Algarve Coast
After leaving Lisbon it was time to head due south for the Algarve Coast. We arrived in the coastal city of Portimão in the early evening. Throughout our stay in Portugal we opted for Airbnbs, and my Dad's pre-trip research definitely paid off, because nearly every one of them was awesome. Our condo in Portimão was on one of the top floors and had stunning views of the Atlantic ocean and Praia da Rocha (praia = beach in Portuguese). Plus, it was only a couple minutes walk to the beach to experience sunsets like these ones.
It was also set just one block off of a very runner-friendly boulevard. So what was one of the first things I did when we arrived? I laced up my shoes and went for a run! I ran nearly every day we were in Portugal. I didn't intend to run far in Portimão (given that I was drastically out of run shape and 10 weeks pregnant), but the boulevard led onto a boardwalk, which led onto a deserted road, which led to another secluded beach. So who was I to say "no" to that? The ocean views made for stunning, and picturesque, backdrops as I huffed and puffed and struggled to drag my feet along. But thankfully, the whole "morning sickness" thing never came my way, so apart from being tired I felt great and keen to explore every inch of Portugal (at least until 7 or 8pm - then I needed my bed).
The Algarve Coast was experiencing higher than normal temperatures that year, so even though it was the shoulder season, there were quite a few travellers about. We wandered the many beaches and admired the limestone coastline full of sea pillars, high cliffs, and dramatic archways that this part of Portugal is so famous for. Everywhere you looked there seemed to be "the perfect photo", so I couldn't help but to take loads of them. Here are a couple of my favourites:
We spent 4 days on the Algarve coast, but to break things up a bit, we woke up one morning and decided to do a bit of a day trip. We didn't initially have a destination in mind, but then it dawned on us, "why not go for coffee in Spain?"
WHY NOT INDEED!?!!
So off we went, past rolling hills, powerlines littered with birds nests, and through multiple toll points in search of café español. But then the parental panic set in... "But I don't have my passport!", "What happens at the border?!", "What if I get detained for not having my passport?!". *Cue the reminder of free travel across EU borders and ample reassurance that everything was going to be fine* And sure enough, we whizzed into Spain, quite uneventfully.
As the navigator, it was up to me to decide upon a destination. After scrolling through google maps, I decided on a place called Isla de Canela - because why wouldn't you want to go to an island named after Cinnamon?? It had a very golf course resort-like feel to it, almost like we were driving into Arizona. The streets were lined with palm trees, the grass was well manicured, everything was landscaped, and there were fancy white street lights.
It was a quiet afternoon, and there didn't appear to be much open, but after some investigative work we found a little beachfront cafe (which we had all to ourselves). It was quiet and rustic, hidden amongst trees on the beach. We chose a table in the sand, kicked off our shoes and settled into the blissful relaxation of happy hour (or at least my parents did) with the sun on our faces and our toes in the sand. It was glorious!
Y mi café con leche estuvo muy bueno!
Porto
Up next was Porto. It was about a 5 hour drive from the far south to the north. To everyone else we sounded crazy, but really that's like going to Banff, so what's half a day trip drive? Since we'd be returning down south along the coast, we opted to drive inland in and effort to see more of the country. We made a couple stops along the way, and somehow always seemed to forget about the set lunch and dinner hours. But we did eventually manage to find an open restaurant, and as an added bonus it was not only delicious food, but also had both river and castle views!
That evening we arrived at yet another beautiful condo (just outside of Porto) that overlooked the Atlantic Ocean and another multi-use running path. I think I spent nearly every evening running along the Rio Douro into Porto, which was about 3km out and 3km back from where we were staying.
Porto was one of my favourite places in Portugal, not only for it's own history and beauty, but for it's Harry Potter history! My mom and I are HUGE Harry Potter fans, and Porto has BOTH the Majestic Cafe AND Livraria Lello!
J.K. Rowling lived in Porto in the early 90's and it's said that Livraria Lello (a cozy bookstore with a grand double spiral staircase, that kind of looks like a happy 12 Grimmauld Place on the outside) is one of the places that inspired Rowling to write Harry Potter. And then there's Majestic Cafe - having opened in 1921, it's rated as one of the top 10 most beautiful cafes in the world, and is also rumoured to be the place were J.K. Rowling spent much of her time writing the first Harry Potter book whilst living in Porto. So obviously we HAD to go to both of these places.
