 metres and a rise of just 23 metres!    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    6The name change in 2018 wasn't unanimous... they even had protests!
    EasyJet landing, plenty of others ready to take off (no airbridges at Funchal)BA turns around at the end of the runway after landing2On our way with Edelweiss Air

    Aeroporto da Madeira

    April 17, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We have an afternoon flight to Zurich, and only 6km to travel to the airport, so we had breakfast on the terrace before making our way to the airport late morning.

    The road from Machico to the airport travels under the runway, between the supporting pylons - the runway extension completed in 2000 was built on a platform, partly over the ocean, supported by 180 columns, each about 70 m tall. The terminal itself is mostly underground.

    We already had plenty of time to kill, but that was made worse by our plane from Zurich being an hour late leaving, so we were then scheduled to depart Funchal at 5.50pm.

    The airport is constantly busy, averaging 84 aircraft movements a day, and handling over 4 million passengers a year. Fortunately the departure lounge is on the top level and has an outdoor viewing area which overlooks the runway!

    By the time our departure time came around the original flight plan had expired, so we had another delay on the tarmac, finally taking off at 6.15pm.

    We arrived Zurich at 10.50pm and were thankful that we booked an airport hotel, so we were in the room by 11.45pm (the bloke in front of us at reception didn't have a booking... and both hotels in this area are fully booked with a conference this week, so he may have been in for a long night!)    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    Machico, old town streets deserted on a Sunday
    Machico, looking northMachico walking near the fort, quiet todayMachico, view from the west of town3Found this old house with furniture, family photos and the key still in the door2Machico, view from our apartment, last cache was at the isolated white building in the distanceVereda = path, Levada = waterway (literally, taken)Crabs on the steps, Machico foreshoreMachico beach

    Meandering in Machico

    April 16, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Free day in Machico today, and the weather is warm and clear, so we thought we do some of the walking tracks around town.

    As we discovered in Porto Moniz, there are walking tracks throughout each town, but they don't appear on any maps, so it's a bit of trial and error to get the right one.

    We began near our apartment on the western side of town, with a track that crosses the main highway and heads toward the airport. It got very steep, very quickly, so we found another path down, back towards to centre of town.

    After some meandering we realised we were only a few hundred metres from one last cache (there's always just one more 🤣), so we trekked up the hill to the east to claim it.

    We found a series of levadas and roads down to the beach to join Bek and Jake for alfresco lunch near the fort, then headed back uphill to our accommodation for a quiet afternoon.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    Sexial Beach
    1Machico, 2 beaches, airport in the backgroundWatching planes landing at CR Airport2Another lookout to watch landings1Porto da Cruz from cache vantage pointTraditional house, Santana2Glass viewpoint, GuindasteSexial Beach and township

    North Coast

    April 15, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Time to leave Porto Moniz and travel across the north coast from west to east.

    We engaged the same taxi driver to pick us up and give us a tour of the north coast, narrowly avoiding a road block as the São Vicente Car Rally was starting on the public roads this morning.

    We stopped at the black sand beach of Sexial, voted in the top 3 beaches in Europe in 2022 - not for the quality the beach (because the blank sand turns to black mud after going in the water), but because of the setting.

    We stopped briefly to see some traditional Madeiran triangle houses in Santana. They are made of straw and wood because they were both abundant materials in the early days, and the high pitched roof assisted to keep the rainwater running off.

    Another glass viewpoint visited at Guindaste, this one vying for the world's shortest? 😂

    Porto Da Cruz is home to a rum distillery, so while Bek and Jake sampled their wares, Oliver and I climbed the nearby viewpoint for a cache and watched the many surfers in the bay.

    Two more viewing areas were visited before arriving in Machico, both with views of the airport. We stayed a while and watched a number of planes take off and land - the airport is certainly busier that we thought it would be!

