I’m just off the plane from another exciting trip. One of my daughters was turning thirty, and you know me. You don’t have to twist my arm. She and I decided to take a fun-filled trip to Portugal. My birthday being near hers, we Birthday Girls cavorted around, absorbing everything that we could about the beautiful place. There was a major heat wave, with temperatures soaring into the 90’s F, but we toughed it out, sweaty but happy.
We spent 5 nights in Porto, then took the train to Lisbon for a 4-night stay. Don’t ask me to compare the two cities. They each had their own unique energy, and we picked different methods of attack. I can’t compare apples to oranges, or Porto to Lisbon. So, stop asking.
Once we arrived, my daughter took charge of navigation, finding the best walking, bus, ferry, or train routes between locations. It came naturally to her, though it still took focus. As usual, she did a stellar job, and got us where we wanted to go. Everywhere we wanted to go was UP, always UP.
Porto is an EXTREMELY hilly city. We walked and climbed stairs until we didn’t think we could do it anymore; and then we did it again. No rest for the weary. But there was so much to see, we didn’t want to flake out. In the Ribeira section of Porto, we found wonderful historic buildings and churches covered in stunningly elaborate Portuguese tiles. Porto is artsy, but kind of rough around the edges. Some beautiful buildings, some grimy buildings. We explored alleyways and praças. And, we shopped until we dropped. Not my usual modus operandi, but I followed my daughter to well-researched markets, boutiques, and shops that specialized in handmade Portuguese wares; and what the hey, I’m here, I managed to find some meaningful pieces, too. So many that we both had to buy an extra piece of luggage to bring our haul home. (Currently in a fight with British Airlines about damage to our luggage. Grrrr.) Handcrafted ceramics and tilework are important in the culture of Portugal.
Outside of Porto, we toured the beautiful Douro Valley, “the world's oldest demarcated wine region and the birthplace of Port wine, featuring steep, hand-built terraced vineyards that form a UNESCO World Heritage site," as described by Google AI. We took a relaxing boat tour down the Douro River and visited wineries. Beautiful countryside.
Turn the page, and Lisbon is an EXTREMELY EXTREMELY hilly city. Again, we walked and climbed stairs all day in the suffocating heat. Sunscreen and water were our friends. And, the afternoon apertif or spritz. That, too. The parts of Lisbon that we explored were a little more refined than Porto. A completely different aura. Lots of great art, architecture, and delicious food, all day.
We took a jeep tour over to Sintra for its castles and culture, and then to the coast at Colares for its beaches and dramatic cliffs on the Atlantic Ocean. We stood at the westernmost point of continental Europe. We climbed up expansive hills to gawk at castles high above. Gorgeous, all of it. Sometimes we joined the crowds, sometimes we found our own space to have a more personal experience.
You might be thinking, “Wow, Gwen, that all sounds great. Did anything go wrong?” Of course, you know it did. At the airport, as our trip began, I accidentally pulled up and swiped my daughter’s boarding pass instead of mine. There was a mild kerfuffle until the gate agent sorted it out and let us both get on the plane. We had been in Portugal all of 5 minutes when we arrived at our Airbnb apartment and I tried to open the building door. It had a quirky handle, and the heavy door slammed on my hand pinching my finger, Bruised, swollen, and throbbing for days. I had trouble gripping and using my pointer finger for a week. It’s still tender. Here’s the finger 10 days after the injury. Maybe I should paint all my fingernails purple.
A bird pooped on me at Jardins do Palácio de Cristal park. A man stole our Uber car at the train station, but we got it back, and forced him and his luggage out. I had a persistent toothache so it was hard to chew, but the Portuguese pharmacist down the street sold me a remedy that fixed me right up. At an outdoor restaurant patio table, I shifted in my seat and the leg of my chair went straight into a dangerous uncovered umbrella hole, so I tumbled onto the pavement. But my drink was saved. The staff moved our table, but never did cover the hole. The washer in our apartment was broken, so we regretted bringing such a small number of clothes, but we made do. There were other inconveniences, injuries, and problems, but they didn’t put a damper on our fun. We ignored those issues as best we could, and focused on the amazing. fact that we were HERE, in Portugal.
My daughter and I were girls on a mission to have an exciting experience. And we did. Porto, Lisbon, and the surrounding areas of Portugal were all gems. I’m thrilled that we were UP for this delightful birthday adventure!