Post by Bob

Monday we left Albufeira and made the 3 hour drive back to Lisbon airport. It rained about half the time through this long and barren landscape. We dropped the car off and was lucky to get a taxi back to the city.

The traffic was horrible. But the city is beautiful. Mary again, outdid herself, as the hotel is spectacular. Not only is it a historic hotel of Lisbon, but we are on the top floor with a full suite with windows facing in all directions. We can see the water and we see beautiful trees toward the mountains off the other side.

As we were checking in, our friends arrived, what perfect timing. They also have a nice room and after checking in we departed for Tapas. We found a place where you have to take a tram up to the top of a hill overlooking the town. We had tapas and rose’ wine before returning to the hotel. The view was by spectacular.

Our dinner reservations were a short walk about 20 minutes away and, on the way, Mary found a roof bar that we stop for refreshment. Did I say the view was spectacular! A little windy but after sangria we headed it off toward the restaurant.

On Google Maps it’s just a street, but in reality, it’s about 300 yards of winding stairs straight up, taking you to the top of the hill to where the restaurant is. Speaking for myself, I ate without guilt having burned off thousands of calories ascending to the restaurant. The restaurant was perched on the cliff overlooking the water in the colors of the Lisbon sunset!

Another entry from Bob

Sunday, we decided to make the drive to a neighboring beach called Praia de Santa Eulalia, a small beach not far from Albufeira. The beach was surrounded by cliff walls and had a small taverna where we had lunch.

Upon returning to the beach, Mary purchased me a personal Taiwan Massage. I must say it was the best scenery that I’ve had getting a massage.

Very late last night after the blog was done, we made reservations for ourselves and our travel friends to go on a cave tour boat at 3 o’clock today. When we had returned from the beach, we showered and headed down to the pier for the fast boat that took us on a two-hour tour through magnificent caves.

The boat sped along 2-foot seas for a rather bouncy half an hour to rendezvous with a school of dolphins. This must have been very exciting for the group of 12 French folks as they were overcome with excitement and joy. Mary said if a fin is a fin unless of course it has teeth.

As we turned from the pod and headed toward shore to see the caves, the woman in front of us was viewing the water way over the railing. She was losing last night’s dinner, this morning’s breakfast, anything she had for lunch, and high tea. We felt bad for her, she was 70 and her husband gave no difference to her difficulties.

The caves were phenomenal. The coastline is made up of the sheer 80 to 100‘sandstone cliffs. Overtime these cliffs have had failures that caused the sandstone to fall into the sea leaving behind caves that were magnificent. Not sure this landscape is repeated anywhere else but here in Portugal. Several caves were so large that the boat captain could navigate the boat of 40 feet or so into the cave. They were quite a few boats, all jockeying for position to get into the caves.

For a final night, we met up for cocktails then to dinner. But the restaurant we had reservations with was closed! A quick trip into town, and we had dinner outside. Across the way, was a bar with live music, and we had a few beers and listened to the music. We requested “country roads”, sang along and really enjoyed spending the last night with them. Monday, we travel back to Lisbon to meet with 2nd set of travel pals! Obrigada, Algarve!!

Winery in the Hills of Silves

Saturday’s blog is written by Bob:

We checked out on schedule just as the fog rolled into Lagos. The view was so magnificent yesterday, but was nothing but a dark fog bank at 10am. We had a tour and tasting scheduled near Silves and the drive was only 30 minutes away, so we swung by the coast for one more look (this time, sunny).

High in the hills of Silves, surrounded by orchards of lemons, figs and pomegranates, Quinta do Frances Winery, owned by a practicing doctor and his wife, had only begun in 2004 and now gown to 6 employees and 50K bottles a year. They planted acreage along a river valley that appeared to mimic the Russian River Valley of CA. The host was very nice as she toured us the vats and barrels. We had a tour of the winery and tasted three wines, a red, white and rose’. We departed with a few bottles for later and said goodbye to other tour mates, all who were Europeans, making us the only Americans.

