Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Off to Portugal!

Well, my longtime readers may have noticed that my posts have been dwindling a bit. My new years resolution 2011 was to learn about cultures from around the world, and as such, I was really dedicated to the blog that year. I'm not willing to give up on my blog, but I do have a new set of goals for this year that are taking some of my attention. I do plan to keep up this blog, but won't be updating quite as much, and will probably spend longer than a month on each country so I have ample opportunity to learn about each region before moving on.

Speaking of moving on, time to pack up from Turkey, and head toward Portugal! Here's some pix to whet your appetite:

Port produced in the Douro Valley was once shipped downriver to the city of Porto in sailboats called barcos rabelos, anchored here along the Douro River.
The facades of buildings reveal Porto's faded grandeur. 
A night view of the city of Porto shows the Igreja dos Grilos, a church built in the 17th century. 
At the Barrigodos bakery in the village of Favaois, "huge bundles of pine needles are used as kindling," says writer Rachel Howard, "giving their bread a delicious smoky flavor."
Ponta de Piedade, located near Lagos, Algarve. It is a fantasy landscape of caves, grottoes and sea arches. The best way to appreciate the beauty of Ponta de Piedade is from the boat.
This is a view from one of the famous squares in the historic center of Guimarães , The S. Tiago Square.
The beach of Melides is situated in the municipality of Grândola, the District of Setúbal is a very extensive undulating sand beach, surrounded by dunes, pine forests and a pond.
A Portuguese fisherman.
Some street art by Vhils,  one of my favorite artists who happens to be from Portugal.

7 comments:

  1. Hi Nikki,
    Lovely posts and pictures as usual, especially the food pictures, you have made me feel very hungry. I am happy to learn that you enjoyed Tabu Ley's music particularly and I hope it has kept you dancing.
    Did you receive the Cherie Samba postcard I sent to you at the Gallery? I do hope it arrived, I wanted you to have your own little bit of Cherie Samba art.
    As for Portugal, I loved my time there so when you come call me up and we'll have pasteis together at the beautiful cavernous cafe in Cascais.
    Fabulous music here too, from the former Portuguese colonies.......like Guinea Bissau, Cabo Verde etc.
    Happy traveling and eating as always, Nikki!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Maggie,

    Thanks for writing again! I'm glad you've enjoyed following my armchair travels:)

    No, I didn't receive the postcard! What address did you send it to?

    I hope to go to Portugal one day....hopefully sooner rather than later! I'm absolutely going to look up some music, and thanks for the idea of looking up former Portuguese colonies!

    This blog was part of my new years resolution last year and I kept up with it better in 2011...you might notice the posts tapering a bit this year, but I will keep up with it, just at a more laid back pace.

    Thanks for your comment!
    Nikki

    ReplyDelete
  3. Portugal, I love Portugal!!! I have only experienced (2) brief stays to Lisbon/Estoril, but both were a lot of fun considering they were working trips. You must investigate & consider the Casino in Estoril for one of your reports. I've heard rumor that it was the inspiration/background for a best seller. I went late one Sunday night (& Monday morning) simply to have dinner, wander "the floor" and take in an hour of music in the unusual lounge (fantastic combo and female vocalist). I was with great company (2 Yanks & 4 English business associates that all knew how to relax and enjoy life) and it proved to be a most memorable evening.

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