Cellar Tastings

For such a tiny country, there are plenty of things to see and do in Portugal. The southern Algarve has become a tourist enclave, with dozens of golf resorts, and amazing red-rock coastline and charming fishing villages. Sagres, a town in the Algarve, is the westernmost point in Europe. Travelling north, Lisbon is a "must see", probably the most romantic city in Europe. The city is full of stunning Moorish tilework, medieval cobblestoned streets leading up to a wonderful castle, exquisite 18th century palaces, and San Francisco-like cable cars climbing up the tree-lined streets. There are some amazing historic towns north of Lisbon including Sintra, Obidos, and Coimbra. Further north, you reach Oporto, the second biggest city. What most visitors come to Oporto for, however, is not only for the city itself, rather the city's biggest export- Port. From the old town of Oporto, you only have to cross the Ponte Dom Luis I bridge to reach the fantastic old port lodges, many of them dating back to the late 1700'.

Lisbon

Lisbon is probably the most romantic city in Europe. Other cities are definitely beautiful or graceful, but Lisbon has something special, something impossible to articulate in words. It's melancholic and optimistic, traditional and trendy, frayed and elegant simultaneously. Lisbon draws comparisons with San Francisco for a number of reasons. The cities have a startlingly similar physical makeup, with steep hills and colourful trolleys, cafe lined streets winding down to the port and opulent neighborhoods nestled in the hills above the city. Further, they both lie on fault lines and have suffered from massive earthquakes, Lisbon's in 1755. The city is essentially an 18th century city, as nearly everything was levelled in the earthquake, and it is enchanting and wholly romantic. Entire buildings are covered in dazzling, bright blue and yellow, antique tiles.

Although the legend is that Ulysses first founded Lisbon, it was the Phoenicians who historians concur first settled here, 3,000 years ago. Being explorers and colonizers, they were attracted by the huge natural harbor and the strategic hill of São Jorge (where the castle is). Greeks followed and next came the warring Carthaginians. Lisbon became part of the Roman Empire in 205 BC, for the next 300 years. Julius Casar made the town the most important in Lusitania, and changed the name from "Olisipo" to "Felicitas Julia". With the decay of the Roman Empire, northern tribes pushed their way in over time, untill they were replaced by the Moors in 714.

While in Lisbon, you can’t miss the extraordinary Mosterio dos Jeronimos, a massive 16th century cloister and monastery in Belem, the point where Vasco de Gama set sail for India in 1497. You have to visit the Castelo de Sao Jorge, the 5th century castle, later fortified by the Moors in the 9th century and conquered by the Christians in the 12th century. From the castle, you have great, sweeping views over Lisbon and the Tagus River. In the evening, we will meet for dinner followed by a unique Fado show. Fado could be loosely defined as folkloric singing, but it is much more than that. Fado is passionate singing accompanied by guitar, melancholic, simultaneously tragic and yet hopeful. It has Arabic overtones, a legacy of the Moors. The music will leave you captivated and hanging on the words, even if you don't speak Portuguese

Oporto

Portugal's second biggest city, Oporto ("Porto" in Portuguese) is the capital of Portugal's most famous wine region - Port. It is home to most of the Port lodges (where the wines are aged after vinification in the wineries along the Douro further inland), located in Vila Nova de Gaia and is located magnificently on the banks of the great Douro River. Oporto is well known for its characteristic sailboats, the "Barcos Rabelos", which used to ship Port downstream from the vineyards. The journey was actually quite dangerous, but even despite the introduction of the Port train in the late 1800's, the Barcos Rabelos continued to be used for transporting Port until the 1960's. These days, the famous boats are used for an annual race, held in Oporto in June every year

Oporto is a town of contradictions- still very poor by European standards and yet full of some unidentifiable charm that seduces the visitor. The river is lined with great, non-pretentious seafood restaurants, where traditional dishes like "Tripas" (tripe) and "Ameijoas" (clams) are served in the boisterous bars and cafes. The city has a tremendous amount of atmosphere, with narrow, steep, winding lanes; old trams; beautifully tiled and deteriorating facades; and a bizarre blend of mom and pop shops rubbing elbows with elegant new shops, overcrowded and happily noisy neighborhoods falling into opulent suburbs full of villas and luxuriant gardens. The main attractions architecturally are the Sé cathedral, 13th century cathedral renovated in the 18th century and located on the hill above Oporto's historic São Bento train station. You can climb the Renaissance epoch stairs, which lead you to a chapterhouse, and provide stunning views over the old quarter. The Igreja de São Francisco is another extraordinary church with a Gothic exterior and decadent gilded Rococo interior. The Stock exchange, A Bolsa, is also an impressive building, constructed in the 19th century in an array of styles including a neoclassic façade and Moorish interior

What most visitors come to Oporto for, however, is not only for the city itself, rather the city's biggest export- Port. From the old town of Oporto, you only have to cross the Ponte Dom Luis I bridge to reach the fantastic old port lodges, many of them dating back to the late 1700's. Some of the port lodges are located in transformed monasteries, like the Ferreira lodge (a port company founded in 1715). Ferreira is in fact one of the most fascinating lodges to visit along with the historic Sandeman (also housing a museum), Graham and Calém. You can stroll along the riverfront, visiting various lodges, by making previous appointments or participating in a group tour

Sintra

Sintra is a magical place Lord Byron called "Eden". The tiny town is located just outside of Lisbon, and has traditionally been a place of residence for Moorish rulers, Catholic monarchs, Portuguese gentry and aristocrats. It is where the creme de la creme of high society have lived for centuries, and is now home to modern day moguls and millionaires. Sintra has an almost decadent amount of stunning palaces and gardens, including the one and only "Palacio da Pena", a wildly extravagant palace, built in the 1840's for Queen Maria II by her husband, emulating the castles of Ludwig of Bavaria (Disney's inspiration). This is one of the singularly most spectacular examples of architecture you will see in your lifetime. Sintra is verdant, lush, graceful, and utterly charming.

Evora

Evora is best known for its 2nd century Roman Temple of Diana. The temple is small yet impressive, due mostly to its dignified survival and preservation for over 2,000 years. An interesting fact about the temple is the variety of uses it has had over the centuries, including an armory, a theatre, and even a slaughterhouse. The cathedral is another intriguing structure in this Unesco World Heritage town, a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The 16th century main square has been used for inquisitions and beheadings of royalty (including Dom Joao II's brother-in-law, the Duque de Braganca), but these days it tends to host flower markets.