Posts Tagged With: travel+photography

The Case for Portland

Posted on September 21, 2023 by Ziggy
Mt Hood

Yes, Portland Oregon is weird. Even for a New Yorker. Some of the quirkiness you see in East Village or Washington Square Park like ask a puppet for advice is just another corner in Portland. Same for how people generally look and dress. All you need is a 5 minute walk down Alberta Arts District to see that you are not in Kansas anymore. They have an annual nude bike race for Christ’s sake. Even the birds are weird, and possibly stoned. You’d think when a car is approaching they’d scoot faster out of the way, but they take their time and sometimes cause mini traffic jams.

For a place with the population size of Staten Island, the food scene is just ridiculous. They dont just have food trucks or carts, they got islands of them called pods. Like outdoor food courts. Around 500 food carts dispersed all over the city, and none are the same. Add a tremendous restaurant scene to the mix and you got a foodie paradise. I may have lost some sleep trying to sort out the food schedule. Being close to food rich Alberta complicated matters more. More on the food later.

Japanese Gardens

But that’s not nearly all. Portland is not the most attractive city I’ve seen. But it’s parks and gardens like the Japanese garden are world class. You can do some serious forest bathing here between Mt Tabor, the Grotto (62 acres sanctuary), and the mother of all forests, Forest Park where you can hike to the picture perfect Pittock Mansion. Portland’s collection of trees are impressive to say the least.

Other than the parks, Portland’s charm is in it’s neighborhoods. The Northwest District, especially the area around 23rd Ave is fun to explore, day or night. You’ll get a different feel once you cross the river to the lively Mississippi Ave, Williams, and the vibrant Alberta. Staying in one of those areas instead of the downtown area where most tourists (and many homeless) stay is the conventional wisdom these days.

Multnomah

But to me the biggest draw other than the food scene, is the proximity to various natural wonders. Half an hour away is Columbia River Gorge and its very accessible world class waterfalls. If you wont get Iceland vibes at Latourell Falls with its basalt, you will surely get it at Multnomah. You dont need to walk much from the parking lot for the classic shot. After chasing waterfalls, the town of Hood River conveniently awaits with its breweries and art galleries. You can either continue to Mt Hood, or come back from the Washington side of the river for another picturesque drive.

70 miles south you have Silver Falls State Park and its stunning South Fall. Dont even bother looking at pictures of this one, as its something you need to see and experience. A dramatic ending (or beginning) to a beautiful 3-5 mile hike. Then after a coffee stop in Salem, proceed to Willamette Valley, Oregon’s Wine Country. From little Iceland to little Tuscany, though with more than 500 wineries perhaps not that little. Consider Trisaetum winery, for the wine and the above average Charcuterie board.

Portland’s problems are in full display. But so is everything else that’s not going away, and that you wont see mentioned in the media. Cant wait to come back to see the rest.

Trisaetum Winery
Mt Tabor
Eem
Vista House
The Grotto
The Grotto
Sorbu
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A Day in the Alentejo

Posted on August 24, 2023 by Ziggy

“This is a Cork tree…. Any questions?” Two minutes into our tour with David of cork producer Cortiçarte, was all we needed to get a sense on how the rest is gonna go. One of the many personalities worth seeking out in the beautiful Alentejo countryside. The large city folk look at the people of Alentejo like mainland Italians look at Sicilians. It’s where time is time, and taking it slow and living in the moment is misinterpreted as backward and lazy. You see some evidence of that from former professional soccer players now driving Ubers to hospitality workers

David then proceeded to give us a fascinating and entertaining tour of the small family owned factory. The dude turns out is a natural. Portugal produces 60% of the worlds cork and much of it is done in this region. I mean how often do you think about where this stuff comes from. You usually begin by focusing entirely on the wine, and end with seeing unicorns. And like in a museum, at Cortiçarte you end up eventually in the gift shop. Except that its a good one this time. A shop selling all sorts of items made of, you guessed it, aluminum. J/k, its more cork.

