Portugal

A Day Trip to Santa Maria da Feira and Aveiro Portugal

We decided to take a little road trip from Porto and spend the day exploring somewhere new. Our destination was Aveiro, but as usual, we couldn’t resist making a little detour along the way. We stopped in the town of Santa Maria da Feira.

We took a walk along a trail that was leading up to the Castle on the top of the hill. Along the way we could see a unique cave system in the distance, so we decided to check it out.

Caves we could see in the distance.

We made our way and found the path leading into the caves. When we got to the entrance we could see that it was a small artificial cave, carefully molded into the landscape and blended with natural rock.

Scott walking down into the caves

Inside, real caves and man-made sections come together, creating a unique little underground space that feels both natural and mysterious.

Inside the caves

After exploring the cave we headed up to the impressive Santa Maria da Feira Castle.

The castle dates back to medieval times and is one of Portugal’s best-preserved examples of medieval military architecture.

Janice and scott entering into the castle

We wandered around the castle and explored some of the old stone walls.  What we found was that this castle has a very long history.

Janice within some of the castle walls

This castle served as an important military and administrative centre during the Christian Reconquest and played a role in the political events that eventually led to the formation and independence of Portugal.

After exploring the castle we headed off toward Aveiro which is often called the “Venice of Portugal”. There are canals through the city and are part of the Ria de Aveiro, a coastal lagoon.

One of the Aveiro Canals

Once we arrived, we parked the car and set off on foot.

Shelley, Janice, Scott and Ray along the canal in Aveiro

We spent the rest of the day simply wandering through the streets and along the canals.

There was plenty to see, from the colourful buildings and tiled facades to the little bridges and boats moving through the waterways.

And, of course, exploring Aveiro wouldn’t be complete without trying some of the local food and drinks.

Janice enjoying a Pineapple drink in Aveiro

The best part of travelling through Portugal wasn’t the castles, the canals, the food or even the beautiful scenery. It was being able to share it all with Janice and Scott. Having them along for the adventure made every stop, every meal and every little discovery that much more special.

The places we visit may become memories, but the moments we share with family are the ones we carry with us long after the journey is over.

“Onde quer que vás, torna-se parte de ti de alguma forma.” – Anita Desai

Portugal

A day along the duero river in Porto

Today our plan was to walk throughout the city exploring along the Duero River area.  We spent the first part of our day wandering through the streets near the river. We came to many interesting buildings and sites.  At lunch we decided to stop at a cute outdoor spot.

Janice, Shelley, Scott and Ray enjoying a refreshment before the meal.

The service there was awesome our waiter was supper attentive and he was so happy to meet 4 Canadians.

Our waiter with Scott and us

We decided to follow the river and just enjoy the scenery. The riverfront was alive with lots of people, restaurants and cafés.

We came to an outdoor market area selling every type of souvenir or Porto products.

We spent some time walking through the market and of course, we couldn’t walk past Porto without sampling some of the local Port wine.

We found a beautiful spot along the river, sat back with a glass, and decided that sightseeing was definitely better with wine!

As the afternoon started turning into evening, we made our way to the gondola.

We were told the best place to watch the sunset was on the bridge and the Gondola brought us almost to that very spot.

Janice and Scott on the Gondola ride to the top.

So we climbed aboard and slowly rose above the city.

Looking down at the river and across toward the famous bridges, we could really appreciate just how beautiful this city is. When we reached the top we found a spot near the bridge and settled in to watch the sun go down.

on the bridge waiting to see the sunset.

The light began to change, the buildings started glowing, and the river reflected the colours of the evening.

Our day had started with no particular plan and ended with a glass of Port, a gondola ride and a beautiful sunset over Porto. Not a bad way to spend a day!

“A vida é uma viagem, não um destino.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Portugal

A few days in Porto Portugal

We flew to Porto Portugal with Janice and Scott to spend a few days exploring this great city.

On our first day in Porto decided to explore the old centre of the city.  We took the tram system and got off at one of the stops near the centre. When we came up the stairs we were surprised to be  right by city hall.

City Hall of Porto

We walked the streets checking out the local shops and taking in the beautiful of the old buildings and architecture.

We walked for a while and then we spotted a TukTuk parked along the road. We decided to give one a try, and we couldn’t have made a better choice.

Our driver and guide, Mariana was absolutely awesome. She wasn’t just driving us around, she was a wealth of knowledge and information about the places we were seeing. we went to places most tourist may not see including the Maria Pia railway bridge built in 1877. It was designed by Gustave Eiffel. The same Gustave Eiffel who designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

We stopped at the base of the bridge to get a closer look.

Mariana pointed out the engraved section of the bridge with his name.

The crescent arch bridge is made of wrought iron and spans 353 m, 60 m over the Douro River. At the time of its construction, it was the longest single-arch span in the world.

 One of the best things about the tour was that Mariana didn’t rush us. Whenever we saw something we wanted to photograph or an area we wanted to explore, she was happy to stop and let us take our time.

We saw many of the landmarks and tourist attractions along our tour. Below are only a few of them.

