To Lisbon or not to Lisbon?

Lisbon 2026 so very nearly didn’t happen.  I am waiting (as for the last four years) for a hospital date, for my back operation. As always, it doesn’t come through, so I agree, last minute, that I will attend the Most Travelled People (MTP)  ‘Grandmasters’ Annual Lunch, near Lisbon.  Just as I am hovering, with my cursor, over the EasyJet website, ready to book, with a few extra days for sightseeing, all the flights on offer disappear. A transport strike called in Portugal for June 3^rd. To coincide with a holiday on June 4^th. So the workers get five days off in a row, if the play their cards right. (This is all explained to me later, by a cab driver.)

To cut a long story short, I end up booking a flight to Porto, in the north of Portugal. The only one going on June 4^th. Charles, the co-owner of MTP says he will give me a lift from there to Lisbon. Sounds good. Charles is very keen for me to come and has been WhatsApping me relentlessly. They are hoping to break the world record for the largest number of people who have been to every country in the world, in one place.

Then, of course my operation date, comes through. It's in two weeks. I fit my pre-op consultation into my journey to Gatwick. The jitters seem to have got to me. Over the day it transpires that I've queued for the bus, when I drove in my car, have handed the nurse a urine specimen containing vitamin D capsules (she said they might affect the result) and  forgotten to pack my make-up, swimsuit and phone charger.

Getting to Lisbon

The plane leaves late and there's a long queue at immigration, for the new Schengen area checking and fingerprinting. It seems to be moving reasonably fast however,  until all the men down-tools  and disappear to the staffroom. Fifteen minutes later they're all back again. And I'm out. No fingerprinting. My taxi driver has capitalized on the fact that my booked  driver has embraced the holiday spirit and not turned up and combined two bookings into one. It's after midnight. But I'm here.

Charles messages. He's arranged for me to travel instead with Jaime, who has been to every country in the world, both poles and space.

Jaime messages. We are going straight to Lisbon.  No stopping. He has a meeting. O good. Very little time to revisit Porto (read about my last visit here). But plenty of time to hear all about Jaime's adventures. This Panamanian has done plenty. He’s even commissioned a film crew to follow him around. They're making a documentary, which they hope to show at Cannes. He sent them home yesterday, so I won’t be featuring.

 But we do stop off at the giant Lisbon Aqueduct, to pose for a picture. The eighteenth century Águas Livres Aqueduct (it survived the earthquake almost intact) is one of Lisbon's best-known landmarks, extending nearly nine miles (it's part of a 36 mile network of canals, galleries, reservoirs, and distribution systems). One of its arches is the Arco Grande, one of the tallest pointed masonry arches in the world, but sadly, I'm not sure which one it is.

The Hotel Fenix Music

This time I have an extremely well located hotel, right on the Praça Marques de Pombal. It's a nice hotel too, with views over the Edward VII Park and the jacaranda trees and some snazzy features. The blinds automatically go up and down, as I leave or enter the room.

This will be my base for my excursions around the capital. Read more about my explorations in Lisbon itself here.

The Most Travelled People's Mega Meet Up

Luis Amaral is the co-owner of MTP and he lives in Azeitao, south of Lisbon. For the last few years, he's been holding a lunch annually, at his house, for folk who have been to all 193 UN countries. They're called Grandmasters, in MTP. Last year, I was in Pitcairn. This year, Charles and Luis are aiming to break the world record for the number of Grandmasters in one place. I almost wrote palace then instead of place, thanks to the predictive text, but palace might be a better word. Mansion at the very least. It's a stunning house, with a huge terrace, quirky swimming pool, manicured gardens, (scattered sculptures by recognised artists throughout) and a vineyard stretching to the horizon.

But, I have digressed. There are 103 of us Grandmasters, plus others, amounting to not far shy of 200 persons altogether, massing on the terrace for speeches, wine, cocktails, (amazing bar) hors d'oeuvres (with oyster station) and mingling. Then, lunch in the grounds, at a table which is 100 metres long. We're served, from a smoking barbecue, by a scurrying Sardine Crew, until we can't possibly eat any more. The food is delicious. I doubt Buckingham Palace could have done any better.

MTP have definitely achieved their record and Euronews are here too, reporting. We are photographed collecting certificates and commemorative globes and in every conceivable group, including drone footage of us forming the 103. So many people, it's hard to have meaningful conversations, but it's lovely to meet folk I've only seen on Facebook before. There are also several familiar faces from Azerbaijan, and it's very good to catch up.

Monastery Hopping Around Lisbon

Not content with a sumptuous banquet, Luis of MTP has also arranged tours for us. Lisbon is magnetic, but its real magic lies in the loops you can trace just outside the city limits. Today, it's a bus trip, for forty or so, of us, to three UNESCO World Heritage sites, to the north of Lisbon - the monasteries at Alcobaça, Batalha and Tomar. (Known as The Three Monasteries Loop.)

Alcobaça: Cistercian Minimalism

The Monastery of Alcobaça (Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça) is touted as a masterpiece of Cistercian Gothic art. It was founded, in 1153, by Portugal's first king, Afonso Henriques. It famously houses the Tragic Royal Tombs: the intricately carved, spine-to-spine (across the aisle) tombs of King Pedro I and his murdered mistress, Inês de Castro. Legend says that, positioned this way, the lovers will look at each other immediately upon resurrecting, on Judgement Day. But they were only moved there, to these prominent positions, last century. Some of the limestone panelling on them was destroyed by Napoleon's troops - they say. (But they say that about the Sphinx too.)

The church is the largest Cistercian Gothic structure in Europe and the longest church in Portugal (106 metres), boasting soaring, minimalist white pillars that form a dramatic, light-filled hall.

The monastery was built on land granted in return for support for Portuguese independence, from the Cistercian monks. They chose the area as there is an abundance of water from the two rivers Alcoa and Baça (guess how the town got its name?). Later, they built in a channel which diverted the Alcoa directly through their kitchen, to provide fresh running water and live fish, direct to the cooking monks.

The town is charming, with the rivers gurgling through the centre. And there's even a nineteenth century market, necessitating full costume dress from the stall holders, in full swing.