Much of the cork doesnt have to travel far. While the Douro Valley got the pizzazz and fame, Alentejo is actually Portugal’s largest wine country. It’s wineries cover a third of the country in fact. Most of the reds are robust blends, while the whites are well balanced and quite aromatic. “Fruity or no fruity” became the question of the day by restaurant owners in the region. Even when we opted for “no fruity”, they were plenty fruity, and surprisingly delicious. I say surprisingly since living in the states you dont hear much about this region. It’s the Virginia of Europe wine regions, at least as far as my knowledge goes.

Herdade do Esperao is not quite as striking as some of the wineries we’ve visited in Europe, but it is one of the more important, and boasts one heck of a restaurant. You can book a tour and tasting as we did, followed by lunch. Its quite the production, and it was interesting to see the process, and cellars (not pictured). The tasting especially was a revelation as some of the reds in particular were quite potent.

I dont believe you can go wrong choosing between the Michelin or the Tapas Bar here. Since it was a Sunday, our only option was the Tapas Bar and that was a nice treat. I rarely say it but… vegetables! Yay! Normally veggies in Portugal are just boring sides, but here they shine. Asparagus, beet root (the star of show), and the cabbage salad that came with the pork were particularly noteworthy. A superb lamb came with scalloped potatoes with a surprise inside… more lamb. Perhaps even more memorable was the enthusiastic young waiter that talked about every ingredient like a couple talking about their first newborn.

Alentejo’s boasts some pretty impressive hilltop villages. Marvao, Castelo de Vide, Elvas and Monsaraz just to name a few, with Monsaraz perhaps the most dramatic of the bunch. I can see Marvao fans shaking their heads profusely. No argument there as they all offer something for everyone. Perhaps it was the little cemetery in Monsaraz that did it for me. Or the super friendly volunteer at the tourist office. Or the views of the lakes and Spain from its walls. With very few tourists going this far, not many residents have much reason to stay. Still, empty or not, Monsaraz might be Portugal’s best hidden secret

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This is Aveiro

Posted on August 11, 2023 by Ziggy

How often do we judge destinations based on expectations, rather than face value. Imagine seeing Pena Palace in Sintra, or the Eiffel Tower without knowing anything about them. Sort of just bumping into them by accident. You’ll be anxious to tell the world about your findings rather than figure out whether expectations were met. Sometimes it works the other way. High expectations can convince you to appreciate a place much more than you would otherwise. Sort of “the emperor has no clothes” effect.

The more you read about Aveiro, the more you start questioning whether this is a worthy destination. You get the idea that its not genuine, too touristy, there’s not a whole lot to do, and my favorite, its nothing like Venice. Aveiro’ small canal system, and colorful boats gave it the nickname the Venice of the South. Just like with the Florence of the south (Lecce), people often make the mistake of comparing them to their “look-alikes”, and setting themselves up for disappointment.

But on face value, Aveiro is unlike anything I’ve seen. Even if you take out the canals and boats, its a stunner. The cobblestone streets with the maritime motifs, picturesque squares, and flashy architecture give the town a certain atmosphere. Its clean and very pleasant to walk around, even outside of the main zone. We didnt find it overrun with tourists, but much like Porto, we saw a lot of construction.

But the boats, or Moliceiros, and canals definitely give it an added flair. You can take a boat ride (too hot on our visit). Or simply walk around to admire the boats, and search for the naughtiest paintings. Every boat has some sort of an illustration in the front, some quite strange, and potentially offensive. The history is not exactly clear. It started as politically motivated, and somehow transformed into this over time. Its weird and hilarious at the same time. Just zoom in on some of the pictures. You can find more examples here and here, and I just had to steal one from the excellent Julie Dawn Fox.

Julie Dawn Fox

Like many towns in Portugal, the town has its own convent treat, Ovos Moles (“soft eggs”). We picked up some from a shop called 1882. There’s even a bakery with a workshop, teaching tourists how to make them. Honestly, after eating convent desserts all over Portugal, we were not particularly wowed by these. Ultra sweet and eggy. Sugar, eggs and sometimes almonds dominate the convent dessert scene all over the country. But you have to admire how old traditions get preserved as such.

