From Lisbon to Lisbon: All of Portugal

Despite a dramatic year from a professional standpoint and with still many clouds on the horizon, we really don't want to deprive ourselves of what we love doing most, that is, exploring the beautiful planet where God has chosen to place us. So, on this midsummer day, we are setting off on a new journey that will lead us to discover Portugal, an EU state extending for about 92,000 square kilometers, slightly less than a third of Italy. After an early lunch and with all the luggage packed, at 12:55 we leave home, then a quarter of an hour later we take the A14 at Faenza heading north … The journey is short and already at 13:40 we are at parking lot P4 of Bologna's Marconi Airport leaving the car.

With the shuttle we reach the terminal and, having located our desk, after a long queue, we check in our suitcases, then, having gone through the metal detector, we reach gate number 1, where boarding operations are already beginning. In no time at all we find ourselves seated on the Airbus A319 of the Tap airline, identified as flight TP 871, which at 15:55 lifts off the ground heading for Lisbon. Everything goes smoothly and, also gaining an hour of time difference, we land at the airport of the Portuguese capital at 17:15 local time, while the sun is shining, accompanied by a pleasant temperature. We collect all our luggage safe and sound and once out of the airport we take the metro towards the city center … In this way, at the Alameda station, we emerge right in front of the Hotel AS Lisboa, which will host us for the next three nights.

They assign us our room, where we leave all our things before taking a walk in the surroundings, which also include the monumental Fonte Luminosa fountain. Then we find a restaurant to have dinner, and then we retire to our room to organize the first, imminent day of sightseeing in the capital.

(Part One)

After a rather troubled night, due to road works taking place right under our window, we prepare to face the first chapter of the journey dedicated to discovering Lisbon, with the weather forecast predicting scorching heat. We start from the Alameda metro station, near the hotel, and from there we reach the one that brings us out at Praça do Comercio, one of the main squares of the capital, laid out on the banks of the Tagus River, where a royal palace once stood, which collapsed after the devastating earthquake of 1755 (the strongest ever recorded in Europe), which razed much of Lisbon to the ground. On one side the waters flow, while on the other three monumental yellow-tinted buildings stand, dominated in the center by the equestrian statue of King Dom José and, at the middle of the main facade, by the grandioso Arco da Rua Augusta, erected to celebrate the rebirth of the city.

Having passed through the arch we immerse ourselves in the Baixa district, a child of the reconstruction, with its straight streets and the architectural homogeneity of the buildings, which bring to mind views with a Parisian flavor. We thus arrive before the Elevador de Santa Justa, an eccentric iron construction dating back to 1902, the work of Raul Mésnie, a disciple of Gustave Eiffel … After a fair queue we climb onto the historic elevator which in a short time takes us up its 32 meters, almost to the top. In fact, you have to tackle a narrow spiral staircase to reach the panoramic terrace, which offers a beautiful glimpse of the city … A shame only about today's dense haze.

With the elevador we land in the Barrio Alto district, literally the upper city, and in the immediate vicinity we go to visit the Convento do Carmo, or what remains of it … The religious complex, built at the end of the 14th century, in fact housed the largest church in Lisbon, but was severely damaged in the 1755 earthquake and never entirely rebuilt. Thus the majestic and evocative Gothic arches remain, standing out against the blue sky, as a reminder of the event that, at the time, upset the face of the city. From the Convento do Carmo, on foot, we descend again to the Baixa and reach the scenic Praça Dom Pedro IV (better known as Rossio). This has been the main square of the capital since the Middle Ages, adorned with baroque fountains and mosaic floors, with the facade of the monumental Teatro Nacional de Dona Maria II occupying the northern side of the quadrangle.

We also see the nearby Praça da Figuera, once the site of Lisbon's main market, and then we return to Rossio to observe, at very short distance, the fine Manueline architecture of the railway station of the same name. With the characteristic Elevador da Gloria, a funicular built in 1885, we then climb back up, rattling along, to the Barrio Alto and near the terminus we go to the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, but meanwhile the haze has increased further and the panorama is not exceptional. Strolling through the district, where many buildings are covered in azulejos, we stop to visit the beautiful Igreja de São Roque, erected by the Jesuits in the 16th century, with a simple Renaissance facade but richly decorated interiors.

Then we arrive, among interesting metropolitan views, in front of the Caffè A Brasileira, where, among the outdoor tables, stands the statue of Fernando Pessoa, one of the greatest Portuguese-language poets of the 20th century, who loved to come and sit here, as the place was a habitual gathering spot for the intellectuals of the time. Passing through the tracks of the Elevador da Bica, one of the most famous funiculars in the city, dating back to 1892, whose car (perhaps under maintenance) we wait in vain for a long time to pass by, we also reach the Miradouro de Santa Catarina, which in theory should offer grand panoramas of the capital and the Tagus River, but in practice the aforementioned haze makes it a terrace suspended in nothingness, with the ghostly silhouette of the enormous Ponte 25 de Abril in the distance.

(Part Two)

Near the Miradouro de Santa Catarina, in any case, we have lunch with our sandwiches, then we resume the itinerary. Thus, at the top of the Elevador da Bica, we climb onto the historic and rattling tram of Line 28 … Lisbon's trams are one of the main attractions of the city and Line 28 represents their essence, with its route touching all the major points of interest in the capital. In this way we reach the Sé, that is, the cathedral of Lisbon, an ancient Romanesque-style building that certainly deserves a visit, starting with its beautiful cloister dating back to the 13th century. From the cathedral we then descend to the banks of the Tagus to see the curious Casa dos Bicos, that is, the "house of points," dating back to the 1500s, whose facade is studded with pyramidal stones. After that we set off under the scorching sun towards the Alfama district.

The oldest inhabited core of Lisbon dates back to the Moorish domination and its name derives, in fact, from the Arabic Al-hamma. Over time the city then developed further west, so the old kasbah ended up being inhabited by fishermen and poor people, and its nature as a poor neighborhood persists to this day. Alfama has thus maintained its character as a picturesque labyrinth of alleys and small squares, into which we venture. In this way, passing by the white Igreja de São Miguel and zigzagging through stairs and narrow passages, we climb up to the famous Miradouro de Santa Luzia, which despite the haze offers a spectacular glimpse of the capital.

Besieged by today's heat, which is becoming truly oppressive, we nonetheless continue our ascent to the Alfama hill and arrive at the Castelo de São Jorge, an imposing defensive structure, whose origins are lost in the mists of time, which dominates the entire city. We take a walk along the sentry paths enjoying the panoramas beyond the battlements and then, by now mid-afternoon, we walk back to the vicinity of the cathedral. At the first available stop we climb back onto the historic tram of Line 28, whose tracks, winding up and down through the narrow streets of Alfama, bring us in front of the great Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora. The monastery, rebuilt at the end of the 16th century on a design by the Italian architect Filippo Terzi, with its white bulk plays an important role in the panoramic views of the city.

Inside it also preserves a series of cloisters, silent and solitary, covered in magnificent azulejos, as well as the royal pantheon of the Braganza dynasty, the last to reign over Portugal. But it's on the roof of the building, among countless pinnacles, that you enjoy the best part of São Vicente, with views of the Tagus and the adjacent, white Igreja de Santa Engrácia. Having left the monastery satisfied, on foot we pass right in front of Santa Engrácia and reach, on the banks of the Tagus, the Santa Apolónia station, near which we wait for bus number 794, which should take us to the Museu Nacional do Azulejo … However, looking at the schedules and doing a quick calculation we realize that we would never arrive in time for the visit, so we decide to take a taxi.

