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Portugal & Spain
  • Scott Clare
  • Debbie Kimber
  • Scott Clare
  • Debbie Kimber

Portugal & Spain

Camino Portuguese Coastal and touring En savoir plus
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  • Portugal & Spain
    Morning in Vila Nova de Milfontes
    Locals at the ferryVila Nova de MilfontesCoffee and cake #1Vila Nova de MilfontesVila Nova de MilfontesBeach walkAtlantic Ocean swimAtlantic Ocean swimVila Nova de MilfontesVila Nova de MilfontesCastle at Vila Nova de MilfontesFerry wharf at Vila Nova de Milfontes

    Vila Nova de Milfontes day 2

    21 octobre 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    The plan was for a chill day beginning with a walk along the river when Debbie tested the traction of a boat ramp and failed, ending on her bum but no major injuries. After a change of clothes we headed out to the beach side and finally got into the Atlantic Ocean for a dip (or a rock pool attached to the Atlantic). Back into town exploring more of the town and their cafes and cakes we got to one just as a troupe of elderly local men had finished singing. After a €2 plate of delicious soup de jour we spent the afternoon lazing poolside at our apartment and having a swim. A riverside restaurant for dinner finished our day. We are very impressed with this town and finding out that a lot of walks such as the Fisherman’s Walk go from here, catching the ferry across the river, to as far as Lagos in the very south of Portugal has given us something to think about.En savoir plus

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  • Portugal & Spain
    Coffee in style in Vau
    Hidden gem of an apartmentDownstairs of our apartmentRoom with a viewOur view from our balconyHidden gem of an apartmentPraia del Rey Golf CourseMiriam practising her forward rolls while waiting for Scott's shot1Gunther, Miriam and yours truly

    Vau and Praia del Rey

    22 octobre 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Due to our issues with our original rental car at Porto our current rental agreement was to return the car to Porto rather than Lisbon as planned. So that got us thinking. What could we do heading up to Porto that we haven’t seen or done so of course GOLF came to mind. For that reason we booked a round at Praia del Rey and an apartment in a village nearby. We were able to check in at 12pm before golf and as we got there early we hunted down a coffee. The cafe matched the town in saying that it had a bit of grunge but the coffee was good. So with a bit of trepidation we met Joao our host at the street front door. When he let us in we were amazed at what was behind the door. Joao had explained that it had been his grandmother’s home and during Covid he had renovated it by himself including most of the decorations and furnishings. There were four seperate apartments with a shared kitchen and a beautiful outdoor area including a pool. Anyway, enough about that . Onto the golf at Praia del Rey, rated one of the best courses in Europe. Collected our rental clubs and made our way to the first tee. We met our playing partners Gűnther and Miriam from Germany. Another group was ready to go after ours so a bit of an audience so I stepped up to the tee ready to smash one 230 metres but I topped it about 10 metres into the crap. Let’s just say we had a great day with Gűnther and Miriam, who were very good golfers, while Debbie and I struggled but loved the course. After a drink with our new friends, Google lead us to a local eatery down the road from our digs where we had a choice of steak and fritts or steak and fritts so that’s what we had. They were very happy to have us which was great.En savoir plus

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  • Portugal & Spain
    516 Arouca
    516 Arouca516 Arouca516 Arouca516 Arouca1516 Arouca1516 AroucaA long walk down and equally long walk back up to our carLooking down toward 516 AroucaPaiva WalksPaiva Walks1Paiva WalksPaiva WalksPaiva WalksArouca central

