A digital travel diary. · WP v1.08 · Updated
At noon, after checking out of H2otel / Aquadome in Unhais de Terra, we drove the Nissan Qashqai to Casal de São Simão to hike along the wooden floorboards to the famous "Passadico das Fragas de São Simão." . . Upon arrival at 14:00, we were hungry and decided to stop for lunch at Restaurante Varanda do Casal. It was an unexpectedly fancy restaurant at…
Read More: Hiking Casal De Sao Simao, Portugal
Friday, September 27, 2024 . At around 09:30, we started our one-hour drive from Unhais da Serra to Piodao. The road was extraordinarily twisty and narrow, but it had beautiful views of the surrounding hills and mountains. Some of the hills were purple (perhaps Jacaranda)? . . Upon reaching Piódão, we parked our car and added extra layers of clothing, as it was a chilly…
Read More: Hiking from Piódão to Foz d’Egua
Thursday, September 26, 2024 . From Belmonte, we drove to Covilha to see the New Hand Lab. The drive to Covilha was more difficult due to narrow, one-way roads. We finally arrived at 14:15, a few minutes ahead of its opening hours (14:30 - 17:00) . . We waited for the New Hand Lab to open. When it did, a person who worked there let…
Read More: Visiting the New Hand Lab, Covilha
Thursday, September 26 . After we finished breakfast at 10:45, we decided to explore Belmonte. After heavy rain, hiking would be challenging in muddy conditions, so we decided to hike on Friday instead. . . I programmed Google Maps on my iPhone with directions to Belmonte, and we started our drive in our Nissan Qashqai. On the way there, we took a wrong turn and…
Read More: Visiting Belmonte, Portugal
Wednesday, September 25, 2024 . At noon, we drove our Nissan Qashqai from the Ventozelo Hotel & Quinta in Ervedosa do Douro to the H2otel/Aquadome in Unhais de Serra. . During our two-hour drive, we stopped for lunch at DouroSerra Restaurant in Valongo dos Azeites at 13:00. We had made lunch reservations in advance (to avoid problems getting seated). . . When we arrived at…
Read More: Relaxing at Aquadome, Portugal
Tuesday, September 24, 2024 . I woke up at 07:00, showered, shaved, and dressed. I packed my remaining clothes and chargers and prepared to check out of the Gran Cruise House in Porto, Portugal. . Inna and I walked downstairs to the hotel's restaurant for our 08:00 breakfast. We sat at our usual table and ordered scrambled eggs, cheeses (Azores and Ricotta), and deli meats…
Read More: Visiting Douro Valley, Portugal
On the way to Ventozelo, we briefly stopped at the Fundação da Casa de Mateus in Vila Real. . . . . According to Wikipedia:. The winery buildings date from the 16th century and were modified in the 1800s. Architect Nicolau Nasoni was involved in the project to construct the palace, which took place in the 18th century, possibly between 1739 and 1743, according to…
Read More: Visiting Fundacao da Casa de Mateus, Portugal
Although Inna visited Portugal in 2022, I had only visited Lisbon and Santiago de Compostela during a Celebrity European Cruise in 2003. . . . For my upcoming birthday, Inna planned an exciting trip to Portugal with stops in Porto, the Douro Valley, Covilhã, Coimbra, and Lisbon. . . . . . Date Flights Loc Hotel Car rental Activities . 9/20 TAP Portugal TP238 SFO…
Read More: Visiting Porto, Portugal
. After many years, we returned to Felton to hike in the beautiful Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Inna decided to follow the river to the Cathedral Redwoods. . . . We followed the Pipeline Road (which parallels River Trail) from the parking lot to the Cathedral Redwoods, a small grove of giant sequoias. It was a pleasant day to hike among the giant redwoods.…
Read More: Hiking Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Inna and I decided to try walking a new trail in Burlingame. She heard that the Sawyer Trail South is an easy, paved trail along the Crystal Spring Reservoir. . We arrived and parked our Tesla near the trailhead. The two-hour round-trip hike was straightforward, and we managed a breakneck pace (3/5 miles/hour). . . . It was a straightforward, enjoyable hike, and we hope…
Read More: Hiking Sawyer Camp Trail South in Burlingame