We had packed up, stopped for coffee, a chocolate croissant and surprise confectionary. We are on our way. This will be our last stop before heading back to Lisbon this evening.

We arrive in Amarante and drove over this medieval bridge. The walkers and the cars share the bridge yet it all seems safe. Our first stop is to visit this cathedral, the Igrejade de Sao Goncalo.

This cathedral is the location of San Gonzalo who lived and was claimed as a holy matchmaker, he blessed relationships and even fertility. We had read about Amarante and wanted to experience this so we did. Keep reading it gets better.

After this memorable experience of touring the catheral, the blessings, climbing the steps to what was once a convent, we decide to buy a magnet of San Gonzalo as a lasting memory.

We went to have lunch.

Next we need to pick which pastry shop for our usual. Today because we are in Amarante and they feature special confectioneries in Amarante. We ask ourselves should we? Then answered yes we should. We picked a spot and went in.

You can’t make this stuff up!!

This is real time, I’m not in Portugal this morning. I’m with the Cross-Buchanan’s home to celebrate Kevin who graduated from HS yesterday. It was a party, this 🌄 we are sitting outside with the view of the Pottsburg River which flows into the St. John’s River in Jacksonville.

Anyway this morning we are on the deck, drinking coffee. I’m loving the conversation and the glorious laughing of the family. The pictures says so much.

The family and those who feel like family are so special.

Just a few extra pictures I’d like to research. We parked our car here. You guessed it a brewery.

Another picture from the botanical garden, one of the water features. See the church? What a glorious sound of the bells and water. What a combo!

A sidewalk through a downtown neighborhood in Ponte de Lima.

Last but not least, occasionally I noticed here and other places on sidewalks there would be a prayer box. A place to stop, lite a candle and say a prayer. Makes sense to me.

We will check out of our Air b&b tomorrow morning and head to Amarante, Portugal. You don’t want to miss this one, right Laura?

There’s so much about this fine city I want to remember. The gardens here were spectular. When people ask me what was my favorite memory Ponte de Lima is one.

The Market comes to town one Monday a month. We just happen to be there on that Monday.

Flowers and vegetables to plant, fresh produce, fresh fish, salted fish, pastries, bread, but also needed housewares to buy, fabric, clothes to wear, furniture, it’s a true market. It’s not a flea market as we know it, folks don’t have Amazon or shopping malls, one waits for that Monday once a month the buy what you need.

This is the Lima River, riverside towns would take its name from the river. The bridge? It’s ancient and was built during the Middle Ages. The town played a pivotal role in the defense of the Minho against the Moors.

Near the church (above) we walked to the botanical gardens. It was hidden behind the church, but the best kept secret of all.

I caught Laura in her own photo shoot, fun and funny.

We head back over the bridge, stopping by a ceramic artist’s studio near the gardens to buy a couple of treasures. What a joyful day.

Laura still has some energy to look around town. I found a bench shared by two Portuguese women my age. We smiled and greeted each other. They knew many passer-bys and smiled, waved, nodded and spoke. I just smiled, waved and nodded.

I don’t want to ever forget the simple life and how special 🇵🇹 Portugal and its people are.

It’s a Sunday, we drove to Porto, Laura looked for the right parking spot, she found one. We would find a coffee shop first and head to the monastery. First things first, coffee then prayer.

This monastery is named the Mosteiro de Serra Pilar dating back to the 1500s. It sets on a hilltop notable for its round church.

This bird’s eye view of Porto is taken from the monastary. To the left are the winerys. Look close my walking tour guide (Laura) will walk us back down the hill from the monastary, over the bridge into the center of downtown and the market.

We will make a circle and head towards the Douro River, follow it towards the bridge. If you zoom in, the dockside is packed with folks gathered at outside cafe’s on a Sunday afternoon. There’s lots of festive music and fellowship. I loved watching the locals watching the tourists, me included of course.

Warning: Watch for birds overhead. We heard this splat. You guessed it and just missed us!

Porto is the second largest city in 🇵🇹 Portugal. It’s another beautiful day.

We are headed to the train station. It is the Sao Bento Station on the site of an earlier monastery that was completed in 1916. The blue and white azulejos (tiles) have these beautiful historical scenes all telling a story. Awesome.

It’s late afternoon we hop in the car, we are both tired today. Cars go fast up and down hills and share streets with pedestrians. We are going fast also. No one is on their cell phones.

We packed up to leave our villa in the mountains to head towards Braga. Our gracious host came in the back door to prepare breakfast for us. Sweet, huh? It was time to go!

Our next Air b&b is outside Braga, I think. We will visit some old historical cities the next few days, i.e. Braga, Porto, Braganca, Amarante, Ponte de Lima . We’ll be in a central location to visit each. What a trip.

I don’t know if is by design, but I like it, each day we have expresso coffee and a pasteis de nata . They are so good. Shhhh…somedays we have 2.