    After settling into our accommodation, we headed to the city centre for a late lunch and a walk around the beach front, which is split into two by a breakwater. One end is a pebble covered surf beach, the other a sandy swimming beach in a protected end of the bay. It is one of the few sandy beaches of Madeira, with sand imported from North Africa. The sand imports were quite controversial, as the sand was taken from Western Sahara, a Non-Self Governing Territory which has been largely occupied by Morocco since 1975.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    2Second cache was next to the pink house, toward the top of the hill
    On the way down to the first cache of the day2View from first cache2Found the path up the mountain!2Coffee and pastel de nata, overlooking Porto Moniz...and the path down11Waves crashing into the natural sea pools

    Caching up and down the mountain

    April 14, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    The weather is cool and overcast again today, so our plan to swim in the natural sea baths was put on hold.

    We solved a puzzle cache this morning so we set out on a mission! It was located beyond the end of a walking path, about 700m from our apartment. After some searching we found that one and was walking back to town past the school got chatting to the caretaker (it's currently school holidays), so we had a look around their indoor football stadium and 6 lane swimming pool... and he motioned that there is a walking path up the mountain (his English was as good as our Portuguese 😁).

    We set off up the path (toward a cache that we aborted the search for 2 nights ago when we ran out of footpath), and kept going up until we reached our destination. And, as luck would have it, a local cafe was just up the road. After a steak sandwich, coffee and Portuguese tart, we headed back down the walking path toward the coast.

    Still too cold for a swim, we walked around the town for a while, and had dinner in.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    Porto Moniz, low clouds coming in
    1Archadas da Cruz, village at the bottom1Archadas da Cruz cable down... but no car runningView east from Porto Santo, entrance to one of the island's 286 tunnels on the rightPorto Moniz natural sea poolsPorto Moniz, the other natural sea poolsPorto Moniz natural sea pools, bit fresh for a swim todayPorto Moniz natural sea pools

    The teleferico that wasn't

    April 13, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Our plan today was to catch the cablecar from nearby Achadas da Cruz, down the cliff to sea level to a village that has no inhabitants, but the farmers still visit regularly to tend their crops. ,

    The cable car has a length of 600 meters and a slope of 98%, starting at 451 meters and ending by the sea... one of the steepest around and a must see for us.... except that when we arrived it was closed for maintenance 😞

    Our taxi driver claimed he didn't know it was closed, despite it being closed all week and him specialising in tourist transfers in the area (as well us asking at the start of the trip if it was open)... so that was 50 euro not well spent! 

    He gave us the option of walking down and up instead, a path about five kilometers long, which was once used by local farmers to transport their crops. We declined.

    The afternoon was raining off and on, so in between showers we grabbed a few caches and made another visit to the supermarket, before cooking dinner in.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    1Fanal Forest in the mist
    6Cabo Girão Viewpoint, view down through the glass platform... 589m down1Cabo Girão Viewpoint, view to the east1Cloud rolling in, near Paul da Serra1Above the clouds, Encumeada3Fanal Forest, cloud rolling in1Fanal Forest, not as atmospheric without the cloudRibeira da Janella, view along the north coastPorto Moniz, view from our apartment2Levada walk on the way to a cache... not the finest example!

    Cliffs and Clouds

    April 12, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We're leaving Funchal today and heading to the north west corner of the island to Porto Moniz.

    We contacted a taxi driver a few days ago who specialises in transfers for tourists and agreed a price for the journey, including stops on the way. To drive direct takes one hour, so we hired him for 4 hours with 3 stops.

    First stop was the Cabo Girão Viewpoint, famous for its suspended glass platform. At 589m it's claimed as the highest sea cliff in Europe and the 2nd highest in the world (but both claims are in dispute!)

    We then ascended the central mountain range close to the highest point of the island, where we were above the clouds for much of the journey.

    On the northern side of the island we stopped at the Fanal Forest, an old growth laurel forest - it's at 1500m altitude and often shrouded in cloud, giving it a mystical appearance... but the cloud blows in quickly and disappears just as fast. Laurel forests were once spread throughout Europe, but today are practically extinct, so the Madeira Islands laurel forest was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999, covering an area of 150 square kilometres.