The azulejo is an architectural element typical of Portugal and southern Spain, which we will encounter often along our itinerary, and for this reason we thought that a visit to the museum that traces its history could somehow be useful for understanding Lusitanian culture, influenced by the Moorish occupation. Azulejo in fact derives from the Arabic «al-zulaycha», which means small polished stone, that is, a ceramic tile in the shades (generally but not necessarily) of white and blue, used to embellish buildings of any kind. The Museu Nacional do Azulejo is housed in the complex of the former Madre de Deus church, which preserves numerous and valuable decorated rooms, all completed by an exhaustive collection of azulejos, made in the most varied styles, from the 1400s to the present day.

We leave the museum a few moments before closing, then by bus and metro we return, exhausted but fulfilled, to the Hotel A.S. Lisboa. We freshen up and go out to dinner at the restaurant across from our accommodation, spending an outrageous amount. Then we dedicate ourselves to a well-deserved rest, in anticipation of the new round of sightseeing in the Portuguese capital.

The second and last day that we had planned to reserve for Lisbon begins early. Today too we start with the metro and reach the center at Praça da Figuera, from where we are supposed to take the electric tram of Line 15 to the outlying district of Belém … but we wait in vain, because apparently there's been an accident and the line is temporarily suspended. We immediately try to put a plan B into action … We take the metro again to the Cais do Sodré station and from there bus number 728 to Belém, but with all good will we lose about an hour compared to our schedule.

Once we arrive at our destination we cross the Jardim de Belém on foot and first of all we ascertain the state of restoration of the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, with scaffolding completely wrapping the great reinforced concrete monument (dating back to 1996) dedicated to the discoveries, which depicts the prow of a caravel facing the waters of the Tagus River. We then arrive before the Belém Tower, the main symbol of the city of Lisbon, distinctly late, when a very long queue has already formed in front of it to enter. Patiently we join it, but we don't cross its threshold until almost 11:00, and among other things paying a regular ticket and not for free since it's Sunday, as claimed by our guidebook.

The tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, was built in the early years of the 16th century, commissioned by King João II as part of a defensive system at the mouth of the Tagus and as a ceremonial gateway to the capital, and is a shining example of the Manueline style, enriched with elaborate lacework and

Ferragosto begins early for us … We have to leave Lisbon and the alarm goes off at 6:30. In this way, shortly after 8:00 we are already at the airport, at the Europecar desk, picking up the rental car, with which we intend to tour almost all of Portugal. Within reasonable time they hand us a grey Opel Astra station wagon (registered 26 PX 56) and with that we set off on the Lusitanian roads. We head straight for the outskirts of the capital and in the suburb of Queluz we go to visit the royal palace of the same name. Called the Versailles of Portugal, for its clear inspiration from the famous Parisian palace, it was commissioned by Pedro III in 1747 as the summer residence of the court and, recently restored, it is one of the most sumptuous palaces in the whole country.

As soon as we enter we visit the sumptuous apartments, where the magnificent Throne and Ambassadors' Rooms stand out, but also the typical Corredor das Mangas, a bright space decorated with splendid azulejos. Outside, the fine French gardens frame the monumental Rococo façades of the palace and embellish the original Canal dos Azulejos, the royal family's private landing on the Jamor river, completely covered in glazed tiles … all very beautiful. Having left the Palace of Queluz we immediately set off again and return for a few kilometres towards the centre of Lisbon. We stop to do a quick shop in the Benfica district and then go, in the immediate vicinity, to the entrance of the interesting Palácio dos Marques de Frontera, a 17th-century hunting residence, which is normally open on Mondays, but today is a holiday and we find it closed.

A little annoyed, we then get back in the car and leave the Portuguese capital behind us, which we will only see again on the last day of the holiday. We proceed swiftly westwards, along the motorway that runs parallel to the coastline, until we reach the locality of Cascais, on whose western outskirts are the austere cliffs known as Boca do Inferno. In this scenic stretch of coast, among high rock walls, the sea insinuates itself inside an enormous natural arch (which resembles a mouth) and on stormy days the waves that crash into it produce deafening and frightening sounds, hence the name of the place … Today, however, the sea is calm and from the panoramic terrace, reachable with a very short walk, we can calmly enjoy the landscape overlooking the ocean.

If the views at Boca do Inferno are spectacular, at Cabo da Roca, the next destination of our itinerary, less than twenty kilometres away, they are superlative! We arrive at Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of the European continent, along a winding road and, having left the car in a car park, we look out over the Atlantic Ocean from the height of the 140 metres of the cliffs, cloaked in green, which plunge into a crystalline sea … all of it, thank God, in splendid weather conditions, with a blue sky and the sunlight setting alight all the colours of nature, but also the red of the lantern above the 19th-century lighthouse that dominates the scene … stupendous! We wander for a long time along the stretch of coast, taking an infinite number of photos, then we return to the car to eat our daily packed lunch.

In the early afternoon we set course for the locality of Sintra, touristically speaking one of the most renowned in Portugal, and more precisely we climb the steep mountains south of the town to go and see the fairytale Palácio da Pena. Included in the Unesco World Heritage list since 1995 (like the whole historic centre of Sintra), the Palácio da Pena is an eccentric construction, a concentration of architectural styles (Arab, Gothic, Manueline, Baroque, Renaissance, etc …) commissioned in 1840 by Maria II of Braganza as a wedding gift for her husband, King Ferdinand II, and designed by the German architect and baron Ludwig von Eschwege, who fully succeeded in his aim of creating an indescribable palace, capable of rivalling the contemporary Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria.

The palace is located within a vast estate and at the top of a steep cliff, which is why, having crossed the gate, we take advantage of the shuttle service that takes us before it … then we begin to explore it minutely, passing through fanciful turrets, vertiginous sentry walks and enchanting courtyards, a succession of fantastic views, almost unreal as they are beautiful (sometimes one has the feeling of being in a theme park rather than in a real historic monument). In proportion, however, the interiors disappoint us a little, perhaps also because of the very many, too many tourists crowding them. Having left the palace and regained, by shuttle, the entrance gate, on foot we go to see the nearby Castelo dos Mouros, which is located, in practice, on the hill opposite that of the Palácio da Pena.

Built in the 9th century by the Moors (as can well be guessed from the name), the castle had the function of protecting the city of Sintra. It was, however, conquered several times during the crusades and in time fell into ruin, until, in the 19th century, it was extensively restored as part of the project concerning the gardens of the Palácio da Pena. The visit to the castle is a fine hike with many steps to climb, but it is another exceptional experience, which unfolds among evocative vestiges

After a good night at the Moon Hill Hostel, we get up slowly, enjoy a pleasant breakfast and then, on foot, head towards the Palácio Nacional, which is only a few hundred metres away and won't open its doors before 9:30. The Palácio Nacional dates back to the fifteenth-century reign of João I and can be considered in every respect the oldest royal palace in Portugal. Born under the banner of the Gothic style, later, to embellish its appearance, Manueline decorative elements were added. What stands out most, however, in the imposing silhouette that dominates the historic centre of Sintra, are two enormous conical chimneys, which rise from the kitchens to a height of thirty-three metres and characterise the entire construction.

Having observed the harmonious and candid main façade, we also devote ourselves to visiting the interiors, at times rich in splendour, in which the marvellous Sala dos Brasões stands out, with splendid azulejos on the walls and an enormous dome decorated with the coats of arms of the Lusitanian nobility. By mid-morning we leave the Palácio Nacional and walk towards the first outskirts of the town, where the Quinta da Regaleira is located, an estate perched on the side of a hill, in which the wealthy landowner Antonio Augusto Carvalho Montero had built, at the beginning of the twentieth century, to a design by the Italian architect Luigi Manini, a palace in fake Manueline style (the Palácio dos Milhões), surrounded by eccentric gardens, rich in grottoes, little lakes, small temples and labyrinths.

