Bath

I think Bath is our favorite smallish town in England.  Lot’s of walking (we walked both the Kennet and Avon Canals in both directions around the town), good food (our favorite fish and chips is at Garricks Head), and entertainment (saw the play “A room with a view” with Felicity Kendall).  If I were to ever spend months in any one place not in the US it’d probably be Bath.  

My drinking buddy in Garrick’s Head.

The pie of the day (chicken)

The best fish and chips anywhere ever period.

One of the locks on the Kennet canal.  I just like the plants growing on it.

Way down the Kennet almost to Bathhampton are a few residential areas.  We liked this little dock and the house in the background.

 

All the way into Bathhampton (about 4 miles from Bath) is “The George”.  I loved the building but the pub itself gets terrible reviews so we didn’t eat there.

The Pulteney bridge over the Avon at night.  

And the cathedral in the middle of Bath.

I’m positive we will return to Bath.  I don’t yet know if it’ll be for a short or an extended stay but this ranks as a must see place on our list.  

We’re off to Oxford in about an hour for two nights.  I understand it’s a beautiful town too.  I think this is a place we won’t have internet so you probably won’t hear from us until we hit London on Saturday.

Brighton

Brighton is loud, gaudy, and touristy.  And we loved it.  Not the sort of place we’d normally fall in love with but there’s something contagiously fun about the place.  There are certainly enough restaurants to keep you busy for weeks.  We’d definitely return.  Here are a few Brighton pictures.

The pier shot.

My favorite place.

This is the “Lanes” a series of twisty windy narrow streets (foot traffic only) designed to remove cash from tourists wallets - that even us non-shoppers enjoy just for the people watching.  Be aware about 80% of the shops are Jewelry shops.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a denser concentration.

There are actually a few more quiet spots along the beach if you’re willing to walk a bit.  Not a place to start your trip because of the pace, but a fun stop on the way.

 

 

 

Where are we?

Three Guesses:

One

Two

Three - That’s right we’re back in the UK, Brighton to be specific.  More soon.

Post Porto Portugal Post

Sorry - in a silly mood - left Porto yesterday.  Of the two big cities we visiting in Portugal, Porto was our favorite.  It’s hilly but has a diverse architecture and a less planned feel to it.  Great Portuguese tapas. It’s different from Spanish tapas in that a few dishes are meant to make a meal.  Here are a few pictures from around town.

Carole buying roasted chestnuts from a street vendor.  They honestly aren’t very good.

Old port boat overlooking all the port tasting buildings on the far side of the Douro river.

 

A shot of the “Ribera” district (the river front in Porto).

The view just down the street from our hotel.

 Oh you may notice a few scars on my face - these are the parting gift from our Renault Migraine.  The cargo door slammed  on my head.

So It’ll probably be a bit until we get back to Portugal.  Liked it but so many other places left on our list.  Would definitely return to Coimbra, the Douro Vally, and Porto. The others if I was in the area.

Gotta go - my first full English breakfast awaits me in Brighton.

Pinhão - Douro Valley

The Douro valley is Portugal’s “Napa Valley” - that is the center of their wine industry (including port).  We visited for 3 days, mostly as a break from more intense touring. Lot’s of wine and port tasting but not much in terms of sights other than the valley itself.  We liked it and would go back but it was mostly relaxing, drinking vino verde, and trying to stay cool (again unseasonably warm here - in the high 80s)  Here are a few shots around the area.

One of the “Quintas” (Vineyards) - I think this is Quinta do Rosa but don’t quote me.  The terraced hills surround the valley (look at the other pictures) are mostly covered with grape vines on the terraces with the occasional olive tree.

This is the town of Pinhão (Pin Yao) where we actually stayed.  The big white building near the bridge is the hotel we stayed in.

A view up the Douro river.  This river goes al the way to Porto.  There are actually multi day cruises you can take from Porto up here and back.  We didn’t do this but may next time.

Quinta Do Bomfim - we had a port tasting here.  We attended multiple port tastings in different places - each giving different and often contradictory advice about port.   Sigh.

Coimbrãs Botanical Garden

Fran and I both like gardens and gardening.  Coimbra had an interesting botanical garden associated with the university.  Fran is all about the flora - you’ll see these are mostly my pictures as I love the structures in a garden.  If you ever end up here (or note to self we end up here again) I’d recommend spending an hour or so in the gardens.

Coimbra

Loved Coimbra.  Our favorite part of Portugal so far.  Lot’s to do, amazing sites to see, great restaurants, and friendly people.  The old town is situated on a (steep) hill at the base of which is a river.  At the top of the hill is the university with the town radiating out down the hill.

Ran into the set up for a Fado (sort of the blues of Portugal) concert - I was too tired to hang around - these things don’t start until 10 or 11 pm and go late into the night.

This shot is from our hotel up the hill - it’s steeper than it looks.

Pedestrian bridge crossing the river

The main pedestrian mall leading with large squares at both ends.

There are a few statues around, not as many as you’d think and mostly academicians,this one was interesting because it was so different.

Obligatory church and portico shots.

Fangas Mercearia & Bar

Because we love variety and trying new things we, as a rule, don’t go to the same restaurant twice if at all possible.  We made an exception in Coimbra for the Portuguese tapas.

Nazare

Here’s the thing.  Nazare (nah-zah-RAY) is like Rotenberg, Orvieto, Sarlat, etc.  Towns whose character change dramatically from day to night.  During the day busses of tourists (and I mean no disrespect because I am a tourist) come in and flood the town.  All the trinket shops and bad food stands with menus in five languages trying to draw you in are in full swing. It’s crowded and feels “touristy”. But then about 6 pm the busses clear out.  The gaudy tourist shops close and their proprietors come out and are no longer sales people trying to make a living but residents of the town out for the evening. The bars and restaurants are more relaxed and “homey” feeling.  And Nazare actually turns into a pretty cool place. A   few shots from around town.