
WIth a nod to former math lessons on the order of operations, the above formula pretty much sums up our latest travel adventure: Twice the patience plus tenacity multiplied by flexibility and divided by covid and British Airways resulted in an overall happy landing in one of our all-time favorite places, Portugal. (An aside on British Airways: a challenge from start to finish. Poor communication, abysmal website, lethargic service providers, and the repeated excuse of “something is wrong in the computer” when everyone knows that SOMEONE put that something in there in the first place. Even the fact that our flights were relatively empty was countered by finding out that the armrests in our cabin were fixed, meaning you could not lift them up to avail yourself to more comfortable seating. Enough complaining…really…we were happy with travel overall and we got where we wanted to be safely.)
After almost 24 hours of wearing an N95 face mask, a seamless connection through Heathrow to Lisbon (Heads up: the Posh Cheese and Pickle sandwich from Pret A Manger in the airport lounge was a real culinary find: fresh whole grain baguette, sharp cheddar, pickle relish, red onions, lettuce), a productive transaction with our rental car folks at the Lisbon airport and a 30-minute drive to our flat we tumbled into bed and awoke the next morning to beautiful views and comfortable outdoor temperatures.

On this visit we once again chose to stay outside of Lisbon: last time we were in the charming town of Seixal, a ferry ride across the Tagus from the city; this time we stayed in Cascais just up the coast, in an area billed as “The Riviera of Portugal”.




We took a day trip north to check out both Ericeira, with its surfing beaches, and Caldas da Rainha, known for its glazed ceramic pottery. On another day it was a 40-minute train ride into Lisbon city center for a walk along the river and late lunch.


As we made the transition from Lisbon/Cascais to Porto we stopped to visit the medieval walled city of Òbidos. It has a rich history that includes the Romans, the Moors and the Portuguese. It was presented to Queen Urrana on her wedding day. What a gift!
10 Comments
Nick Cimino
Sorry to be late to the party but since you will be living here thought I better check it out. I like the idea of outdoor living in February.
Constance
We will keep clean sheets on the bed and plenty of food on hand, so be sure to start planning a visit.
Julie Nelson
WOW – simply WOW! Amazing pictures!! and great info. Thanks!
Judith Ann Hendrix
Amazing! So good to see new places..food looks wonderful. Thanks for sharing your adventures. We had a quick trip to your old stomping grounds. Had to share Poplar beach with 4 other people but we were safely distant. Miles apart!
Constance
Be warned – more food photos coming! I love that we can share out good times.
JoAnne
Thanks for sharing. I absolutely love trawling with you❤️
Kathy McGarr
Hi Constance: It’s been so long. So glad you’re traveling. I love these posts, you do them well. ❤ Looks beautiful and sounds like the adventures continue. Cod fritters kind of stumped me but…bet they were delish. Keep moving on! Kathy
Constance
How lovely to hear from you! We were so ready to get out and about. As for cod fritters, anything battered and fried sort of takes on a culinary form of its own.
DiAnn N
Love it 💕love it 💕love it 💕
Such a sense of place in your photos and writings.
No sense in saying “enjoy”
How could you not! Variety of choices each day in food and explorations.
Thank you for sharing!
Constance
You are just the best audience! More to come – especially food photos as we have been really taking advantage of great weather for outdoor dining.