In Braga we will visit Bom Jesus, climbing up a 17 flight staircase to the cathedral, viewing gardens and feeling the peace.

Then a walk through the Jardim de Santa Barbara, the archways, the roses, in the background once a palace is now used as a library and archives. These gardens were immaculate. Oh the roses!

We walked around Braga, there was a graduation ceremony going on in a portion of downtown market, singers on the streets, even a flea market. Very festive and entertaining.

Next stop Porto.

Laura rented a car, she carried our bags down the tiled street to the Eurocar business. Get in the car momma we are going on a road trip. With goggle maps in her hand, she had a plan we were off.

This day Momma (me) had to really be careful, Laura was in driving-concentration mode. You have to concentrate while driving in Europe. I wanted to help, do something, but I learned not quick enough to be quiet. Not to make nervous noises, no yikes sounds, no gripping the door handle noises…nothing.

If you have driven in Europe you know the fast scene. Laura was driving, reading google maps, shifting gears, calulating distances into miles and going nearly 100 mph. Enough said, zip it.

Obidos as our first stop to see this 14th-century old town within castellated walls. The whitewashed houses and buildings are trimmed in blue or yellow. Beautiful. A walk around, have some coffee (expresso) and a pasteis de nate. Yummy.

http://www.pasteisdenate or http://www.portugesecustard

Next stop the coastal town of Figureira da Foz to have lunch, go for a walk on the beach and downtown to see gardens, a cathedral and garden courtyard. A sweet walk and beautiful old tiles.

Can I just say Laura was amazing. She drove us up into the mountains to an Air b&b in the small farm village of Madeira de Cambra. We had an over the top host name Luis.

First day road trip was…fabulous and Laura you are REALLY over the top.

I’ve noticed about myself that when I’m visiting someone or someplace, I’m trying my hardest to take it all in, to experience it all. I’m listening hard, trying to remember it all, it’s crazy to think I can do that. Guess what? It’s impossible! I laugh at myself as I write this so bear with me! Life is a package and trips teach me more about myself plus the places I’m visiting.

Lisbon has a lot to take in. I think this is one of Laura’s favorite view points. The roof tops, the water view, the bridge, the blue sky and the colors of course. This is Sophia de Mello Breyner scenic view, emphasis on scenic. (Don’t worry Jamie we will come back here.)

Some sights I don’t want to forget from that day.

The narrow streets, sidewalks, fast cars and cafes all in the same place.

In the Graca area sitting on one of those favorite benches, this is the first tile building I sketched. I tried not to hurry. Would you look at that sky, no filter but it enhanced the blue in the tile.

Many century-old trees, this cedar has been creatively preserved by mankind. Refreshing.

There’s more I’m still taking it in, but I’ll leave it there.

A lovely walk to and around the Jardim Botanico d’Ajuda was awesome. It was good to walk and to see what’s blooming in Lisbon, cost €2. Remember Lisbon is built on 7 hills so everything is a view!! Laura is standing on what appears flat, but don’t assume. We would stop, sit on a bench, laugh, care, talk and catch up a bit on our lives while smelling fragrances of the garden and being together.

No, this is not a sketch of mine, but a better understanding of why an urban illustrator (Laura) would love Lisbon. This is also a memory of my first day drinking too much real caffeinated expresso! An inside joke but Laura put an limit on my espresso after that.

This is the area of Graca which will end up being a favorite spot and memory of mine to sit on one of these benches. I’ll watch people and sketch. I started sketching in Lisbon. Today Laura had some work to do and she told me to go explore Alfama. I did.

The Panteao Nacional was once the Church of Santa Engracia in the 17th-century. In the 20th-century it was converted. It’s now a monument to honor 🇵🇹 Portuguese important personalities. This momument is across the street from Laura’s apartment. We will wait until Jamie arrives to tour and climb to the top. For now we walk by everyday, twice a day, three times or more.

I just returned from Portugal after being there 3 weeks. What a wonderful experience. One daughter has lived and worked in Alfama for nearly a year. Alfama was once the most desirable area of Lisbon. As it often happens the wealthy moved out because of fear of an earthquake which did happen in 1755.

This left a very humble group of people, working class people, family oriented, valuing family and friends. Laura is an independent artist, she fell in love with this colorful city and the hearts of the ones she met. It seems to go both ways, they fall in love with her too and her work.

She is a brilliant young metalsmith-illustrator http://www.laurafortune.com or Instagram @janitorcloset

Anyway, Laura says all my pictures look slanted. They are! In Alfama one is always standing on a steep street with narrow sidewalk or stairway. The first picture is the front of her apartment building. The second is in the back, her door and window.

I’ll start there, but there’s more to come. PS. This is not her car, maybe you know the name of it. Since she arrived, it’s always been parked there.