Pousada De Viseu - Sao Mateus

"If it's difficult to get to it must be worth it", the philosophy that's proved true time and time again with places as far-flung as Costa Rica and Luang Prabang, (but false with respect to Doncaster Airport and Lincoln Christmas Market) gets another opportunity to prove itself. The Douro Valley and the pretty town of Pinao was beginning to look like it had a place in this category when we noticed that our train was footnoted on ...

On Thursday, April 2, I left Cincinnati on a Spring Festival visit to members in Portugal and the Portuguese islands. My first stop was in northern Portugal, just north of Porto, on Friday afternoon, April 3. That afternoon I had my first instance (of many in this trip) of struggling to find a particular place or people. There was a period of about five ...

... we could take it. Sure seemed too easy that we could just drive on from here. So, we decided to give the girls a couple of days to work it out whilst we waited in the closest town, Olivier do Hospital for their answer on the sale. We packed up our campsite and tried to work out how to get out of the party without hitching with cardboard signs. People were all over the roads with signs asking for lifts in all directions, Madrid, Lisboa, Porto and the UK were popular choices ...

<br>Top 5 - L'utilisation du baton de marche <br><br>1- Chasser un petit chien un peu trop insistant <br><br>2- Chasser plusieurs petits chiens un peu trop insistants <br><br>3- Chasser un moyen chien un peu trop insistant <br><br>4- Chasser plusieurs moyens chiens un peu trop insistants <br><br>5- Chasser un OSTIE de gros chien TRES insistant!!! <br ...

Chegou então o dia da partida. A verdade é que, após tantos dias de organização (trajectos e camas), só agora vou fazer a mochila. Quer dizer, a mochila está feita há uns anos, vou só meter lá dentro as roupas e essas coisas. Será que vai caber tudo? Apresento aqui a lista, a checklist. Sim, embora seja de comboio, há uma ...

... corpse of some martyr). Outside we enjoyed strolling through the well-kept gardens. No sprouts yet on the vines, but that´ll change soon. Back in town we had a great time walking around this small university town with lots of car-free streets. A coffee here, a pastry there, a beer here. We finally took time to chill out. Next up: Porto´s riverside charms and wine cellars.

amazingly beautiful area with a river running thru green hills, dotted with small portugese white washed villages and vineyards which are dug into the siderd of teh hills. the rain didn't stop us from doing a couple of winery tours and climbing up 600 odd steps to see a beautiful church.... although we did find ourselves inside bars and bakeries samling portugals finest ports and pastries .... and the chinese restaurant of course (habits die hard).

After two days in Lisbon, we took Miguel's car and drove to Douro region. We stop during the driving to eat a pork in Meta dos Leitoes, very very good, and as the tradition asks we drunk red sparkling wine (not so good)!! The rang over started 30 minutes after we finish the meal!!!! Renata had to drive because Miguel and I drank 1 bottle of the wine. In Douro we stayed in a city named Vila Real ...

... dawned on us the other night as we watched a young girl, with the beginnings of a huge rack and rear, tuck into her dinner.....everything on her plate was yellow! Apart from meat (and lots of it) the Portuguese diet seems to be all yellow. Cheese, custard tarts, tortillas, eggs, everything in the pastelleria, beers, batatas fritas (potato chips), even the bread has a yellow tinge. Maybe there is a connection somewhere?! Anyway onto our travels ...

... to be like everyone else. 5. FOREST FIRES Seven guys gave me rides on the day I hitchhiked off from Adam's. My Brazil-learned Portuguese was put to some fun practice. The seventh guy was a trucker going all the way to Italy. (But, where would I get out?) Let's ask Clem's grandma what she thinks of all that. ... "So, what?" - Modern Oddyseus Thanks to Jegar; Ricardo; Jose; Raule; Alfredo; Paolo; and Antonio for the rides! Much thanks to Adam for the place to stay!