Portugal

For something a little different, we booked a tour through  Tours by Locals  to Evora.  We have had consistently good luck finding tour guides and tours through them and this was no exception. Evora lies in the south-central region of Alentejo.  A small but charming town, this is not a popular tourist destination but we thought it was well worth the trip.  Along the way, our guide pointed out all the stork's nest resting on the larger power line structures.  Some of them even looked like stork condos with all the nests perched on them.  The moms were clearly visible feed the not so small babies.  Our first stop in the town was the Igreja de Sao Francisco church.  A few years ago, the church decided to renovate and cover all the ancient stone work with brand spanking new white tile that totally ruined the image of a historical site.  However, the inside was still quite beautiful.  What makes the church well known is the adjacent Chapel of Bones.  With cemeteries overflowin

Exhausted from a week of constant movement, we took the opportunity to have a slow beginning to our day.  After breakfast, a couple of us struck out to visit a couple of landmarks not on our agenda for the last week. Lisbon boasts a museum district which makes visiting them quite accessible on foot. A short train ride dropped us by our first stop, Torre de Belem.  Built under King John, the tower served both as a defensive structure and a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon.  Visitors line up to enter the tower, but we opted for just an outside view.  The nearby Monumento aos Combatentes is a lovely photo opportunity as well. At this point, we split up, with my friend heading to one of the many museums in the area while I headed to the Jeronimos Monastery.  A person could easily spend the day in the area with the variety of offerings. After we were finished with our museum/monastery tour, we decided to check out another Lisbon institution: Pasteis de Belem.  Those wo

After individual help sessions with Joe and Ari, our class time was devoted to narrowing our photos into a themed story. Amazingly, individual styles quickly defined what we each wanted to tell about the trip.  Some leaned towards landscape, others to graphics while others were drawn to people.  It should make for an interesting and diverse final slideshow. In order to make the trip a little shorter, we were issued a box lunch to enjoy on our 4+ hour ride back to Lisbon.  A lesson in bus driving rules caught us by surprise on the outskirts of Lisbon.  Apparently a driver can only log 4 hours behind the wheel before a mandatory 40 minute break.  Fortunately, an alternative driver was quickly found to relieve our driver.  While unwelcome, the delay was minimal and we had a little time back in our hotel before the final evening of our workshop. Gathering in our classroom, we enjoyed a final social hour before viewing the fruits of our photography labor.  Each participant had their ow

After our morning roasting, errr, critiques, we walked down the street to a very local little restaurant overlooking the river.  This is the kind of place where the daily special rules.  They also had a very odd dessert menu with character (think Pokemon) ice cream novelties.  I guess restaurants everywhere are susceptible to the traveling Good Humor Man. This afternoon's venture was for shear pleasure.  We've already narrowed down our photo choices and really just wanted some wine and river cruising.  Pinhao served as our launching point for a delightful two hour river cruise. Scenery along the way was stunning.  This is a major wine growing region, which means steep, rocky hills/mountains and twisty roads made even more adventuresome by tackling them in a bus. Winding down the valley, we were afforded views of the major wine producing region of Portugal. Boats lined the river, waiting for afternoon passengers looking for a little R&R. Our boat, like many othe

The morning was spent critiquing our photos.  The goal for the week was to find a story and illustrate it with our photos.  We've attempted this in the past, but this time seems more relaxed so no one seemed overly concerned with our end goal. Porto , a coastal city, has become a very popular tourist destination in northern Portugal.  The city strides the Douro River with both a pedestrian bridge and water taxis available for crossing.  The Ribeira District is the old town.  Cobbled stoned streets and several storied buildings lining narrow streets define this district.  Restaurants line the waterfront as well as shops and hotels. Across the channel, a newer feeling area awaits.  Almost like a boardwalk in the states, bars and performers hoping for a little tourist largess flank the river banks.  Both sides have merit and should be on any visitor's agenda. An afternoon cocktail and a snack of fries served as a perfect ending before boarding the bus ba

Early morning departures are never easy and this one was no exception.  Most of us had stayed up a little too late dining and packing.  However, our bus ride of several hours allowed us to catch some sleep.  Amar means love in Portuguese, which explains the name of our next destination, Amarante .  The Tamegra River separated us from the town square.  Before discovering the charms of the town, we dined at the Michelin starred restaurant located in our hotel,  Casa da Calcada .  Sitting on the terrace, the afternoon sun bathed us in warmth while we enjoyed the offerings of Tiago Bonito , the Chef of both restaurants in the hotel.  We also had the opportunity to try the local wine, Vinho verde, or green wine.  It was the perfect accompaniment of the delicious meal prepared for us. We had a little time to explore the town after lunch.  Since it was Sunday, lots of townsfolk and children we're strolling the streets and also enjoying water activities on the river.  Everything was v