Madeira Island is stunningly beautiful! And, twelve days is simply not enough time to see and appreciate all of it. Luckily for me, I have friends that live there and were able to help me construct an itinerary for exactly the things that I wanted to do and the things I wanted to see. In …
Continue reading Madeira Island: Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hike
Madeira! I've heard so much about this Portuguese island that me finally being here seems just incredible! The only way that I can describe the beauty is, it's indescribable! I'm here for my "Birthday week," hosted by my friends Derek and Maria-Renee and I can't thank them enough for showing me around this tropical paradise. …
This is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in all of Lisbon! Not just for the fantastic food, exotic drinks, friendly barkeeps, the ambiance, beautiful neighborhood and great friends - OK, maybe it is all of those things! My first visit there was such an awesome experience that I've made Imprensa a regular stop. They …
Continue reading Imprensa Cocktail and Oyster Bar, Lisbon, Portugal
On a recent trip back to the USA, I spent some time with my nephew, Sean, in Colorado, who took me on an unforgettable hike that included some very anxious moments! After a few days of crappy weather, we finally got a break. We arrived at Reynolds Ranch County Park at 9 AM and were …
While I was in Nazaré for a week last month, I seen that several of my friends on our expat WhatsApp group chat were stating that they were going back to the US for their vaccinations. Knowing that I wasn’t going to be eligible for mine, here in Portugal, until July or August, I cut my …
Continue reading My vaccine: 35K miles and a mile high – Priceless!!!
Buskers are busking, while the sun shines down on the residents of Lisbon as they run errands, shop, walk their dogs, meet friends at Cafés, or whatever. After over 10 weeks of COVID lockdown, Lisbon is starting to show signs of life, again! A little bit of normalcy is definitely a welcome thing, and so good to …
(Video below) Portugal is magical! I have lived here now for exactly five months! We have been on lock down and shut down due to Covid, exactly half that time, 2 ½ months. I totally understood why and didn't mind doing my part to keep everyone in my newly adopted city, myself included, safe. My …
Continue reading PORTUGAL: Lisbon, Cabo da Roca, Cascais, Sintra, Nazaré
My Airbnb stay in Nazaré, Portugal (Video below!) The "Rose of the winds," or "Rosa dos Ventos," in Portuguese, is the geometric symbol on the face of a compass. It's also found on maps, nautical charts, marine equipment and even monuments. We've all seen it, but I think most land-lovers, myself included, probably don't even …
(Video after story) I know you're with me. Here, in Portugal, we had been on COVID lockdown for a total of 10 very long weeks. It wasn't much fun, but, it looks like it paid off. Now that our numbers have improved so much, (and in fact, we have the fewest cases in the EU), …
Continue reading Nazaré, Portugal!! You gotta see it to believe it!!
Olá amigos! Have I got a story for you! But, first, a little preface. Some of you may be familiar with my blog segment, “The Lisbon Files.” If you are not, it's a series of interviews I do with everyday people here on the streets of Lisbon. I ask questions about life in Portugal, the …
Johnny Portugal 