    We arrived at Porto Moniz at 2pm, had some lunch on the foreshore and a trip to the supermarket. Oliver and I then went for a caching walk, and had an impromptu Levada walk.

    A levada is an irrigation channel or aqueduct specific to Madeira. They were originally constructed of stone and later concrete to irrigate the sugarcane fields, and usually have a walking path next to it. There are more than 2,170 kilometres of levadas - not bad for an island 57km long and 22km wide.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    1Sideways sliding action (sadly couldn't get a photo of us)
    Cablecar, looking up the mountainMonte GardensMonte GardensOn the cable car, looking back over FunchalCarreiros do Monte start point2Oliver ready to slideUs being pulled in a slow sectionSome other people enjoying the ride!More cool street art1Footage of a random family, courtesy of Bek

    Teleferico up, Carreiros down

    April 11, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We made an early start today to ride the cable car (Teleferico) up the mountain behind Funchal. The cruise ship passengers usually do it in the morning, so we avoided the last 2 days when there were 2 ships in, with a total of 7,500 passengers. Today there is only 1 ship of less than 200.

    The journey up the mountain is 3km, and there there are a number of gardens, churches and a palace that can be viewed at the top.

    The fun way to come down is by wicker basket sled (Carreiros do Monte). The small village of Monte, perched in the hills overlooking Funchal, was formerly a health resort for Europe's high society, so what began as a method of transport in the late 1800's for the elite, is now purely for tourism.
    Standing on the back of the sled, 2 white-uniformed drivers (Carreiros), wearing straw boaters and rubber soled shoes, steer the baskets along the narrow winding streets 2km downhill, at up to 40kmh.

    After our slide down the hill we caught the local bus back to the city centre, walked along the promenade, and visited the supermarket to buy supplies for dinner.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    Câmara de Lobos and banana plantations
    3View over Valley of the Nuns - former road, closed in 2002 on right cliffsideViewpoint, Valley of the Nuns3Ice cream shop opened just for us!2Street art, Câmara de LobosOliver and WinstonCâmara de Lobos harbour3View from my afternoon solo caching expedition!Poncho and Nikita

    Nuns, Winston, Poncha and Nikita

    April 10, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We joined a half day tour to the Valley of the Nuns today, only 8km as the crow flies, but 17km by road from Funchal, and at an altitude of 1,095m. The road out of Funchal is very steep and windy and the views spectacular. The south coast is thick with eucalyptus trees... but some history fun-facts first...

    Madeira Island was discovered in 1419 by the Portuguese navigators João Gonçalves Zarco, Tristão Vaz Teixeira, and Bartolomeu Perestrelo. It was uninhabited at the time. Due to the number of trees, they named the island "Isla de Madeira" (Island of Wood).

    Most of the islands' trees were cut for timber by early settlers. In the 16th and 17th centuries the southern side of Madeira was converted to sugarcane plantations, and Eucalyptus was also planted extensively, displacing native species.

    We began our day with a visit to a viewpoint over the Valley of the Nuns, which was the best way to see the village (named when Nuns fled there for just 3 days in the 1500's fleeing a pirate attack in Funchal... so there is no convent and no Nuns!

    On the way back to Funchal (the name Funchal derives from the plant Foeniculum Vulgare, the fennel plant, prominent in the early regional cuisine and confectionery), we stopped in at Câmara de Lobos, a fishing village famous for black scabbardfish and Winston Churchill's visit in 1950 where he painted landscapes in his leisure time.

    In the afternoon we partook in some traditional Madeiran drinks - Poncha, made with sugarcane rum, honey, sugar, and fruit juice, and
    Nikita, originally from Câmara de Lobos, consisting of pineapple ice cream, pineapple juice, and either white beer or white wine. It was created in 1985 by a man called Marcelino, who named it after his favourite Elton John song.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    1Cristiano Ronaldo statue - looks like it's been rubbed a bit for good luck!
    Church of Saint John the Evangelist Church of Saint John the Evangelist, Sunday service in sessionTrash sculpture and cache in hand, near CR7 museum6Porto Santo ferry reverse parkingFunchal Promenade, walking back from the docksJacarandas in bloom, Funchal centreTime to sit and do some drawing from our apartment balcony

    Down the waterfront with CR7

    April 9, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We had a sleep-in this morning, the first day in 7 weeks we haven't set an alarm. After a leisurely breakfast we headed out for a walk around the backstreets.

