Having spent years as a beach bum, I quickly switched my affections to river beaches when I arrived in central Portugal for a number of reasons. Each one is unique and although I have a few firm favourites locally, I’m always keen to check out different river beaches, the mostRead More →
Pavilhão Chinês in Lisbon is one of my favourite bars to take visitors to because every surface is crammed with collections; over four thousand pieces in total. You could spend hours just looking at all the oddities so it’s a good job they have an extensive collection of cocktails and exoticRead More →
Whenever I stand on ancient castle walls, I find myself trying to imagine what life was like when the castles housed royalty and their grounds contained thriving marketplaces buzzing with people, produce, livestock and flies. When I visit Óbidos during its annual medieval fair, however, I don’t need to stretch my imagination veryRead More →
During an unanticipated trip to the UK, I couldn’t help making several comparisons between life in Portugal and in Britain. As a Brit who’s lived abroad for more than 10 years, there are things I notice when I go back to see family and friends in my native country thatRead More →
Judging by the number of craft fairs in Portugal, handmade arts and crafts are popular here. Most reasonably sized towns hold at least one dedicated arts and crafts fair, and there are usually a liberal sprinkling of handicrafts for sale at foodie fairs if you’re on the lookout for PortugueseRead More →
I grew up thinking that all jazz was jarring to the ears and a musical genre that was best avoided. Now that I’m a bit older and have more experience of the different forms of jazz, I really enjoy its softer side. I don’t know if I’ll ever learn toRead More →
The sun is back and ice cream season has officially been declared open. By me. One of the happiest discoveries I’ve made in Portugal is an ice cream parlour in Figueira da Foz that sells the best ice cream sundaes in the world (in my experience so far, at least).Read More →
How could my Personal A to Z of Portugal not include the nation’s most famous cake, pastel de nata? With this Portuguese sweet treat, a light, slightly flaky, crispy pastry cup holds a sweet, smooth creamy custard filling which is browned off in the oven, giving them a home-made, slightlyRead More →
A friend recently visited me here in Portugal and when I asked her what she liked about the country, I wasn’t surprised when she said, “I feel safe here.” I do too. When you consider that Portugal currently ranks as the 6th safest country in the Global Peace Index, perhapsRead More →