As we continued around the city, Mariana shared more stories and pointed out things we probably would have walked right past if we had been exploring on our own. One in particular was the twin churches with the hidden house.

double churches with small house between them

The 3-storey house Casa Escondida Known as the “Hidden House” was, according to legend, built so that the two churches would not share a common wall and to prevent any relations between the nuns of Igreja dos Carmelitas and the monks of Igreja do Carmo.

After our Tuk Tuk Tour, we went to the main market to spent some time walking through the stalls and shops.

There were colourful displays everywhere, along with spices, local products and plenty of things that caught our attention.

Of course, no good market visit is complete without stopping for a little snack and a drink. Janice tried a Piña Colada in a real a Pineapple.

Janice with her Pineapple Piña Colada drink

We were more than happy to join her with a refreshment of our own.

There were two floors to the market and we explored the entire market, spending time looking at hand crafted items and relaxing along the way enjoying the atmosphere of the market.

Shelley and Scott checking out the local hand crafted items
Two floors of the market in Porto

We had a full day exploring the city and it turned out great with a combination of a little exploring, a little history, some good food and drink. Not a bad way to start our Porto adventure!

“Leva apenas memórias e só deixa pegadas”

Spain

Chasing the Eclipse in Valencia

Some travel experiences are about the places, some are about the food you eat, and others are about the people you share them with. Our trip to Valencia to watch the solar eclipse was all of the above.

Our daughter Janice and our son-in-law Scott came for a visit from Canada. We were thrilled to have them here, and it coincide with the full solar eclipse, so we knew we had to make an event of it.

Janice and Scott on the balcony of City Hall in Valencia Spain

So, off we went to Valencia for a few days to visit that great city and then to see the full eclipse. The day of the eclipse we went to an event at the Albufera Natural Park which is just outside the city. We had booked tickets to an eclipse party there which had been organized.

Our shaded area and seats for the eclipse

The weather was perfect, the skies were clear, the sun was shining, and there wasn’t a cloud in sight.

The event was fantastic. There was live music, food, drinks and plenty of tables and shade for everyone. It felt less like we were waiting for a scientific phenomenon and more like we were attending a big outdoor BBQ celebration.

Giant Paella being made on a Gas BBQ

We found our spot and settled in and of course, we weren’t going to sit around waiting on an empty stomach.

The four of us enjoying Paellla and drinks before the Eclipse
Spending quality time together having laughs and fun

We enjoyed some drinks, food, and listened to the live music and, more importantly, we spent time together. Having Janice and Scott with us made the whole experience more special.

As the time of the eclipse approached, the atmosphere changed. Everyone became a little more focused on the sky. Glasses and eclipse viewing equipment came out, cameras were ready, and people started looking upward.

Trying on our Eclipse glasses

Watching the moon slowly move across the face of the sun was absolutely incredible. As more of the sun disappeared, the light around us changed and dimmed and the whole atmosphere became almost surreal.

We were standing there in Albufera, surrounded by other people enjoying the same incredible sight. It felt very personal for us, especially having Janice and Scott there to share in this experience.

Our view of the full eclipse view from Albufera Spain

What an amazing feeling, watching the eclipse as it transformed. The sense of something bigger and almost magical as the air cooled and darkness fell quickly on us, only to transform into an amazing sunset of sorts. As the moon passed by the sun the sunset was occurring which made the views spectacular.,

Sun setting while in final part of eclipse

This rare experience was the perfect alignment of having family beside us, perfect weather,  music, food, and it all came together to make it an adventure that we won’t soon forget.

“El eclipse nos recordó que, aunque la luz se oculte por un momento, siempre vuelve a aparecer. Al igual que los momentos especiales y las personas que iluminan nuestras vidas.”

Canada, Spain

Pembroke to Ottawa and graduation and a New Adventure

Our Canadian adventure continued with a visit to Pembroke for a few days. We enjoyed spending some time with some of our very close friends.  There is something special about visiting old friends. You don’t need an itinerary or a schedule just time together.  We spent our time catching up, sharing memories and reconnecting.

But our time in Pembroke was only the beginning of a very special part of our Canadian visit. We  headed to Ottawa for a very important family occasion, the graduation of our granddaughter, Shantaya.

We found our seats and waited as the graduates made their way into the ceremony. We watched with enormous pride as Shantaya walked across the stage and received her diploma.

There are some moments in life when you realize just how quickly time passes. It seems like only yesterday that she was a little girl.

Now here she was, proudly accepting her diploma and taking another big step into adulthood.

After the graduation, instead of heading home to Spain by ourselves, we had Shantaya come with us.

For Shantaya, this was the beginning of her own big Spanish adventure. We were excited to introduce her to our life in Spain. Show here the places we love, the food, the culture, the sunshine, and perhaps a few of the little things that make living here so different from Canada.

For us, having her come back with us made the journey home even more special. We had two weeks of showing her the culture, food and experiences of Spain. It was a chance to spend quality time and get to better know the adult she has become.

We travelled, had adventures, explored cities and enjoyed food and culture with her.

Shantaya in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time.
Shantaya seeing the large old Ficus trees in Alicante

Walking and exploring the old quarter of Spanish cities

She was able to experience some of our life here in Spain first hand.

“Disfruta cada momento de la vida porque es más corto de lo que crees”

 

Life is too short to wait for adventure!