Batalha: Flamboyant Gothic meets Manueline

If Alcobaça represents quiet monastic withdrawal, Batalha is a loud assertion of military triumph. Erected to mark Portugal’s 1385 battlefield victory over Castile (who had tried to impose their own king), this complex celebrates a country actively reinventing its identity. The church interior remains solidly and traditional, the most complete Gothic building in the country - narrow, towering, and lit by fifteenth-century stained glass. It holds the tomb of King John I (who commissioned it) and his English wife Philippa. On the north side are the monks old living and working areas: the cloisters (the largest in  the country) and the Chapter House.

On the other side, the chapels are a very different matter - they're known as the Capelas Imperfeitas (Unfinished Chapels) for a reason. Frozen in time - a collision between two royal construction projects. The thick, plain stone pillars and the outer structure are rugged, functional medieval masonry, left behind from the original 1430s layout. The first attempt at building the chapel ceased when first King John and then his architect died. The chapel was left roofless. Decades later, Manuel I brought in a new architect to update the space using the hyper-detailed Manueline style. But then he pulled the architect (and his funds) out, midway through the project, to concentrate on his Belém Maritime Monuments. The building was left half-carved, with deeply chiselled stone lace, sea ropes, and royal emblems, while the upper halves abruptly strip back to raw, bare medieval building blocks terminating sharply against the open sky.

Tomar (Convent of Christ): An Architectural Layer Cake

The Convent of Christ in Tomar abandons monastic peace altogether, in favour of military and occult history. It was founded in 1160, as a headquarters for the Knights Templar and as an impenetrable Romanesque fortress, to defend the young kingdom's borders.

The Knights Templars had developed the first sophisticated international banking system for travellers, become wealthy and loaned money to royalty. That led to their downfall. Philip IV of France had borrowed astronomical sums from them, to finance his costly territorial wars, against England and Flanders. Unable to repay his massive debts, Philip decided to eliminate his creditors instead. On the morning of Friday, 13 October 1307 (hence unlucky Friday 13th) , he launched nationwide, dawn raids, to arrest the Templars across France, on fabricated charges of heresy, fraud, and sodomy. He destroyed the order and forced Pope Clement V to officially dissolve them, in 1312.

King Denis of Portugal however, had a more pragmatic view. He recognised that attacking the Tomor stronghold (already proven to be impenetrable) would trigger a catastrophic civil war. The Templars didn't just fight; they were major land developers. They took over war-torn, abandoned territories, brought advanced irrigation systems to river valleys, and built fortified towns. as they answered directly to the pope (and not to the local church) it was a bit like having a private army. So, King Denis negotiated a loophole with the Papacy: in 1319, he officially rebranded the Templars as a brand-new Portuguese organization called the Order of Christ (Ordem de Cristo).Under this new name, the knights kept all their original property, wealth, and secrets, staying safely on Portuguese soil. It was this saved wealth and maritime knowledge which later funded Portugal's Age of Discovery.

The physical structure of Tomar documents Portuguese power, beginning with the initial Romanesque period, which produced the outer defensive battlements and the iconic Charola, a 16-sided round church modelled after the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, explicitly designed so medieval knights could attend religious mass on horseback.

Phase Two (1420–1460) shifted the fortress into a functional launchpad for global exploration under Prince Henry the Navigator. He appointed himself Grand Master and added the austere, pointed Gothic Cemetery and Washing Cloisters to house his expanding court of astronomers and cartographers. Henry did not go out to sea himself. Instead, he used the Order of Christ's treasury as a private venture capital fund, to design the revolutionary caravel ships, To show exactly who was paying for the voyages, the sails of every single Portuguese ship were painted with the large, iconic red cross of the Order of Christ

As maritime wealth poured into the kingdom, from new global trade routes, King Manuel I commissioned Phase Three (1510–1515), transforming the medieval site into an imperial showpiece, in the Manueline style (of course). That's when the famous Chapterhouse Window (stone sea ropes, anchors, corals, and armillary spheres) was added, together with the explosion of colour, gold leaf, and carvings, in the main church. The final era of Tomar's construction shifted away from the maritime and saw King John III order a massive physical expansion, completely outside the original medieval castle walls, with Renaissance geometry replacing Manueline flourishes.

The South Atlantic Loop - A Day of Microclimates, Mountain Monsters, and Salt Air

Today, I'm trading the city streets for a curated loop that climbs through misty mountain peaks, drops onto the western edge of Europe, and flattens out into a sharp, bright beach town. All it takes is a window seat on a tour bus, a winding ribbon of tarmac, and a willingness to be thoroughly windblown.

The Edge of the World: Cabo da Roca

Our bus turns west, leaving the urban fringe behind, as the concrete valleys give way to low, wind-battered scrub. The road to Cabo da Roca clings tightly to the granite cliffs. Then, the land simply run out of options. The bus doors hiss open at the cape, and a cold, heavy gale hits immediately. Cabo da Roca marks the westernmost point of mainland Europe and that's just how it feels. There is a lonely red-domed lighthouse, a stone monument marking the coordinates, and then… nothing. Just sheer cliffs dropping 140 metres straight into a churning, frothing ocean. Walking the dirt coastal paths away from the main lookout, the air is fierce, freezing, and tastes entirely of salt. Looking west, there is a distinct, stark reality to knowing that the next stop across that horizon is North America.

Sintra: A Mountain Monster and a Plethora of Palaces

We pile back into the bus (after waiting for the stragglers - already) and head inland, leaving the exposed coastline for the dense, fern-choked forests of the Sintra hills. The tour drops us right into the old town centre of Sintra. Sintra is dominated by a massive, jagged granite ridge which rises abruptly from the surrounding plains, a mountain monster, trapping a dark, damp microclimate right over the town. The misty landscapes have led to a great variety of flora and the planting of eucalyptus, for use in the paper industry. It's a very dry wood and it also causes a lot of fires.

