Portugal has fast become one of our favourite European destinations. For a start, did you know that it’s the sunniest country in Europe? Even in late October we experience endless blue skies and sunshine. We loved Portugal so much during our 2017 stay that we returned a year later to live and work in the Algarve. On our initial trip, we completed a house sit near Lagos, where we fell in love with the country’s sandy beaches and explored coves bordered by red, yellow and orange cliffs. We watched the sunset whilst walking the dogs along flat, almost-deserted sands.
We’ve also discovered how great Portugal’s cities are with a whirlwind few days exploring the capital Lisbon where we hopped from Cathedral to museum to historic tower. Ancient Sintra is just a train journey away from Lisbon, so we also took a trip there to visit its Old Town, castle and yellow palace. We also enjoyed a month-long stay just outside of Porto, a city we fell hard for. As well as wandering along Porto’s colourful riverfront and steep cobbled streets, we took day trips to nearby cities like Braga and Guimaraes, as well as walks along forested walkways in the Passadicos do Pava.
Merry Christmas from Portugal. Yes, we finally escaped the UK winter, not to Vietnam as we’d planned but back to our former home in the Algarve. This wasn’t where we thought we’d end up but as the year comes to a close, we’re just grateful to be anywhere other than the UK. It’s been a strange year, that’s for sure.However, I know that compared to...
Thinking of moving to sunny Portugal? We spent nine months down in the Algarve, tracking our living costs along the way. From rental prices to bills, food and transport, here's a detailed breakdown of the cost of living in Portugal. Our life in Portugal Before we jump in, here's a bit of background info about our Portugal journey. In summer 2019, Andrew accepted a year's teaching contract...
I can feel the familiar itch of excitement that only a new adventure brings. This weekend we’re saying 'Goodbye Portugal' and moving on. So where are we off to next? Here’s the lowdown on our plans for the rest of the year, which include a South Africa road trip, vegan campout, housesitting in London and possibly (fingers crossed!) a trip to India.After our Easter break...
The Douro river route: a 200-kilometre journey across northern Portugal to the Spanish border. Picture a wide river snaking through lush valleys lined with grape and olive bushes, the landscape dotted with traditional Port-wine quintas. During the Easter holidays we headed north from the Algarve to spend a couple of days driving the Douro Valley, one of Portugal’s UNESCO-listed wonders. Visiting from Porto Most people explore the...
Picture rolling hills, magical forest palaces, river beaches and hill-top windmills. That was our trip to Central Portugal in a nut-shell. We spent a few days wandering the steep streets of Coimbra, a historic city famed for its prestigious university, exploring the peaceful Bussaco Forest and marvelling at panoramic views in Penacova.The Holy Week holiday and Loule Carnival Being stuck in the Algarve while Andrew’s teaching...
Spring has finally arrived in the Algarve! In fact, it feels almost summer-like with temperatures topping 20 degrees. Today is the start of Andrew’s half-term break and the holy week carnival celebrations here in Portugal, as well as our six-year Travelversary. Six years ago, we were saying our final goodbyes to family and heading to Heathrow to start a new life abroad. Can you believe...
When we moved to the Algarve I was looking forward to blue skies, sunshine and pool days. That’s pretty much what we got in mid-September when we moved into our apartment with communal pool, just a 15-minute walk from the beach. Little did we know that our beach days were numbered and we’d soon be shivering in our freezing apartment. Wondering what the Algarve in...
The Algarve, Portugal, one of Europe’s sunniest destinations and home to golden beaches bordered by striking red cliffs, tiled churches and ports with white-washed old towns. Since we moved here in September, we’ve been on a mission to explore the top Algarve destinations. From boat trips to beaches, castles and historic old towns, check out these top picks in our Algarve guide.Explore Algarve - our...
Hello! After weeks of radio silence, we’re finally back with a new site design. What do you think? It’s been a much longer, scarier process than we imagined and there’s still lots more work to do behind the scenes, but we’re pretty happy with the results. While the re-design has been dominating our free time for the last month, I thought I’d also give you...
We made it to Portugal! Ever since we got here last week the sun has been shining in a flawless, cloud-free blue sky. After three days of non-stop driving, an Airbnb bug scare and a fraud alert on our bank account, we’ve finally moved into a beautiful home and Andrew has started work. So, want a peek into our new life and apartment in the...