The town of Silves was a Moors capital in the 1400’s before the crusades erased all landmarks of the Muslim culture. It sits on a hill over looking a river below. We ventured to the castle and Cathedral for a short walk and lunch. The cathedral was build entirely of sandstone by several of the crusaders who find it as there lasting rest place. It was large, dark and gritty.. like sandstone had been failing form the walls.

As planned, Mary navigated us to a pottery factory along the route to our flat. Porches Pottery had a stunning display of hand painted pottery… we could have done some real damage if it weren’t that they closed right after we arrived. They shut the door and we had the place to our self to checkout. The two daughters of the original owner cared to our purchases and shipping. Business is good and they ship worldwide. This will be something to look into when we get back.

Painters table at Porches Pottery

We finally arrived at our flat on time and waited a few minutes for the attendant. The flat is well equipped and has a great view of the ocean. An upscale studio with modern amenities and a killer view … all for $90 a night!!! It fun to try different places with Mary doing the research. This was one of her best finds!

We walked a short way to the beach and sat on a restaurant balcony 60 feet directly above the beach enjoying wine and beer before dinner. Hearing the waves made me want to retire RIGHT NOW but regrettably I left my flip flops at home .. a requirement for retirement Dinner was excellent. We sat outside next to a heater and had a great meal before retiring for the night to write the blog.

We arrived in Lisbon on a packed direct flight arriving at 10:30am. We waltzed through customs and baggage claim, only to wait close to an hour for our rental car. We were on the road from Lisbon for about 3 hours, through boring and arid landscapes. Seeing the cork trees along the road was interesting. Cork is harvested every 9 years from a tree. After harvesting, numbers indicating what year the last time the cork was removed, are very visible on the trunks.

We arrived at our Air BNB apartment located on a hill in Lagos. Our host, Antonio, pointed out the features of the beautifully modern two bedroom flat, after which we went to the neighboring market and unpacked.

It was warm, so we changed and sat on the wonderful balcony with cheese and wine. Soon, we found out the door to the balcony locked behind us, and we were trapped ….. on the 4th floor balcony! Luckily, I remembered that Antonio left his phone number printed on a table. Even more luck, Bob had his phone on the balcony, took a photo of the small phone number sign, zoomed in and called Antonio. Thirty minutes later, Antonio rescued us!! How ridiculous!!

We met our first set of traveling companions for dinner at a great place in town, above a retail store. The food and service were great, and we followed up with a drink on the roof terrace of the restaurant, overlooking the church of St Anthony.

Evening view of St Anthony’s and Lagos rooftops

Night view of famous house in Lagos

Friday morning brought overcast and windy weather, so much that our boat tour of the caves and rock formations of the neighboring beaches was cancelled. Bob and I explored the several beaches and cliffs, one more beautiful than the next. Praia de Dona Ana is closest to town, followed by Praia do Camilo. On the edge of Lagos, Praia da Piedade (meaning Point of Piety), with its majestic rock formations, cliffs and lighthouse, proved captivating yet cold and windy!

We returned the car to our apartment and met the others for lunch overlooking the sea. We did a quick “Rick Steve’s walk” through Lagos stopping at Church of St Anthony to admire this beautiful baroque church lined with 18th century blue and white tiles. Prior to that, the walk took us by the ‘slave market’. Between 1444 until the mid 1700s, over 100,000 people were sold into slavery there, very sad.

A little shopping and sangria finished out the day on Friday. Later, we met up with our travel pals on our way to dinner at Arribale Restaurant. We really enjoyed our dinner at this authentic Lagos open grill restaurant. We loved the coziness of Arribale with the open flame grill, Portuguese tiled dining room with picnic style tables, all with a view of the grill master.

Sea bass from the grill

We finished up the night with a final stop at an Italian eatery off the town center, having a few Aperol spritzes, Negronis and a very small tiny beer. Saturday, we leave Lagos on our way to Albufeira with a pit stop at a winery and pottery shop. Saude’!!!

September 2019

Our first travels to Portugal and the gateway to the Iberian Peninsula begins soon! We will be splitting our time in two distinctly different regions with two different sets of travel companions when we visit Portugal. Beginning our trip in the sunny Algarve region, we will visit Lagos and Albufeira and experience the rocky cliffs and seaside resorts of Portugal. After, we will travel to the City of 7 Hills for 4 days in Lisbon, home of castles, mosaics and Fado.