    Arouca

    23 octobre 2024, Portugal ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    After breakfast we pushed further north, heading to Arouca, around 65 km from Porto, via toll roads to chew up some kilometers. It will be interesting to see what our toll charges are when we return the car as I have heard they are expensive but there only seems to be first class or third class when it comes to the roads.. Our intention was to visit the 516 Arouca, a 516 metre long suspension bridge 175 metres above the Paiva River so we booked a 2.30pm session. The suspension bridge ticket also included a boardwalk hike called the Paiva Walks that stretches for 8 km along the Paiva River. However, due to the wildfires earlier this year 4km of the track is closed. So after the suspension bridge walk. which was great, we drove to Espiunca to do the section of boardwalk that was accessible. An easy but beautiful walk following the river. A slightly sketchy drive home into the setting sun and we arrived at our apartment in Arouca and then headed out for dinner.En savoir plus

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  • Portugal & Spain
    Arouca
    Cathedral in Arouca. Every town has oneArouca landscapingArouca landscapingArouca landscapingDate night LisbonLisbon by nightBusking Lisbon style

    Lisbon day 1

    24 octobre 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    The final day with our rental car and we needed to travel around 50km from Arouca to Porto unscathed and return it. We drove to Campanha rail station where I dropped Debbie with our big bags then drove without my navigator on board to tell me which exit to leave roundabouts but I managed to get to Ramalde, about 8km across town to return the car. Got on the metro back to Campanha where we met up and boarded the train to Lisbon. We ended up cancelling our original tickets bought online in first class for an earlier train second class so it was nice to mix with the peasants 🤭. Couldn’t tell the difference to be true. Anyway, 4 hours later and we were in Lisbon. We met a guy to let us into our apartment in an old building directly above Taylor’s Port tasting rooms. What’s the chances. We grabbed some supplies then went out and had pizza in a beautiful setting under the cathedral walls, followed by a night stroll into the Alfama area. Bars, restaurants and buskers around every corner and we came across a young girl playing on a beautiful terrace looking over the Tagus River. Amazing.En savoir plus

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  • Portugal & Spain
    Debbie preparing for our tour to Sintra
    Pina PalacePina PalacePina Palace entrancePina Palace entrance1With tour guide Robinson1One of the many mosaics in Pina PalacePina Palace Chapel1Pina Palace gardensPina Palace gardensRegaliera palaceRegaliera stables, lucky horses. Marble water troughs.1RegalieraRegaliera Initiation WellRegaliera Initiation WellRegaliera Initiation WellRegaliera GrottoRegaliera chapelRegaliera1Cascais palace on the waterfront

    Lisbon day 2

    25 octobre 2024, Portugal ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    We were up early and out the door at 7.45 to get to the meeting point for our tour of Sintra, Pina, Regaleira and Cascais. Sintra is around 40 minutes from Lisbon and we figured the logistics warranted doing a tour. We met our guide Robinson who is actually a Chilean and the other half of the bus who were doing a German language tour under their guide Manuel. Here I was thinking our motorhome was oversized for the roads in Scotland, our driver was squeezing this full sized coach up roads fit for a small motorbike. So we got to the entrance of Pina Palace, one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal and wandered around the outside then back down through the gardens whilst being educated by Robinson on the Romanticist style popular at the time of construction in the mid 1800’s. We then went into Sintra with free time and lunch before heading to Regaliera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The property consists of a palace and chapel, and a park that features lakes, grottoes, benches, fountains and an Initiation Well, that was a feature. The palace is also known as "The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire", which is based on the nickname of its best known former owner, António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro. The whole place was designed and constructed in the early 1900’s to reflect his interests and ideologies. Definitely a highlight of our Portugal trip. On the way home we had a stop for an hour in the coastal town of Cascais, which is supposedly the second most expensive place in Portugal after Lisbon. Had the obligatory gelato and after a ten hour day we had a meal at home of prawns and bread rolls.En savoir plus

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  • Portugal & Spain
    Belem Tower
    Belem TowerJeronimos MonasteryJeronimos Monastery CloisterJeronimos Monastery CloisterJeronimos Monastery CloisterJeronimos Monastery CloisterDelicious warm Portuguese tart!Monument of DiscoveriesMonument of DiscoveriesAll forms of transportStreet artArch de Rua AugustaWetting the whistle with the Arch de Rua Augusta in background1Street entertainmentHeavy metal and goth shopAnyone for Ginja wine?1Sangria slurp

