Porto, the second largest city in Portugal after Lisbon, was our final stop on this fabulous tour with Overseas Adventure Travel. Located in northern Portugal, the core of the city is one of the oldest European centers and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Because of this designation and protection, the tiles that give Porto’s buildings such beauty and charm still exist today.
In my last post, I wrote about the port wine that is produced in the Douro Valley. Porto is what port wine was named after. And the cork that goes into those bottles of port comes from Portugal as well. Fifty percent of the world supply of cork is from here.
Porto is also known for its production of paper made from Eucalyptus trees, which grow fast. Unfortunately, they also burn fast and have caused fires to spread quickly through the countryside. As a result, it has become quite controversial.
Another controversy brewing throughout Porto and Lisbon is the fast-growing tourism industry, which is huge. Portugal is a popular destination for Americans, and many have immigrated to both cities. This has driven up rent prices for locals; and AirBnB’s, in particular, have driven them out . Ten years ago, a (very small) apartment used to cost 600 euros per month. Currently, that same amount will only pay for one week of rent. Local businesses are also losing their leases and being driven out, because landlords are converting their properties to AirBnB’s to make more money in rent. This continues, because the government has no protections in place for locals.
Due to these rising costs in Portugal (as well as Spain), many young people live with their parents or can only afford to rent a room in a house with other tenants.
During our first full day in Porto, we went on a walking tour through the old city center, including the alleyways of Pena Ventosa, one of the oldest districts in the city. It was amazing to think those streets have been there for over 2,000 years!
The following are some scenes photographed during our group walking tour and free time during our three days in Porto. (Much more to come in Part 2!):
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Our first view point of the cityscape and river. More scenes of the river will be included in Part 2.
Our group in the Pena Ventosa neighborhood, one of the oldest in Europe
These buildings face the river. Photos in Part 2 will show a birds-eye view
Between the tile facades of the buildings, tile murals, and decorative sidewalks; Porto was so unique and charming!
Lamego, in northern Portugal, is in the Douro Valley, known for its fabulous production of port wine. Ever since the ancient Romans first cultivated grape vines here in the third century, the region has been a wine-growing powerhouse. It is one of the oldest wine-producing areas in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The resort hotel, Lamego Hotel & Life, served as our base for two nights while we explored the area. Located on a hilltop, it offered beautiful views of the vineyards, and it was a quiet and peaceful setting for a couple of relaxing afternoons.
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Douro ValleyView from our hotelThis was the original building on the property, and a modern hotel was built adjacent to it.
Tile mural on the wall of the original building
Known for its historic city center, there was one standout feature that was quite lovely: Sanctuary of Our Lady of Rémedios, built in 1750. We saw it during the day and lit up at night, which was beautiful!
The view from the top looking down the stairs was fabulous!
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption was built in 1129
The first thing we saw when we walked into the restaurant where our group was eating dinner
More my taste; a delicious bean soup!
Coming up next: SOUTHWEST FRANCE, NORTHERN SPAIN & PORTUGAL #22: A DELIGHTFUL DOURO RIVER CRUISE & A WONDERFUL WINE-FILLED LUNCH
Our third (and final) country on this tour was Portugal, and the Douro Valley was our first stop. Along the way, our bus dropped us off so we could walk along Camino Portugués (Portuguese Way), the traditional coastal route used by pilgrims from Lisbon, Porto, and other regions of Portugal to reach Santiago de Compostela. It was a rainy day and not the best day for walking or photography, but I captured a few shots:
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Our group up ahead, walking the Portuguese Way through the vineyards
Pilgrims
Walking through Ponte de Lima, we came across this life-sized bronze sculpture
You know you’re in Portugal when you see cork items for sale in gift shops!
I don’t even want to know what meat was being sold by this street vendor…
The medieval city of Guimarães was our next stop. It is considered the birthplace of Portugal, because its first independent king, Afonso Henriques, was born here in 1110. We took a walking tour of the well-preserved city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and had time to explore on our own. While most of the group went to a restaurant for lunch, we opted to grab a quick bite and see more of gorgeous Guimarães.
