Belem's Santa Maria Church

Included in the Jeronimos Monastery is the Santa Maria Church. This incredible building is massive in scale and includes the spectacular detail of the late gothic manueline-style monastery.

Six Weeks on the Algarve: Praia da Rocha & Alvor

Last year we fell in love with the Algarve region and were determined to spend at least part of this winter there. Rather than return to familiar territory (Albufeira and Lagos) we opted to stay at Praia da Rocha. We doubt there is a more beautiful beach in all of Portugal.

Jeronimos Monastery

Not far from the wonderfully ornate Belem Tower is the Jeronimos Monastery. Both are magnificent examples of the late Gothic Manueline-style and UNESCO world heritage sites. 

Portuguese Power, Pantheon and Pastels

We spotted the dome of Lisbon's Pantheon from the Sao Jorge Castelo and decided to check it out. Originally the Church of Santa Engracia built in the 17th century, it was converted to the National Pantheon in the 20th century. Now it is a place of honour and burial site for important Portuguese personalities that include soccer players, poets, and fado singers.

Lisbon's Sao Jorge Castle

The Sao Jorge Castelo (Saint George Castle) overlooks Lisbon and has done so for ages as its fortifications were built by the Moors in the 1050s. After the Portuguese reclaimed it in 1147 and Lisbon became the nation's capital in 1255 it became the royal residence. Not much of those glory days remain, but visiting the castle is the number one tourist attraction in Lisbon. 

Intro to Lisbon

It's impossible to do any location justice in one short week, but we were eager to visit Lisbon and gave it our all. Known as the city of seven hills, the capital of Portugal is a prosperous and bustling community of 600,000 situated on the Tagus River.

Nice Carnival Flower Parade

Every year in February it's carnival time in Nice and we were fortunate enough to get tickets to view the Flower Parade. Rows of bleachers were assembled on the boardwalk and we joined thousands to see the spectacle.