By Mike Homer If you spend even a short time in Portugal you can’t help but notice painted tiles (azulejos) adorning the walls of palaces, churches and houses the length and breadth of the country. Originally from Persia, tiles arrived on the Iberian peninsula in the 13th century, becoming definitivelyRead More →
This small city in northern Portugal is famous for the legend that lies behind the painted souvenir rooster of Barcelos. Judging by the number of giant cockerels dotted around the historical centre, this is still its main claim to fame but there are more things to do in Barcelos thanRead More →
You’re enjoying a fantastic vacation when you suddenly ponder “What to buy in Portugal?” for family and friends back home. Portugal is proud of its unique crafts, food and drink so you’ll find plenty of options when you’re looking for your Portuguese souvenirs. You don’t have to look hard toRead More →
If, like me, enjoying a nice glass of wine is among your favourite hobbies, chances are you’ve held a bottle stopper made from Portuguese cork. Even if you prefer a fancy French champagne, the stopper is probably made of, you guessed it, cork from Portugal. Stroll down the high streetRead More →
Thanks to its inland location, Loulé has remained unscathed from the blight of holiday resorts that mar some of the coastal areas in the Algarve. What you’ll find here is a quiet, attractive town with a strong local community and plenty of culture and creativity. Here are some of the things to doRead More →
As you might expect from a place called Buddha Eden, this garden in the Silver Coast area of Central Portugal contains several Buddha statues. Portuguese art collector and businessman Joe Berardo was horrified when the Buddhas of Bamiyan were destroyed by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001. He responded byRead More →
I’d never been particularly interested in gold jewellery until a visiting friend of mine dragged me round every jeweller’s in Coimbra. She was convinced that Portuguese gold is of better quality than what’s readily available in the rest of Europe (she’s right, by the way). In doing so, she introducedRead More →
The charmingly rural village of Alte makes for a very pleasant day trip in the Algarve. As well as a riverside picnic area, cobbled streets and architecture with character, it also has a rich heritage of traditional crafts, especially those involving esparto grass. You’ll see evidence of local ceramic and pottery work in theRead More →
In search of the more cultural side of the Algarve, I discovered a sculpture garden amid the vineyards at Quinta dos Vales near Estômbar. Sculptures galore As soon as I saw the smooth shiny curves of the fat ‘Graces’ dancing, I knew I’d enjoy Karl Heinz Stock’s sculptures, which areRead More →
