Coat of Arms, Casa da Calçada, Melgaço

My first experience of staying in restored Portuguese manor houses came about by accident and now I’m hooked. These lovely old buildings allow me to indulge fantasies of living in stunning historical settings and to find out more about Portugal’s past on a very personal level. Solar is Portuguese forRead More →

Bright colours in a mosaic floor

The ancient city of Conímbriga in central Portugal is one of the best Roman ruins I’ve ever visited. It’s so good I’ve been there twice and been impressed on both occasions. Even my 13-year-old stepdaughter declared, “It was better than I expected!” So what makes Conímbriga so remarkable? For me,Read More →

Changing of the Guard ceremony, Lisbon

I arrived in Belém one Sunday morning, curious as to why the roads had been blocked off and crowds were lining the pavement opposite the pink walls of Belém Palace. As I got closer, the navy uniforms of the brass band and the showier costumes of the stern-faced national guardsRead More →

brambles on a hill

‘Get rid of brambles’ has been on our To Do List ever since I moved to rural central Portugal. That was almost five years ago. After a long, prickly process, I can finally tick this as done. Well, almost. Here’s how not to deal with brambles, followed by the easyRead More →

lunch in Lisbon

This week’s guests Dan and Linda spent some time exploring the north of Portugal last year and had a great time in Porto and the Douro region before heading south to Lisbon and Sintra. Read on for their tips for food, drink and accommodation and the highlights of their trip.Read More →

Sheila Sim at Quinta das Lagrimas, Coimbra

This week’s guest has a house in Portugal so she visits several times a year. She has some great recommendations for trips to central Portugal and for garden lovers. Note: This interview is part of a series that I conducted with other people who had recently travelled to Portugal, backRead More →

Nienke Krook in Lisbon

I’m loving these interviews with people who’ve travelled in Portugal. This week’s guest proves it’s possible to have a great time here on a budget by camping and using the money saved to hire a car for exploring off-the-beaten-track. Note: This interview is part of a series that I conductedRead More →

Suitcase with Amália on front. Packing Tips for Portugal

Despite years of travelling in Portugal and further afield, I still hate packing. My husband Mike brags about his 5-minute packing process but it really is different for women. So many factors influence my decisions about shoes and clothes that it often takes me ages to work out what toRead More →

Lauren David in Portugal

This week’s Portugal travel tale comes from Lauren David. She’s managed to explore a fair portion of Portugal via public transport and has fallen for Portuguese food. Note: This interview is part of a series that I conducted with other people who had recently travelled to Portugal, back in 2012-2013)Read More →