Pointing the way to Santiago de Compostela, in Spain
Next up: SOUTHWEST FRANCE, NORTHERN SPAIN & PORTUGAL #21: LOVELY LAMEGO
Originally founded as a Roman military base in the first century BC, León has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its place in history as the first established location of a European parliament. Seeing the architecture in León is like jumping back and forth into different periods of history. It’s a mix of medieval, Gothic, Renaissance, and Modernist with the 13th-century León Cathedral being a centerpiece of the old city. Originally home to second-century Roman baths, it became a palace in the seventh century, and then a cathedral in 1301 with the cloister, north tower, and south tower being added on later.
Like the other towns and cities we had visited, the old town center was an easy and comfortable town to navigate on foot. I enjoyed our group walking tour and going out on our own to explore further and do photography.
We were very fortunate to have a hotel room that gave us a beautiful view of both the cathedral and Casa Botines lit up at night. Designed by Antoni Gaudi and completed in 1892, it was originally a fabrics company and then a bank. Currently, it is a museum dedicated to Gaudi and Spanish art.
Scenes around León over two days:
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
The view of Casa Botines from our hotel room window
Casa Botines, close up.
A local government office, adjacent to Casa Botines at sunset.
Leon Cathedral
The view out to the right from our hotel room windowThe view of Casa Botines at night from our window
Coming up next: SOUTHWEST FRANCE, NORTHERN SPAIN & PORTUGAL #15: Santa Colomba de Samoza
Ephesus was built in the 10th century BC, so its history is very long an involved—far too much detail to delve into in this post. To learn more about this ancient city, the Wikipedia article I linked to covers it quite well.
It was quite hot the day we were there, so much of what Nuri shared with us about Ephesus didn’t register. I was more concerned about finding a corner of shade to stand in as we toured the ruins and tried not to overheat. Had I been on my own, I would have visited at night, which would have been cooler and presented an interesting photographic perspective, since the ruins are well-lit. Besides, I’m sure it would have been less crowded.
The following are scenes from the ruins:
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Toilets
Looking back at our two weeks in Turkiye, it was an amazing experience! A big thank you to our guide, Mehmet Nuri Guneysu, who shared so much of his culture with us. Cheers!
Coming up next: Southwest France, Northern Spain & Portugal
Cappadocia is famous for its hot air ballooning, and I can see why. In addition to the favorable wind conditions for pilots, the landscape is quite a draw for photographers and anybody looking to enjoy a fabulous view. Bruce dislikes being at heights like that, so we opted to take a hot air balloon watching tour. This way, we could enjoy the views of the launch from the ground as well as at a spot overlooking the valley. I didn’t mind; it was my idea! I had been hot air ballooning a few times before—the best experience at the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, where I joined a friend who worked for Nikon. He got us both press passes, allowing us to go up in the balloons for free. So, rather than go ballooning on my own and spend $300 to possibly get stuck in the middle of the 20-passenger balloon, we spent a fraction of that on the small group tour.
The first stop was to see the launch, which was beautiful. It was still quite dark when most of the balloons took off, so I just watched and enjoyed the beauty of it all. It was quite a sight!
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
After the balloons had launched, we hopped back into the van to drive a short distance to a gorgeous overlook to see the balloons flying in front of the rising sun. Spectacular!
We rejoined the group after breakfast to visit the Goreme Open-Air Museum, Cappadocia’s most visited attraction. Within the museum grounds, there were fifteen cave churches and eleven rectories dating back to the 11th century. At the time, they were used extensively as Christian churches, but they were abandoned until it later became a Turkish village community.
Jumping ahead to the 1970’s, scholars came to analyze the cave churches, and the Turkish government took steps to preserve them. Tourism increased when Cappadocia was declared a “Privileged Region for Touristic Development.” It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, which has increased tourism to over one million visitors every year.
A water system built inside one of the cave churches
For lunch, we were driven to a traditional Turkish restaurant to enjoy Turkish cuisine cooked in clay pots and bazlama (Turkish flatbread). It was all so delicious!