Another big reason to come here is the nearby port/beach town of Costa Nova, and its colorful houses. You can make this stop as big as you want. Take advantage of the many seafood restaurants (Marisqueiras), go to the beach, or just take a stroll on the promenade along the striped fishermen houses. My unofficial explanation is that the fishermen had a drinking problem, and after numerous misunderstandings, some turned lethal involving spouses, they decided to color their houses to ensure they find the right one at the end of along day.

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Yet Another 14 Day Portugal Itinerary

Posted on July 31, 2023 by Ziggy

The great www is flooded with Portugal itineraries of all types and sizes. So why should you trust this one? You shouldnt. I think the vast majority of out there are fairly useless to most people, and mine is no exception. I myself dont usually like to look at other people’s itineraries, but do so sometimes at the very beginning stages just to get a general idea.

But since we are asked by many for our itineraries, Mrs Z started posting them on her local Facebook group, so this is mostly just a copy and paste. This itinerary takes into account our pace, love of food (duh!), culture, photography (friends more than us), and variety. A nice mix of cities, villages, cuisine types, and even variety in accommodations. It also means renting a car for part of the trip. In other words, a whole bunch of useless stuff. But maybe you’ll get a yummy meal or three out of this. Every mention of a specific restaurant, hotel, or place, means I recommend. If there’s a dinner or lunch I omitted, it means it was a fail. Here we go…

Day 1 – Fly to Porto

Check into Hotel Catalonia

Explore central area:  Rua de Santa Catarina, Mercado do Bolhão, City Hall, McDonald’s (no joke), São Bento train Station, and other sites you want to see nearby.

Francesinha lunch at Cafe Santiago. Not sure if its the best anymore, but its sort of a local legend and close to the hotel. Another good option is Brasão Coliseu across the street but I havent tried it. 

Rest

Dinner at O Buraquinho da Sé. Can book via Facebook, try well in advance. Octopus of your dreams.

Day 2 – Porto

Jewish Heritage Tour with Portoalities, or another tour with this agency. You dont need to be Jewish to appreciate the Jewish tour.

Lunch at Taberna dos Mercadores. Tough booking, only by phone, or join the line. Lunch or dinner obviously doesnt matter.

Explore Ribeira area. 

São Francisco church and/or Bolsa Palace.

If you still have time explore Vila Nova de Gaia.

Day 3 –  Bom Jesus / Guimaraes

Uber to Bom Jesus do Monte (or train via Braga)

Uber or train to Guimaraes.

Lunch at Restaurante Virtudes. For this day I just wanted something in the main square and this did the trick.

Uber or train to Porto.   

Dinner at “O Grade”. Booked via google maps. Family place, super popular with tourists. A marginal recco here, not an absolute must. I liked it more 12 years ago.

 

Day 4 – Douro Valley

Book a day with Igor of Porto Tours and Transfers. Highlights:

Winery (Pacheca), Lunch (O Maleiro)

Town of Amarante.

Dinner, a snack double header: Gazela – the famous hot dog, Congo – Bifana.

Day 5 – To Tomar

Pick up car at Flashrent, a tiny, and I mean tiny, cheap, dependable, friendly private rental owned by two women.

Stop at Aveiro / Costa Nova

A Suckling pig lunch at Rui dos Leitoes 

Visit Convent de Cristo in Tomar

Check into Casa dos Ofícios Hotel in Tomar

Medieval theme dinner at Taverna Antiqua 

Day 6 – Full day in the Central

Batalha

Alcobaça Monastery

Lunch at Origens in Alcobaça (reserve via email)

Explore Alcobaça

Obidos

Chicken dinner at Casa dos frangos in Tomar

Day 7 – Drive to Evora

Castelo de Vide – See ancient Jewish synagogue and sites

Lunch at Aqui ao lado

Visit Marvão. Do not leave without cookies from Marvao Com Gosto

Continue toward Evora

Check into Convento do Espinheiro

Dinner at Taberna Típica Quarta Feira – family style fixed menu

Day 8 – Evora

Explore Evora: University, Cathedral, Bone church, Roman temple…

Afternoon at the hotel pool

Dinner at Origens 

Day 9 – Alentejo country side

Corticarte – cork manufature and tour with David (or the next day if timing doesnt allow).