    Being Easter Sunday there wasn't much open, but after a quick visit to church, we found a cafe to stop for lunch (black scabbardfish rolls).

    Our original plan was to catch the cablecar up the mountain behind town, and ride a traditional toboggan part way down. That was stymied when we got to the front of the ticket line and saw a notice that the toboggans don't run on Sundays.

    Change of plan was to visit the waterfront near the Cristiano Ronaldo statue, museum and hotel - they certainly are proud of their favourite son in this town!

    We tried to go down the main cruise ship dock (to get a cache, of course), but were blocked by security, so we rested a while and watched the ferry from Porto Santo dock and unload (Porto Santo is the second largest island in the Madeira Island group - Christopher Columbus lived on Porto Santo briefly, having married one of the daughters of Bartolomeu Perestrelo, one of the navigators who discovered Madeira).

     We meandered back to our apartment via Santa Catarina Park, and had favourite Portuguese dinner in-house - toasted sheep's cheese and black pork neck sandwiches.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    Funchal city view
    2Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport runway, going past for our approachFlame Tree in full bloomForte de São Tiago, 17th Century fort built to defend the city from piratesCruise ships docked today1Madeira Spotlight. The sign says "Beach Towels per kg". Note the scales at the checkout behindFunchal old town, restaurant strip

    Lisbon to Madeira

    April 8, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We had a mid morning flight from Lisbon to Funchal, the capital of Madeira.

    Funchal Airport has a reputation as one of the most difficult approaches in the world, mainly due to the unpredictable winds off the nearby mountains. The runway was also very narrow because of the limited space, so they have now widened the runway with pylons built over the sea. But ours was a smooth, textbook landing.

    Our accommodation wasn't available until 3pm, so we dropped our bags, had some lunch in the square outside our apartment, and went for a walk around the foreshore. There was only 2 cruise ships docked today, but they have had up to 15 (to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks display last year).

    After a visit to the supermarket for supplies, Oliver and I went for a walk back to the foreshore to attend a geocaching event, then a quick walk around the old town before a much anticipated quiet night in after our busy last few weeks.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    Praia de Odeceixe
    Cape St Vincent lighthouse, viewed from Sagres Fortress1View from St Vincent lighthouse - note the fisherman highlighted!Close-up of brave/crazy fishermanPessegueiro IslandPessegueiro FortPessegueiro Fort2Successfully retrieving a cache in the quarry where rock for Pessegueiro Fort was sourced.Final group photo, Pessegueiro Fort

    Beaches to Lisbon

    April 7, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Our final day with Rui, and we had a 300km/4.5 hour journey back to Lisbon, via the scenic coast road.

    First stop was the Cape of Saint Vincent and The Fortress of Sagres, on the most south westerly point of continental Europe. A noticeable line is visible where the cold waters of the Atlantic meet the warm water of the Mediterranean. It is also home to one of the brightest lighthouses in the world, its light visible up to 60km away.

    Lunch stop was the picturesque beach, Praia de Odeceixe (pronounced o-de-say-shu).

    Our last stop of the day was Pessegueiro Fort and nearby Pessegueiro Island (Peach Tree Fort/Island). The island also has an unfinished fort, and evidence of occupation dating back to 200BC. It was home to a small fishing centre, and has recently discovered remains of salting tanks. As there are no peach trees on the island, it is believed the fishing activities gave the island its name as a mistranslation of the Latin "piscatorius" (fisherman). Or perhaps it's the medieval French, where "Pêche" (peach) and "pêche" (fishing) are still homophones, as we saw in Morocco where Peach Juice was mistranslated as Fishing Juice!

