We spent a great week in Portugal in November. It is a fabulous country! We stayed in Albufeira, which is well located for touring all of the Algarve. The Algarve is the southern part of the country which runs along the ocean coast. There are beautiful beaches all along the coastline boarded by stunning rock cliffs. The people were lovely and friendly. The weather was very pleasant with highs around 21 degrees. There were sun tanners among the rocks on the beach but while it was very nice it was not hot. It was great touring around weather. The fact that the winter months are the low season for this area is what makes the vacation packages so very reasonable in our winter when the weather there is much warmer than here but not hot. There are numerous picturesque, historical towns featuring narrow cobblestone streets, inviting cafes (coffee is fabulous), and amazing churches and castles. We rented a car to get around and the driving is really quite easy once you get the hang of the travel circles. We headed north toward Lisbon and stayed one night in a Pousadas. The Pousadas of Portugal are special accommodations which offer unique experiences due to their Historical or charming characteristics. They could be located in monuments, castles, convents, fortresses, and palaces or set in special surroundings. The one we stayed in was part of an old palace and the dining room was set in the old palace kitchen. It was a wonderful and very special experience! For our last night we headed into Lisbon. Lisbon was again rich is Historical sites and full of character. We really did not have enough time to do it justice but took in what we could in the time we had and truly enjoyed it.

Portugal is a terrific destination with so much to offer!