Our visit to Portugal--nine years in the making--was truly fantastic, as evidenced by the fact that I was unable to edit my photos down to fewer than seven. We started off in Lisbon, headed to the Alagarve beaches, and finished up in the Alentejo countryside. We enjoyed amazing meals, with plentiful fish in the Alagarve and pork in Alentejo, and breathtaking scenery everywhere we went. Portugal remains surprisingly undiscovered, which meant that fewer locals spoke fluent English (not a problem for us, since we were traveling with our friend Andre, a native Portuguese speaker) and prices--even in euros--were quite reasonable. We stayed at a converted monastery in Beja and explored many old churches throughout the country. The highlight for me was a visit to a winery in Alentejo, where we tasted some excellent wines and olive oils--none for more than $20 per bottle--in a gorgeous setting. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a repeat invite from the Mouras next year!