Long before it became a tourist hotspot, the Romans designated these misty peaks as the 'Sacred Mountain' or the 'Mountains of the Moon'. By the eighth century, the Moors had taken took control, building heavy stone fortifications high on the rocky crests, to guard the agricultural valley below. When Christian forces retook the region, during the Reconquista, in 1147, they didn't tear down the Islamic structures; instead, Portuguese kings adapted them. Plenty of Moorish influence, such as glass tiles, remains. And, the castle still stares down at us,

Because Sintra’s mountain air stayed cool, while Lisbon baked in the summer, the town slowly evolved from a military outpost into an exclusive aristocratic retreat. Monarchs built their summer residences directly on top of the old Moorish foundations. When the railway connected Sintra to Lisbon, in 1887, the wealthy bourgeoisie flocked here to construct increasingly elaborate estates, turning a rugged mountain into a playground of architecture. It's still a celebrity magnet, with famous residents ranging from Hans Christian Anderson, to Strauss, to Madonna.

Today, the historical centre of town is a dense maze of steep, narrow cobblestone alleys. Pastel-coloured buildings lean over the roads, in turn packed with small independent shops selling local embroidery and tiny bakeries venting the sweet smell of travesseiros - the local almond pastry.

Dominating the town square is the National Palace, its skyline dominated by two massive, thirty-metre-high white conical chimneys, rising above the royal kitchens. Down the road, sits the bizarrely extravagant Town Hall, featuring a clock tower topped with green, blue and white glazed tiles. To be frank, I'm not overwhelmed. It's not charming or enticing. Just a touch clinical. And packed with tourists.

Quinta da Regaleira - The Mystical Palace

Quinta da Regaleira is a prime example of architects being 'overly playful'. From the centre of Sintra, it's an uphill walk (sadly) along mountain roads, (with streams of other tourists) to reach this estate, engineered around early twentieth-century mysticism and occult symbolism. Though it looks medieval (from a distance), it is actually only 116 years old, completed in 1910. The palace is a Neo-Manueline creation, covered in stone-carved sea monsters. Stepping inside reveals heavy, dark grandeur: heavily carved woodwork, royal portraits, and a top-floor laboratory, carved with hidden Masonic and alchemical symbols.

But the real attraction here is out in the dense, vegetation draped, gardens. The Initiation Well involves more tramping up hairpin slopes, past sundry turrets, bastions and other mock medieval paraphernalia. Join the queue and then descend the spiral staircases, as if inside an inverted Tower of Pisa. It's not really a well at all. Symbols of the Knights Templar and hidden masonry cues are built directly into the walls, fountains, and grottoes at every turn of the 27-meter drop. There are nine landings, which some theorize represent The Nine Circles of Hell, in Dante's Divine Comedy.

The wealthy owner, António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro, was fascinated by secret societies, Freemasonry, and the Knights Templar. He worked with Italian architect Luigi Manini to design the well 'as a physical, architectural metaphor for a spiritual journey of death and rebirth'. This journey ends with an exit via a network of 'secret' dark, damp tunnels, carved through the bedrock, to reach a small waterfall.

Pena Palace: An Opera Set in Stone

The bus grunts up the vertical switchbacks, hugging curves so tight the pine branches slap the glass. At the top of the hill (above the Moorish Palace), surveying Sintra, sits Pena Palace. If Quinta da Regaleira is odd, Pena is extraordinary. In the 1500s, King Manuel I built a quiet, isolated monastery here, for 18 silent monks. After the great 1755 earthquake reduced it to ruins, King Ferdinand II bought the entire hill, in 1838. He took the ruined monastery and added another palace, 'transforming it into a wild, romantic summer retreat', intentionally designed to look like an opera stage set.

No mist today, but patches of sun, illuminating mustard-yellow towers that collide with cherry-red battlements. These are guarded by stone tritons and other mythological monsters, carved into the doorways. Terraces are topped by merlons, which look as if they’ve come off a Christmas cake. Pena is the second most visited monument in Portugal (it's packed with visitors today) and there is no polite way to describe it. Garish and tacky. Las Vegas's Excalibur meets Portmeirion meets Toy Town.

The palace rooms are, for the most part, surprisingly intimate, compared to the bombastic exterior. They're filled with heavy carved wood and intricate porcelain, and the walls are covered in glossy tiles. Preserved time capsules from 1910, the year the Portuguese monarchy fell and the royals fled into exile. From the windows and open terraces, unobstructed views (well if you don't count all the tourists in the way) down, across the valley.

This is the 20 Euro experience - self guided. For 75 Euros I would get an Official Palace Guide and a comprehensive, 90-minute guided walk through the entire palace interior (both the old monastery and new palace sections), the outside terraces, and the surrounding park grounds and chalets. They're highly exclusive I'm told - only five a day - capped at a maximum of (only ?) 25 people per group to 'keep the experience intimate'. OR, for just 150 euros, a 'Theatrical Visit to the Palace'. This is an exclusive (of course) evening tour which includes a live historical performance re-enacting the dramatic escape of the last Queen of Portugal from the palace.

Cascais: The Pearl of the Portuguese Riviera

Leaving the mountain forest and the odd cork tree, behind, the bus turns south toward the coast. The rugged, cliffs slowly smooth out, opening up into the wide, pale sands of Guincho Beach where kite-surfers actively seek out the gale. Past the Boca do Inferno ( Mouth of Hell) cliff viewpoint, before we are dropped us off in Cascais.

Cascais is a complete shift in pace, built entirely around the tension between its two distinct histories. For centuries, it was a humble, fortified fishing village facing the open Atlantic. That changed in 1870 when King Luís I designated its old fortress as his official summer residence, instantly drawing the Portuguese nobility, who built extravagant nineteenth-century villas along the waterfront. During World War II, neutral Portugal turned the town into a luxurious sanctuary for exiled European royalty and international spies (The Palace Hotel in nearby Estoril is famous spy hang out). This history of wealth earned it the nickname - 'The Portuguese Riviera'.

Here, once through the modern shopping streets, there are cobblestone lanes are lined with bright bougainvillea vines, luxury yachts sit tied up in the marina, and the crowd lounges on the sand, under the clear afternoon heat, enjoying the slow, easy hum of beach life. Tavernas with proper written menus on blackboards ooze a more sophisticated lifestyle. for me, a scoop of basil-and-strawberry gelato, a seat on the stone sea wall, and a view of the colourful fishing boats, bobbing on the tide in the harbour.