Visit Herdade do Esporão winery – Book tour and lunch at the tapas bar or restaurant (Michelin) via Email.  

Monsaraz

Day 10 – Moving to Sintra

Sanctuary of Christ the King overlooking Lisbon

Grilled seafood lunch at A rampa do Pragal

Queluz National Palace

Check into Quinta das Pedras

Rest, pool, Dinner at the Quinta by the host, book in advance

Day 11 – Sintra 

Pena Palace – Get earliest tix

Moorish castle

Lunch at Tascantiga

Relax at the Quinta

Cascais

Seafood Dinner at Mar do Inferno

Day 12 – Sintra / Lisbon

Quinta da Regaleira (Even though I’m listing it here, best time to do this is arrive between 11-1)

Lunch at Casa des Minas (more for the place than food)

Drive to Lisbon, Drop car 

Check into BessaHotel Liberdade

Dinner at Cervejaria Ramiro

Day 13 – Lisbon

Explore Lisbon center (Baixa, Chiado, etc)

Lunch at Tapisco

Explore Príncipe Real, Bairro Alto

Dinner at Jesus e Goes (Goan)

Day 14 – Lisbon

Alfama

Chicken lunch at Churrasqueira do Morques (get by Uber)

Belem

Dinner at O Velho Eurico – Tough booking but doable if you book well in advance online.

Fly home next day from Lisbon

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10 Tips for Lisbon

Posted on July 22, 2023 by Ziggy

Wear comfortable shoes.

Ok, this is a joke. I may have touched on this in the past, but I still see this advice for Lisbon and just about every non-beach destination in the world. Is there a human left that doesnt already know this by now? Women think about this as soon as they book flights. If you give this advice to Mrs Z, she will give you the smackdown and show you all the blisters she got just today. And dont get me started on “Dont forget your camera”. Here are 10 real tips that you may or may not know by now

Dont sweat about location

People often ask for the best location on social media sites, and I’m still not sure what is the right answer. Its really not much different than any other capital. The sites and attractions are fairly spread out, and you will have cons and pros wit just about every area. This time we opted to stay at BessaHotel Liberdade and were very happy with the location, especially with the proximity to shopping. Its still good value for us Americans, and its got to be one of the best showers in Europe. With the built in bathroom speakers it felt like you are in an Irene Cara music video. What a feeling!

Reserve the most popular yesterday

Unlike say Paris, NYC, and much of the world, restaurant reservations are available months in advance in Portugal. For haute joints like Alma, its understandable that it could be a tough table to get, but even simpler non Michelin spots like O Velho Eurico, can be booked solid months out. Its a pain in the ass but worth seeking them out. Same advice for Porto.

Try Goan

Lisbon has a very large Bengali and Indian population. It was interesting to walk some of the streets like Rua do Benformoso and see nothing but Bengali and Indian joints all over. But since Goa, the Western Indian state, was once a Portuguese colony, there’s also that connection and history. Its not just a history listen, but the food is pretty darn good. Once you have eaten your way through all the seafood delights that Portugal has to offer, this is more than a nice change of pace. You got the great Jesus é Goês, Zuari, and many more options all over the city.

Researching Pasteis is mostly a waste of time

Years ago it was more or less clear that if you wanted the best Pasteis you had to go to the source, Pasteis de Belem. But these days, with so many bakeries and chains opening throughout the years, the competition increased and opinions vary. Many swear by Manteigaria, and many still stand firmly behind the royalty of Belem. But to me the most important ingredient is freshness, and that’s a little difficult to predict. For us, the most consistently fresh Pasteis came from Fábrica da Nata, in various Lisbon and Sintra locations. Regardless, if you are a food enthusiast, a visit to Pasteis de Belem is still a must.

