The last week of my trip was spent in Portugal with Patrick and Carol. I asked them if they would meet me at Lisbon airport to assist me with driving on the wrong side of the road and finding our way to Vagos where they live. After a few minutes of driving, it became easier as the brain accustoms itself to turning left, right and finding the way around the numerous roundabouts.
Vagos is a small town in between Lisbon and Porto and quite close to the sea. The beaches are splendid and often with good waves and in October very quiet. The pick of the area in my opinion is Figueira da Foz with different residential areas close to the sea at reasonable house prices. All these towns along the coast have board walks along the dunes with cafes to pick up a coffee. This of course was out of season so it was quiet but gets much more crowded in season.
We also took a walk by a marsh near Aveiro , a well known town with Venice type gondolas . By now the weather had turned very rainy and some of our excursions had to be cut short. We also visited and stayed the night in Nazare which is well known amongst surfers as being the biggest wave in the world when it works in winter. We drove to the top of the cliff then hiked down to the lookout point. The waves were huge but not surf able as it was a very strong on shore wind. It would be wonderful to watch guys surfing it when it is working.
My son Paul and his wife were doing a half iron man in Cascais, which is just outside Lisbon, so we hooked up with them the day before the race and then supported them during the race. Cascais is a pleasant up market town and like so many Portuguese towns has an old area together with a more modern commercial area as well as a harbor and fort. Certainly, a nice place to live but rather expensive, I guess.
They completed the race in just over 7hours which was an admirable feat. They were lucky because the weather on that day was just about perfect with no wind or rain.
From there I had to drop Patrick and Carol off at Lisbon railway station and continue on to the airport to catch my plane home . Waze did another number on me for the third time, taking me to a place in the middle of Lisbon and announcing “You have reached your destination” By now I was panicking as time was ticking on and I was thinking, “What am I going to do if I miss my flight? “Well, I programmed in Google maps and made it 20 minutes later to the airport.
And so ended my 7 week journey. I just had to endure more long haul flying , something I find harder and harder to put up with and recover from as I get older.
People ask me whether there are differences between Spain and Portugal.
Of course, Spain is much bigger and contains different landscapes; Portugal is greener and seems to be more densely populated. One goes from village to village whereas in Spain one can travel long distances through unpopulated semi desert or country with olive trees as far as the eye can see. Spain has high mountain areas but both countries have miles of beautiful beaches but the Atlantic Ocean is far colder to swim in than the Mediterranean. The languages are different, food is good in both countries and very fish orientated in Portugal, shop and restaurant opening hours are very peculiar to us from South Africa. People get up later and go to bed much later than I would expect, indeed sometimes don’t go to bed at all. Both countries have long histories and wonderful architecture but the cathedrals and monuments are grander in Spain. Many cities have old centers with narrow streets and small apartments and squares. The infrastructure and public transport are both good but Spain has high speed trains. People are friendly in both countries and tolerant of tourists. People use the city centers for entertainment and shopping in both countries. The cost of living varies depending upon whether you are in big cities or not.
Both countries are safe. Southern Spain is hot but it is a sunny Mediterranean climate in both countries. It’s hard to judge differences in cost of living and this varies from area to area.
Both countries have a lot to offer tourists and potential settlers and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend either.