Passer Domesticus: 03-16.11.2018

I wanted to go to Portugal for a long time, but always ended up in Nordic Countries instead. For our honeymoon, Jacopo and I decided to draw different destinations from a jar; Portugal came out and I'm so happy it did! In a little under two weeks, we covered most of the Country and it was one of the most wonderful journeys we have done together! I'm not even going to try to write about all the lovely towns we saw, the amazing landscapes we drove through, the unique traditional food we ate and the warm people we met, but I will concentrate on a few highlights and share a few photos.
You can find more photos on my Instagram!

Favourite places in chronological order
Praia da Galé: a beach near Albufeira with colourful cliffs, incredible rock formations and a desert-like vegetation.
Porto Côvo: a seaside village located in the municipality of Sines in western Alentejo, with charming little white houses.
Mértola: a historic village on a hill overlooking the Guadiana River, located in the southeastern Alentejo.
Monsanto: a mountain village in the northeast in the municipality of Idanha-a-Nova, "the most Portuguese village of Portugal".
Cabo Espichel: a cape on the western coast in the municipality of Sesimbra with a sanctuary, a lighthouse and stunning cliffs.
Porto: the second largest city in Portugal after Lisbon, with quirky architecture and lovely art & craft shops.

Favourite traditional dishes in no particular order
Caldo Verde: soup made with potatoes and collard greens
Alheira: sausage made with bread and meats other than pork
Tarte de Amêndoa: caramelised almond tart
Broa Castelar: sweet potato cookies

Other favourites in no particular order
Hungry Biker: a charming cafe in Porto, with a healthy menu and cozy interiors — the best brekkie I had in Portugal.
Vira Bar Restaurante: a restaurant located in the charming town of Guimarães, with delicious traditional food — that's where I tried the Alheira sausage.
Taverna Lusitana: a cosy cafe and restaurant in Monsanto, where I tried my favourite version of Pastel de Nata with cherry custard.
Delizia: a local "gelataria" in the town of Tavira, with the best gelato I tried in Portugal.
Garfe Park Camping: a campsite run by a Portuguese family in the village of Garfe, with the most welcoming staff and the best facilities.
Tiago, Uber driver in Lisbon: the most friendly driver I have ever met, he keeps a playlist with the favourite music of his clients. If you get a ride with him, tell him I say hi!

We experienced Portugal in what I hope was the most authentic way. We rented a van from a Lisbon subsidiary of Indie Campers and tried to visit as much as we could in two weeks. After having driven over 2000 km, I left a big chunk of my heart in Portugal and I hope we will go back soon to visit all those places that we couldn't see this time around!