    The cache of the day was in the quarry where rock for Pessegueiro Fort was sourced, while trying to avoid the stinging nettles which covered the passages. Extraction was done by bending a vine into a cradle and lifting it without setting foot on the ground.

    The remainder of the journey was on motorways and we arrived in Lisbon at 5.30pm for a night in an airport hotel before our flight to Madeira tomorrow.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    1Street art, Olhão
    Stone Beach, PortimãoStone Beach, PortimãoStreet art, OlhãoPonta de Piedade, LagosPool time, Lagos

    Algarve coast

    April 6, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    The Algarve region covers the southern coast of Portugal and is home to 25 resort towns and countless beaches.

    It is the Portuguese regions with the highest number of foreign residents, the highest percentage being British

    We travelled today from the eastern end to the western end, first stop Olhão, a former fishing village, now low key tourist resort.

    The largest city in Algarve is Portimão, which has become a popular holiday destination, mainly due to the famous Praia da Rocha (Stone Beach), which owes its name to the rocky outcrops found on the beach. It is one of the most famous in the Algarve, if not the whole country, and fills with tourists from all over the world every summer.

    We finished the day at Lagos, a highrise resort city, and our stop for the night.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    Chapel of Bones, Evora
    Chapel of Bones, EvoraChapel of Bones, Evora1Cromlech of AlmendresMonsarazView of Lake Alqueva from MonsarazAlqueva DamTavira Island, one of the town's swimming beachesTaviraTavira by night, our guesthouse is 2nd from left

    Bones and stones

    April 5, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    What better way to start the day than a visit to the Royal Church of St. Francis in Évora, best known for its ghoulish Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones), where walls and pillars are lined with human skulls and bones. It was built in the 16th century by monks who wished to communicate the message of the transitory nature of life. Over the door is a painted message that reminds visitors of their own mortality: Nós ossos que aqui estamos, pelos vossos esperamos: "Our bones that are here await yours!"
    There is an estimated 5,000 skeletons decorating the chapel.

    We detoured onto the dirt roads to visit The Cromlech of Almendres, a circle of prehistoric stones with 95 stone monoliths. It was discovered in 1964 during mapping work for the Geological Map of Portugal. The vegetation was cleared and some pieces of pottery and a polished stone axe were discovered at the site. While we were there we placed a cache, our first overseas! Rui has kindly agreed to do any required maintenance on his regular visits to the site.

    Next stop was the picturesque village of Monsaraz, built on top of a hill that overlooks the right bank of the Guadiana River which forms the border between Portugal and Spain. The village has a maze of narrow streets and small flower-filled squares, 750 inhabitants and six churches, as well as an impressive castle (no visit for us this time).

    Monsaraz overlooks Lake Alqueva, the largest artificial lake in Europe. We crossed the main dam wall (458m long, 96m high) before starting on the Portuguese rollercoaster - 1 hour of bumpy roads followed by and hour of windy roads. We were certainly shaken and stirred by the time we arrived in Tavira, our stop for the night.

    Tavira is a small city on the Algarve coast, particularly popular with English tourists. We had time for a walk around town before dinner outdoors on the promenade.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    2Cork tree after harvesting
    1Roman temple, EvoraEvora streetsHouses built into the Aqueduct, EvoraCity walls, Evora1Elvas and Aqueduct, from fortress2Elvas star fortress, far more impressive from aboveBullfighting ring, Santa EuláliaPartially processed cork

    Corker of a day

    April 4, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We started the day with a visit to the city of Elvas, home to a large Bastion Fort, or Star Fort, so named because of it's shape.

    It also has the Amoreira Aqueduct which is 6 kilometres long and still supplies the city with pure water. Construction was completed in 1622.

    We then made a quick visit to Spain , see separate post.

    We have been seeing many cork trees on the roadsides, and this afternoon had the opportunity to visit a working cork factory. The trees are harvested every 9 years, with the best cork not produced until the tree is around 40 years old. The cork grows on the outside of the bark, so removing it doesn't harm the tree.