There were long lines at each of them, but both very much worth the wait! The majestic cafe really is majestic - with gold-trimmed dinnerware, chandeliers, ornate mirrors, and detailed sculpting throughout.
Despite being packed to the brim, it's definitely a place that I could have seen myself happily sitting in and sipping coffee for hours at a time. BUT, there was lots to see and do, and my mom was anxious to get going. She's not the sit and chill kind of a person that my dad and I are.
Livraria Lello was a bit more of a production to get into as you had to wait in a long line in order to get a timed entry ticket (due to the shop's small size and the sheer number of people wanting to go in). But the wait felt more like I was cuing for a ride at "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter." There were Harry Potter themed displays and facts, and even brooms and Hogwarts acceptance letters hanging from the ceiling. It took me back to that time when I got lost in Diagon Alley (or maybe it was Knockturn Alley), and the morning I spent wandering around Kings Cross Station in London.
But once we were finally inside Livraria Lello, I didn't want to leave. For starters, I'm a huge nerd and LOVE books (and bookstores) and this one took the cake. It was a narrow but tall two-level building. The ceiling was beautifully painted stained glass, and the walls were floor to ceiling filled with books. In the centre was a stunning (and very popular) red-carpeted double spiral staircase, and of course there were side rooms strictly dedicated to all things Harry Potter. It was magical. The only downside - all the people. It was difficult to get anywhere, or even turn around, let alone capture a decent picture. But worth it. I desperately wanted to stay and soak in all the magic I was feeling (and the nerd in me wanted to sit down and immediately marathon binge-read all the Harry Potter books again). But instead I settled for one copy of the Philosopher's Stone, in Portuguese, for my friend Alex (who has started a travel Harry Potter collection - collecting the first Harry Potter book in every language she can).
Being that Porto is in wine country, and well known for its Port and Duoro wines, a wine tour was another must. All along the south side of the Rio Duoro, near the D. Luis Bridge, were Port Wine Lodges - basically a showhome for each different brand of wine. We hadn't heard of any of the places, and didn't know where to start, so we decided to choose the one with the nicest looking building - Ramos Pinto it was. And since I wasn't drinking, and my mom doesn't care for wine, it was up to my dad to hold down the fort for the many samples we were given at the end of the tour (see right).
(Below: cask cellar in Ramos Pinto. Aging the wine)
Even though I wasn't able to enjoy the wine, there was more to enjoy in the riverfront views, both from river level, and up above on the pedestrian (and apparently also train) bridge.
While in Porto we decided to do a day trip up to the Duoro Valley were many of the vineyards are, hoping to score a couple more tours and tastings. Sadly, it wasn't yet the season for it, but it was a gorgeous drive along the high banks of the river, and through some really cute towns. There may have also been an incident involving a lemon tree forest and a lemon ending up in my purse, but I feel like that story is better left untold.
Aveiro
Leaving Porto behind, we began our way back down south, this time along the coast. Our first destination was Aveiro. Our Airbnb here was nothing to write home about, and actually, when thinking back, I initially couldn't remember anything about it. But then it came back to me... a little 3-story apartment in a deserted and sketchy plaza, with an elevator that never worked properly (and would let you out at the wrong floor), and automatic lighting that NEVER recognized me.
BUT, we were right next to a beautiful beach, a little beachside cafe, and of course... a running path. In fact, here is where I did my longest run of the trip yet (and my longest run in probably more than a year).
(Above: coffee at the beachside cafe)
Aveiro is a cute little canal-town, and being the "Venice of Portugal" we decided to do the touristy-thing and hopped aboard one of the gondolas. I'm sure it's not as amazing as the real Venice but, having never been there and having nothing to compare it to, I still thought it was beautiful. We spent the rest of our time wandering through town, along the beaches, and admiring the candy-striped houses while gearing up for our next destination.
Nazaré
We never actually stayed in Nazaré, just passed through, but it was a cool enough place that I think it deserves it's own title. Nazaré was once known as a bustling fishing village, but is now better known for its surf scene, boasting the largest surfable waves in the world. According to visitportugal.com the reason for this is due to the "Nazaré Canyon - a submarine geomorphological phenomenon that allows the formation of perfect giant waves. It is the largest underwater canyon in Europe, about 170 kilometres along the coast, reaching a depth of 5,000 metres."
