Portugal – Travels with Ali

~ From Mourning to Milfontes, Portugal – not so long ago.. ~

I recently travelled back to the UK to attend the beautiful send off for my dear mum. I have my brother to thank for arranging most of this. Although sad that she is no longer in my life, it was a lovely celebration of her life. At 93 my mum was ready to join my dad.

~ 1933 – 2026 – Jean May Ward ~

Seeing all my relatives, cousins, aunts and uncles come together was a wonderful experience. They all had separate tales to tell about my mum. Remembering her in such a way felt so special.

Visiting Vila Nova de Milfontes

We decided that it would be a good time to have a break from the stress of the last few months. So it was that we flew to Milfontes and The Algarve to relax and rejuvenate before parting. As he is now living in Milfontes, myself, my brother and his wife stayed at the house he is renting.

Milfontes is situated on the Alentejo coast. It sits where the Mira River meets the Atlantic coast. The estuary provides lovely calm beaches, great for families. The beach itself is ideal for surfers. It’s definitely a good place to visit for a quiet, non-touristy holiday.

Below are photos from his rooftop

Walking around on the first day I fell instantly in love with the quaint cobble stoned streets and pastel coloured houses. I could even hang washing out from my window. Milfontes has a calmness about it and the pace of life is slow.

**Four kittens kipping on the cobblestones**

Exploring the village and other surrounding towns

There was a fort just down the road – The Fort of St. Clemente. I am partial to forts, castles and any old buildings really. This one was extremely grand – in its day – sadly not open to the public.

Built by King Phillip II of Portugal to fend off marauding pirates. It overlooks the River Mira and the Atlantic Ocean.

Monument to the Aviators

This monument commemorates the 1924 Pioneering flight from Lisbon to Macau, led byu Brito Pais and Sarmento Beires. The first flight crashed in India, fortunately the crew survived but the plane didn’t. Not to be deterred, through Government and public donations they were able to make a second journey. They almost made it, landing just 800 metres away in China. They sailed onto Macau to a triumphant arrival.

**ABC – Another Blue Church**
**Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Graca**

Time for lunch and my long awaited grilled sardines and a glass or two of Vino Verde.

In the evening we drove up the coast to watch the fabulous sunset over the Atlantic Ocean.

The next day we drove to Sao Luis and then back to the coast. Graham was being very patient driving through the villages, when all he wanted was to dive into the water. As nice as it looked it was far too cold for me!

Sao Luis Church

There were many derelict properties in this village, but we noticed some were being readied for renovation. Maybe the council had received a grant.

We were tempted to put an offer in for this one and open up our own boutique hotel.

These two men had just laid down some food for all the stray cats that were living inside this old building.

Time for the beach and a drive across the Mira River to the coast.

Walking along the cliff top we spotted a few ospreys’ nests. This was the best I could do with my S24. It looks like an extremely large nest.

We finished the day at a beach bar overlooking the sea and seeing how long people stayed in. Enough just to cool down!

…. off to The Algarve soon …

~ Last Blast from the Past Year (2025)- Alte, Portugal ~

Our flight back to the UK wasn’t until much later that day, so on checking out we drove to a village on the way to Faro. It was the pretty village of Alto. Before we arrived there Graham had a bee in his bonnet about wanting to swim by a waterfall.

We stopped at Queda do Vigario after seeing some beautiful photos. It was a fair walk down and also the photos were nothing like what appeared at the bottom. Anyway with the bit in his mouth off Graham trotted down the stairs. The water was murky and brown, with food floating in the pond. Not to be thwarted he jumped in. He didn’t stay in for long.

Views from the carpark at the top. I didn’t realise that the painted hillside was of the Portuguese Flag.

Satisfied he had achieved his goal, we drove onto Alte. We found a cute and scenic cafe where we had a delicious lunch. We came just in time as a few bus loads of tourists arrived shortly after.

Grilled cod with roasted garlic. The last fish dish I will be eating for a while.

Cobblestoned Streets of Alte

I could have bought many items from these artsy shops, but with my luggage limit on Ryan Air it was impossible.

