For our last day in Portugal we decided to explore Belem, which meant that an all day metro/bus/trolley pass would be a good option. Luckily it was really easy to buy from the self-service machines in the metro and we were on our way in two minutes. After about 30 minutes of metro and bus we arrived in Belem, and the first order of business was to find some breakfast pastries. This was a little harder than expected, but we found a small market, and took our breakfast down to the water to ... continue reading...
Portugal 2019: Douro daytrip
Our Douro Valley daytrip with EFun Tours had a late start due to three Brazilian ladies who couldn't find parking. Thankfully we got along fine with the other couple on the tour, two retired Canadians from Halifax, and still managed to make all the stops as advertised. Communication was a bit odd as two of the girls didn't speak any English so everything had to be repeated in both Portuguese and English. Our first stop was a quaint cafe, Placidos - Padaria E Pastelaria, for a (tiny) ... continue reading...
Portugal 2019: Porto food & drink
Friday I was feeling pretty hungry when we arrived in Porto so we went looking for a place nearby to grab a light snack. Many restaurants didn't open until 7pm (it was close to 5:30) so after wandering around a bit we settled on Casa Marlindo for a flaming sausage and bubbles for me and a glass of white for Eric. Our waitress was friendly enough but really tried selling us on dessert and more drinks. (No thanks.) Once my belly was full, we sorted out dinner reservations for that night ... continue reading...
Portugal 2019: Porto sights
Our first real sight of Porto was the train station, and wow! We weren't the only ones that stopped to admire the tiles. Besides the train station, most of the the sights we experienced were seen on one full Sunday when we explored Porto all day. After accidentally passing the mechanical clock as it went off at noon, we made our first stop at the tiled Church of Saint Ildefonso. The view from the church shows the hilliness of Porto, and includes a nice view of the Cleric tower ... continue reading...
Portugal 2019: Lisbon food & drink
Food was a central theme of our Portugal trip, so this post will be a long one! Wednesday After dropping off our luggage at the hotel check-in desk, we headed to nearby Bythewine for a late lunch. We picked out the wine first (priorities!) then perused the menu and decided on a cheese plate. One of many on this trip! We really liked the São Jorge cheese from the Azores, and the Italian parmesan and Spanish manchego were nice as well. Eric had a rose from Setubal and I was recommended a fruity ... continue reading...
Portugal 2019: Lisbon sights
Wednesday We stayed near the Baixa-Chiado subway stop (pink hotel markings above) so that made most of the city walkable. Our first day in town was a beautiful sunny day, so after grabbing a quick bite to eat, we walked to the waterfront and over to Praça do Comércio, the commercial square. The waterfront wasn't very scenic per se but there were a lot of people out enjoying the sunshine. We continued through the gate, then wandered past several bars and cafes of interest. Oh, and ... continue reading...
Portugal 2019: Introduction
We've wanted to visit Portugal for a while, so when we saw a good airfare that coincided with our availability in March, we booked flights in and out of Lisbon. Portugal has lots of options - coastline, mountains, vineyards - so in the end we decided to keep our first trip simple and stick to the two main cities, Lisbon and Porto. Our first two nights were spent in Lisbon, then Porto for three nights, then back to Lisbon for our last two nights. The train from Lisbon to Porto was quite ... continue reading...
Weekend in Dallas: breweries
HIDE - Technically not a brewery, but they did make lovely cocktails. I loved my Darkwing Duck, and Leandra had the Limon Andaluzia (both good but mine was better). We found a table easily around 7pm, but within 30 minutes it was standing room only around the bar. Peticolas Brewing Company Taproom - Quite crowded on Saturday afternoon, we barely found a table with space in the back. I tried 'The Usual' a cocktail-inspired barleywine with cherries, fresh orange peel, bitters and whiskey ... continue reading...
Weekend in Dallas: food
Rodeo Goat - Great burgers and lots of local beers on tap. We landed a bit late so decided to split a burger (Mike Rawlings) and a side of fries - it was more than enough food! I had the Lakewood Temptress (strong milk stout) and Eric had the Texas Ale Project (TAP) Fireant (red ale). Meddlesome Moth - We met friends here for brunch which was quite busy on a Saturday at 1p. Eric ordered the Cuban sandwich and a Bell's Larry's Latest Fruit Fight while I got an enormous BLT with the Great Raft ... continue reading...
Weekend in Dallas: sites
Downtown Our first stop on Sunday was the Dallas Museum Of Art. There was a lot of open space to the point where it felt like half the museum was empty. However, the standard collection is free, so we won't complain too much! We did enjoy several works by Gunther Gerzso and Frida Kahlo in particular. From the museum we walked through downtown and stumbled on the beautiful Chapel of Thanksgiving with its colorful spiral stained glass paneled roof. Just a few blocks away ... continue reading...
San Diego: sites
Ocean Beach During a quick break from my conference we enjoyed some sunshine while exploring Ocean Beach, walking down the pier for views of the coastline and the surfers enjoying the storm-driven waves. Mission Beach & Pacific Beach is our go-to section of San Diego, and we were fortunate to spend a few days in this area again this time around. We love walking along the ocean and bay sides, plus exploring the small laneways between the two sides. sidewalk on Mission ... continue reading...
San Diego: beer!
Saturday: Kearny Mesa / Miramar Eric had a full day so I called the shot for drinks! After picking him up from the conference we drove north to Quantum Brewing. I had the Final Gravity Russian imperial stout, Eric opted for the Project 142 Brown Ale. Our next stop was Ballast Point for dinner but as we had to wait for a table, so we queued up for our first beers at the bar. I went with the Pumpkin Down Scottish Ale (the Piper Down was out) and Eric had the quad (Belgian Dark Strong). Once at ... continue reading...
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