Some of the biggest surf competitions are held here (though not at the time of year that we went), with one surfer even catching an 80 foot wave! Due to its popularity with surfers, and the beautiful golden-sand Praia de Nazaré, Nazaré is apparently a huge resort town. And since it wasn't prime season in March, we nearly had the beach to ourselves. We also drove up to the cliff splitting Praia de Nazaré from Praia do Norte (the beach associated with the massive waves, and the middle-bottom photo below) and hoped to catch a glimpse of some ocean action. But sadly, the seas were quiet today.
Oh well... onwards and upwards.
Sintra
Sintra is one of the most magical places in Portugal. A resort town located in the Sintra mountains, it's only a 30 minute drive from Lisbon. Sintra was a MUST on our Portugal wish list, purely because of the castles. I mean, who doesn't love castles?! Especially with the whimsical design of Pena Palace.
Built in the 19th century as a summer residence for King Ferdinand II and the Portuguese royal family, Pena Palace is located on the highest point of the Serra de Sintra at 480m. It's only supposed to be a 10-15 minute hike from where the shuttle drops you off, but I feel like it took us WAY longer. The wynding path takes you through lush greenery and beautifully landscaped gardens, with occasional sneak peaks of the Palace's reds and yellows at the peak (below).
Walking up to the Palace under the shade of a forest canopy was incredible. Even having recently travelled to Scotland and Ireland with my girlfriends (and going to every castle we could), nothing has yet compared to the bright colours, smooth designs, and Disney-esque feel of Pena Palace. It really makes you feel like a Disney Princess, especially standing atop one of the many lookouts and staring into the sweeping pine forest below.
Just a stones throw from Pena Palace (and actually kind of a "showpiece" on its grounds) was Castelo dos Mouros - an old Moorish castle located on a peak adjacent to Pena. Similar in nature to Pena Palace, Castelo dos Mouros also had a beautiful hike into the ruins, though this one was a nice flat path, as opposed to a switchback hike. In contrast to the closed, well-maintained Palace, due to being in ruins this castelo was more open-air with old stone walls and stone staircases. It was more of a search and find experience, letting your imagination wander and create the imagery of what an incredible place this must have been back in the Medieval times.
Back down in town, after wandering around the narrow side streets in search of Ginja (a Portuguese liqueur made by infusing ginja berries in alcohol) we decided to had to check out the huge Palácio Nacional de Sintra. (And just to clarify, I didn't have any of the Ginja, although I'm told it tasted like cherries.) The Palácio Nacional de Sintra was set up as a museum, so we strolled from room to room admiring the architecture, and the many "themed rooms" based on the beautifully painted ceilings (ie. the "magpie room" is so named due to the many magpies painted on the roof). I'm not big on museums, but I must say the artwork in this Medieval Palace was pretty amazing. I'd definitely recommend it.
Sintra was so incredible we actually went here twice. The first was on a day trip from Lisbon in the first couple of days, and since we loved it so much we decided to go back at the end of our trip to see more, including the Sintra tram. A single car tram (similar to the ones in Lisbon) that is fully operational and VERY cool to ride on. We arrived first thing in the morning wanting to make sure we got a spot, but as it turns out we had nothing to worry about - my mom and I ended up being the only passengers on it. And except for a deathly scary few minutes where a bee joined us, I loved every minute of being able to see some of the residential areas and forests not normally seen on a visit here. It definitely felt like we were riding off the beaten path.
Lisbon to Canada
It was hard to finally head back to Lisbon in anticipation of our flight home. A flight that I had spent many hours logistically trying to arrange. A flight that meant I was going back home to Canada, and not back home to Bangladesh. A flight that meant my life was going to be changing forever. It was a hard thing to do, really. But it wasn't making the actual decision to go home that was hard, it was actually coming to terms with everything. In retrospect, going to Portugal was the best thing I could have done in this situation. Going directly back to Canada from Bangladesh and being flung back into life there would have been incredibly hard. I needed this. I needed some decompression time. I needed some time to process what was happening, while also taking my mind off of what I was coming from and what I was going into. Neither of them were easy, but both were life changing. One from the point of view that I had lived my dream of being a humanitarian, and the other that I was going to be living my dream of being a mom. It was a crazy thing to think about and I still didn't really know where to begin. But at least I'd found my stride again, and was about to start my second trimester off in Canada on the right foot.
(Treated myself to a pedicure in Porto... boy or girl... wait and see!)
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