Next, we visited a carpet cooperative where they weave and sell beautiful Turkish carpets with colorful and intricate designs. Also known as Anatolian rugs, they are made in the region historically dominated by the Ottoman Empire. An important part of Turkish culture, these carpets have a long and extensive history.
I found it interesting that Turkish carpets are the masterpiece of a dowry. When a woman gets engaged to be married, two weeks before the wedding, women in the neighborhood and family are invited to see the dowry her parents are giving to the couple. Everybody brings gifts, but the star of the party is the Turkish carpet that the family members made. Everybody in attendance wants to see it and learn if the bride made the carpet.
At the carpet cooperative we visited, the women are paid by the number of knots they tied. They can either work at the store or at home; however, if they work at the store, they receive benefits. The women who choose to work at home get paid only for the completed rug.
The rugs are woven with only natural fibers such as wool, silk and cotton (and sometimes even goat and camel hair), and the spinning is done by hand. The dyes used are obtained from plants, insects, and minerals. Red dye, for example, is made from Madder roots. The price of the rug depends on the type of fiber used and the number of knots. Silk is the most expensive, because it is fine. It requires 100 knots to produce just one square centimeter! The benefit, however, is that a silk rug is the most durable.
From balloon watching to visiting Goreme and then learning about Turkish carpets; it was a full and enjoyable day! We capped it off with a memorable group dinner at a restaurant in a small village. The view of the volcanic rock formations was spectacular, just out the window next to where I was sitting at the end of the table. Across from me sat our bus driver, who didn’t speak any English, but seemed so kind and always greeted us with a friendly smile. While waiting to be served, I broke my self-imposed rule of no phones at the tables and brought mine out. (Don’t even get me started with how I feel about my dining companions taking calls, texting, or checking emails while we are having a conversation!) I quickly opened Google Translate, so we could have a conversation we both could understand. We learned a lot about each other, his family, work, and dreams for the future, while dining on Turkish cuisine and passing the phone back and forth. It was truly memorable and an example of what I felt was an appropriate way to use technology.
Next up: TURKIYE #7: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF CAPPADOCIA
During our free time in Istanbul, Bruce and I explored the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, better known as the “Blue Mosque,” listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name “Historic Areas of Istanbul”. This is the mosque we saw lit up when we arrived at our hotel at night, and we were eager to see the mosque’s interior.
This Ottoman-era mosque, completed in 1617, is an iconic attraction in Istanbul because of its history and architecture. The central dome is surrounded by four semi-domes over the prayer hall, and it’s quite a sight to see when you step inside. The Iznik tile work itself makes this a must-see destination if you are ever in Turkey.
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Nuri, our tour leader, led our group on guided tours of Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace during the following two days in the city. Although we didn’t tour the Hagia Sophia until our final day, it is located just across the Hippodrome (central square) from the Blue Mosque, so I will tell you about it first.
Nuri, our tour leader
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (also a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is considered the epitome of Byzantine Architecture. The first building of the complex was built in AD 537, and until the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Hagia Sophia served as a cathedral. It was a mosque until 1935 when it became a museum. In 2020, it was redesignated as a mosque, but in 2024, the upper floor of the mosque began serving as a museum once again.
As we toured the interior, we were in awe of the architecture, mosaics, marble pillars and floors as we learned about the history—far too detailed and complicated to write about here.
Mosques have strict rules about the attire permitted to be worn by visitors, but Hagia Sophia’s guards had an interesting way of determining who was permitted in from our group without purchasing a paper covering and who was not. Bruce’s shorts were the same length as the other “Bruce” in our group, but he was permitted in without the fashionable coverings the others got to wear. I brought a scarf for my head, so I was good to go.
The same day we toured Hagia Sophia, we visited the spice bazaar and took a cruise on the Bosphorus Strait. More about that in my next post.
On our first day with the group, we toured Topkapi Palace, which served as the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire and was home to its sultans. Six years after the conquest of Constantinople, Mehmed the Conquerer ordered the place to be built. For several centuries, the complex expanded, but a AD 509 earthquake and 1665 fire required the palace to be renovated. Fast-forward to 2025, and the complex now consists of four main courtyards, many smaller buildings, and is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Again, we were in awe!
