As a general rule I do not like layovers in airports. If there is no direct flight to where I want to go, I like to plan a few days in the location of the connecting city, especially if it is a place I have never been. Portugal was a place I had not visited. The return flight had us stopping there. I thought it would be a good way to end our summer trip visiting relatives in Europe. It was made a little more complicated because of covid and the ever changing rules. We did not have much time so I contacted Portugal Magik. Gonzalo (the founder of the company) worked with me to set up the trip and help us understand the covid-19 travel rules. He hooked us up with an excellent driver, named Diogo, who also served as our tour guide. His command of English made communication easy. His knowledge of his native country’s history and culture made the stop one to remember. I had heard Portugal had a lot to offer and it certainly delivered. It is a small country rich in history and known for its food. Diogo was able to take us to some of his favorite places in the short time that we had and we savored some of the country’s culinary delights and learned much more and wasted less time than we would have if we had done the planning ourselves. We stayed in Hotel Fortaleza do Guincho for two nights; a converted seaside fort that has a Michelin star rated restaurant on the property. We arrived late and took advantage of this on the first evening. Even though the star rated restaurant was officially closed because of the pandemic, the same people prepared our meal that would have if it were open. It was delightful. So was breakfast on the following two mornings. Portugal is known for its seafood, a favorite of ours, and every dish we had was fresh and delicious. It was worth the stop for the food and the hospitality. I hope to see more of this lovely little country in the future. For some photos from this short stay click here.
a gentle imperative with a simple goal