The Victory Lap

The coastal road back toward Lisbon doesn't just run near the water - the tarmac traces the exact edge of the Tagus Estuary shoreline, winding past the numerous forts built to keep out those pesky Spanish.

I've packed a lot in today, but bus tours are undoubtedly hell. Once more, never again. Seats with the smallest pitch possible. No chance of extracting my bag if I put it by my feet. Waiting for explanations in all the different languages and dozing off before the English comes round again. Waiting for people who are late. Waiting for the bus to arrive. Waiting for the transfer bus. Too many effing people everywhere. All stepping into your photo, as soon as you press the shutter. 

The Golden Heart of Alentejo: Évora's Ancient Echoes

So, today, I'm planning my own tour, though it's still by bus, and taking myself east to Évora. Getting to Évora is also fraught. The Metro is fairly straightforward; you can just tap in using your credit card. And there are only two lines here, at Marques de Pombal, so only three possibilities for going wrong.

But arriving at the zoo is quite another matter. Where is the bus station? Google's directions are unfathomable, once again. I ask a man in a booth, who points me up the road. No signposts. There's a bus station car park entrance. So I keep going, up the hill. Now I'm looking down on the buses. Back down the road  and into the car park entrance. A little man at the ticket counter sells me a ticket. Google has the times of the buses wrong too, thankfully. But my little man doesn’t tell me the seats are reserved. He's put me in the aisle. Fortunately, I'm there first and the guy who's been given the window seat doesn't seem to mind.

Over the Vasco da Gama Bridge and into Alentejo. This is is a vast, rural region in south-central Portugal, stretching from the Tagus River down to the northern borders of the Algarve. Known for its slow-paced, rustic lifestyle, rolling plains, and culinary heritage, the area is defined by endless cork forests, vineyards, and medieval hilltop villages. Lisbon's fresh, coastal air disappears, replaced by the dry, baking heat of the southern plains, as my bus heads inland.

Évora is the capital of Alentejo, a museum-city enclosed within ancient, intact medieval walls. Left entirely undamaged by the catastrophic 1755 earthquake, its historic centre is a preserved time capsule, where Roman ruins, Moorish alleyways, and grand Gothic towers share the same cobblestone streets.

Praça do Giraldo

This is very different to the clammer at Sintra. Steadily up hill (again) through the solid city walls, along almost deserted streets for ten minutes (overly warm already) and into the Praça do Giraldo, the central heartbeat of the city - it has pretensions to being lively. Arcaded sixteenth-century buildings overlook outdoor café terraces, where locals sip espresso, beside a massive, white marble Baroque fountain.

The Ancient Core: Évora Cathedral and The Roman Temple

Google strikes again, as I attempt to locate the correct turning for the cathedral. This is a narrow alley, lined with souvenir shops, most of them selling the ubiquitous cork, in one form or another. It's uphill, of course, to the city's highest point.

The Cathedral of Évora is the largest medieval cathedral in Portugal. Built right after the Christian Reconquista, its fortress-like stone towers (more stolidity) blend Romanesque and Gothic styles. You can only see inside, however, with a five euro ticket. And the first challenge is climbing the 135 narrow steps, to the open stone rooftop. The second, is staying upright, as the vertigo inducing roof slopes slightly, threatening to send me hurling over the crenellated edges, large gaps between the merlons beckoning, as I teeter. The signs warning of danger aren't helpful. But there's a good close up view of the Disneyesque towers (two at the front and the Gothic lantern tower to the rear) and it delivers a panorama over the golden, olive-grove-dotted Alentejo plains.

Right next door, in the centre of its own square, is the The Roman Temple, often (apparently incorrectly) called the Temple of Diana. Erected in the first century BC, to honour Emperor Augustus, fourteen of its original Corinthian columns remain perfectly intact.

Underneath the Arches: The Água de Prata Aqueduct

Another battle with Google, incapable of giving unambiguous directions and still taking me uphill, for another ten minutes, despite the fact I'm supposedly at the highest point. Northwest, toward the edge of the historic centre and the Água de Prata Aqueduct (Aqueduct of Silver Water). Finished in 1537, by royal architect Francisco de Arruda (the same man who designed Lisbon’s Belém Tower), this massive, 18-kilometre limestone structure was a marvel of Renaissance engineering. It originally carried clean mountain water directly to the main square.

The aqueduct slices through the city walls and it's clear that no space has been wasted, in these tight urban streets. Over the centuries, locals have built their houses and shops directly into the tall granite arches. Living rooms are framed by 500-year-old bays, front doors are cut straight between the massive pillars, and chimneys peek out from the top of the stone channels.

Alentejo Flavour

The temperature climbs as the day progresses. The narrow, winding Moorish alleyways offer much-needed shade. The walls are whitewashed, painted with limestone, an ancient Arabic technique designed to disinfect the stones and reflect the scorching southern sun.

The tavernas offer. Alentejan cuisine, heavy, rustic, and very distinct from the coast. Black Iberico pork and garlic-and-coriander bread soup is typical

A Confrontation with Mortality: the Capela dos Ossos

At last, a descent, towards the southern wall of the city, to the Igreja de São Francisco. The main church is another soaring example of Manueline-Gothic architecture, but its most famous (and paying) feature is the attached Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones).

Above the heavy stone doorway, a carved warning reads: 'Nós ossos que aqui estamos, pelos vossos esperamos' (We bones that are here, await yours). Inside, the air is cool, dim, and completely silent. Franciscan monks, in the seventeenth century built the chapel to solve a practical space crisis - 43 overcrowded local cemeteries were eating up valuable city land. The monks exhumed an estimated 5,000 skeletons and carefully arranged them into the architecture itself. Skulls, femurs, and ribs are stacked like bricks, forming the pillars, arches, and walls of the room, a visual memento mori on the fleeting nature of material wealth.

Upstairs is more museum: artworks, religious artefacts and a collection of bad taste nativity scenes.

The Green Retreat: The Jardim Público de Évora

Right next door, the less disturbing atmosphere of the Jardim Público de Évora (Public Garden). This ribbon like nineteenth-century park, is built directly over what used to be the royal vegetable gardens of the adjacent palace.

