Portugal – Travels with Ali

~ 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.