Besides the palace, we are particularly intrigued by the fairy-tale Torre da Regaleira, but above all by the enigmatic Initiation Well, at whose bottom one arrives along a helical staircase, which fires the little one's imagination. From there, then, through some tunnels, one reaches various points of the park. Mentally transformed into so many little Harry Potters, given the setting, we then approach the exit of the Quinta da Regaleira and immediately run to the Moon Hill Hostel, where check-out is scheduled for 12:00 sharp and we arrive a few harmless minutes late.

We set off at once by car and after a few kilometres among hills we stop to see also the gardens and the palace of Monserrate, whose current appearance is owed to the English aristocrat Francis Cook and to the architect James Knowles, who in the mid-nineteenth century was inspired by the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, using a happy combination of Moorish and Italian decorations: another architectural extravagance of this astonishing locality, beloved by the Lusitanian nobility, but not only. Having completed this visit too, we leave the Sintra region for good and, given the time, we start looking for a supermarket, so as to pick up something to have for lunch, but, incredible but true, after passing through several towns, we simply cannot find one … So we make do, now in the early afternoon, with chicken and chips, bought at a remote rotisserie.

Back on the road, we head swiftly north and pass through the town of Mafra to photograph the grandiose Baroque façade of the monastery of the same name, built in the eighteenth century with the proceeds of the Brazilian mines … but we see it all only from the outside, because today is Tuesday and the monument is closed to the public. Moving on, we continue to chew up kilometres and reach the built-up area of Lourinhã, in whose centre we go to explore the Museu da Lourinhã, a small exhibition that has the merit of including a section dedicated to dinosaurs … The town, in fact, is advertised as the Capital dos Dinossauros, because of the numerous Jurassic-era fossils found in the area and displayed here … An experience at times electrifying, particularly for the youngest member of the family.

Now in the mid-afternoon we leave Lourinhã and head towards the last destination of the day, which is the fortified citadel of Obidos. Developed above all towards the end of the thirteenth century, when the sea, now several kilometres away, still lapped the town walls, and partly rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake, Obidos today presents itself as one of the most picturesque villages in all of Portugal. We park the car at the foot of the walls and then pass through the Porta da Vila, the main access to the town, adorned by a chapel entirely clad in azulejos. From there we then go back up the whole of Rua Direita, flanked by typical whitewashed dwellings with ochre and cobalt blue trim, but also peppered with souvenir shops, so much so that the best views are had by wandering into the side streets.

Also very characteristic is the Igreja de Santa Maria, the setting in 1444 for the marriage of the child king Alfonso V, aged ten, to his cousin Isabel, aged eight. Strolling on, we then reach the medieval castle, characterised by numerous crenellated towers, which has recently been transformed into a luxurious pousada. Near the castle we finally climb onto the walls, so we walk the whole of the sentry walk facing west, with fine views over the entire village, and come back down to earth at the Porta da Vila, concluding the visit of Obidos too with satisfaction. At this point there remain about twenty kilometres to cover, as far as the town of Peniche, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

There we take lodgings, right in the centre, at the Swordfish Eco-House, a very spartan establishment, but fit for purpose, which will host us for the next two nights … carrying on a holiday that little by little is entering our hearts.

The ceaseless screeching of the seagulls wakes us at the first light of dawn, so we laze a while between the sheets and when we draw back the curtains we are somewhat taken aback: not only is it cloudy, but there is also a thick fog! … Precisely today, when a boat excursion (booked back home) awaits us to the island of Berlenga, a steep little piece of land located ten kilometres off these coasts, declared a Nature Reserve in 1981, but a protected area since 1465, in practice the first of its kind in the world! We are not intimidated by the situation, however, also because the forecast for the rest of the day is not horrible, and we get ready in full for the seaside experience.

So we make our way to the port of Peniche and there we find plenty of other people about to set off on the excursion, towels and beach umbrellas under their arms, even though it feels like November … At 9:30 we set sail, on the motor vessel of the Viamar company, navigating almost blind, then along the way the fog dissolves, but the sky remains cloudy and gloomy.

After about forty minutes we disembark without too much enthusiasm on the Ilha da Berlenga and immediately set off, among countless seagulls, towards its summit, where the nineteenth-century lighthouse stands, then we reach, amid wild scenery, the westernmost extremity of the place, while precisely in the direction of that cardinal point, on the horizon, some auspicious patches of clear sky can be glimpsed … We wait almost an hour and in the end we are rewarded, because the sun finally arrives, kindling all the colours and enhancing the beauties of Berlenga. I start snapping photos like mad, while we head towards the south-eastern coast of the island, where the Forte de São João Baptista is located, the main attraction of Berlenga, built in 1651 to prevent the conquest of this small strip of land by North African corsairs or enemy powers.

The construction is set in an extraordinary environmental context, located on a rock and reachable via a steep staircase and a winding stone footbridge, between very tall walls of pink granite and surrounded by crystal-clear sea. Inside the fort, today partly transformed into a pousada, we lunch on our sandwiches, then we face the extremely tiring climb that takes us back to the lighthouse and the summit of the island, then we slowly make our way back towards the boat's landing point, where the sparse houses of Berlenga are found, a small campsite and the only beach, though decidedly scenic … and there we go and stop, with the intention of spending a couple of hours by the sea. The sun now scorches the skin and in the bay, very sheltered, it is nicely warm, the ocean water on the other hand is freezing.

This does not stop Leonardo, undaunted, from taking a long swim, which we hope will have no consequences for his health. At 16:30, having repacked our backpacks, we return to the pier, where we find punctually the Viamar motor vessel, which has come to pick us up. We thus leave behind the splendid Ilha de Berlenga and after a calm crossing, during which we also see dolphins, we disembark again in the port of Peniche … It is still too early, however, to return to the Swordfish Eco-House, so we get in the car and reach, west of the built-up area, Cabo Carvoeiro.

At the extremity of a harsh rocky peninsula jutting out towards the open sea and the island of Berlenga are astounding cliffs sheer above the foaming waters of the Atlantic, surmounted by an eighteenth-century lighthouse and guarded by an enormous sea stack … Another beautiful experience, in which nature reigns supreme, enjoyed as part of a day that began not too well, but ended magnificently!

This morning no fog at Peniche … so we set off early heading north and around 9:30 we are already in the town of Alcobaça to visit the Cistercian monastery of the same name. Listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1998, the Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça was founded in 1153 by the first king of Portugal, Alfonso Henriques, and in the thirteenth century it was certainly the most powerful in the country. Perpetually linked to the Portuguese royals, this great Gothic-style building is a cross-section of Lusitanian history, containing some tombs of monarchs, among which one notices the highly elaborate ones of Pedro I and his wife Inês de Castro, protagonists of a heart-rending love story.

Besides the sumptuous naves of the church, the Sala dei Re also stands out, containing the statues of the monarchs who governed the kingdom during its first six hundred years, the great Cloister of Silence and the monastery kitchen, characterised by an enormous fireplace. Having regained the car and resumed the itinerary around 11:00, we reach another famous monastery, perhaps the most important in the country: that of Batalha. Placed under the aegis of UNESCO since 1983, the Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória de Batalha is one of the most significant and grandiose examples of the Manueline Gothic style in all of Portugal and was built at the wish of King João I, in 1386, to commemorate the victory over the Castilian army that allowed him to ascend the throne.