The following are all from the 1600’s and on display in the museum of the palace:
Coming up next: TURKIYE #4: THE BEAUTIFUL BOSPHORUS STRAIT & MORE ABOUT ISTANBUL
I will give you one guess as to why I was M.I.A. since my last post… Yes! I was traveling again! This time, we were in the Basque country of France, northern Spain, and Portugal for 23 days. After that fabulous tour, we were home for one week and then took off for eight days to Toronto. Those blogs will eventually be posted, but I last left you in Sicily, and on our way to Turkiye for a back-to-back tour.
Yes, it is now spelled “Turkiye” rather than “Turkey” (like our Thanksgiving bird). Although the country has been spelled “Turkiye” since it became a republic in 1923 (surprise!), the country pushed the rest of the world to recognize and adopt that spelling in 2021. Other countries have been asleep at the switch, however, still hanging on to the incorrect spelling. The United Nations didn’t recognize the “new” spelling until 2024, and Overseas Adventure Travel, the company we use for small group tours, spelled the country “Turkey” in its “Final Document Booklet” they sent us prior to departure. Wake up, World!
It was dark when we arrived at Sultanahmet Palace Hotel, in Istanbul, and when we stepped out of the car, this was the first thing we saw, just across the street from the hotel’s entrance:
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
We knew this was going to be a very interesting city…
Istanbul, the largest city in Turkiye, is home to more than 15 million people, most of whom are ethnic Turks with Kurds being the largest minority. Another minority represented in Istanbul are Sepharic Jews, which date back to 390. Unlike Jews in Europe, Ottomon Jews were allowed to work in any profession, and they excelled in commerce and trade as well as medicine. Although 10% of the population in Istanbul were Jews at its highest point, there are now less than 15,000 Jews due to emigration to Israel.
What I didn’t realize is that geographically, Istanbul is situated on two continents— Europe and Asia. About two thirds of the population resides on the Europe side, and the rest live in Asia. The World’s narrowest straight used for international navigation, the Bosporus, separates the two continents, and it’s a bustling waterway.
Our hotel was perfectly situated, just a short walk from the Hippodrome of Constantinople, the central square, where we enjoyed exploring the mosques, doing photography (day and night), and just watching all the people during our free time. Four nights and three full days was a good amount of time for the planned activities with the group and seeing what we wanted to on our own in the historic city center, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Never did either of us feel unsafe in the city center, day or night, even when I went out on my own to do photography. We thoroughly enjoyed this interesting city!
These are just some of the scenes from our first day in Istanbul before joining our group.
Before leaving home, a friend gave me this 1970 Turkish note. Little did he know, the zeros have since disappeared, and this is now worth about ten cents with the exchange rate!
The front patio of our hotel
The back patio of our hotel where we ate breakfast had quite a view!
The ceiling of the restaurant patio where we enjoyed our first Turkish meal.
Naples was our base for our final three nights in Italy, so in addition to seeing Pompeii and Capri (as detailed in posts #25 and #26), Bruce and I explored as much as possible during our free time.
A city of over 900,000 people, Naples is the third-largest city in Italy, after Rome and Milan; and, its historic city center has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has a 2,800-year history, so there is an abundance of historical buildings and monuments, including 448 historical churches of the 1000 total churches in the city.
Our hotel, Royal Continental, was located on the seafront promenade with gorgeous views of the Bay of Naples. Fortunately, we had lovely weather, so we could enjoy the views and walks along the promenade. This was the view from our room during different times of the day and evening:
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Scenes along the promenade:
We walked all over this city, taking in as much as we could during the final days of our tour before continuing to Turkiye for our other tour with Overseas Adventure Travel. Getting an early start to our final day, we passed through this plaza that was nearly empty, except for some school groups:
Although I am not a fan of shopping malls, one of the most beautiful places we visited was Galleria Umberto I, a gorgeous shopping gallery with extremely high-end stores. The architecture was exquisite! Built in the late 1800’s, the Galleria was named after the king of Italy at the time. The most spectacular aspect of the architecture is the glass dome:
CeilingCeiling
A fun place to poke around was Quartieri Spagnoli (Spanish Quarter), an eighteen streets by twelve grid with a population of 14,000 people that dates to the 16th century. The place is bustling, and motorcycle riders occasionally zip by on the narrow streets. They don’t seem to care about pedestrians, and I nearly got hit, making me wish I had eyes in the back of my head! Still, it was an enjoyable area to explore and photograph.
