A beautiful trip through Portugal and Pablo didgreat job keeping

Portugal | Feb 14 - Feb 25, 2025

A very special experience. Walk into the beautiful lobby and take in the charm of this “once home”, now hotel. Have your welcome drink on the terrace overlooking the ocean . Use your Portuguese to chat with friendly staff. Enjoy the view from your spacious room. Take a short walk through the lovely streets of Estoril before heading down to the water. The food here is excellent, so be sure to have a special dinner there.

Our guide was a young woman named Anna. Her passion for history was evident through her knowledge and enthusiasm. She guided us through different areas of Lisbon and took us to historical places as well as the best views via elevators. The tour ended with a delightful wine tasting and sampling of cheeses and hams. This was only for us. The wine expert talked about some different wines from Portugal, especially its vinho verde. Of course we bought one.

Our driver took us up narrow, winding roads to a restaurant that is famous for Fados. We enjoyed a very nice meal, good wines, and were treated to a performance of guitar and singing. The songs were often about the sea and of course love. I especially loved the guitars.

A great way to see the stunning rock formations. Your motorboat takes you through the arches of the walls. The guides are knowledgeable and great at handling the boats.

We had a lovely evening visiting the farm of Mariana and Inez. Their family has had this farm for many years and all work to keep it going. Our cooking class with Inez was a real highlight of the trip. With her guidance, we four prepared a 3 course meal. We all took part in the creation of a meal fit for a king. After the meal was ready, Inez and Mariana set the dining room table and served us the meal we had prepared. It was a wonderful experience.