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Pack your bags, gather your friends and get ready for a holiday in the Algarve’s sun

Friendscation in Portugal Everything is better when shared with friends, which is why we’ll offer some recommendations for memorable friendscations while in Portugal. Take advantage of this trend, gather your

March 17, 2023by Portugal ResidentIn Algarve News, Quinta dos Vales, Travel

Picturesque Azenha do Mar|The peaceful river at Odemira|Striated cliffs at Cabo Sardão|Zambujeira's wide sandy beach|Lovely main town beach at Vila Nova de Milfontes|Carvalhal beach bar|Hidden beach at Porto Covo|Cork oak country at Serra de Grândola|Scenic Lagoa de Melides|Hiking trail at Senhora da Penha

The Alentejo’s beautiful west coast

Fleetwood Mac’s greatest hits were playing at the Praia de Carvalhal beach bar when we arrived. As we lazily sipped our chilled beer and squiggled our toes in the warm

March 6, 2023by Nigel Wright

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Exploring the Algarve – experiences and places to visit

Exploring the Algarve Be it a temporary vacation or a weekend holiday, the Algarve is the perfect destination to spend some quality time in. The warm climate, the delicious wine

February 10, 2023by Portugal ResidentIn Algarve News, Quinta dos Vales, Travel, Wine

A view over Câmara de Lobos and Churchill Bay, from what is known locally as “Churchill’s Viewpoint”, where he set up his easel on January 8, 1950|The view from the balcony of our room in the Churchill Bay pousada|Larry enjoying his cold white wine on his balcony, with Câmara de Lobos in the background|The rugged coast near Porto Moniz|Porto Moniz, named after Columbus’ Portuguese wife, which features the only protected harbour on the north coast|The lush, mountainous countryside of the centre of Madeira|Helga on the quayside at the mouth of Churchill Bay on a lovely, soft evening|The remarkable artesonado locally-sourced cedar wood Mudéjar ceiling in the Funchal cathedral, declared a National Monument in 1910|– A statue of Sir Winston Churchill, in front of the Churchill Bay pousada reception|The replica of Christopher Columbus’ boat the Santa Maria, built in 1998 in Câmara de Lobos

Madeira is much more than just Funchal, Ronaldo and bananas

Madeira. They call it the “Pearl of the Atlantic”. That’s a misnomer. Madeira is neither round nor smooth nor white. It is rugged and spiny and volcanic (although the volcanos

December 9, 2022by Larry Hampton

The façade of the Monastery of Saint Mary of Guadalupe, built during the 14th century|A view of the Mudéhar cloisters of the Guadalupe Monastery|The Marble Temple Roman ruins on the bank of the Valdecañas reservoir|A wonderful view of Toledo, looking across the Tajo River, with the cathedral on the left and the Alcázar on the right dominating the skyline|The Toledo cathedral|The Toledo Alcázar, site of an important siege when Nationalist Colonel Ituarte held the building against overwhelming Republican forces, and now a military museum|The Puente de Alcantara, spanning the Tagus River, a national cultural monument|Puerta del Sol, built in the late 14th century by the Knights Hospitaller. The medallion above the arch depicts Ildephonsus, Toledo’s patron saint|The Spanish gothic façade of the cathedral. The harmonious tower on the right is topped by a dome designed by El Greco’s son in the 17th century|The El Greco Museum|The beautiful Bodegas Martué Pago winery|From left: Linda and David Grindley, Poul Snorgaard, António Merino, the winemaker at Casa del Blanco, Helga and Larry Hampton, Henk and Loes Vooijs and Vibeke Snorgaard

La Mancha – Discovering Spain

The wine in Spain grows mainly on the plain Every autumn since 2005, a group of us (usually eight, but occasionally more) spend a week discovering new wines in some

November 5, 2022by Larry HamptonIn Travel, Wine

Elvas Aqueduct from Fort Graça|Early battlefield ambulance|Portable dental equipment|Fort Graça seen from Fort Santa Luzia|Top area of Santa Luzia Fort|Avenue of Plane Trees at Cabeça de Vide|Rural azulejos at Cabeça de Vide railway station|Alter do Chão Castle|Folk dancing azulejos at Alter do Chão|Peaceful Barragem do Caia|Cloisters at Convento São Paulo|Cloisters at Convento São Paulo

