Friday, June 27 (Cascais, Portugal) – I’ve seen the Hamptons, laid out in Nice and dined in Marbella.  I’ve been lucky enough to relax on beautiful beaches in resort towns around the world.  But I have never seen anything like Cascais, Portugal.

Just 20-30 minutes from Lisbon, Cascais is a quiet beach town with restaurants and five-star resorts along the coast.  There are a bunch of opportunities for active travelers as well.  From wind surfing and golfing to horseback riding, running and tennis, there truly is something for everyone… with a full bank account.

I was only there for one night but it was enough to deserve this post.  It is unspoiled and remote yet so close to the city.  I’ve also been to the Algarve – Lagos, in particular – which is a beach region in the south of Portugal, but there is truly no comparison if you are looking for true bliss and relaxation.

Thursday, June 26 (Porto, Portugal) – One of my favorite tips for traveling is to take advantage of lockers in train and bus stations.  I was heading to Lisbon, Portugal from Vigo, Spain, but I didn’t want to miss out on Porto, the city famous for the wine of the same name, which I would be passing through.  So I did a little digging and was able to confirm that the Vigo train station is equipped with lockers – big and small – and decided to leave my stuff there while I toured the city for a few hours.  

Coming from Vigo, the station I arrived at was Campanhã, which is a four-minute train ride from the other main train station, São Bento.  Once I arrived at the second station, I was in the heart of the city and there were two tourist offices across the street ready to give me a map and answer my questions.

Porto is very hilly (so extra happy I didn’t have my suitcase with me!) so I started down one big hill towards the port.  I passed a bunch of cafes and shops, ventured in a few, but continued my way down.  The city itself is very quaint and beautiful, and I love the detailed tilework on many of the buildings that Portugal is known for.

When I arrived at the port, I happened to see something special.  It was graduation day for firefighters (I think) who are either first entering the job or are receiving advanced recognition.  It was a very official procession with a marching band, speakers and pristine uniforms.  Friends, family and tourists watched from the sidelines with the beautiful view in the background.

I crossed the Dom Luis Bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia to get some incredible views of the city and then make my way to the highlight of the region – the Port bodegas!  There are about 35 different port brands that are made in this area, and most of them are open to the public for tastings and tours.    

I started at Kopke which is the oldest Porto wine brand.  I was told that Kopke also has table wine including a dry white, so I started there hoping to taste something that wasn’t too sweet for me.  There is no official tasting here, so the woman in the store spoke with me, heard what I like and don’t like, and brought over three healthy ‘tastes’.  I tried two white table wines and one white Port – and the Port was actually delicious!  I was shocked that I could swallow it; in fact, I had no idea that port came in white to begin with.  

After realizing that not all port is too sweet for me, I decided to go on a tour at the Calem bodega.  It reminded me of whiskey distilleries that I’ve been to in how the barrels are organized and labeled.  I learned some interesting things about port as well such as there are three main types: white, ruby and tawny.  Tawny has a more brownish color when the liquid is held up to the light, and it has been aged in smaller, wooden barrels than ruby (which is a stronger red color).  Ruby is the most common type.  White is often used in cocktails.