Skip the flashy Sardines and do the Conserveira

Good sardines are expensive and hard to find in the US. In Porto and Lisbon you’ll find some very curious gimmicky instagramable sardine shops that may even feature a musician playing a musical instrument in a Phantom of the Opera type setting. I cant say to the quality of their cans, as I rather put my money on an old school, no frills, 4th generation family business like Conserveira de Lisboa. Its a place you go to buy canned seafood, not to browse around. And there’s literally nothing to see anyway except for your sardine consultant/salesmen. It’s the Di Palo’s of Lisbon. Lines can be long but its worth it

Spend time outside the center

The biggest change in Portugal today vs 10 years ago is that it became much more touristy. Its a very hot, trendy destination at the moment on top of the post pandemic revenge travel thats still ongoing. Dont be surprised to be surrounded by visitors all over the center. Its important then to spend some time outside the tourist zones, in areas like Príncipe Real, Campo de Ourique, or Ajuda. You’ll even see a big change in food prices. Bonus tip: Try getting to Churrasqueira do Marquês for grilled chicken, before walking to Belem. You’ll most likely be the only tourist there.

The hills are alive with the sound of pain

You read about them, you look at pictures, and you still arrive without care and proper plan to see every neighborhood and every view point in one day. Dont underestimate the hills, and some of the Miradouros (sponsored by Lisbon’s coalition of knee replacement specialists). They may wear you out by day one. Some require more effort than others. And if I have to choose just one Miradouro, it would be Miradouro de Santa Luzia in Alfama. And remember of course to wear comfortable shoes!

Uber is your friend, not the tram

Prices certainty increased over the years, but Uber is still quite cheap, especially when compared to a large USA city. They are quick, reliable, and sometimes you get a chance to meet a local. Its not so much a way to replace a tram, which is more of an attraction. But one look at the miserable faces of tram 28 riders stuck in traffic in Alfama is all you need. It’s also relatively expensive, crowded, and requires careful planning to avoid the queues, and pick pocketers..

You dont have to wait for Santa Justa Lift

I dont know who needs to hear this, but its still amazing to see long lines to Santa Justa, even though the walk up is 5 minutes. Take Rua do Carmo down, make a right, another right, and look for the stairs up to Carmo Convent. Unless you are already up, coming from Bairro Alto, just head to Carmo. If you must take the lift, the line down is much shorter.

Go on a Bordalo II hunting

This is a supremely talented “trash artist”. He converts junk into beautiful animal sculptures. You can find his work throughout the city, but some are a bit more difficult to get to. As of this writing to my knowledge you got the The Cat, “Sapo de Lixo”, Monkey, Panda, the new birds on the corner of Rua do Carmo and de Santa Justa by the lift, Raposa, and the Raccoon. If you can find them all, you’ll get a free annual subscription to EWZ.

Enjoy Lisboa!

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Quinta das Pedras – A Hidden Paradise Near Sintra

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Ziggy

How often do I write about a stay? After over 10 years, and hundreds of posts, I only remember three. A little farm near Aragona in Sicily, a winery in Tuscany, and our usual Turks and Caicos base where we’ve been staying since it was built. Portugal actually produced two stays worth writing about. Maybe a new blog is in order? Sleeping With Ziggy? Ok, I dont know why I went there.

But I am considering a few small changes to EWZ with design and one very unusual content tweak. Just to spice it up a bit, on a random post, I will add a very short show/movie review. I dont have the vocabulary arsenal of a movie reviewer (or food reviewer for that matter), but I’m a bit of a movie/show buff and got plenty to say and recommend. Any yeas or nays?

