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What a lot of craft fairs!
Like me, Portuguese people seem to be quite fond of handmade arts and crafts. I’m basing this opinion on the number of craft fairs that are held every year. Most reasonably sized towns hold at least...
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Going back in time at Óbidos’ medieval fair
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,...
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A fun day out for everyone at Buçaco national forest
Whether you’re after a fairytale palace, war museums, magnificent views, an old convent or a wander through Portugal’s finest collection of national and imported trees, Buçaco is the place to go. Which...
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Being a tourist in Albufeira
I can’t remember the last time I went anywhere as touristy as Albufeira and it came as a bit of a shock to the system. I haven’t seen that many pink shiny people in one place since one August bank...
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Sundowners, Coimbra style
On a sunny, late summer evening, Mike and I decide to finish off a long working day with a drink by the Mondego river. Unsurprisingly, we are not the only ones to think this is the perfect spot to...
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Massage or water torture?
I thought I’d found myself a real bargain when I got 70% off a massage in Coimbra through an online voucher site. I won’t be doing that again! Never having been for a Vichy Duche and massage before, I...
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G is for Gold
I’ve never been remotely interested in gold jewellery but a friend of mine who came to visit dragged me round every jeweller’s in Coimbra and in doing so, introduced me to some exquisite filigree...
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It’s chestnut festival time again!
November 11th is St Martin’s day, and is eagerly awaited by many Portuguese people, especially those who make their own wine as this is the first day that the new batch of wine is ready for tasting....
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Miscaros Mushroom Festival in Alcaide
It’s not just honey and chestnuts that get a weekend-long festival devoted to them in Portugal. Mushrooms do too, and in November, the ancient hilltop village of Alcaide throws open its doors in...
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O is for Olives
Olives come in a range of colours The nets, ladders and buckets are out again, signalling the olive harvest in my part of Portugal. Sadly, if the trees around our house are anything to go by, it’ll...
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