It's a shaded (if dusty) oasis of exotic trees, rose gardens, and a classic old bandstand. It is also home to a huge flock of resident peacocks which casually roam the lawns, calling loudly and perch on top of the Ruínas Fingidas (Fake Ruins). These are a collection of Manueline window frames salvaged from demolished historical buildings around the city and rebuilt here to look like a romantic, ruined castle tower. Also tucked into the greenery is the Palácio de Dom Manuel, a hybrid royal pavilion where explorer Vasco da Gama was officially given command of his historic expedition to India, in 1497.

Return to Lisbon

Time to wrap up a day that feels entirely removed from the fast pace of Lisbon. Decanting, back at Lisbon's Sete Rios Bus Station I find a direct route back to the Metro via a main entrance. I'm not telling Google about it.

And Home

At Lisbon Airport (Humberto Delgado). I've arrived three hours before as instructed. And I'm glad I only have carry-on, as the  check in desk doesn't open for another hour. Words fail me. Except for rude ones that is. Through security and then to passport control. Here, I have to proceed to an electronic booth and scan my passport, to be told I have to go on, to a manual checking desk. Well honestly. Why don't they just send you there? In the event, there's hardly a queue at all. 'Have a good one', says the immigration officer, not at all ironically. I've not been fingerprinted in or out or stamped in or out. I suppose that’s  both good and bad.  

The international departure section is narrow and uncomfortable. Snaking lines of passengers trying to get out of the terminal are clogging it up. Long queues for the few eateries and even fewer toilets. The cramped layout here reminds me of Gatwick.  But wait, they’re both managed by Da Vinci Airports.

Read more about Portugal here

What is the History of Portugal?

• Portugal's history is long and fascinating.
• The area now known as Portugal was originally settled by the Celtic peoples.
• It was later subject to Phoenician and Carthaginian incursions.
• Portugal was a part of the Roman Empire from 45 BC to 298 AD. What we now call Portugal (well 80% of it and a piece of Spain) was then known as Lusitania (after the Roman god Lusus, son of Bacchus, the god of wine - the area was famous for its sweet wine). This is why speakers of Portuguese are still known as lusophones.
• The Germanic tribe of Visigoths came next, establishing the strong institution of the Church in their kingdom.
• Soon after that came the Arabic invasion and occupation, a time in which many Arabic words entered and formed Portuguese. The name Portugal came from the Roman-Celtic place name Portus Cale ( an early settlement located at the mouth of the Douro River which later became Porto).
• Portugal was occupied for approximately 500 years. King Afonso I was the first king of Portugal. He declared himself king in 1139, after his victory over the Moors at the Battle of Ourique. Portugal's borders then were roughly the same as those today, though neighbouring Spain was then a series of smaller kingdoms.

• Portugal then evolved into the first global power. This was the era of explorers such as Vasco da Gama, Fernando Magellan and Bartolome Dias and Portugal established colonies all over the world.
• Half of the known globe once belonged to Portugal. The Treaty of Tordesillas gave Portugal the eastern half of the "New World". King John II negotiated the landmark 1494 agreement with the Spanish Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, He cunningly pushed the boundary westwards, so as to include Brazil (as well as parts of Africa and Asia.)
• Then came the Hapsburg Philippine Dynasty when three Phillips of Spain took over, as King Sebastian died with no direct heir and his successor, Cardinal-King Henry, died childless in 1580. King Philip II of Spain was the grandson of Portuguese King Manuel I, giving him the strongest bloodline claim. António, Prior of Crato, declared himself king, but was crushed by the Spanish Duke of Alba at the Battle of Alcântara.
• At the same time, the Portuguese Empire fell into steady decline, due to war in Europe and colonial resistance. Portugal lost control over parts of its global empire to Dutch and English rivals.
• The Restoration came in 1640 when a successful palace coup overthrew the Spanish Habsburg governor and the Duke of Braganza was crowned as King John IV, initiating the House of Braganza, although this led to a protracted war against Spain (unitl 1688)
• In the early 1700s gold and diamonds were discovered in Brazil funding the absolute monarchy of King John V and some spectacular Baroque architecture.

• In 1807, Napoleon's armies invaded Portugal. In 1808, the king, Dom João, moved to Brazil (with British help) and proclaimed a single state which he called the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves. The new capital of the kingdom was Rio de Janeiro. The state was disestablished in 1822, after King John VI returned to Portugal in 1821 (there was a military revolt in Porto), leaving his son, Prince Dom Pedro, to rule Brazil.
• In 1820 The Liberal Revolution established Portugal’s first constitutional monarchy and limited royal power.1822
• In turn, Brazil soon (1822) declared independence from Portugal. Crown Prince Pedro becomes Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, stripping Portugal of its most lucrative colony.
• The Liberal Wars followed (1828–1834): a not so liberal bloody civil war between two royal brothers. Dom Pedro (fighting for constitutionalism), who defeated Dom Miguel (fighting for absolute monarchy), leaving his daughter Maria, in charge.
• Eventually, in 1910, the First Portuguese Republic was established, after a Republican revolution that also brought on the King’s resignation. This was followed in 1933 by the Second Republic, also known as Estado Novo (New State) under the dictator António Oliveira de Salazar. Salazar’s motto: “Proudly alone” saved Portugal from taking part (mostly) in both World Wars.
• The peaceful Carnation Revolution, a military coup d’état, finally led Portugal into democracy; the first elections took place in 1975.

Is Portugal in the EU?

Portugal joined the European Union in 1986 and was one of the first countries to adopt the euro on 1 January 1999.

Facts and Factoids

• This is the oldest country in Europe.
• Portugal and England have the oldest diplomatic alliance in the world. The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance was signed in 1373 and is still in force to this day. (The British helped the Portuguese resist Napoleon, principally at the Battle of Trafalgar.)
• Today, Portugal owns two autonomous territories: Madeira and the Azores.
• Portuguese is the official language of eight countries. Over 236 million people worldwide are native Portuguese speakers. Portuguese is the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Sao Tome et Principe and Equatorial Guinea. It is also spoken in Goa (India), Macao, and East Timor.
• The University of Coimbra established in 1290 is one of the oldest universities in Europe.

