In April/May of 2015 we walked 350 miles across Spain following the Camino Francis.  When we finished, I said to Abi, “Well, that was incredible but I will never do it again.”  Ha! You know what they say about never say never, right?  The Portuguese Camino is calling and it has been for a few years.

There’s so much to experience in the city of Porto that unless one spends an extended amount of time in the city, the average length of stay visitor will miss so much.  Most visitors won’t know to take the local train to Espinho to walk the coastal boardwalk or visit the market.  And, most visitors won’t know how to walk from Matosinhos to Porto, which is the path many Camino pilgrims follow to exit the city as they walk toward Spain.

There are a multitude of reasons why one should visit the coastal city of Viana do Castelo.  The views from atop Mt. Santa Luzia are breathtakingly beautiful.  The historic city center is charming and a visit to Igreja de la Misericordia is well-worth the price of a train ticket.  But, when you get right down to it, the reason everyone should visit Viana do Castelo is to eat doughnuts.  Yes, you heard me.  The city is famous for the Bola de Berlim.

When I think of Lisbon, I think of the city as being the gateway to Europe.  When we fly from the east coast of the United States, i.e., Washington, DC to Lisbon, it’s about a seven hour flight and no doubt, it is seemingly the shortest distance across the Atlantic Ocean.  Given that I’m not a fan of flying, we always opt for the shortest time spent on a flight.

They say Aveiro is the Venice of Portugal.  Now, having never been to Venice I don’t know if that’s true, but just the same, Aveiro is unique and not like any other small city we’ve visited in Portugal.  Aveiro has lovely canals where the water travels through the historic center of the city.  Oh, and an added perk of visiting Aveiro… it’s on flat land. A far cry from the hills of Porto and Coimbra, another terrific day trip destination.

The Birthplace of Portugal

Guimaraes was founded in the 4th century and it is said to be the birthplace of Portugal. The history of Guimaraes is long and there are a plethora of stories passed down through the generations.  Undeniably, this quaint little city is significant to the history of Portugal.  And, it is an easy day trip from Porto.

Porto, SEF, & A Tale of Two Residency Renewals. It’s a humbling experience to wait in the SEF Immigration office, in Porto, surrounded by dozens of people seeking immigration status for one reason or the other.  There are stories to be told.  Stories of personal choices, such as ours, and stories of trying to gain or maintain work or student visas, or perhaps even desperate stories of life saving pursuits of residency.  It’s humbling to have choices knowing that so many do not.

Have you ever thought about which is the lesser of two evils… the red-eye flight on which you spend 7 – 8 hours painfully exhausted but unable to sleep, or is it less evil to be wide awake and giving up an entire day to fly across the Atlantic Ocean or to some other long-distance destination?

The first time we entered Casa Natal, I could hardly contain my enthusiasm.  Of course, not wanting to embarrass myself I kept my glee in check, but oh… in my head a party was going on.

Our relationship with the City of Porto began in 2010 when Abi and our son took a Port wine – vinho do Porto – tour of the Douro Valley and it’s when they first met Andreia and were introduced to the Kopke Port Cellar.