The construction of the complex then went on for almost a century and a half, during which the place also took on the role of royal pantheon. On the right of the great nave, just after the elaborate entrance portal, we indeed see the splendid Capela do Fundador, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture that houses the tombs of João I, his wife Philippa and four princes their sons, among whom Henry the Navigator, pioneer of geographical explorations. On the other side of the nave we instead access the marvellous Claustro Real, bordered by elegant pointed vaults decorated with delicate tracery, while in a corner there is a graceful fountain with superimposed basins. From the porticoes one then has access to the great Chapter House, which presents a bold architectural solution.

We must finally leave the monastery to access, at the back of the apse, the so-called Capelas Imperfeitas (the unfinished chapels), commissioned by King Duarte I (son of João) in 1437 as a second family mausoleum, but never finished due to the premature death of the sovereign and also of the architect … Although open to the sky, the chapels are an astounding masterpiece of Manueline art whose complex decorations, carved in stone, leave us astonished. On a bench, in the area around the monastery, we consume our "Lucullan" lunch, then in the early afternoon we take to the road again and, in a short while, arrive in the nearby locality of Fatima, where one of the best-known sanctuaries of modern Christianity is found.

Fatima was a simple agricultural village until 13 May 1917, when, according to the accounts, the Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children revealing to Lucia (one of them) the famous three secrets. Since then the place has been a destination for pilgrimages and has developed exponentially. A vast esplanade, capable of holding a million faithful, in fact extends before the very white basilica, in which the shepherd children are buried, and around the simple Capelinha das Apariçöes, built on the spot where the Madonna presumably appeared … A true industry of worship in which we, non-practising Christians, briefly allow ourselves to be drawn in.

So we line up for the candle rite and then leave the place to which, I won't hide it, I left a few personal prayers … Returning to today's programme of visits, we move about ten kilometres from Fatima and, changing subject completely, land at the site of the Pegadas dos Dinossáurios, an old quarry where, in 1994, palaeontologists made an extraordinary discovery: the oldest and longest series of dinosaur footprints in the world, dating back 175 million years and belonging to large herbivores that plied what was once a lagoon. The place is very interesting even if, to look at it, a bit run-down, especially as regards the visitors' centre. The footprints, however, stand out clearly and it is moving to think about who they belonged to and how far back in time they date.

Having spent over an hour strolling in the Jurassic era, we return to real time and, back on the road, we also reach the medieval castle of Almourol, scenically located on a small island in the middle of the Tagus river (the same one as Lisbon and the Torre de Belém). Dating back to the twelfth century and belonging to the Templar fortresses, the manor had purely military functions and consists of a keep and a massive circuit of walls. We reach it by a small boat and explore it up to the top of the tower, from which one enjoys a fine panorama.

Having left the castle, we calmly head towards the town of Tomar and towards the end of the stage, but it is still early and, having reached our destination, we go to the outskirts of the built-up area to see the suggestive remains of the Aqueduto Pegões, erected in the seventeenth century for the water supply to the great Convento de Cristo, but the best perspective of the construction is distinctly contre-jour, so we resolve to come back the next day. We then gain the centre of Tomar and the Pensão Residencial Luanda, which will host us for the night, then we go out to dinner in the village, eating divinely at the restaurant O Tabuleiro and putting an end to a more than positive day.

Now a week since the start of this trip, when we get up, we find the sky full of clouds … as forecast, after all, today a grey day awaits us. After breakfast, on foot, we go to see the interesting Praça da Republica, the main public space of the city of Tomar, onto which the beautiful Igreja de São João Baptista and a series of seventeenth-century buildings look, among which the old town hall, then we return to the hotel and set off by car with all our luggage. The journey, however, is short, because we climb the hill that dominates the built-up area, where the great Convento de Cristo is found, one of the most important historic buildings in the country (in UNESCO since 1983), founded in the twelfth century as the seat of the Order of the Knights Templar, later transformed into the Order of Christ, of which Henry the Navigator was also Grand Master.

The complex is enormous and we gradually begin our visit, starting with the so-called Charola, a round temple built on the model of the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, superbly decorated in the sixteenth century with polychrome statues and wonderful paintings, then moving on to the various cloisters (the convent has no fewer than eight), among which the two-storey one of João III stands out. Finally we also notice the astounding Manueline decorations of the Janela do Capitulo (the window of the Chapter House) … Very beautiful, there's no denying it, but all the exteriors of the Convento de Cristo would need a copious restoration.

By mid-morning we leave Tomar and, having passed by the Aqueduto Pegões again, we start to chew up kilometres northwards, while it also begins to rain … then it stops, but the sky remains grey when we come within sight of Coimbra, a historic university city, which was also the capital of Portugal between 1143 and 1255. We do the shopping and then have lunch on the banks of the Mondego river, which characterises the views over the built-up centre, then we set off to discover Coimbra and walk up towards the hill of the old town.

So we stop first of all to see the Sé Velha, the first cathedral, erected in the twelfth century in a very severe Romanesque style, which makes it resemble a fortress much more than a church, then we climb further until we arrive in front of the so-called Porta Férrea, which gives access to the glorious Velha Universidade, one of the oldest universities in Europe, founded in 1290. Having passed through the gate we access the Paço das Escolas, the vast square around which the complex of the old university develops, housed in the ancient royal palaces, and there we begin to follow the relative visiting route.

First of all we explore what were once the rooms of the royal palace, among which the solemn Sala dos Capelos (former Throne Room) stands out, now the seat of the most important academic ceremonies, then we see the small but enchanting Capela de São Miguel, entirely clad in polychrome azulejos, and finally we enter the sumptuous Biblioteca Joanina, a Baroque masterpiece containing about 250,000 precious volumes. Back at the Paço das Escolas, aided by a few timid rays of sunshine, we enjoy the views over the entire complex and over the city from above, then we leave the prestigious Velha Universidade, which since 2013 has also become part of the assets placed under the aegis of UNESCO.

Having come down from the hill of the old town, we also stop to peek at the interesting Igreja de Santa Cruz, with its original façade, which is a mix of architectural styles, and with interiors decorated with the typical azulejos, then we return to the car to leave Coimbra. It is almost 16:00 and we are clearly behind schedule, so we set off swiftly, still heading north, while the sky darkens again and drops a few more drops of rain. When, however, we arrive in the town of Aveiro, which we intend to visit, the weather calms down and on the horizon patches of clear sky can be seen. First of all we stop to photograph the characteristic old station, all adorned with azulejos, then we go towards the centre … Aveiro is located in a lagoon area and because of its canals it is also called the Portuguese Venice, but let's not joke, it is not even a distant relative of the Italian one.

Nevertheless it offers some intriguing glimpses, seasoned by the colourful local boats (the barcos moliceiros), as well as by the seventeenth-century Igreja da Misericordia, whose façade is entirely decorated with azulejos. After a quick tour of the central streets we leave Aveiro behind too to go to the nearby locality of Costa Nova, on the ocean shore, where, facing the inner lagoon, there is a picturesque row of buildings typical of this region: the palheiros, that is the huts built in the nineteenth century by fishermen for their equipment, which over time, skilfully restored, have become pleasant holiday homes and now make a fine show, painted as they are in stripes of strong colours alternating with white. Having taken the due photos, we prepare to follow the last stretch of this intense stage, while the sun wins its battle and returns as absolute master of the Lusitanian skies.