• The oldest bookstore in the world is in Lisbon, Portugal's capital.
• Portugal has the world's largest cork forest and is the largest cork producer in the world.
• Salt cod and grilled sardines reign supreme.
• The Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon, at 7.6 miles, is the second-longest bridge in Europe, after the Crimean Bridge, opened in Russia in 2018.

What is There to See and Do in Portugal?

• A river cruise is a relaxing way to see the beautiful northern part of the country. Portugal - Lisbon, Coimbra and Cruising the Douro from Porto - River of Gold 1.
• Lisbon is a great city with a multitude of sights. Portugal - Lisbon, Coimbra and Cruising the Douro from Porto - River of Gold 1
• Porto is a vibrant and fascinating city. Portugal - Lisbon, Coimbra and Cruising the Douro from Porto - River of Gold 1
• Portugal has a plethora of old monuments - churches and palaces, many of them UNESCO WHS sites - Monuments Around Lisbon
• Portugal is known for its long, surfable coast. It has a coastline that spans 497 miles and is said to have 364 days of surf per year.
• The Algarve has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world – though the water can be cold
• Both the autonomous territories - Azores and Madeira are well worth a visit

I’m travelling to Portugal with my long time friend Sue. If you think that’s confusing you should know that we both had the same maiden name at school (we’re not related), where she accidentally got my German report. She didn’t even study German.

This is, we hope, a relaxing trip. A few days exploring Lisbon and then a river cruise up the Douro, starting in Porto. En route we will stop off at the old city of Coimbra.

Lisbon, the Capital of Portugal

• Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, and the second-oldest European capital city (after Athens), by a long way.
• Under Julius Caesar it was a municipium called Felicitas Julia,
• After the fall of the Roman Empire it was ruled by a series of Germanic tribes from the fifth century.
• In the eighth century. it was captured by the Moors.
• In 1147, Afonso Henriques reconquered the city and became the first king of Portugal.
• Since then Lisbon has been the capital of Portugal.
• The Great Lisbon Earthquake took place in 1755 - a massive earthquake, tsunami, and fire destroyed the capital, on All Saints' Day. Prime Minister, The Marquis of Pombal, rebuilt the city using modern urban planning
• The city is globally famous for its pastel-coloured buildings, intricate white-and-black cobblestone pavements, and historic yellow trams.
• Lisbon is the birthplace of Fado, the melancholic and expressive traditional Portuguese music genre performed in local taverns.
• The city serves as the chief political, cultural, and financial centre of Portugal, driving the vast majority of the nation's economy
• Lisbon is officially built across seven steep hills overlooking the vast mouth of the Tagus River, where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. Apparently, there are really eight.

Alfama, Lisbon's Old Town

The old town, Alfama, with its steep maze of cobblestone alleys cascading down to the Tagus is a must for a wander. It dates back to Moorish times, when it constituted the whole of the city. Its resilient Moorish bedrock miraculously shielded its medieval maze of narrow cobblestone alleys from the devastating 1755 earthquake. Pastel-coloured homes are adorned with traditional azulejo tiles, and crisp laundry flutters cheerfully from wrought-iron balconies. A very traditional, older Portuguese fishing-village community, but packed with with souvenir shops. The neighbourhood buzzes with visitors sipping sour cherry ginjinha liqueur at tiny neighbourhood bars and panting towards the panoramic viewpoints like the flower-framed Miradouro de Santa Luzia, which faces out to the river.

Sao Jorge Castle, Lisbon

We eventually work out how to follow the winding narrow streets, and the many steps, past the cathedral, up to the imposing São Jorge Castle. Crowning Lisbon, Saint George's Castle (Castelo de São Jorge) lays claim to antiquity. Humans have lived on the castle hill since at least the eighth century BC, while the original fortifications date from the first century BC. This hill has been occupied by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, and Moors, before Alfonso finally conquered the land. It's also a great view point across the city and the river.

On the north side of Castle Hill is Mouraria. More narrow, winding alleys, but more rugged, residential, and less crowded. Mouraria is heavily multicultural, home to immigrants from over 50 nations, resulting in a unique blend of global cultures. Alfama houses the official Fado Museum, its performances heavily tailored for tourists. Mouraria is where the genre actually originated, and its Fado venues tend to be smaller, more casual taverns, frequented by locals.

Fountains, Statues, Squares and Lifts of Lisbon

It’s the festival of St Anthony and the streets are lined with stalls and bedecked with pennants, adding to the holiday atmosphere. There are crowds, drinking amicably, and watching the international football, in the larger squares, especially down towards the port. Fountains, magnificent buildings and statues abound, along with the black and white stone pavements and undulating wave patterned squares. Our complaining legs suggest we probably have had a good stab at most of the hills. Though there are several ornate lifts, spilling us out onto the terraces above. Not to mention funiculars, trams, the metro and buses.

Baixa is the grand, grid-like heart of Lisbon, revived by the Marques de Pombal. Wide pedestrian avenues are lined with neoclassical buildings, which rose from the ashes of the 1755 earthquake. The new straight avenues were organized by trade. The street names reflect their bases for eighteenth-century crafts, such as Rua da Prata (Silver Street) and Rua dos Sapateiros (Shoemakers Street.

This central valley acts as the city's anchor, connecting the monumental, riverfront Praça do Comércio - where the magnificent triumphal arch (commemorating the city's revival) frames the glittering Tagus - to the bustling plazas of Rossio and Restauradores. Standing tall above the rooftops is the neo-gothic iron tower of the Santa Justa Lift, which (when its working) hoists passengers from the lower streets up to the bohemian ruins of the Carmo Convent. Baixa is also Tourist Trap Central, the streets filled with covered restaurant tables displaying those meus which show pictures of all the food.

Just a short walk away, the upscale Chiado district buzzes with a mix of historic literary cafes, old-world bookstores, and high-end boutiques, bridging the gap between the stately lower town and the hilltop nightlife of Bairro Alto. Avenida da Liberdade, carries us further northwest. This is Lisbon’s grand boulevard, where towering trees and the intricate black-and-white calçada pavements mimic the elegance of the Champs-Élysées. Naturally, it's the home of Portugal's high-end fashion boutiques and historic hotels (our Hotel Tivoli is here).

