cyrsullivan
Dec 23, 2024
3 min read
After an emotional goodbye, we parted ways from our friends Paul and Rachel. While they returned to Maastricht, Sandy and I flew to Lisbon. There, we collected our rental car for a five-week trip around the Iberian Peninsula. Our journey took us north to Porto, east through the Peso da Régua wine region, then southeast through Coimbra, Évora, and Sevilla to Gibraltar, the entrance to the Mediterranean. After exploring the Rock, we continued west along the Algarve through Albufeira and Lagos, then headed back north. In Lisbon we returned the rental car and took a few days to relax before heading back to the whirlwind of Ottawa for a brief stop before setting out again.
Porto is a stunning and pedestrian-friendly city, full of vitality. It featured captivating architecture, walls adorned with ‘azulejos’ (hand-painted ceramic tiles), and narrow back alleys rich in local culture. We enjoyed exploring this particular alley decorated with fading bunting, likely remnants from a previous festival.
Coimbra is a lively little college town, renowned for its university, which is among the oldest in Europe. Our fourth-floor Airbnb had a balcony overlooking the main pedestrian mall, where street musicians constantly entertained passersby with traditional music. The remains of a Roman Aquaduct can be found near the entrance to the Botanical Garden.
The bamboo grove in Coimbra’s Botanical Garden was a surprising find. It’s a serene spot for peaceful contemplation.
We spent a few days in Évora, a small walled city known for its numerous Roman ruins scattered throughout the town.
We encountered this amiable lad in Évora, encouraging tourists to explore his merchandise.
Seville was an absolute delight. Although it was once a walled city, only a small portion of the wall still stands. What remains is a collection of architecturally significant buildings reflecting Seville’s rich history, including many from its Moorish period and numerous small religious chapels often concealed behind modest doors. The Plaza de España and the Cathedral de Sevilla are two especially noteworthy landmarks. We spent three days exploring the city centre and eagerly anticipate returning to continue our exploration.
We unexpectedly encountered an All Saints’ Day Procession honouring the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was very spectacular sight.
This balcony is believed to have inspired the one in Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare failed to provide comment.
The view of the Rock from Spain. Once the owner, it is now a British Overseas Territory
The view of the Rock from the roof top deck of our Houseboat accommodations.
The Rock proved to be an unforeseen surprize. It is essentially a fortress, featuring an extensive network of tunnels and gun emplacements that stretch for tens of miles. You can take an in-depth self-guided tour of all the sites in the Gibraltar Nature Reserve. Tickets available at: https://
The charm of the Algarve is found in its beautiful, rugged coastline and the vast network of trails stretching from Faro to Lagos and further. The scenery is spectacular, and the hiking can be as demanding as one wishes. The region around Praia da Rocha is especially stunning. This was our second visit, and I suspect it will not be our last.
To Sandy’s great pleasure, Lisbon was hosting a Christmas Market down the street from our Airbnb.
A depiction of Portugal’s initial impression of Newfoundland, as shown on the Rose Compass at the Monument to the Discoverers.
We had the thrill of witnessing the assembly of this four-story Christmas Tree in Praça do Comércio, the main square of Lisbon.
I took the opportunity for a much-needed shoe shine. The shoe shiner was thorough, and the process took thirty minutes, resulting in an exceptional shine.
Sadly, all good things must come to an end. While visions of Christmas Markets danced in our heads, we boarded our flight to Ottawa for a swift change of clothes. Our next destination, South America.