With the prow constantly pointing north we reach the built-up area of Valega to see the little-known Igreja Matriz de Santa Maria, whose façade, clad in multicoloured azulejos, stands out behind the small village cemetery, creating a beautiful, as well as unexpected, overall picture … a shame only, given the late hour, that we cannot explore its interiors too. We then hurry to 15 kilometres away, to the locality of Cortegaça, to observe, only from the outside, the Igreja Matriz de Santa Marinha, also this one, though semi-unknown, truly beautiful thanks to its cladding in traditional bichrome azulejos … Now in the evening, however, one destination is still missing to complete the day. So we point the navigator at the nearby Praia de Miramar, where, on the ocean shore, the curious Capela do Senhor da Pedra is found.

Having almost reached our destination, however, we are alarmed by a warning light signalling a flat tyre … We stop but notice nothing unusual, so we go to see the little church, built in 1686 and scenically perched on a lonely rock on this stretch of coast, characterised by a long beach, all while the sun, ever closer to the horizon line, makes the setting even more suggestive. In the end, at almost 20:00, we head towards the city of Porto, where we will stay, while the warning light keeps signalling the problem. So we stop at a service area to inflate the tyres and ascertain that in fact one was very deflated … let's just hope it is only deflated … Almost at dusk we make our entry into Porto and reach the Hotel Palanca, which will host us for two nights.

We take the luggage to the room and go to dinner even before taking a shower, then we retire to our rooms to rest, in anticipation, tomorrow, of the visit to the second city in Portugal by size.

The day does not begin in the best way: I go down to the car to get a bottle of water and notice that the tyre in question is completely flat, so punctured. I turn to reception, where they point me to a tyre repairer nearby, so we put on the spare wheel and go at once to repair the tyre, at the end accumulating at least an hour of delay on the planned programme … Anyway, all's well that ends well and around 9:30 we set off, backpack on our shoulders, to discover Porto. We buy a day pass for public transport and from the nearby Marquez metro station we set the dance going … So we emerge from underground near the Mercado do Bolhão, a rather dilapidated iron structure that houses the Porto market, and from there we walk to the Avenida dos Aliados, a very wide gently sloping avenue at whose top the City Hall Palace is located.

Practically at the opposite end, where the avenida takes the name Praça da Libertade, is instead the Estação de São Bento, the monumental railway station, whose atrium is completely covered with splendid azulejos, which illustrate the history of transport and of Portugal. From the station we then walk to reach the beautiful Igreia dos Clérigos, an eighteenth-century work by the architect of Italian origins Niccolò Nasoni, characterised by its Baroque tower, 75 metres high, which soars above the whole city. A few blocks away we then go to see the Igreja do Carmo, which, adorned on its side by a large azulejos, was built in the eighteenth century right next to the Igreja das Carmelitas … The two churches are so close that between them is found the narrowest house in all of Portugal, about one metre wide, with its door and two small superimposed windows.

In Porto too, as in Lisbon, old and picturesque trams circulate and right in front of the two churches is the stop of the historic Line 18. There we wait and once aboard the rattling vehicle we get off on the banks of the river Douro (always the lifeblood of the city) and running towards the very first outskirts we stop right in front of the Museu do Carro Eléctrico. This exhibition space, housed in the premises of a former power station, is little frequented, but instead deserves due attention since it goes through exhaustively the history of the tram, displaying a fine series of gleaming period examples. With another electric tram (number 1) we return towards the centre of Porto and get off right in front of the Igreja de São Francisco, the only Gothic church in the city, now deconsecrated, dating back to the fourteenth century.

Its interiors, however, are Baroque and are astounding for the richness of the gilded wooden decorations, which give the impression of a church covered in gold. In the underground areas, instead, we observe some macabre catacombs, then we find the open air again and continue on our itinerary. We pass in front of the Palácio da Bolsa, whose halls would deserve to be seen, but it is possible to do so only with a long guided tour and so we decline. In this way we arrive again on the banks of the Douro, in the stretch known as Ribeira, the most characteristic of the city, also declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here the most typical houses of Porto, lined up along the quay, create delightful little pictures before which we stop for a long time, also to have lunch.

Without wasting too much time we then set off again and, strolling along the Ribeira waterfront, we also savour the view of the Ponte Dom Luis I, the spectacular icon of the city of Porto, made of iron, towards the end of the nineteenth century, following the design of the Belgian engineer Téophile Seyrig, a pupil of the far better known Gustave Eiffel. Its grandiose 172-metre arch spans the Douro at this point and allows crossing on two levels: one just above the water level and the other about fifty metres higher. From the base of the bridge we then climb the hill that dominates the right bank of the river with the help of the Funicolar dos Guindais and set off into that area of the city. So we pass in front of the beautiful azulejo-rich façade of the Igreja de Santo Idelfonso and also reach the Sé, the cathedral of Porto.

Built as a church-fortress from the twelfth century, the Sé has a severe Romanesque-style façade that looks onto a vast panoramic terrace dominated in the centre by an elaborate pelourinho (stone column that served as a pillory). The interior is very dark, while instead the Gothic cloister is very beautiful, decorated with admirable Baroque azulejos. Having left the cathedral too, we head again towards the Douro and the Ponte Dom Luis I, which we cross on foot along its upper part, with spectacular panoramas over the city. Thus we reach on the other bank the town of Vila Nova de Gaia, which, however strange it may seem, is not a district of Porto, but a municipality in its own right. From here the views range magnificently over the bridge and over Ribeira, but that is not all, because the area is famous worldwide for its numerous port wine cellars, the pride of the local wine production.

We decide to visit the Sandeman cellar, perhaps the most famous, founded in 1790, in whose brand there is a man with a black cloak (called don) and sombrero, the same attire worn by the guide (French-speaking), who accompanies us among the stacks of barrels containing the precious nectar … Thus we enjoy another interesting experience, at the end of which we are also offered a welcome taste of the product. Now in the late afternoon we stroll for a while along the waterfront of Vila Nova de Gaia, teeming with tourists, and then with the help of the Teleférico de Gaia we go back up, accompanied by other remarkable panoramic views, to the top of the Ponte Dom Luis I, where Line D of the metro runs, which takes us back towards the centre of Porto.

After a change of line and a few more stops we thus come within sight also of the Casa da Musica, an astounding modern work, with auditorium functions, by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, inaugurated in 2005, which characterises this area of the city with its enormous bulk and original polyhedral structure. Having also consumed the last visit on the programme, by public transport, we return to the hotel, but we do not stay there long, because for dinner we intend to go back to Ribeira. In this way we get home at a rather late hour, exhausted, but fully satisfied, for what Porto was able to offer us in this very intense day.

We wake up early, in the muffled silence of Sunday morning, and prepare to leave Porto, which we really liked. We head north again and in that cardinal direction we touch the most extreme point of our journey in the city of Braga, where we arrive shortly after 9:00. We park near the centre of this orderly town, which holds great importance for the country from the religious point of view and places its ancient roots as far back as the Iron Age. So we see the beautiful Praça da República, with its arcades and the spouting fountain, then we lose ourselves a little in the surrounding streets, passing by the Episcopal Palace, the Baroque Town Hall and the severe cathedral. Having regained the car, we then head towards the height that dominates the city, where the eighteenth-century Santuario di Bom Jesus do Monte is found, which is the main reason we came to this locality.

What most characterises the sanctuary is the monumental Baroque staircase (the escadaria) that gives access to it from the base of the hill. There are about 450 steps, which however we decide not to climb. We photograph the staircase from below and then by car follow the very winding road that takes us to the top. From up there the panorama over the city is truly intriguing. Near the sanctuary there is also a road (the Estrada do Sameiro) that some consider magical because, on a downhill stretch, a car left in neutral goes uphill, but (experienced personally) it is a clear optical illusion. A few kilometres away there is also the Santuario do Sameiro, of more recent construction, from which one has another beautiful view over Braga.