Speaking of streaming, when I sent a note to Ricardo, Quinta das Pedras’ passionate owner that I forgot to log off from Apple TV, he made it his mission to take care of it ASAP. Every single question or request throughout the booking process was answered within 5 minutes. Once you meet him you understand why.

Quinta das Pedras is a two room bed and breakfast in Belas, 15-20 minutes from Sintra. While its fairly close to Lisbon (20 minutes from Belém), I imagine most people, like us, pick it as their Sintra base, even though its not super convenient for Sintra either. You pick it for the pictures, the description and the 10 rating of the over 100 reviews on Booking. I’ve been using Booking.com for as long as I remember, and can’t remember ever seeing a property rated as such.

It’s virtually impossible to rate this place lower even if you find negatives. The kindness and attention to detail of the host, the gardens, the pool, and the countless of chachkies and collectibles throughout the property make it a 5 star experience for a 2 star price. We paid more than double to stay at a grand hotel in Philly last week, and the experience cant really compare.

Its a newish property that will most likely blossom into something you’ll need to book a year out. Ricardo’s grandparents essentially spent some time building a magnificent garden, and later on built a house near it. Inside the house and surroundings you’ll find many collectibles from their many travels from all over the world. From Zimbabwe to India, Israel, Ukraine.. etc. Its a museum, inside out.

The breakfast, and individual fruit salads alone worth the price of admission. Ricardo, the perfectionist, always there to take care of every need. He anticipates them like a three Michelin waiter. Just when you thought he’s taking care of your bedding, he’s outside the property directing traffic while you back out. It was like there were three of him.

But that’s not all. While communicating with Ricardo about the area food, he suggested to cook for us on one of the nights. Next thing you know, he’s running around with an apron setting up our table by the pool. A delicious Turkey with apricots, red wine and tarragon, with sides of broccoli and rice. We enjoyed it with the nice red we got from the Convento do Espinheiro in Evora (the other worthy writeup). Finished with a divine homemade choc mousse. A private meal by the pool for the price of an average restaurant.

As I mentioned the place has only two guest rooms. Perfect for two couples or a family. After a long day of palace hopping, the pool is extremely refreshing. That’s after you spend another hour walking around the property, taking the same pictures your took yesterday.

Quinta das Pedras

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Douro Valley – Of Pork, Wine Paint, and Penis Cookies

Posted on June 28, 2023 by Ziggy

Did I get your attention? Scroll down if you are just here for the cookie porn. But for the rest of you this post is all about our Douro day with Facebook group star Igor of Porto Tours and Transfers. Unless your trip is at least 6 months from now, forget it. You can try, but the dude is usually booked many months out. But you do have many options these days besides Igor, so dont despair.

This wasnt our first time seeing the valley. 12 years ago we explored it on our own, before Google Maps was a thing. Hitting dead ends, and dirt roads was just part of the adventure. I remember the feeling of finally finding Quinta de La Rosa, our most memorable lunch destination. Memorable for the view and attention mostly, as we were the lone guests. With Porto tourism increasing seemingly 10 fold since, eating at any Quinta facing the Duoro alone is a fantasy these days.

Quinta da Pacheca, undeniably one of the most interesting wineries we’ve ever come across. Its a stunner. Not small, not cheap, and it comes with its own resident artist, Oscar Rodriguez. You’ll see his work throughout the property. And before you know it, you are scratching heads at his studio trying to figure out how he’s able to create paintings with just 6 different kinds of wine.

We tasted a very respectable white, a robust red Reserva, and quite a potent 40 y/o Tawny. The Tawny alone worth the price of admission. Its the kind of property you want to spend some time, if not days (sleep in a giant wine barrel, anyone?). This is where you want to host your next wedding, or Gynecologist convention. The gynecologists may or may not have a problem with the bathroom glass doors and lack of privacy. What is it with Portugal and its fascination with bathroom glass doors.