This was one of my favorite travel moments and pictures of the trip. As we were walking by, this gentleman exclaims, “Brooks!” He was pointing to his running shoes, which were Brooks, like mine. He didn’t speak English, and I don’t speak Italian, but we managed to have a fun conversation through mime. He asked if I was a runner, and I shook my head no. I pretended to swim to convey I was a swimmer, and he pointed to himself that he swam, too. “Triathlon!” And he took out his phone to show me a picture of him at the finish line of a triathlon. Bruce shot this picture of us posing with our Brooks shoes, we laughed, and said, “Arriverdci!”
Since Naples was where pizza was invented, we had to partake in its famous invention! We were provided with large scissors to cut our pizza into slices:
Reflecting on our time in Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, and finally, Naples, it was a wonderful three weeks of memories we will always treasure!
Our travels continued in Turkiye on May 20, which will be the subject of my next series of posts after a break. But first, I will slip in a post about my favorite travel tips, some of which I came up with during our six weeks of traveling.
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Our final morning in Maiori was beautiful!On our way to Pompeii, the views to Mount Vesuvius were gorgeous once again!
Our fun-loving tour leader, Francesco, normally a joking around kind of guy, was very serious about getting to Pompeii before it opened. He said even if you have pre-purchased tickets like he had for our group, the lines to get in get very long. Francesco was not wrong. We arrived before opening, and it was already very crowded outside the gate. See those cases in the picture below? Each one was full of a busload of headsets that the local guides would use with their groups to speak to them while walking through the site. The empty cases are held there until the group is ready to depart. Those cases were just the beginning of a collection that would grow throughout the day!
It wasn’t as crowded after we got through the gate, because Pompeii is quite large at about 170 acres, and the tour guides lead their groups to different areas. But still, there were so many people everywhere, because it is among the most popular tourist attractions in Italy, with approximately 2.5 million visitors annually.
One of the MANY tour groups…
Having said all that, when you visit Italy, Pompeii is a must-see destination. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city was buried in six meters of volcanic ash by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Toxic gas and ash penetrated the entire town, killing what was estimated to be about 11,000 residents.
It wasn’t until the 17th century that Pompeii was re-discovered. And what a discovery it must have been! The city and its treasures were well preserved, offering a unique snapshot of what Roman life was at the time. It is the only archaeological site in the world that provides a complete picture of an ancient Roman City.
Pompeii was a wealthy town of beautiful public buildings and luxurious private houses decorated with fine artwork and furnishings. Can you imagine what it must have been like to discover these treasures during excavation?
During our tour of the museum, we got to see some of these beautiful treasures:
Venus Pompeiana with Cupid, 1st Century Fresco
4th Century BC
This ceramic vessel from the 1st Century contains pigments used to decorate walls.
What we found interesting, however, were the remains of the shops and workshops we saw where pottery and glass serving pieces were made. There were also bakeries, wool processing workshops, snack bars, an amphitheater, and more.
This was a tavern and these terracotta vessels contained the cooked food and drinks that were sold to customers. During excavation, utensils used for serving the food and drinks were found.
We were fortunate to be there on a gorgeous spring day when the red poppies were in bloom.
Following our tour of Pompeii, we had a much-needed relaxing (and quiet!) outdoor lunch at a local winery where we enjoyed views of Mt. Vesuvius.
Our final destination was Naples, our base for the final three nights of the tour. More on Naples in post #26!
Next up: SICILY & AMALFI COAST #25: CRUISING TO CAPRI
Elaine-iaK's Travels: A Traveler's Tales of People, Places, Photos, Pools... and CHOCOLATE! 