Street Scenes of Alte

Ubiquitous Cats of Alte

More Magnificent Murals

There was a definite musical theme running through the village. The murals depicting instruments, players and dancers. Loving murals I was in my element.

As I was climbing up the stairs, these ladies were walking down. One of them stopped me and said I know you. She did look vaguely familiar, it was then it clicked. These were the lovely ladies who sat with me in a wine bar in Cascais watching the rain pour down. Miles from there we just happen to be in the same tiny village at the same time, spooky.

We couldn’t have asked for a better day to end this wonderful trip to Portugal. I will definitely be back to explore the towns, villages and beaches of this beautiful country.

On another note, a week after I returned to Perth my brother Graham fell seriously ill. He contracted a nasty virus in his arm muscle and apparently was close to losing his arm. Maybe it was the waterfall swim but they couldn’t find out what caused the infection. Happy to say he is on the mend now and he said the care was second to none in a Lisbon hospital.

Thank you for coming along on this glorious excursion to Portugal and wishing everyone all the very best for a healthy 2026.

~ A Trip to Pena Palace, Sintra ~

My brother in his infinite wisdom decided he wanted to drive back to Lisbon from Porto Covo to see the Pena Palace. At least I would still have a chance to see this beautiful palace. Once again the rain poured down. Hopefully this would be left behind once we crossed the bridge.

A whimsical shot through the skylight of the car

This aqueduct was built between 1731 and 1799. Consisting of 35 arches and reaching 65 metres high. It has been classified a national monument. I love feats of engineering like this, and find it interesting to research the history.

Pena Palace, Sintra, Portugal — **Stopped for a quick photo from down below.**

Arriving up at the palace, Graham searched for a car park, thankfully dropping us off at the entrance first. He found one way down the hill. We were lucky with the tickets, as the next entry was just a 30 minute wait.

Heading into the palace itself, each at our own pace!

I’m happy to say that we did go back as Pena Palace is absolutely stunning. Especially now that the sun had made an appearance. The bright yellow of the walls against the blue sky was dazzling.

It really was a fairy tale palace

From above and below

An alcove made entirely of shells. You would be forgiven if you thought I had brush stroked the left photo! Instead it has been replastered, maybe waiting to be restored with shells.

Beautifully set dining table and a photo Queen Amelie and her two sons.

A few samples of the intricately tiled walls I came across. I was thinking bottom right for my bathroom and bottom left for the kitchen floor.

Majestic statue of a Moor

Some information on Pena Palace.

The castle stands on the top of a hill in the Sintra Mountains above the town of Sintra. On a clear day it can be easily seen from Lisbon. It is a national monument and is built in the style of 19th-century Romanticism. The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The first building on this site was built in the Middle Ages. Construction of a chapel started after an apparition of the Virgin Mary. In 1493 a monastery was also built.
In the 18th century the monastery was severely damaged by lightning. It was the 1755 earthquake, occurring shortly afterwards, that took the heaviest toll on the monastery, reducing it to ruins.
Rebuilt in 1842 by King Ferninand it stayed in the Royal Family until 1899. Queen Amelie spent her last night here before being exiled after the Portuguese Revolution. Edited from Pena Palace, Wikipedia.

~ November Shadows and Reflections ~

The last but one day of November Squares. Becky has done an outstanding job of collating so many squares this month. The theme has been brilliant. Thank you Becky 😊.

Here’s a few I took in Portugal.

Reflections of the sun’s rays across the water at Porto Palafita da Carrasqueira.

I caught this lady taking many selfies against the backdrop of the Atlantic Sea in Portugal.

“I see a little silhouette of a man…”
The brother contemplating life.

Figures on the Monument to the Discoveries silhouetted against the sunset over the Tagus.

“Remember to Square”

Murals of Sao Bento Railway Station, Porto, Portugal – PastSquares

Porto was the last stop on our road trip from Biarritz to Porto in 2015. I had been told to visit the railway station to look at the murals on display. These are quite spectacular and well worth a visit. It is now a world heritage site and opened in 1904. The murals are the work of artist Jorge Colaco. The murals represent historic events in and daily life. They comprise approximately 20,000 azulejo tiles.