PORTUGAL

Location - South west Europe; Capital - Lisbon; Population - 10.2 million; Currency - Euro MORE PORTUGAL

In a COVID world I gambled on getting to Portugal and back before lockdowns prevented me, and luckily it paid off, as it turned out to be one of my favourite western European destinations. I flew to Porto before gradually moving south to the Algarve - October 2020.

A recent version of the 10 Euro note

Before I'd even checked into my hotel I went looking for this mural I'd seen on the internet, on a car park wall just outside Trindade metro station - Porto

Praca General Humberto Delgado is a long square in the north of the city centre - Porto

And this guy stands on the corner of the square - Porto

There's so much street art in Portugal - Porto

Azulejos - decorative blue and white tiles - are a familiar sight in Portugal, these ones adorning Igreja do Carmo, a church on Praca Parada Leitao - Porto

Opposite the square is Jardim do Cordoaria, a small city park - Porto

A rainbow over Torre dos Clerigos, a 76m tower you can walk up - Porto

Must get a bit soggy! Half dressed mannequins near Livraria Lello - Porto

The famous stairs of bookshop Livraria Lello are said to be inspiration for those in JK Rowling's Harry Potter (she lived in the city for a few years). A €5 redeemable voucher was required just to get in but the queues are still long - Porto

The Vitoria viewpoint takes in Porto Cathedral (left), Dom Luis I bridge and over the Douro River to Vila Nova de Gaia - Porto

On the left is Porto Cathedral while on the right is the Episcopal Palace - Porto

Street art hidden away at Vitoria viewpoint (Miradouro da Vitoria) - Porto

The lights come on at night, focusing on the cathedral (left) and Serra do Pilar Monastery in Vila Nova de Gaia (right) - Porto

Straight from the LP guide, the road leading to the panorama is Rua de Sao Bento da Vitoria, where several houses display protective Hamsa (aka Hand of Fatima) door knockers, evidence of the neighbourhood's Jewish past centuries ago - Porto

Street art and graffiti seem to take up all available wallspace in Porto

The cathedral pops up again - Porto

Ths historic Rua das Flores has plenty of cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops - Porto

In need of some renovation - Porto

Street power boxes get a colourful makeover all over Porto

'Hand me down dress' - Porto

A Portuguese speciality are pasteis de nata, or custard tarts - Porto

Pepe le Pew's been arrested! The Looney Tunes character appears in Porto

On the banks of the Douro River towards Dom Luis I bridge and Serra do Pilar Monastery - Porto

The bridge and monastery light up at night - Porto

Cais da Ribeira is the name given to the attractive riverside walkway - Porto

It's lined with cafes and restaurants, and is lively in the evening with street music and entertainment - Porto

A sidestreet just back from Cais da Ribeira - Porto

I'm sure she gets a lot of attention - Porto

The hillside leads steeply down from the Episcopal Palace to Cais da Ribeira and the Douro River - Porto

A cheeky looking character on Escadas do Codecal, stairs linking the Douro to the plateau - Porto

Looking through a dilapidated building to street art on the Escadas do Codecal - Porto

Part of the old city walls stand opposite the monastery in Vila Nova de Gaia - Porto

The view from Porto Cathedral takes in another church and the Douro River - Porto

There's some cute, quiet backstreets surrounding the cathedral - Porto

Tagged Guatemao opposite the cathedral - Porto

Across the river to Vila Nova de Gaia, where the attraction is port, port and more port (port wine that is) - Porto

Street art on the walk along Av Vimara Peres towards the upper level of Dom Luis I Bridge - Porto

The hillside above the Douro River - Porto

Walk along the upper Dom Luis I bridge, taking care not to get run over by a passing tram - Porto

I'd like to know who this guy is, maybe a well known local? - Porto

The 17th century Serra do Pilar Monastery in Vila Nova de Gaia - Porto

'Half Rabbit' is a great three-dimensional sculpture made from rubbish - Porto

There's no way I could go all the way to Porto and not drink port! Port wine is a blend of wine and brandy/neutral spirit produced along the Douro Valley, where Porto is the river's exit to the Atlantic Ocean

