Right after Christmas of 2024, I met my friend Nigel in Lisbon. The city was still decorated for Christmas.

I confess to writing this almost six months after the trip, delayed by other obligations. So, I am having some difficulty remembering what everything is. We explored the main sights of Lisbon over a day or so, and headed out for a day trip via train to nearby Sintra. Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle are high lights.

This trip was my first time driving in Europe, and it is an experience I recommend you avoid. I really only drove between cities but even the little bit of city driving necessary to find a parking space is a nightmare.

We took a short fishing trip with a guide. Only caught small stuff, but it was a good time anyway.

After Lisbon and Sintra, we headed north to check out the university town of Coimbra. I: prefered Coimbra to Lisbon for its more laid back pace. Because it was the Christmas holiday season, the students were all gone as well, so it was extra laid back.

We spent New Year’s Eve in Coimbra. There was a celebration with music, but we missed it in favor of an early bedtime.

We took a day trip to Bussaco from Coimbra. Public transportation does not run to Bussaco so having a car was a good move. Bussaco is quiet, but beautiful. The main sight is the Palace Hotel. There are other stops along trails around the hotel, mostly fountains of some religious significance.

We did Porto as a day trip, which is not enough time to really experience the city, but we got the main sights. Porto felt even more bustling to me than Lisbon, and was my least favorite of the three main cities we visited. Maybe with more time I would have appreciated it more.

After Porto, I said goodbye to Nigel and made my way back to Lisbon. I detoured out of my way to see the old castle (now a hotel) at Obidos.

In hindsight, it is debatable whether Obidos was worth the detour out of my way on the way back to Lisbon, but it was a nice stop and I had nothing else on my agenda.

Portugal stands as one of my favorite countries I have visited, for the beauty of the landscapes, the historical sights, and the friendliness of the people. I would gladly return here.