    We finished the day at Evora, whose roots go back to the Roman Empire. The Historic Center of Évora, made up of narrow alleyways, courtyards and squares, is UNESCO Heritage listed, and circled by over 3km of medieval walls.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    Plaza Alta, Badajoz

    Impromptu visit to Spain

    April 4, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    As we were travelling so close to Spain we made the short detour to the city of Badajoz. We walked a section of the city walls, found a couple caches and had lunch before heading back to Portugal.

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    4"The House with One Tile", Monsanto
    1Walking the city walls, MarvãoCentrum Cellas, near BelmonteMarvão, Oliver standing at our hotel door.Marvão CastleSortelha TowerMarvão houseChurch near Monsanto CastleOne of the Bent Gate entrances, MarvãoNecropolis of São Miguel

    Historic Villages

    April 3, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We continued our tour of the Historic Villages of Portugal, a group of 12 villages/human settlements classified as important to the history of Portugal.

    The first stop today was Belmonte, birthplace of Pedro Cabral, the Portuguese navigator regarded as the European discoverer of Brazil. He was the first person recorded to have visited 4 continents, during his voyage of 1500.
    The castle was closed today, so after a quick walk around town, we continued on to Centrum Cellas, a first century Roman tower on the outskirts of town, whose original use is still being debated.

    Second Historic Village of the day was Sortelha, a beautifully restored walled city and castle. Again, most shops were closed and only a handful tourists were wandering around.

    Next stop, Monsanto, awarded the title "Most Portuguese village in Portugal" in 1938. Not sure how they came to that conclusion... there's not a lot of other villages built around giant granite boulders. It's an otherworldly experience, with rocks forming the walls or roof of many of the houses, and a castle overlooking the whole town. It was also used as a filming location for Game of Thrones.

    At the base of Monsanto Castle is the Necropolis of São Miguel, a Roman burial ground where the bodies were buried in human shaped carvings in the stone. The bodies and lids are long gone, but they have so far discovered 80 tombs in the area.

    Our accommodation tonight is in Marvão, a city fully encircled by defensive walls, perched atop a rocky outcrop. Being only a few kilometres from Spain, it has been a defensive stronghold since the 8th Century.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    1National Bread Museum
    Lamego, boulevard below monasteryMorning tea cafe, with a beer if desiredTrancoso city wall, entranceThe deserted streets of Trancoso1Trancoso city walkTrancoso city wallsWater storage lake in mountain rangeTorre (Tower), the highest point in mainland Portugal, 1,993 metres. Ski chairlift in the background2Covilha, view from our hotel room

    No snow today

    April 2, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We continued our journey down the eastern side of the country with a visit to Lamego. We viewed the 660 monastery access steps from the bottom, but didn't climb them this time.

    Morning tea was in Trancoso before walking through the walled city and along some sections of the 13th century walls. Being a Sunday, most of the shops were closed and the streets were eerily deserted.

    The journey to Seia took us across Stella da Estrella, the highest mountain in mainland Portugal - an unusual summit as it is accessible by a paved road. The highest point is not a distinctive mountain summit, but rather the highest point on a plateau, and is known as Torre ("Tower" in English). In winter the area is Portugal's only ski resort, but today was crisp and clear with good views in all directions.

    In Saia we toured the National Bread Museum, unsurprisingly, the largest of its type in the world!

    Our accommodation tonight is on the outskirts of Covilha, with views over the entire city... and we're the only guests staying in the hotel tonight.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    1Foggy morning over the Douro River on the way to Pinháo
    Local market, Amarante2Caching in the Douro Valley1Terraced vineyards1River boat being lowered in the lock2Pinháo Station, more tilesOur outlook at lunch, Pinháo2Wine tastingPeso da Régua waterfrontPeso da Régua

    Douro Valley

    April 1, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We woke up to a cloudy, overcast day for our journey east, up the Douro Valley. Amongst low cloud, the first stop was Amarante, where the local market was in full swing.

    We followed the river, with it's steep banks lined with terraced vineyards, and stopped in Pinháo for lunch. There were 2 river cruise boats in dock, but they must have been out wine tasting, as the small town was very quiet.