    Lisbon day 3

    26 octobre 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    After a late night hunt for a Navegante (travel) card we were ready to go first thing to get the 15E light rail out to Jeronimos Monastery at Belem. We arrived early and went to the famous Patisserie de Belem where the Portuguese tart originated. They definitely weren’t over hyped. They were delicious. The Jeronimos Monastery is a huge drawcard and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in the 1500’s it houses the tomb of Vasco da Gama. From here it was a short walk to the Tower of Belem, another UNESCO World Heritage Site and then the Monument of Discoveries. We caught the light rail back into the centre (after another tart) and stuck our heads into the Time Out Market which is a go to food hall but was a bit of a madhouse so we moved on. We walked through the Arch de Rua Augusta, Lisbon’s version of the Arc de Triomphe. The rest of the day was spent wandering the Baixa district, stocking up on Ginja for Debbie 🤭 and a bit of shopping. After a bit of downtime it was out for dinner then a walk to an outdoor pop up food and drink spot in Baixa for a late night Sangria.En savoir plus

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  • Portugal & Spain
    Castle of St George
    View from Castle of St GeorgeView from Castle of St GeorgeSt Georges CastleCastle of St GeorgeCastle of St GeorgeCoffee near the castleLisbon tramsAt the top of the Arch de Rua AugustaAt the top of the Arch de Rua AugustaAn illusional tile patternGloria's FunicularPre game feedEstadio de Luz, BenficaPre game entertainmentPre game entertainmentPost game feed

    Lisbon day 4

    27 octobre 2024, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Thinking of having a bit of a lie in but it got the better of us so jumped online and bought tickets to visit the Castle of St George, one of the highest points in Lisbon. So as our hotel is at sea level every road leads up, and this was no exception. Well worth the climb though, with fantastic views from all round the castle. Severely damaged in the 1755 earthquake it had fallen into disrepair until the 1940’s when restoration work was done to create the landmark it is now. After a coffee we headed back to the Arch de Rua Augusta as we didn’t realise you could climb it so why not. We spent some time working out where to leave our bags tomorrow, climbed more hills checking out the Bairro Alto area including riding the Gloria Finicular, which was opened in 1885. Most people catch it up the hill then walk down while we did the opposite. Go figure. We eventually got home for a change and a bit of a rest before heading for the football. Benfica v Rio Ave. We got off the metro and followed the crowd into a throng of beer and food vans which was a great warm up for the match. We had great seats on level 1 behind the goals. Fantastic atmosphere with 58941 Benfica fans and 20 Rio Ave fans. Glad we bought the right merchandise. Benfica got up 5-0 so by the last goal we sort of worked out what to sing. After the match we followed the locals who lead us to a game of chicken trying to cross 6 lanes of roads with concrete barriers in between to get to a metro that was closer to our end of the stadium. We were thinking the metro would be packed but again there was a party going on at the metro entrance with huge food vans smashing the food out and the beer was flowing. It would have been an hour before we headed down to get the metro and by then it was an easy ride home. Great last night in Lisbon.En savoir plus

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  • Portugal & Spain
    Six pack of Portuguese Tarts
    Open shop front butcher in Moorish QuarterMoorish QuarterMoorish QuarterThe phone call to Oz.Moorish QuarterStreet artFunicular entrance