Just across the river in Peso da Régua, O Maleiro was quite the tasty, ultra local treat for lunch. Family style is the name of the game. And there was plenty of game in the superb Alheira… boar, chicken, and plenty of spices. Grilled, not fried, made a difference. Its not particularly attractive after its sliced, but this was the best tasting sausage of the trip. Alheira was invented by jews in order to avoid expulsion. They hung sausages on their doors in order to show their solidarity, without revealing the true porkless recipe.

As satisfying as the grilled black pork and potatoes was, it was solidly out-staged by the juiciest pork loin this side of where you can find the juiciest pork loin. Served with a particularly addictive Feijao Frade – black eyed peas (or “mung beans” here) and kale salad. After the meal, you go to the side of the bar, and pour your own port. My kind of place.

We followed that mini feast with some road fruit shopping (those cherries!), a jaw dropping view point, and the sleepy town of Amarante for cookie porn. On our previous visit to Amarante, we somehow missed the penis cookies completely, but it turns out this town is totally obsessed with them. The history is hazy, but it seems like a weird way to honor patron saint São Gonçalo.

Apparently São Gonçalo had special skills, but not the kind your dirty mind assumes. He had special matchmaking powers where he would help an older female with low prospects find love. Besides the local festivals featuring all sorts of phallic cakes, its tradition for a man to give a penis shaped cookie to someone he desires. It works! I gave one to my friend Robert, and 20 minutes later he had a headache. Besides, the next day, the cookie got too hard! I knew I should have bought the one filled with cream. Ok, I’ll stop now.

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This is Evora

Posted on June 12, 2023 by Ziggy

How do you convert a building into the number one attraction in your city? Very simple. You dig out all the bodies from area cemeteries. Hire an interior decorator to help with the bones and skulls placement in the building. Display a cute welcome sign in the entrance, something like “we bones in here wait for yours to join us”. And voila! That’s pretty much what three monks did with roughly 5000 monk corpses at the Chapel of the Bones. One of many interesting sites to keep visitors entertained in and around the Alentejo capital of Evora.

There’s a certain atmosphere in Evora that is lacking in frenzied Porto and Lisbon. Most visitors come here on a day trip from Lisbon, either as part of a tour or on their own. You can see the contrast when visiting the cathedral before and after lunch when the tours start to disperse. This is why its best to stick around a few days. If you do, make it at the historic Convento do Espinheiro, a ridiculously affordable 5 star former convent, a few miles north of the city.

In addition to the bone church, and the cathedral with its reachable Insta roof, you’ll want to see the striking Roman Temple, preferably in the afternoon when the light is less harsh. Almost every other corner of Evora is a reminder of its complicated past. Mercadores (merchants) and Moeda (coin) streets in the Jewish quarter go back to the days when Jews did much of the banking. In the middle ages you were forbidden to lend money to members of your faith, so the majority Christians relied on the minority Jews.

Very few trippers make it to the University, second oldest in the country after Coimbra. Its main attraction, the Colégio do Espírito Santo building has a striking facade, and a game called “Lets find the library”. I can give you directions, but you’d be missing all the fun we had. Right next to the University is the beautiful Espírito Santo church that requires a separate ticket. Here you can play “lets find the turkey”. The one that commemorates the Jesuit missions to America. Or just chill at the beautiful public garden, chasing peacocks next to folly ruins.

University

And then there’s the Alentejo food and wine. Rustic, Tuscan-like fare, a welcomed change from the seafood heavy coast. Old timers like Fialho, and Taberna Típica Quarta-feira are intermingled with the new kids like Origens, bringing a new wave of flavors. I get the sense that Evora is becoming a food powerhouse. More on that soon.

And there’s no shortage of day trips from Evora. Estremoz, Elvas, the jaw dropping Monsaraz, Marvão, and the beautiful, still undiscovered Castelo de Vide just to name a few. A tour and lunch at the Michelined Herdade do Esporão, and Monsaraz is an easy and rewarding pair. And if you want to learn about the area cork production, David of Cortiçarte will help with that with much humor. Portugal supplies over 60% of the world’s cork.