On last day in Italy began a little slower than most. A relaxing morning in the gardens was followed by a return to the village on the hill, our Montepulciano, for lunch and shopping.

The artisan shops in Montepulciano consist of art stores selling ceramics, hand painted craftsmen wares and paintings. There are shoes shops as well but not as good as the ones we found in Positano.

But the predominant shop is the enoteca, or wine shop. Tastings are offered in the shops, as well as direct sales of bottles and shipment home. Many offer glasses and bottles to enjoy right on the narrow streets.

We all met at the restaurant in the Grande Piazza for lunch, the same place Bob and I had dinner a couple of nights earlier. Bruschetta, tagliatelle with truffles, local pici pasta and lasagne! Our first lasagne of the trip!!

We followed up lunch with some gelato, spritzes, and a little more shopping before we returned to the house to start the awful task of preparing to return home.

After happy hour in the yard, we decided to have pizza at home and pack. We were treated to a wildlife display between the pheasants in the grass and a pack of small wild boar running by the villa! We flew a kite we have flown all over the world on holidays, a gift from my late father. We flew it high in the Tuscan sky while we toasted a wonderful family adventure “under the Tuscan sun”!

Saturday will bring flights back home this time via Munich. Montepulciano has served as a wonderful base to see the surrounding countryside, the quaint and picturesque villages and live our best Tuscan life!

Ciao and Grazie mille, Italia!!!

Thursday morning, we had a reservation for a tour and tasting at the Altesino Winery in the Montalcino area of Tuscany. The 45-minute trip took us through the rolling hills of Montepulciano, past Pienza, and finally to the Val d’Orcia, the UNESCO World Heritage valley of vineyards and cypress trees.

Altesino sits atop a hill with views through the valley and to the village of Montalcino. Maria Victoria took us on a tour of their modern winery set in centuries old buildings. We tasted three red wines, finishing with the world renown, Brunello wine.

Maria Victoria began the tasting by pouring a small amount of wine into each glass, swirling it around, and coating the glass, then passing it to the next glass. All this is done to prepare the glass for the wine, so that all you taste is the wine and not the glass!

After our tasting and tour, we sat on a large bench at the winery appreciating the view, the wine and the company.

As we drove back to the villa, we stopped in the very small town of San Quirico d’Orcia for lunch. This Medieval town was a stop along the Via Francigena, which was a route traveled by pilgrims, merchants and armies from Northern Europe towards Rome and the Holy Land. Lunch in the sleepy village cafe was of paninis and spritzes.

We finished the day at the villa playing ping pong and happy hour on the lawn. Later, we went back into Montepulciano and had dinner overlooking the amazing sunset and valley.

Friday is our final day in Tuscany, and we plan to take a leisure day at the villa, lunch in Montepulciano, some last-minute shopping, and relishing the family time together.

Wednesday, we drove through the countryside and the highway to visit Siena, a charming city, again on the hill. The drive took much longer than we anticipated, over an hour from the villa.

Siena, especially due to its easy proximity to Florence, was very crowded full of tourists and many tour groups. Siena is site to the famous Italian bareback horserace, called the Palio. Twice each summer, the 16 neighborhoods have an entry to run bareback around the make shift path for community pride. This site, called Il Campo, is surrounded by gothic buildings housing mostly cafes now.

We first visited the famous black and white Duomo. We secured tickets, and stylish ponchos for those with bare shoulders, and toured the busy and crowded cathedral. At one point, a loudspeaker urged visitors to be quiet, especially since the Duomo is a functioning church.

The Duomo is an art filled cathedral with sculptures from Michelangelo and Donatello. Completed in 1215, the mosaics on the floor took 40 different artists 80 years to complete! The dome and ceiling are a royal blue with gold stars, something I have never seen. Its gothic majesty is stunning!

We had lunch in the Il Campo, which again, was packed with tour groups and great for people watching! We split up for individual shopping and touring, and gelato. The relative calmness of the other Tuscan villages made the busy nature of Siena less enjoyable.