At this point of the morning we come down from the mountains along a very tortuous road that leads us, towards midday, to the town of Guimarães, which was the first capital of Portugal, albeit for a brief period, until the title was transferred to Coimbra. Not by chance was its historic centre, in 2001, included among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We immediately devote ourselves to the visit, exploring the hill north of the built-up centre, where the austere medieval castle and the massive Palace of the Dukes of Braganza are found, then we venture into the characteristic alleyways of the village, paved with cobblestones, which preserve a harmonious architectural heritage, made of arcades, little iron balconies and granite loggias, skilfully restored.

We pass by the Convento de Santa Clara and, through the characteristic Praça de São Tiago, we arrive in the picturesque Largo da Oliveira, the heart of Guimarães, where an unusual Gothic vault preserves a mythical place that, according to legend, conditioned the history of the whole country. Here the most important streets of the historic centre converge, among which the characteristic Rua da Rainha Dona Maria II, which we walk along briefly, before returning to our car and leaving Guimarães, which literally bewitched us with its historical evidence.

Not yet sated with the first part of the day, right after we venture into the neighbouring mountains and curve after curve, also travelling along a dirt track, we arrive near the so-called Casa do Penedo, lost among an infinity of wind turbines … It is a sort of troglodytic construction (someone has called it the Flintstones' house), even though it was built in 1974.

Erected between two enormous granite boulders it is without doubt an architectural curiosity outside the usual schemes … but it is also private property (darn!) and as such, recently, it has been fenced off and one can no longer see it, except from a distance … a shame! A little beyond the Casa do Penedo, in the village of Pereira, we stop to have lunch, then we come down from the mountains and, having gained the motorway, in the early afternoon, we reach the town of Vila Real, on whose outskirts we go to visit the Casa (or Solar) de Mateus. Reproduced on the label of Mateus Rosé wine, one of the local products most exported and quite in vogue in Italy during our green years, the Casa de Mateus is the most famous country residence in all of Portugal.

It dates back to 1740, the golden age of Lusitanian Baroque, and it is not known who built it, although it is often attributed to the architect Niccolò Nasoni, the same as the Igreja dos Clerigos in Porto … Indeed, seen from the gardens, it is highly scenic and deserves all the attention we wanted to devote to it. Having resumed the itinerary, among the steep hills rich in vineyards of this region, we arrive surrounded by vast panoramas, on the banks of the river Douro (the same one that flows into the sea at Porto), near the town of Peso da Régua. There we venture westwards, along the banks of the illustrious watercourse, accompanied by vine plantations as far as the eye can see; after all, it is precisely here that the grapes are produced that will then become fine Port wine.

After an infinity of curves, near the village of Miguas, we cross over the Douro and return eastwards following the opposite bank. In this way, facing another long series of twists and turns, we reach the locality of Lamego, whose main attraction is the Baroque Santuario di Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, placed on a height and reachable by means of a very long staircase, which the late afternoon, however, already casts completely in shadow. We also take a look at the severe cathedral of Lamego, dating back to the twelfth century, then we drive up to the sanctuary, to enjoy the panorama, which from up there embraces the whole surroundings, finally we head towards the city of Viseu and the conclusion of a positive day. Shortly after 20:00 we arrive at the Viseu Garden Hotel, which will host us for the night.

We take the luggage to the room and go out to dinner nearby, but we do not stay up late also because tomorrow an early alarm awaits us, in anticipation of the longest stage of the trip.

Today we prepare to visit part of the central regions of Portugal and, presumably, we will have to face a scorching day from the meteorological point of view. When the alarm goes off the sun has not yet risen and already before 8:00 we are on the road, because first of all we have to cover about 260 kilometres, largely on the motorway. Everything goes smoothly and twenty minutes after 10:00 we arrive at the foot of the fortified citadel of Castelo de Vide, our first destination of the day, while the heat is increasing and it is already more than 30 degrees. We are in the Alentejo region, a land historically troubled and contested between Moors and Christians, but we are also in a border area, because Spain can be seen from here with the naked eye.

For these reasons a castle was probably built on these heights as early as the twelfth century and around it the village of Castelo de Vide then developed. We park the car and then take a nice stroll in the village, which at times offers very characteristic glimpses, with its narrow alleyways and whitewashed houses. We go as far as the castle, then come down along the Judiaria, the old Jewish quarter, passing through the graceful square in which the Fonte da Vila is found, a marble fountain with an adjoining wash-house, which creates a truly picturesque picture. Finally we regain our starting point. Having left Castelo de Vide we move just about ten kilometres to the almost twin town of Marvao, perched on a rocky spur, with a grandiose view that ranges in the direction of Spain.

An almost intact circle of walls, dating back to the seventeenth century, embraces a small centre of neat little houses that at times offer truly intriguing perspectives. All extremely well-kept and restored down to the smallest details, so much as to earn it inscription on the UNESCO lists … Also in this case, as at Castelo de Vide, we go as far as the castle and then retrace our steps, all the more satisfied. While midday has already struck we move towards the south-west. We pass near the town of Portalegre, capital of the Alto Alentejo, and arrive in the locality of Crato, a quiet rural centre all of characteristic little white houses finished with ochre-coloured borders, among which the Town Hall stands out and its elegant Varanda do Grão Prior, a reminiscence of an era in which the place held a more glorious role than the current one.

From there we then move to the nearby suburb of Flor da Rosa, gathered around a picturesque little church, where we stop to have lunch and then immediately set off again. We cover a handful of kilometres in the rolling and fiery landscape of this region, with the temperature rising vertiginously above 35 degrees, and we arrive in front of a gate, closed, preceded by a tourist sign indicating the Anta de Tapadão, a megalithic site that we would be intending to visit. The gate, however, can be opened, while a sign then recommends closing it again … and the reason is soon told, because in the distance some cattle can be seen grazing. So we do that, then we follow a short dirt track that takes us as far as the Anta do Tapadão, the best-preserved dolmen in all of Portugal, dating back to about 3000

The first part of the morning is dedicated today to visiting Évora, one of the richest in history and best-preserved cities in Portugal, and therefore, indisputably, also a Unesco World Heritage Site. We set off on foot from the Pensão Policarpo and soon reach the heart of the town to savour all its charms, starting with the interesting Palácio de Dom Manuel, which is part of an old royal palace dating back to the time of Vasco da Gama, then the nearby Igreja de São Francisco, known above all for the unsettling and macabre Capela dos Ossos, a large room lined with the bones and skulls of about five thousand monks, at whose entrance is written the sinister phrase: «Nós ossos que aqui estamos pelos vossos esperamos» (We bones that are here await yours).

Having emerged from the world of the dead, we reach the now familiar Praça do Giraldo, on which the beautiful Renaissance façade of the Igreja de Santo Antão looks out, then, wandering through the alleys, we pass in front of the Town Hall and arrive at the Sé: the imposing and austere cathedral of Évora. We explore the large religious building, dating back to the 12th century, in which the beautiful Gothic cloister stands out in particular, then we go out and also make our way nearby to the Igreja da Misericórdia, whose single nave is a triumph of Baroque decoration and azulejos. We then pass again in front of the cathedral and present ourselves before the remains of the Roman Temple: 14 surviving Corinthian columns, 12 of which are architraved, rise on a large base and are the most significant testimony of the Roman era in all of Portugal, dating back to the 1st century AD.