The avenida opens open up into the massive, circular plaza of Praça do Marquês de Pombal. Standing dead centre is the monumental stone column, topped by the bronze statue of the Marquis himself, looking down over the Baixa district he rebuilt. A lion at his feet symbolizes power and leadership. Directly behind this enormous roundabout and traffic hub, the green lawns of Eduardo VII Park slope upward. Up top here an enormous Portuguese flag, a clear, cinematic panorama, right down the avenue to the shimmering Tagus River and bus loads of tourists.

Belém District, Lisbon

After exhausting walking tours, a bus trip to the sights in the historic riverside area of the Belém District is welcome; it sits about four miles west of Lisbon's central downtown district, further along the port and the River Tagus estuary and past the Ponte 25 de Abril Suspension Bridge. This looks like the Golden Gate in San Francisco, for the good reason that it was designed by the same company. When it was first built, in 1966, it was named the Salazar Bridge, after the Portuguese Dictator. It was later renamed to commemorate the Carnation Revolution. At the far end is the Cristo Rei statue, erected at the same time.

You get a good view of this part of the city and the even bigger, (second longest in Europe) Vasco da Gama Bridge, as the plane lands. This bridge was opened for for Expo 98, the World's Fair which celebrated the five hundredth anniversary of the discovery, by Vasco da Gama, of the sea route from Europe to India.

The Jerónimos Monastery

The Jerónimos Monastery is one of the most beautiful ecclesiastical buildings I have ever seen. King Manuel I commissioned the massive complex, in 1501, to commemorate Vasco da Gama’s successful voyage to India. It's built near his launch site. The tracery style, is named after the king, (it is absolutely exquisite), and is uniquely Portuguese, defined by intricate maritime motifs and stone carvings. For centuries, it was the job of the monks of the Order of Saint Jerome to pray for the king and guide passing sailors. The monastery became the burial site, or necropolis for the monarchs and for Da Gama too.

Belém Tower

The highly photogenic sixteenth century Belém Tower (moved from a small island in the River Tagus) stands as a symbolic beacon of home for legendary explorers departing for, or returning from (if they were lucky), uncharted seas. The fortress-like tower rises directly from the edge of the river, a stone ship frozen mid-launch. Commissioned by King Manuel I in 1514 and designed by architect Francisco de Arruda, this heavily armed artillery bastion was erected initially to protect the mouth of the Tagus from naval invasions. This grand, ceremonial gateway flaunted Portugal's immense maritime wealth to arriving dignitaries, while simultaneously .

Its brilliant Manueline architecture fuses rugged military bastions with delicate maritime carvings, twisted stone ropes, and Moorish-style watchtowers. At high tide, the river completely surrounds the pale limestone monument, transforming it into an island.

Monument to the Discoveries

Close by is a more recent sculpture, the twentieth century Monument to the Discoveries, which does the same job. This one has statues of 33 renowned Portuguese explorers lining the sides, with Henry the Navigator taking pride of place, at the front.

Monument to the Overseas Combatants

An even more modern sculpture, is the triangular Monument to the Overseas Combatants. It's unmissable - in size and simplicity -and commemorates all the people involved who have fought for Portugal. Just over the road, is another obligatory stop. A shop selling the famous Portuguese custard tarts: Pastéis de Nata.

Our bus tour guide tells us that JK Rowling lived in Lisbon for a while and probably based Harry Potter on the city. I bite my tongue.

Edibles in Lisbon

Lunch for us is ice cream - what else? - and evening meals are seafood of many kinds, (the cod fritters are my favourite), in the local tavernas, or the al fresco bars, along with a caipirinha or two. Lidia, tucked away near the Edward VII Park, serves an excellent repast.

Coimbra - The Medieval Grind: Basalt, Limestone and Books

The next day involves a bus trip to Porto to pick up the boat. This isn’t any old bus. The seats are so wide apart I can fully recline mine - if I want to - and there is fully functioning Wi-Fi. There’s a welcome stop at Coimbra, the Portuguese equivalent of Oxford or Cambridge. Coimbra is the country’s former capital, home to a preserved medieval old town and the historic University of Coimbra and birthplace of six Portuguese kings. In the city’s old town lies the twelfth-century Romanesque cathedral Sé Velha. It's famous for its basalt and limestone pavements - the Portuguese mosaic craft known as calcada.

Built on the grounds of a former palace the university dates back to 1308. This, first Portuguese University, was relocated from Lisbon, where it was founded in 1290. The sky is azure and the ornate roofs and eighteenth-century bell tower. are shown off to their best advantage, rosy and bejewelled. Students pose for pictures in their black witchy gowns and we are fed fascinating trivia knowledge:

• The capes are highly esteemed and symbolic and have cuts inflicted on them, - made by teeth (I think I got that right?). Left hand side for family, right for friends, middle for lovers. You pay homage by inviting someone to walk on it at family events, such as weddings.
• Freshmen are called donkeys – burros.
• The ancient baroque library, the Biblioteca Joanina, is highly gilded with gold from Brazil. They keep bats in the library to eat the lice, which might damage the books, and they cover the tables at night to catch the bat droppings.

Porto

Porto (meaning harbour), at the mouth of the River Douro, is the second largest city in Portugal. Its English name, Oporto, derives from the Portuguese 'o Porto', which includes the definite article 'the'. We embark on our cruise boat, at Porto, to find another festival in full swing. This time it’s St John of Porto and Midsummer combined. There are raucous groups all along the river banks. The local endearing customs from Portugal involve long stemmed garlic flowers that you try and ram up someone’s nose and plastic hammers with which to bop passers-by on the head. None too gently, unless you bob quickly. The fireworks, bang (see what I did there) in front of our boat, at midnight, are more welcome.

The best views of Porto are also to be found from our decks, but we take to the hills of the city again. Porto's medieval centre, along the ribeiro (river) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The designation includes the double deck, huge iron gantries, of the Luiz I Bridge, crossing the river here and the Monastery of Serra do Pilar, perched up alongside it. The monastery has a circular church and cloister.

Further up the slope, more azulejos; the finest are in the station (Sao Bento), churches (São Francisco Church is known for its lavish baroque interior with ornate gilded carvings) and markets.