I developed a taste for red tawny port I'd never had before. When in Rome.. or Porto anyway. Tours and tastings are available at several of the lodges - Porto

A great view of the Douro River from the bridge - Porto

The Cais da Ribeira riverside, topped by the Episcopal Palace - Porto

A superb panorama of the city lies in front of you next to the teleferico station in Vila Nova de Gaia - Porto

Boats docked at the banks of Vila Nova de Gaia - Porto

On a walk to Foz do Douro I passed this important looking fella - Porto

The 5-6km walk to the coast at Foz do Douro allows a great look back at the city and river - Porto

I really like this cloud-enshrouded picture of the Douro River and a distant Porto

Eventuall I reached the mouth of the River Douro - Porto

There's a seafront park called Jardim do Passeio Alegre, which also has a cafe and mini-golf course - Porto

The Atlantic Ocean was its usual lively self - Porto

There's a few beaches along the front, this one being the rocky Praia da Luz - Porto

This fruity piece of street art appeared regularly on the beachfront - Porto

This restaurant was closed when I walked by, though I'm guessing that was COVID related or just far too early - Porto

Opposite the beach is the 16th century Sao Joao Baptista Fort - Porto

Heading back to the city centre I jumped on one of the cute looking, rattling trams - Porto

Before getting the train to Coimbra, I walked along the nearby Rua de Santa Catarina - Porto

A wedding was taking place at this church, I think it was called Igreja de Santo Ildefonso - Porto

The fantastic blue and white tiles known as azulejos adorn the walls of Capela das Almas - Porto

A pretty short train journey brought me to Coimbra

My favourite area of the city was Largo da Portagem, which has a few outdoor cafes and restaurants, ideal in social distancing times - Coimbra

The square leads to the main pedestrian shopping street, Rua Ferreira Borges - Coimbra

Carry on, along Rua Visconde da Luz, and you'll end up at Praca 8 de Maio - Coimbra

I'd never have guessed these colourful cans are tins of sardines, found all over Portugal - Coimbra

Jardim de Manga is home to a restaurant and also this funny looking structure - Coimbra

This was a very local bar serving hot food, something difficult to find before 7pm - Coimbra

The Ministry of Silly Walks comes to town! A tip of the hat to Monty Python if you're confused - Coimbra

Walk through the Arch of Almedina to the upper town - Coimbra

It's all uphill from here.. - Coimbra

What look like large knitted doilies decorate a residential street in the upper town - Coimbra

The 12th century Old Cathedral (Se Velha) in the square of the same name - Coimbra

At the top of the upper town is Coimbra University, one of the oldest universities in the world - Coimbra

Joao III, King of Portugal in the 16th century, admires the university from the Patio das Escolas - Coimbra

There's a little bit of a panorama from the upper town - Coimbra

There's some impressive old buildings in the upper town, this one being the University Science Museum - Coimbra

Santa Cruz Park lies opposite Praca da Republica, a square edged with bars and outdoor cafes - Coimbra

The picturesque Botanical Gardens lie below the old town on its south side - Coimbra

A bamboo walkway in the large grounds of the Botanical Gardens - Coimbra

Crossing the Mondego River - Coimbra

More Portuguese street art appears around the main road beyond the river - Coimbra

This looks like Mother Teresa - Coimbra

Crossing the river is worth it for these great views of Coimbra

The Portuguese flag flies on Santa Clara Bridge, in front of the old town - Coimbra

My hotel room had an outdoor terrace and this view of the upper town - Coimbra

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LINKS

www.cp.pt - Portuguese trains, buy tickets online

www.parquesdesintra.pt - buy Sintra monument tickets

Rede Expressos is a nationwide bus company, though as I write their website's not working. Google it

www.visitportugal.com - Portugal tourism website

I am not responsible for the content of external websites.