It was the oxblood red pool that brought me to Mina de São Domingos in Portugal’s Alentejo region. The village’s disused mining pit is now filled with water. Stained from the surrounding iron ore and made acidic by the sulphur, it’s fascinating but not for swimming in. If you fancy a dip, there’s aRead More →
It really wasn’t hard to fall in love with Herdade dos Grous, a country estate spread over 730 hectares of Alentejo countryside. For nature lovers who appreciate comfort, good food and fine wine, it’s hard to beat and I’m glad I accepted the invitation to stay there. I would happily put my handRead More →
I was drawn to the whitewashed Alentejan town of Redondo for its biennial street decoration festival, Ruas Floridas. As a bonus, I discovered a 500-year-old pottery tradition and had the privilege of meeting some very special people involved in its practice and preservation. Note: Places to stay near Redondo are atRead More →
Some things have changed since I first fell in love with Lisbon in 2007 yet many of its charms are timeless. David Kintore’s book, Silver Screen Cities, Celebrating City Cinema Going – Lisbon is essentially the diary of a film-loving TEFL teacher living in Lisbon in the early 1990s, backRead More →
Ever since I encountered Portugal’s exquisite filigree jewellery, I’ve been fascinated by one of the most popular designs, the Viana heart. Many Portuguese souvenirs and contemporary designs now sport this distinctively curved heart with its crown-like growth at the top so you’re bound to see it at some point. But what’s the story behindRead More →
Guest post by Tim Leffel, author of If you move to a country that has a lower cost of living than where you live now, you can easily live a richer life while spending far less money. Unless you’re at retirement age though and have a lot socked away, you’reRead More →
The places I most want to visit in Portugal this year result in something of an A list. Not just because of the initials of the regions I’ve chosen but because of a couple of special events that only come around every few years. The Azores Last year, I made it to oneRead More →
Portugal is more famous for sunshine than for snow, which is why yesterday’s walk in the Serra da Estrela mountains was such a novelty. I’d arranged to join a group of people on a hike around Lagoa Comprida which is at an altitude of 1580 metres. The weather forecast promised a clearRead More →
Last January, I published a rather ambitious list of places in Portugal that I wanted to visit in 2014. Looking back at the list a year later, did I make it to all of them? Almost! Plus a few extra trips that weren’t even on the list. I’m busy working out myRead More →