Right behind the temple, however, is the fascinating Igreja dos Lóios, which boasts an extraordinary interior lined with azulejos, from the floor to the ceiling. We also briefly visit the adjoining Palácio dos Duques de Cadaval, because it is included in the church ticket price, then, continuing on our itinerary, we pass by the Antiga Universidade (founded in 1559) and close the circle by returning to the Pensão Policarpo. We collect our luggage and set off by car, but we do not leave Évora just yet because we go to see, just outside the walls, first the white Ermida de São Brás, a pioneering building in the Manueline-Mudéjar style, characterised by cylindrical buttresses and conical spires, then a stretch of the 16th-century Aqueduto da Água de Prata, which insinuates itself into the city and among its arches presents the façades of some houses, curiously built right there.

In the end, almost at midday, we leave Évora behind and travelling swiftly south-east we arrive, shortly before 13:00, almost at the border with Spain, at the foot of the fortified town of Monsaraz. This small medieval village, enclosed by walls dating back to the 12th century, has remained practically intact over time and, skilfully restored, is now counted among the most beautiful in all of Portugal. With the temperature already above 35 degrees, we immediately devote ourselves to visiting the village, which has in practice two main streets, parallel to each other, Rua Direita and Rua de Santiago, as well as the small square on which the very white Igreja Matriz looks out.

We therefore stroll along narrow streets paved in sandstone, among typical little houses whitewashed with lime where every corner is a picturesque view to capture … So, all things considered, the short but intense exploration of Monsaraz, also known as Ninho das Águias (Eagle's Nest), truly proves to be a beautiful experience. But it is not over yet, because at the base of the Monsaraz cliff we also go to admire the megalithic site of the Cromeleque do Xerez, an evocative complex of about fifty monoliths arranged in a square layout, with a central menhir four metres high, dating back to roughly 5500 years ago. We have lunch near Monsaraz, then, about an hour after getting back on the road, we come in sight of the town of Beja, the main urban conglomeration of the Lower Alentejo, which traces its origins all the way back to Julius Caesar.

First of all we stop on the outskirts to see the white Ermida de Santo André, a miniature copy of the one in São Brás in Évora, then in the very centre we climb the Torre de Menagem of the local medieval castle, then we find the interesting Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres closed, which had very rich and elaborate interiors, and finally we go to visit the Museu Regional, the main point of interest in Beja, whose premises coincide with the former Convento de Nossa Senhora da Conceição, a precious treasure chest of works of art dating back to the 16th-17th century. Immediately afterwards we try to wander a little along the central streets of the city, but the heat is truly oppressive and we soon find ourselves back in the air conditioning of the car.

We set off then with our bow turned decisively south and after about fifty kilometres we approach the town of Mértola, a historic settlement of Phoenician origin, scenically perched on a spur at the confluence of the Guadiana and Oeiras rivers. There we stop and on foot climb up to the castle, whose first stone was laid by the Moors around the year one thousand. More or less the same origin as the very white Igreja Matriz, which was initially born as a mosque. We briefly enjoy the view and then get back on the road with the thermometer reading a record +42, even though it is already past 6:00 in the afternoon. We are now heading towards the Algarve region, the southernmost in Portugal and the last to be liberated from the Moors in the 13th century.

This portion of Lusitanian territory overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and, thanks to its perpetually mild climate, is without doubt the most touristy part of the entire country … As we get closer to the sea, in fact, the temperature drops, by more than ten degrees, gradually returning to more pleasant levels. By evening we thus arrive in the town of Tavira, the stop for the day, and we go and stay at the Tavira Youth Hostel … yes, actually a youth hostel, but we don't make a fuss about it, because it was a good opportunity and for one night it can be done …

After torrid and intense phases of the journey, today a decidedly quiet day awaits us … we wake up, however, with a good dose of anguish, having learned of the violent earthquake that struck an area of central Italy during the night. After breakfast we take a quick stroll through the centre of Tavira, a thriving port during almost the entire span of its two-thousand-year history, so as to capture the bridge of Roman origin, which crosses the Rio Gilão, the beautiful Igreja da Misericórdia, with refined azulejos on its walls, and the valuable Igreja Santa Maria do Castelo, characterised by a scenographic bell tower, whose interiors we cannot see, however, because it will only open its doors at 10:00! Back at the hostel we collect our luggage and set off by car.

We stop to do some shopping and then go to the nearby pier of Quatro Águas to take the boat that will take us to the Ilha de Tavira opposite. The easternmost stretch of coast of the Algarve, where we are, is characterised by a long chain of low, sandy islands, separated from the mainland by a series of lagoons. This has allowed the coastline to remain largely wild and unspoilt, and therefore included in the Reserva Natural da Ria Formosa, of which the Ilha de Tavira is also part. The crossing is truly short and in no time at all we find ourselves on that thin strip of land, then on foot we reach the main beach, about which I have good references … Indeed it is intriguing: a very long expanse of light sand washed by the ocean, today rather rough.

We settle down a short distance from the water's edge and with Leonardo I go straight to savour the cool waters of the Atlantic, then we take a long walk and spend a few hours there, all in all pleasant, finally we have lunch and immediately afterwards we return to the mainland to resume our itinerary. In the early afternoon we thus arrive, now in the central part of the Algarve, at the archaeological site of Milreu, where once (in the 1st century AD) a sumptuous Roman villa existed. Today not much remains except a few appreciable mosaics, but it can be worth the half hour we chose to devote to it.

The site, in any case, is on the road leading to the centre of Faro, the capital of the Algarve, where we are headed to see, on its outskirts, the interesting Igreja do Carmo, of Baroque origin, known above all for its Capela dos Ossos, containing the orderly remains of over a thousand Carmelite friars and at least as unsettling as the one in Évora. Having also left Faro behind us, after about ten kilometres, we arrive near the locality of Almancil, at the Igreja de São Laurenço, built at the beginning of the 18th century … From the outside it looks like just another little church, but the interior is a true triumph of azulejos, the work of Policarpo de Oliveira Bernardes, one of the most esteemed artists of the genre in all of Portugal.

After leaving the church we then head swiftly westwards and to the end of the day's stage, so, in the late afternoon, we arrive in the town of Portimão to take lodging at the Residencial Arabi, a establishment that will host us for the next three nights … And from there tomorrow we will set off to discover the most spectacular areas of the region.

From Portimão we then dedicate ourselves to the most beach-going part of the trip and to exploring the best-known Algarve, that of the ocean cliffs. After breakfast we set off and go west, parallel to the coast, until we reach the spectacular Cabo de São Vicente, the south-westernmost point of Europe, which the Romans called "promontorium sacrum" and believed to be the last strip of existing land, where the sun plunged into the sea every evening. We park near the nineteenth-century lighthouse and take a walk along the edge of the vertiginous cliffs, immortalising them from everywhere, after which we retrace our steps. Climbing back up a few dozen kilometres eastwards we then reach the vicinity of the town of Lagos and, following the road that goes into the promontory south of the town, we gain the car park near Praia do Camilo, one of the best known in the area.

It is almost midday when we tackle the wooden staircase that descends to the small cove among the golden cliffs of the Algarve … a pearl set in this splendid stretch of coastline. At Praia do Camilo with Leonardo I take a swim (really refreshing) among the waves of a sea that is a little too rough, which comes at the expense of the transparency of the water, then we have lunch and around 15:00 we weigh anchor for other shores. We move just over a kilometre, to the end of the promontory, where it takes the name Ponta da Piedade. There the chaos of ochre-coloured rocks at the mercy of the ocean waves is impressive, seasoned with vertiginous crevices and imposing sea stacks.

We explore this spectacular stretch of coast and also go down the long staircase that leads to sea level, where some evocative rock arches can be glimpsed … but the boat trip, which usually departs from here, is not running today, precisely because of the rough sea. We then climb back up from the base of Ponta da Piedade and move by car, again for a very short stretch of road, to the first houses of Lagos, where the wide and scenic Praia de Dona Ana is located, a place where we intend to spend the evening. Especially the southernmost part of the beach is another splendid symphony of rocks, among which stands out an enormous sea stack, emerging right from the water's edge.

