Author: Alex Scott

The last two days I’ve been in Sintra It’s a magical place nestled in the mountains I embraced my inner tourist and bought a ticket for the hop on hop off bus tour First stop Pena Palace The history of this site dates back to the 12th century. The monastery that once stood here was… Continue reading Sintra

I drove further south along the west coast and am now just above Lisbon I am doing a bit of admin whilst admiring these views Fun fact – So far I have driven 2515 miles (4048km) since arriving in Calais

Very close to Aveiro is this little seaside town called Costa Nova The buildings are so cute I gave up being vegetarian for a day to eat the famous seafood rice, it was delicious I parked right next to this beach, a 5 minute walk from town I bought myself a parasol, did a lot… Continue reading Costa Nova

Also known as the ‘Portuguese Venice’. It’s famous for it’s pastries and sweet treats. I enjoyed testing them – so much so I didn’t take a picture! Some of the houses are so tiny These boats were originally used to collect seaweed but now do tourist tours I really love the traditional Portuguese pavements So… Continue reading Aveiro

It was the capital city of Portugal from 1131 to 1255 The university was established in 1290 making it the oldest university in Portugal I made some new friends We went out for lunch, explored and ended up having dinner together too Some of the streets have these beautiful handmade lace shades The next day… Continue reading Coimbra

I’ve now been in Portugal for over 1 month! (With a little trip to Galicia inbetween) Here are some of the key phrases I’ve learnt which help me get by Bom dia – Good day Olá – Hello Por favor – Please Obrigada – Thank you De nada – You’re welcome Desculpa – Sorry Sou Inglês –… Continue reading Learning Portuguese

On my way to the Douro I parked here, near Villa Real, for the night And enjoyed swiming in the crystal clear water The drive along the Douro was very scenic I ate some grapes straight from the vine I went on a vineyard tour The soil is mostly Shale rock, which creates ideal conditions… Continue reading Douro valley

I spent 3 days in and around Guimarães This city proudly claims to be the birth place of Portugal because Portugal’s first king Afonso Henriques was born there It’s historic centre is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site and dates back to the 9th century I was lucky to meet back up with a… Continue reading Guimarães

From Tui I headed down into Portugal I stopped at Coura as I heard there was a good river to swim in When I got there I found a festival It was a very lovely atmosphere People were camping in the trees I put up my hammock and enjoyed the music