On the rugged spine of the city, Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto) commands the skyline, a twin-towered stone fortress. Built in the twelfth century, this brooding monument anchors Porto's history, its sheer granite walls and narrow slits reflecting a time when churches doubled as military strongholds against invaders. A dim, soaring nave which feels completely untouched by the centuries. The real magic happens in the brilliant, sunlit Gothic cloisters, where the walls are wrapped in a sweeping ocean of blue and white tiles which depicts scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary.

Back outside, on the vast cathedral terrace, the entire city layout snaps into focus, a cascading sea of terracotta rooftops, the deep fracture of the Douro River, and the sweeping iron expanse of the Dom Luís I Bridge stretching across the gorge.

The most renowned shops in the heart of town sell the salted dried cod, bacalao, it’s pegged up in lines outside. One café offers the delicious little fried potato fritters stuffed with the cod (Pastéis de Bacalhau), an irresistible mid-morning snack.Descending again, the nineteenth-century Palácio de Bolsa, formerly a stock market, was originally built to impress potential European investors.

The north bank of the river is a feast of colour. Ochre and cinnamon buildings, cafes and shops tucked into arches. The opposite side lined with warehouses and arched wine caves, selling port. Port wine, one of Portugal's most famous exports, is, of course, named after Porto. Most of the caves clearly have English heritage, reflected in their names.

Back on the boat, there is more excitement. The river is flowing fast to the sea and small flocks of seagulls take turns to squat together on the wavelets and race past. At the bend they fly back and start again. When they get bored, the salmon take over and follow suite, leaping along.

Guimares

The boat finally sets off. on its 100 mile voyage up the Douro (River of Gold). to the border with Spain, but we are not on it. A side trip to medieval Guimares, is offered. This city goes back to the ninth century and is often referred to as the 'birthplace of Portugal', because it is thought that Portugal's first King, Afonso Henriques, was born here. It was even, briefly, the first capital of Portugal.

There's a tenth century castle, with splendid crenellations and red turrets, two medieval plazas with cathedrals, churches and the town hall and the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza (also with red turrets). The Gothic Padrao do Salado Monument with four arches and a cross commemorates a battle victory. There are also winding cobbled streets, cunning timber houses, craft shops and boutiques aplenty. And yet another festival. This time, most of the townsfolk are garbed in medieval costume and there are processions, markets and much frolicking, including a mock battle and people being placed in the stocks.

The Douro - River of Gold, Portugal

We join the boat upriver, for dinner at a monastery with a traditional fado performance. So I haven't escaped one and yes it is definitely exceptionally mournful - it is supposed to depict women longing waiting for their men folk, who are at sea.

We then cruise slowly onwards through the glorious port wine country, mostly hills and vineyards of various emerald to buttery yellow hues. This is the world's first protected wine region, coming under the UNESCO umbrella.

The vessel is palatial. Our cheapest-on-offer cabin is dinky, but has everything we need. There is sustenance available  at all times, in the shape of the ubiquitous Granny Smith or, the more tempting cakes and biscuits. Lunch is snacks, soup and salad, or a full three course meal. Sue is delighted to discover that chips in a basket and ice cream is a possibility every day.

The average age of the passengers on board is probably seventy. A sizeable proportion are American. There is an entertainment team at our disposal and plenty to do on board other than sunbathing. (It’s a very acceptable temperature, but surprisingly windy up top at times.) There is a daily bulletin full of information. It suggests that there are six famous people from Portugal. 'Only six?' we wonder. But we get stuck after Jose Mourinho and Ronaldo (there's a theme going on here) and Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan.

Mateus Palace

The first stop proper is at Régua. The attraction here is the resplendently baroque Mateus Palace (just like it's depicted on the Mateus Rosé wine labels). This was the home of the last count of Vila Real. There's the manor, which is a euphemism for the grand seventeenth century palace, the chapel and a winery (of course).

It's set in gorgeous enchanting formal gardens: cedar-lined walkways, exquisite sculpted hedges and statuary and a alke deliberately designed to reflect the palace. Very clever.

Sailing east along the Douro. Dramatic, sheer rock formations, picturesque terraced vineyards, graceful bridges and trestles; There are also ample locks and bridges to inspect. It's utterly gorgeous. And the boat is really cleverly designed. When we pass under a low obstacle, the whole of the bridge collapses into the deck below. The captain just stays in his seat, steering. I don’t understand why he doesn’t turn into a replica of Flat Stanley.

Castelo Rodrigo

To Barca d’Alva, not far from the Spanish border. Today's excursion is to Castelo Rodrigo, a historic fortified town (though it's not really big enough to be called a town), 2,200 feet above sea level. The streets are narrow and steep, and the houses sixteenth century. Sinagoga Street was the home of refugees from the Spanish Inquisition. The castle is really ancient - founded in the sixth century, when the land was part of Leon, if legends are to be believed. It's named after Count Rodrigo Gonzalez de Girón.

Pinhão, Portugal

Then, the boat turns round at the Spanish border, at Vega de Terron, (there's a side trip to Salamanca) and retreats down the Douro to Porto, cleverly mooring at different points on the way back.

Retracing our route, west now, through the quintas (vineyards) to Pinhao. Up to the the little village of Favaios, and one of the last traditional bakeries in the Douro River Valley. Hot fresh bread and more wineries, naturally. Round here it's moscatel. The best part of this trip is the stunning views back down to the river.

Lamego

We moor at Regua again, but this time we're visiting Lamego. The attraction in this small town is the Baroque Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies. The shrine, decorated with exquisite Moorish style has the most ornate (and steep) staircase, with many flights taking us, breathless, to the top. It dates back to the fourteenth century and is still used by pilgrims today. There's also the town’s Gothic cathedral and the ruins of a twelfth-century castle thrown in.

Before we leave there is the usual captain’s dinner. Much to the envy of the American contingent, the captain and the hotel manager come and sit with Sue and I. We attempt to entertain them by telling them about all the famous people they have on board. There is one woman who could pass for Liz Taylor (in a certain light) and another is a dead ringer for Angela Merkel. In fact we have to check that Angela is really still in Germany. It’s a very quick turnaround for the hard pressed crew. They speed our leaving from the now familiar quay at Porto, as the buses containing the next week’s trippers are already on their way.

Read more about Portugal here