There we settle in and immediately run to play among the waves … In no time at all, however, the shadows lengthen and invade the whole bay, so we gather all our things and calmly make our way back to Portimão and the Residencial Arabi, concluding positively this first day in the heart of the Algarve.

While the trip is inexorably drawing to a close, we wake up again in Portimão and prepare to visit the coast east of the town. First of all we wander among the hills of this region and after fifteen kilometres we reach the seaside at Praia de Benagil, a tiny cove from which the boats destined to explore the nearby coast, with its numerous caves, should depart, but the ocean is too rough again today and they won't be leaving … we hope they can tomorrow. As an alternative to the boat trip we briefly go back towards Portimão and go to visit the characteristic village of Ferragudo, whose original nucleus developed on a hill at the estuary of the Rio Arade, the same river as the city hosting us these days. We park near the central Praça Rainha Dona Leonor and then on foot we explore its main alleys, which certainly don't leave you astounded, but at times offer typically Lusitanian views.

Later we return to Benagil and, nearby, we go to Praia do Carvalho, a deep bay accessed from land through a tunnel carved into the rock. The place, despite the numerous tourist developments in the surroundings, is particularly wild and, at times, scenic, especially when observed from the vertiginous viewpoints east and west of the cove … a shame always about the too rough sea. At Praia do Carvalho we spend all the rest of the morning and have lunch there too, then, besieged by the scorching sun, we take our leave. In the early afternoon we then head further east, to the vicinity of the town of Armação de Pêra, where the thin promontory that houses the Capela Nossa Senhora da Rocha is located … the white and simple little church stands, solitary, on a rocky spur jutting out over the Atlantic Ocean, creating scenes of great beauty.

We enjoy the landscape from every angle and then move a few kilometres as the crow flies to Praia de Albandeira, near which the spectacular Albandeira Arch can be seen, which we first admire from the top of the cliffs, then from below after passing through an evocative cave. Now close to mid-afternoon we complete the exploration of this stretch of coast, also arriving at the vast car park facing Praia da Marinha, perhaps the most famous of the entire region. We leave the car and first of all take a walk along the coast westwards, savouring from above the sublime panoramic views over the golden cliffs that make this bay the symbolic image of the whole Algarve in the world, until we reach right in front of the incredible double arch, a rock formation so perfect in its features that it almost seems the fruit of a design studied at a desk.

Afterwards we go down to the beach and spend all the time there until evening, cheered by a dip among the waves and a walk along the water's edge strewn with rocks. Around 19:00 we finally leave Praia da Marinha and fully satisfied with the outcome of the day we make our way back to Portimão and our hotel.

These are the last full twenty-four hours to spend on Portuguese soil and right after breakfast we leave the Residencial Arabi with all our luggage in tow. We follow the same road as yesterday morning and arrive, as soon as possible, in the bay of Benagil to take, if possible, the boat that will take us to discover all the sea caves of the area … And we are lucky because the sea, as forecast, has calmed enough, but above all because all the tours of the day are full, except the 9:30 one which is departing … and which we join! We get on the small vessel which, having chosen the right wave, immediately prepares to tackle the ocean still a little restless.

The expert boatman, however, accompanies us without worries to explore an infinity of crevices in this spectacular stretch of coast, including the most famous cave of the area, as big as a cathedral, whose ceiling has collapsed and through its enormous hole the blue of the sky can be glimpsed … Then we return with a daring landing on the beach, which really amused us! Right after we go, on foot, to see the Benagil cave also from the top of the cliffs, then we set off again by car. We stop to do some shopping then we go to our last beach in the Algarve, that of dos Tres Irmaos, near Portimão. The beach is very wide and flat and stretches for several kilometres from east to west, but in its easternmost part it becomes more intriguing, with the typical Algarve cliffs dominating.

We venture again into a fantastic chaos of rocks and go looking for our little corner of paradise wandering among sea stacks, arches and crevices, man-dug tunnels and natural caves, plus the sea, now finally calm, which shows off all its splendid colours … In a fabulous setting we thus spend a couple of unforgettable hours, electing, in our humble opinion, Praia dos Tres Irmaos as the most beautiful of the whole Algarve. On site we have lunch and then, around 14:30, we leave to tackle the approach route to Lisbon and the epilogue of the holiday. Following a comfortable motorway route we go north passing again through central areas of the country and touching 39 degrees of temperature once more … A temperature that then fades when we approach the sea again near the city of Setúbal.

There we leave the four-lane road and venture along the panoramic one that crosses, in its upper part, the coastal Parque Natural da Arrábida, with vast views over this wild stretch of coast. Our goal, in practice the last of the trip, is the solitary Cabo Espichel, the extreme point jutting out over the Atlantic Ocean of the region south of the capital and of the Tagus estuary. Having reached the finish line, first of all we stop at the eighteenth-century church of Nossa Senhora do Cabo. A religious complex characterised by a vast space, without paving, flanked by two very long porticoes, where pilgrims were hosted during the period of maximum splendour of the place. At the end of this strange and decadent square stands the simple Baroque church, creating a truly interesting perspective picture, whose location, apparently at the end of the world, further enhances its charm.

Right after we also head towards the lighthouse, 32 metres tall and dating back to 1790, which dominates the wild and desolate cliffs, among which dinosaur footprints have also been found. We observe everything in the warm light of the late afternoon and from here we set off again when it is already 19:00, with still sixty kilometres to go to reach the end of the stage. Shortly after 20:00 we thus disembark at the Hotel O Catraio (the last of the series), in the town of Montijo, about twenty kilometres from Lisbon airport. We have dinner in the restaurant of the tourist facility and then go up to the room to sort out the luggage, in view of the departure for home.

Our last vacation day starts quite early: the alarm goes off at 6:30 in the morning, while outside the sun hasn't risen yet. We close our suitcases, have a quick breakfast in the room, and twenty minutes after 7:00 we leave the Hotel O Cartaio in Montijo. We cross the Tagus traveling on the enormous Vasco da Gama Bridge, while the Lisbon skyline flows by on our left … and in no time at all we finish our drive in front of the capital's airport. First of all, however, we go to return the rental car, and to our great surprise we find ourselves dealing with a long queue to do so. In the end, though, we leave our faithful Opel Astra with Europecar, with which we covered 2685 kilometers in Portugal.

We then hurry to check in, but we fret more than expected because there's a strange police operation underway (it seems to be an exercise), which right after even blocks our way to the boarding gate … After more than an hour has passed (without any explanations), they finally let us through, luckily in time, so that we can board the Tap Airbus A319 which at 10:30, forty minutes late, rolls down the Portuguese runway and immediately turns east. Flight TP 872 goes smoothly and, also losing an hour of time difference along the way, lands at Bologna airport at 13:45 local time. Having found our luggage safe and sound, we reach the P4 parking lot with the shuttle bus, and there we also retrieve our car. So with still ten minutes to go before 15:00, we're already on the road heading home.

Half an hour on the ring road and then the highway to Faenza, so at 15:36 we happily conclude the trip in front of our sweet home. It was a splendid trip, in a sunny and friendly country, with many facets ranging from the centuries-old history of a proud people and explorers of unknown lands, to prehistory, with the traces of dinosaurs, but also to the refined art of sacred places and the simple yet evocative views of medieval villages and, last but not least, the overwhelming beauty of the ocean cliffs, shaped by the fury of the elements … In short, an unforgettable ride: from Lisbon to Lisbon, across all of Portugal.