In brief: Neither Compostela pilgrims nor tourists would want to miss this World Heritage monument, still soaring in detail yet artfully enhanced since the 13th century. In 1221, pilgrims journeyed through Burgos in northwestern Spain,…
In brief: The sacred and the secular have always lived side by side in Salamanca. This post wanders along the secular side (university, courtly, and commercial life). Our other post about this delightful city honored…
In brief: The sacred and the secular have always lived side by side in Salamanca. This post honors the first, the grand churches and monastic centers. Our other post wanders along the secular side (university,…
In brief: As a fine exhibit here showed, Banksy keeps meeting walls he likes, on which he likes to critique what he doesn’t like about our world. Self-portrait, Banksy He kept meeting walls he liked.…
In brief: We found lots of local charm in May, inside a spectacular venue and outside at our favorite park. Outside at Monsanto A warm morning, a brilliant sky, and abundant wildflowers kissed by bees…
In brief: A local pro tennis tournament proved especially fun as an antidote to all the covid limitations. We returned to Lisbon just in time to attend eight hours of a professional tennis tournament on…
In brief: A surprise weekend brought us together with old friends, opened new sights in the western Algarve, and delivered a homey touch of Nepal. In late March, we enjoyed a kind of homecoming, a…
In brief: São Roque was a shrine honoring a protector, then a heavenly 16th century church. Grand chapels enhanced it over time, but little of its rich history was lost. A pandemic threatens Portugal. People…
In brief: Even in suboptimal conditions, we spied many deer and birds in the wild at Mafra’s Deer Park, a splendid forest haven. The 833 hectares of Tapada de Mafra, ringed by a 21 kilometer…
In brief: Undistracted by the city just across the Tejo river or the busy bridge from it within the marsh, we were diverted instead by all the shore birds and ducks. When not pecking at…