Make sure to include Evora in your Portugal plans.

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CDMX – If I Can Offer Just One Tip

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Ziggy

Mexico City will open your eyes. You might as well forget everything you know about Mexican food and Mexican culture. If you think that tacos mostly come with hard shells, or the Day of the Dead parades have been around for a long time, prepare to be surprised. The latter was actually inspired by a recent James Bond Movie. And the former, Ok, I dont know anyone who eats at Taco Bell regularly, but you get my drift. They are out there.

This city may also change the way you travel. We American city slickers, often lean toward smaller… villages, small towns, country side, places that are total opposite of where we live. Mexico City, the largest Metropolitan in North America, challenges that theory. I’ve been thinking about going back from the moment we left. You get a sense of unfinished business.

I’ve never had so much to write after a short trip. I have many useful tips, even though we just barely scratched the surface. I will offer more tips in no time, but today I will offer just one. I dont want you to think I’m lazy (I most definitely am, but I dont want you to think that), but this tip is a rather important one.

Take the half day Markets and Street Food tour with Eat Like a Local.

“But Ziggy, arent you a guide, or a former guide or something? And so, arent you biased?”. Good question Timmy! It’s true. But I only love to write about experiences I like. There are some tours I took in Europe and the US that I never mentioned here. And being a former guide, and someone who’s been taking tours all over the world, gives you a decent understanding of what a good tour should be.

Simply put, this is an outstanding tour. It’s a little more expensive than other tours in CDMX but you do get what you pay for and then some. Mainly you get the benefit of a limit of 6 guests, which is the lowest I’ve seen outside of private tours. It’s a female only, CDMX born group that focuses on responsible tourism including paying the vendors well. Judging by the smiles and hugs we witnessed, this is not a gimmick.

The focus is on Merced and Jamaica markets with some snacking in Condesa at the beginning and end. What you get is a brilliant array of street food including insects, tacos, fruits, sweets, huitlacoche (corn fungus), incredible corn in a cup, and a life altering green Chorizo taco that did not need any salsa or anything really. About 20 tastings but we never felt too full. Very good pace, and plenty of much needed rests for a drink when needed. With a small group (us and another couple) it was like a local showing us around. You get a better understanding and appreciation of local culture (see first two paragraphs).

Taking food tours anywhere is usually a good idea. In addition to the usual benefits there are the added intangibles like meeting other travelers, and spending time with a local. And so you are often at the mercy of the person you meet, and Panda, our guide (thats her nickname) is just the right kind you want to spend four hours with. They bill their tours for people who hate tours. You wont find too many tours out there that involve subway rides, and such small groups. But this is also for people who love tours.

Eat Like a Local Mexico – Best food tours in Mexico City
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This is CDMX

Posted on March 31, 2023 by Ziggy

CDMX – Ciudad de México – Mexico City to those not familiar. If you’ve never been to Mexico City city, there’s a decent chance you never heard of it referred as CDMX before. I was in that camp up until six months ago when I decided to make a birthday trip out of it. And now all I can think of is what took me so long, and where in NYC can I get a decent Suadero, or green chorizo taco.

The good news is that I will write in more detail about CDMX soon, especially about the food. The bad news, I scheduled mouth surgery right after the trip (yesterday) so I am out of commission in NYC for a few weeks unless you want me to review Oatmeal. Quaker’s Raisin, Date, Walnut is winning that horse race for now.

But for the time being, I will just tell you, in all my years of travel, I’ve never seen anything like CDMX. The combination of distinctly different neighborhoods, sprawling markets, street food everywhere you turn, jaw dropping monuments, world class museums, is on another level. I expected to see different, and I got that and then some.

It’s incredibly rich culture is best understood via food of course, although there are some interesting boutique museums that help describe in other ways. In addition to the plethora of street food, and I mean plethora, you got a hefty amount of contemporary options including two in the coveted “top 50 restaurants in the world” list. Will tell more soon.

Categories: Mexico City | Tags: , , | 3 Comments

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