    Homeward bound

    28 octobre 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Our last day in Portugal and our flight wasn’t till 8.30pm so why not walk some more Lisbon hills. We jumped on the metro and rode one stop to check our bags into a luggage storage in Baixa. Then it was a case of just wandering, riding on another finicular, buying a six pack of tarts and exploring the Moorish Quarter. Not too many Moors there anymore but plenty of Indians. It was like downtown Calcutta. Thought it would be the place for lunch though. Nothing like a curry before a 7 hour flight. Debbie befriended, who we think was the owner, and of course he had a brother in Sydney. So he pulls his phone out and says he is going to call him. Tried to tell him it was midnight in Oz but he didn’t care. Think his bro may have cared though as the phone wasn’t passed over for us to chat to him. We were just trying to chew up the hours then by walking a bit more and sitting down for a beer before getting the bags and jumping on the metro. So after what will be 62 days away with not much down time we will enjoy a rest and be able to look back on a great trip together.En savoir plus

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  • Portugal & Spain
    Our wonderful driver Ha.
    Our ritzy hotelDriver Ha with the tour hatLegend of areaPit stopGladdiesMen's loo only shielded by plasticCup of tea on the trip southUs, Greg, John, Linda, Mark, Mick, Brian, Anne, Lynne, John, Sarah, Robyn ( no Fortune & Val)Our waiterSays it allLake Hoan KiemLake Hoan KiemMidnight snack stopWaiting for the fireworks1Tet celebrationOfferings for ancestorsOfferings for ancestorsOfferings for ancestors - Year of horse if look closelyLocal street fireworks on walk home1Local street fireworks on walk homeOffering fake money

    Cao Bang to Hanoi New Years Eve

    16 février, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Today was a travel day from Cao Bang to Hanoi which was supposed to be around 7 hours in the bus, which no one was looking forward too. As it was Vietnamese New Year’s Eve and everything was shutting down we didn’t know what was going to be open for a food stop or breaks along our way. Anyway, it ended up a great trip with lots of karaoke and laughs. Another bonus was there was hardly any traffic so cut our bus time down by an hour. Garven found a restaurant open in Hanoi and booked for 14 of us. It ended up being a great dinner sitting out on a terrace in the old quarter. Debbie and I walked down to the Lake Hoan Kiem where all the fireworks were to be held and hung out to see the Vietnamese New Year in. On the walk home we saw lots of small kerbside fires. The Vietnamese believe that the smoke and warmth, from the fires, creates a welcoming environment for the ancestral spirits who are believed to visit during Tet. Happy Vietnamese New Year, Year of the horse 🎇 🧨🐴En savoir plus

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  • Portugal & Spain
    Like a tiger
    Like a butterflySunrise on Halong BayHalong BayHalong BayHalong BayHalong BayHalong BayChinese kayak teamLinda & JohnGarven's signature tuneHalong BayHalong Bay2Saying goodbye to GarvenLadder shop?1Take her to the best placesGreat spud with butter chickenAfter the dinner rushMan's work is never doneMr Whippy or a garbage truck

    Ha Long Bay

    19 février, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Woke early to join in the Tai Chi class which was going well till the instructor (Tony D) turned around to us which meant we had to turn away from him and wing the movements. A quick breakfast and the tender took us to explore Hang Luan cave. Option to go in a rowboat with eight or a two person kayak so we went for the kayak. Only a short paddle to reach the cave and paddle through to a small bay. There were a few monkeys around one area that people were going nuts over but I’m not a fan of them. We were back for a shower, checkout and brunch by 10.30 so a very full morning. Sat around on the front deck for a while which was very pleasant. Garven was keen to get home as he was heading up to the mountains to meet up with his family and parents for New Year so instead of the non toll roads that the company expects him to use he was going to pay for the toll himself. A quick whip around and we covered that. We did have a toilet stop at a pearl company with a demonstration on how cultured pearls are created which was really interesting. Back in Hanoi we checked in then went to do some last day shopping, Debbie got a shampoo and haircut and then we had a bite to eat. Tomorrow will be bumming around till 3 pm before heading to the airport so will wrap this trip up. Had a great time, saw some great sites, travelled with a great bunch and managed to avoid all the 77,000,000 scooters in Vietnam.En savoir plus

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    Fin du voyage
    28 octobre 2024