Exploring the Alentejo around Elvas

Sightseeing in and around the historic and wonderfully preserved town of Elvas is an absolute joy. Elvas itself is one of Portugal’s hidden gems, located in the far east of

October 7, 2022by Nigel Wright

Aerial view of the Carcassone citadel|The façade today, as it was painted by Monet 130 years ago|The west façade of Rouen’s Notre Dame Cathedral, clearly showing the tower of Saint Romain (on the left) and the Butter Tower (on the right)|The cathedral’s semi-cloister in the Cour D’Albene|The rue du Gros-Horloge, with its attractive 15C-17C half-timbered houses and the clock itself, one of Rouen’s most popular monuments|Helga enjoying oysters and a cold white wine in the Place du Vieux-Marché|St George rampant on top of the Cathedral|The Cathedral St-Étienne, seen from a vantage point on the heights behind the Lot river|The Pont Valentré, a fortified pedestrian bridge built in the 14th century.|The barbican of the Pont Valentré|A side view of the Cathedral, showing the heavily fortified façade and the two cupolas|The cloisters of the cathedral|The town of Puy-l’Évêque near Cahors in the heart of the wine region|The main gate of the Carcassonne citadel|The outer ramparts of Carcassonne|The entrance to the Château Comtal, showing the moat and entry bridge

Rouen, Cahors, Carcassonne – A tale of three cities

In the 10 years we lived in France, and in the many trips driving through France to, or from, our Algarve home, we had never stopped in Rouen or Cahors

September 25, 2022by Larry Hampton

The Château de Colombières where we spent our last night, in the suite on the 1st floor of the tower nearest you.|The Abbaye aux Dames, a 1000-year-old nunnery attached to the Église Sainte-Marie. Our room was on the 1st floor to the right in the photo.|The Arch of Germanicus in Saintes, built in 18 AD and dedicated to the Emperor Tiberius’ nephew and adopted son Germanicus|– A street scene in Vannes, showing the half-timbered houses that characterise the old town.|The city gate, named Porte Saint-Vincent, in Vannes. It was built around 1600 AD as part of the city’s ramparts and was to allow entry to the old town from the port.|The Château de l’Hermine, Vannes. The original was built in 1381 as part of the city’s ramparts, but the present-day building dates from 1785|A good view of Vannes’ ramparts, built in the late 1300s, and their gardens. These ramparts are a national heritage monument and are complete along the eastern side of the old town.|The Tour du Connétable was built in the early 1400s and was an integral part of Vannes’ ramparts. It has been a listed historic monument for almost 100 years.|A view of the town of Douarnenez overlooking its little harbour|The Hotel de la Plage, in Sainte Anne la Palud, one of the westernmost points of Brittany|A view of the gigantic beach, from the terrace of the Hotel de la Plage|Half-timbered houses in Dinan|The aqueduct at Dinan, as seen from Dinan harbour on the River Rance. The aqueduct is not a bridge over the Rance valley|The donjon de la Duchesse Anne, all that remains of the château of Dinan, built in 1382 and listed as a historical monument in 1886.

Brittany – La Bretagne n’est pas la France

Recently, on our annual summer pilgrimage from the Algarve to our flat in Wimbledon, Helga and I did a small detour to spend a few days in Brittany, an area

July 27, 2022by Larry Hampton

Adega do Fogo|Adega do Fogo|Adega do Fogo|Adega do Fogo|Adega do Fogo|Adega do Fogo|Adega do Fogo|Adega do Fogo|Adega do Fogo

A haven of peace in Azores

Under the eye of the volcano Adega do Fogo is a haven of peace in the heart of nature, in an enchanting place where land, tradition, history and comfort become

June 29, 2022by Portugal Resident

The Acropolis of Athens

During my trip to Greece, I was privileged to visit many iconic and ancient places steeped in history. One of the places that I found the most amazing was my

June 1, 2022by Jay Costa Owen