Travels Unraveled

Portugal PDQ

We didn’t have much more time in Portugal but we enjoyed everything bit of our short stay.

Traveling along the coastline before turning inland on our way to Amiais de Cima we saw a lot of what Portugal has to offer from beautiful beaches to mountains. Delicious food from seafood to meat. And of course the sangria!

We were hosted at Hotel de Charme in Amiais de Cime. This beautiful setting nestled in the mountains; including a petting zoo, garden, and a meerkat enclosure.

Here are a few of the photos in no particular order.

Cockle shells and silver bells all lined up in a row… yum!

Can’t get too much port wine. This was at a bar that was connected to a roadside restaurant. People would come in and have a glass of port wine while or a beer while they were waiting for a table.

The landscape is highlighted with beautiful blooming shrubs and trees. This is an Oleander which is very common in yards and around the villages

A bougainvillea tree for my friends at the 101 Market.

A hairy hog breed know as Mangalica. They have a thick, curly coat of hair that looks like sheep’s wool.

Our hotel not only a petting zoo a farm animals, a garden add vegetables and fruit trees but an enclosure of meerkats. Somebody’s pets gone out of control?

A cocktail made from garden fresh strawberries grown on the hotel grounds.

Guess could pick and eat fresh vegetables and fruits from the hotel garden.

An example of the rock walls and the small villages we drove through.

Catalin closed in areas with rock fences.

And oh the food! So much of it! This is two lunch size portions of salted cod, a very common meal in Portugal.

Farmers or house wine is served in these wooden pitchers. It is wine made by local farmers.

Cooperative Fishing

In the morning mist fisherman were out on the lighthouse jetty at Figueira da Foz, Portugal working as a team to move along the boulders to get to the prime spot at the end.

There were about ten men fishing; they would bait the hook with worms or small shrimp and clime the on the boulders, cast and the move closer to the end as the guy on the end jumped down to rebait his hook. This cycle was quick and kept repeating the whole time I was there. It was fascinating to watch.

Casting at the beginning. Others shifting toward the end.

The prime spot. They would get here, stay for a moment before jumping down and starting again.

This guy’s enjoying a more relaxing style of fishing.

In the Middle

Figueira da Foz is the city known for being the middle of Portugal’s Atlantic coastline. Supposedly one of the reasons for the name is for the fig tree which boats tied up to along the mouth of the river.

This is a vacation area for the Portuguese. The beach and beach front restaurants are busy. In Portugal to stay in a hotel or eat in a restaurant one must have proof or “certificate” of the covid vaccination. This is the first place we have used our vaccine record.

The beaches are wide; the board walk is about a quarter of a mile long and at the end a wide beach lies ahead.

The long boardwalk to the beach also has boardwalks and a bike path that parallel the water.

The Atlantic Ocean water is beautiful and very chill.

A morning view of the many tents that line the beach.

Many homes have a beautiful tiled front.

Portuguese tile walks, this one is along the beach front.

The bull running arena still used for non bull-killing fights.

Along the boardwalk are blooming plants growing in the sand. I am have a new phone and have many unintentional photes of my feet this one is on purpose.

Vigo, Spain

We were able to have a short stay in Vigo which is a fishing and port city in the Galician region in the northwest part of Spain above Portugal. Galicia is an autonomous community which has its own language, a mix of Spainish and Portuguese which we did not do well with even when the person seemed to know some English.

The city sits on the estuary of the Vigo which runs into the Atlantic Ocean. From the water the city rises fast and the streets are steep!

This is a beautiful place that deserves more time.

Octopus, oysters, and barnacles are among the seafood specialities here.

During siesta time when not very many people are out and many places are closed.

Looking out over the estuary of Vigo from one of Spain’s top rated rooftop water spas which just happenedtobein our hotel!.

Stone buildings with white term seem to be the theme here

El Bocadillo

Delicious snack served with drinks and before meals!

I first remember this custom in Costa Rica, where in bars you would be served small bites of food with your drink “Boca” and they were so good!

We have enjoyed many boca here in Spain. Chips and olives are most common and it seems to depend on what you are drinking. Olives with beer, chips with wine, sweet tart gummies with dark liquors. That doesn’t always hold true and we find it challenging to get the one(s) we want. I hit the jackpot today! Olives and pickled fish on toast with olive oil and parm!

Amazingly no pictures of chips! I will work on that.

All Spanish Roads Converge in Madrid

We are staying near Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, a vibrant restaurant and shopping area which surrounds a square known for the point where all of Spain’s six major roads start (or…end?).

Spidering out from the square the streets are blocked from traffic and people fill the area. There is lots people watching, ornate architecture, many Spanish shoe shops, souvenir shops and restaurants.

We sat back with a glass of sangria and watched the entertainment. At night the shops close and street performers come out, the buildings are lit up to display the beautiful features.

Looking Up in Madrid

The architecture in central Madrid is ornate and varied. The streets are narrow and often one way. The temperature is HOT and arid.

The real treat is looking up see amazing architecture figures which adorns many of the beautiful buildings.

Here are a few just a few crowning beauties of which photos don’t do justice.

On a Plane Again!

Okay we HAVE been on a plane recently, within the states and to Mexico but this time it feels a little as if we are picking up where we last left off in our 2020 travels when travel unraveled.

We are on our way Madrid , Spain then on to Portugal and Turkey!

Woo-hoo! Here we go!

Home Safe

We are grateful to be home in Minnesota. We were able to take the repatriation flight from Belize City to Houston. There were about between 20 and 30 people that flew the island hopper flights out of Ambergris Caye; two 14 seat planes. The flight to Houston had quite a few people but not full.

Nearly everything closed in the Houston airport. At our hotel we were able to order food and take it to our room. We stayed over night in Houston and flow home yesterday. Only 9 passengers on that flight. The flight staff was super nice and all seemed happy to be there.

Grounded planes in the morning light at the Houston international airport.

Kirk’s first class luggage, didn’t have to check and we could buckle our luggage into the seat by the window. On the flight they only served bottled water and sealed prepackaged snacks. No ice, coffee or alcohol.

Minneapolis airport. Some of the restaurants were open and there were a few people around. The plane that we came on was headed next to Billings, Montana.

Our good friends Corey and Krista picked us up at the airport. They drove past our gate and were able to back up. No security saying keep moving or go around again.

Going Home

A flight is going out of Belize City today. We are at the San Pedro airport waiting for the flight to the mainland. If all goes as expected we will be in Houston tonight and home to Minnesota tomorrow.