    Rui made some calls to fit us in for a tasting at a winery that made table wines as well as port (many only make port) and we visited Quinta do Bomfim for a very relaxing afternoon of tasting on their wisteria covered pergola overlooking the Douro River.

    Accommodation tonight is in Peso da Régua where we had dinner at a non-touristy restaurant (ie not on the waterfront). The staff spoke no English (the same amount as our Portuguese), so we had much laughter communicating our order. The staff always bring out olives and bread at the start of the meal - they are not complimentary, but added to the bill unless you send them back - and tonight we also received a mystery bowl... of chicken gizzards. And they were quite tasty!    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    Tasting port in Porto
    Cafe and bottleshop, PortoStreet art, PortoSuper Bock Arena, inside Cristal Palace1View over the Douro from Cristal Palace'Half Rabbit ', sculpture made of rubbishView of Porto from GaiaWalking back up the hill into Porto, under Louis I Bridge - the funicular was out of service 🙁1McDonald's Imperial, Porto

    Walking Porto

    March 31, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Walking and caching day today. While Bek and Jake did the walking tour of the bookshop etc with Rui, we let the caches be our guide through the city and ended up at Cristal Palace, a Victorian garden with a view over the Douro River. Within the grounds is Super Bock Arena, a sporting and cultural arena built in 1954 (and 7 caches 😁).

    We used the river taxi to cross the Douro in time to meet the others for lunch, at the market in Gaia, which is the name of the city on the south side of the Douro River. The city contains many cellars (locally known as "caves") where port wine is stored and aged, so Oliver and Jake took part in a tasting of 5 varieties of port (neither were won over 🙄).

    We walked back to our hotel via the train station and the flashest McDonald's around, in what was previously an iconic Portuguese 1930's cafe.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    Guimarães city walls
    View over Braga from the Sanctuary of Bom JesusStaircase of the 5 Senses, sightLate lunch, Guimarães1Guimarães2Staircase of the 5 SensesBraga city squareGuimarães CastleGuimarães CastleStaircase of the 5 Senses

    Ye olde castle

    March 30, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Day trip north today to the region where Portugal started as a nation.

    First stop was the city of Braga, third largest city in Portugal and one of the wealthiest cities with a strong commercial and industrial base. We visited the Cathedral of Braga, the first Portuguese cathedral, erected several decades before the founding of the country. It began to be built at the end of the 11th century.

    After a walk around the old city and spacious town square, we headed to the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus (Good Jesus of the Mount), a Catholic shrine in the hills overlooking the city. We walked the 573 steps up the Staircase of the 5 Senses, and rode down in the cable railway, one of only 3 in the world powered by water (each carriage has a water tank, the top car is filled up, and the weight of the water and gravity pulls the other car up the hill, then the process repeats in reverse).

    Our afternoon visit was to Guimarães, the first capital of Portugal. We visited the castle, had lunch in the square and walked the city walls, before heading back to Porto via the coast road.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    1Luis 1 Bridge crossing the Douro
    Carmo and Carmelitas Churches, with hidden house in between1Azulejo tiling, Carmo ChurchFountain of the LionsLello Bookstore... Is this the moving staircase?Lello BookstoreTower of Clerigos1São Bento Station2São Bento Station2Upper deck, Luis 1 Bridge

    It's all about Harry

    March 29, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    Today was a walking day, the most efficient way to get around the busy and narrow streets of Porto.

    We began by visiting Lello Bookstore, often referred to as the most beautiful bookstore in the world, and one of the inspirations for JK Rowling when she wrote Harry Potter (she lived in Porto from 1991 to 1995).

    The shop has lengthy queues to enter, so to quell demand they charge 5 euro to enter (which comes off any purchase)... but there is still a considerable queue to buy tickets, and a crowd inside all day.

    To save time waiting in the queue, Rui bought our tickets while we visited the nearby Carmo and Carmelitas Churches.