After returning to the villa, we relaxed by the pool and gardens. Bob and I had dinner alone in Montepulciano overlooking their Duomo, while everyone else made a dinner of homemade Pici pasta!

Thursday, we will be visiting another winery, this time in the Montalcino area of Tuscany, known for their famous and expensive grape, Brunello.

Tuesday, we made the 40-minute drive to the town of Cortona which sits on a 1700-foot hill. The majestic views from Cortona are of the surrounding flatter vineyards and farms of both Umbria and Tuscany.

Cortona has several small piazzas from which neighborhood alleyways connect. Each street has its own neighborhood flags lining the ancient walkways. Shops and cafes line the main walkways, and again, flowers abound. Cortona was a little more crowded than Pienza, as it is larger and closer to Florence

We split up for some time, looking for a spot for lunch. Two of us visited the Duomo, where an American couple was rehearsing their upcoming wedding ceremony. The elegant duomo was filled with side chapels and ornate artwork, but a lovely altar.

We regrouped and had lunch in the Piazza Signorelli, not easy to find outdoor seating for 7 and a high chair!

Later, I had booked a tour and tasting at a winery 20 minutes away, so off we went! The Avignonesi Winery is a very large and established winery between Cortona and Montepulciano. A certified biodynamic vineyard, Avignonesi owns 481 acres which are spread over both Cortona and Montepulciano.

We had a tour of the vineyard and manufacturing areas. We then tasted 3 reds and one white wine, along with olive oil and bread. The reds were mostly from the local dominant grape of the Vino Noble, which is a Sangiovese grape.

We returned to the villa and relaxed in the gardens. Dinner was “in” for us, while our traveling companions enjoyed the night views and restaurants of Montepulciano. Wednesday, we will travel to Siena, a beautiful Tuscan city Bob and I first visited in 2011, during our first Italian trip.

Monday’s plan was to visit the neighboring village of Pienza and possibly a winery visit on the return to the villa.  We travelled the short 20 minutes to Pienza, a small and stunningly quaint, hillside town in Tuscany.

Pienza

This time, it only took us two tries to find two parking spaces. As we were walking into the village, we made a snap and smart decision to skip the main road and skirted down an alley. The parallel stone wide walkway rimmed the scenic valley of the Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO world heritage site! The views of the valley were incredible with fields of red poppies beginning to bloom, as well as olive and cypress trees! And of course, acres and acres of vines could be seen!

Pienza is one of the first planned cities in the world! It was rebuilt by Pope Pius II during his brief papal stint. Pienza, Pius’ home village, is often described ass “Renaissance perfection”! The tidy narrow walkways are lined with terra-cotta pots and plantings filled with roses, peonies and geraniums.

We visited the medieval church untouched by Pius’ plans, St Francesco, which was dark and austere but with beautiful deteriorating frescos. Then we compared the Pius built Duomo, which was white and filled with the sunlight. The Duomo was built on a cliff, and large cracks line the back walls and floor, as the church leans into the valley!

We strolled through the beautiful streets, had some gelato at a recommended spot, and finished off the morning with pizza in the piazza.

Our group split up, with some returning to the villa and a few of us visiting a local winery across the vineyards from our house. We had a tasting of 3 wines and returned to join everyone on the villa lawn for the remainder of the afternoon.

The highlight of the day arrived at 5pm: a chef to prepare dinner for us at our villa! Alessandro, the chef, was from nearby Cortona, where we plan to visit Tuesday.

He prepared 4 kinds of bruschetta followed by a Fumo pasta (which is typical in Cortona, a smoky cheese and bacon pasta). Next, Alessandro made Tuscan style roast chicken and potatoes, which are typically served for Sunday dinners by families.

The final course were individual tiramisu cups! We ate outside under the portico as the sun set behind us. It was truly a very memorable dinner and day!

As mentioned, Tuesday we plan to visit Cortona for the morning and have a tasting reserved in the afternoon at a winery. Our trip continues with great weather, incredible scenery and memories that will last a lifetime.