    What looks like the biggest church in the city is actually two churches separated by one of the world’s narrowest houses. The 3-storey house Casa Escondida ("Hidden House") was, according to legend, built so that the two churches would not share a common wall and to prevent any relations between the nuns of Carmelitas and the monks of Carmo.
    Another suggestion is that the building was constructed for purely aesthetic reasons to prevent an unsightly gap between the two churches.

    Near the churches is the Fountain of the Lions (and the model for the Gryffindor mascot in Harry Potter)

    Next stop was to climb the Tower of Clerigos, built in 1754 (and bearing a strong resemblance to the Astronomy Tower in Harry Potter).

    The train station in Porto, São Bento, is quite spectacular - it's UNESCO Heritage listed and has 20,000 azulejo tiles depicting important events in the history of Portugal... and a Platform 9 and 3/4 feel about it!

    We then walked across the Douro River on the Luis 1 Bridge, a double deck metal arch bridge, browsed the market stalls, had some lunch, then returned to Porto via the lower deck... and a number of caches.

    Dinner was a local speciality, suckling pig, at a local restaurant.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    3Moliceiro decorative panels, Aveiro (translation "The ripe fruit is falling")
    Courtyard, Coimbra University, Royal Palace in the back centre2Private Exam Room, Coimbra University (formerly part of the Royal Palace)Great Hall of Acts, Coimbra University (formerly part of the Royal Palace)Moliceiro touring the canal, AveiroDecorative ribbons adorn the canal bridges, Aveiro2Moliceiro decorative panels, Aveiro3Spaghetty Chicken Curry 😋Costa Nova beachfront houses

    Menu de Almoço in Venice

    March 28, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    After a quick visit to the Fatima Pilgrimage Centre in the daylight, we headed to Coimbra, a university town and home to the 2nd oldest university in Europe. Coimbra was the capital of Portugal until 1255 and the former royal palace is now part of the university. We toured the impressive library (unfortunately no photos allowed), the former royal palace and the chapel.

    For lunch we travelled to Aveiro, the Venice of Portugal. Many of the restaurants were closed, but we found a cafe in the backstreets where the special of the day (Menu de Almoço) was Spaghetty Chicken Curry - and despite the unusual combination, it was delicious!

    Aveiro has been a centre of salt production since Roman times, and more recently seagrass harvesting in a moliceiro (traditional boat), which are now used for tours of the canals. They are known for their colourful decorative panels with satirical, religious or bawdry images on the bow and stern.

    We made a detour to Costa Nova, known for it's striped houses, before arriving in Porto just after 6pm. As we are staying in the centre of their main pedestrian shopping street, getting near the hotel in a vehicle in peak hour was quite the challenge!    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMorocco and Portugal 2023Darren and Janet
    Traditional fishing boats, Nazare
    Monastery of Batalha3Nazare promenade from aboveDrying the days catch on the beach, NazareNazare - dried fish for sale, 3 for 1 euroNorth Beach, Nazare, where the giant waves breakObidos streetsWalking the walls of ObidosFatima shrine and pilgrimage centre3Fatima even has a section the Berlin Wall!

    Big wave surf capital

    March 27, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We had a late start departing Lisbon this morning, trying to avoid peak hour traffic, and began our journey north visiting the Monastery of Batalha, before continuing on to Nazare.

    Nazare was a quiet fishing village until the world discovered the giant waves generated by a 5km deep undersea canyon just off the coast, and tried to surf them. The world record for big wave surfing was achieved here in 2022 at 86 feet (26.2 metres). No such swell today, just the usual 2-3 metres... so it's not for the faint hearted!

    We had seafood lunch overlooking the cliffs at Nazare before continuing on to Obidos, a walled Roman city and the best example a medieval town in Portugal. The buildings are predominantly painted blue and yellow, and their local speciality is Ginga de Obidos, cherry liquor served in a tiny chocolate cup!

    Our stop for the night is the town of Fatima, one of the largest pilgrimage centres in the world. The town of 13,000 residents receives 8 million visitors a year, with mass performed regularly in the modern church which seats 8,600 and has an area of 40,000 square metres (the 5th largest Catholic Church in the world).    Read more

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