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Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

We're Home!

6/17/2015

 
We actually made it home on Sunday, but I had a bit of a computer problem that kept me from blogging. The fix turned out to be a simple one - unplug and wait ten minutes.

While this is not a travel blog, traveling is my second favorite thing to do (after riding), so I'd like to share a few photos from our trip.
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Portugal - we drove north from Lisbon and then did a clockwise circle to the very southernmost tip and then back to Lisbon.
We spent fifteen days in Portugal. This was my fourth trip across the Atlantic, but I have to say that Portugal turned out to be my favorite European country to visit (so far!). I can only say wonderful things about the people, the food, the wine (ah ... the wine), the culture, everything.

We landed in Lisbon, Portugal's capital, but immediately drove north to Obidos, a tiny town encircled by castle walls. We stayed in the castle itself, walked the entire wall (about a mile), enjoyed a sumptuous dinner, and sipped wine on the castle walls. It was a divine start to the trip.
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The small village of Obidos is enclosed in a crenellated wall. The castle is at the far end.
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The views from the wall were spectacular.
From Obidos, we continued north to Porto where we spent three nights in the most amazing apartment over-looking the Douro River. My pictures cannot begin to convey how absolutely heavenly the view from that apartment was. The apartment was a corner unit on the third floor of the building, so we had HUGE windows on two sides that allowed the sunlight, sea breeze, and sounds of the city to pour over us.
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The bedroom was to the right with equally large windows.
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An evening view from the balconies.
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Just one of the many, many fine dishes that we enjoyed (octopus).
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The Dom Luis Bridge, built by a student of Eiffel. You can see Eiffel's influence! The top is reserved for pedestrians and trains while the bottom is for cars and pedestrians.
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An "ussie" from the bridge. Just behind us you can see fog from the ocean. The Douro River meets the Atlantic around the bend.
From Porto, we drove east into the interior of the country. We spent the morning in Guimaraes where we toured a castle and a lovely palace. We then continued on to Aramante for a two-night stay in one of Portugal's finest hotels. And boy, was it swanky! Aramante was having it's annual festival, and our hotel was smack dab in the middle of the action. While it was loud (drums and fireworks that started in the morning and went until about 5:00 a.m.), we still enjoyed participating in a very local event. 
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From inside the castle in Guimaraes.
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Our hotel - we're in the second balcony from the top, just above the trees.
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Sao Goncalo Bridge - built in 1790 (first built in the 13th century)
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The festival view from our room - the bridge is to the right and the church and monastery are straight ahead.
From Aramante we drove south to the university town of Coimbra for a short stay. There, we toured the university and several other churches and buildings of cultural significance.
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The clock tower (which we climbed) and Graduates Hall. My husband's in the dark t-shirt in the Patio des Escolas.
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At the top of the clock tower
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After walking a LOT of stairs, we stopped for the best sangrias I've ever sipped. I worked my way through two of these bad boys.
From Coimbra, we drove 500 km (four and a half hours) south to Sagres, the most southwestern point of Europe (and Portugal). Again, we had a lovely apartment for a three-night stay. Sagres is famous for its cliffs and beaches, and we explored as many as we could. 
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The cliffs over the ocean were truly breathtaking.
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The beaches were nearly empty, the sand was super fine, but the sun was pretty searing. Hubby heading for a spot closer to the cliffs (and some shade).
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We drove north around Sao Vicente Cape and found this gorgeous beach with tide pools.
From Sagres, we turned north back to Lisbon. We spent one day on our own touring, but then we booked a private tour of the city and were treated to a day filled with off the beaten track back roads, local restaurants, and stories about the daily lives of the average Portuguese family. 
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Entering Lisbon, we crossed the Vasco da Gama Bridge - 11 miles long, making it the longest bridge in Europe when it opened in 1998. Today, it is one of the longest in the world. Its vastness forced engineers to factor in the curvature of the Earth during its construction. It was built in only 18 months at a cost of one billion US dollars.
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The Se Cathedral
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Yet another castle ... Castelo de S. Jorge
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A view of Lisbon from the castle walls.
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Rossio Train Station lit up at night.
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We also stood on Europe's most western point.
We've traveled a fair amount during our twenty-five years together, but this trip was something else. If you're considering a European vacation, I would definitely recommend Portugal. 

Thanks for letting me share my photos with you!
Jen
6/16/2015 11:33:09 pm

How did you find the places to stay on your trip? Did you go through a travel agent / company to arrange? Looks like you both had a wonderful time! Thanks for sharing!

Bakersfield Dressage link
6/16/2015 11:47:11 pm

Thanks, Jen! We've traveled a fair amount (at least seven countries in the past ten years) since Google emerged. Trip Advisor, Google, Booking.com, and many other sites can be a traveler's best friend.

We planned the trip ourselves using sample itineraries from online travel companies. Once we had a general idea of what we wanted to do and see, we went to Trip Advisor for recommendations for car rental companies, hotels, apartments, sites to see, and so on. We booked everything online through websites or direct emails (like the apartment in Porto). The internet has certainly changed the way we travel! :0)

Tracy link
6/17/2015 12:08:24 am

What breathtaking views!

Bakersfield Dressage link
6/17/2015 04:22:08 am

We started to feel a bit like idiots, Tracy, because we said the same thing at each and every place we went. There was not one place that we visited that didn't have a tower, castle, palace, or some other tall structure to climb to see the view. That only makes sense though as the structures we saw date back to more than a thousand years (in many cases) which was a time of wars and military take-overs. Each little kingdom needed to be able to see what was coming. Who knew that hundreds of years later, tourists would be oohing and ahhing over those same military viewpoints. :0)

Judy
6/17/2015 12:13:00 am

Sounds like an awesome trip! Thanks for sharing!

emma link
6/17/2015 12:36:13 am

lovely pictures - glad you had a great trip! portugal is definitely high on my list of places to go!

Lauren link
6/17/2015 12:41:27 am

I love travel photos! This looks like a fabulous trip :)

Bakersfield Dressage link
6/17/2015 04:18:21 am

I can't wait to see YOUR pictures of YOUR European vacation, Lauren!!!! They will be spectacular, I am sure. :0)

lytha
6/17/2015 03:00:32 am

Its most Western point? And I live here and had no idea? *lol*

My favorite photo is the one where the stained glass window spills its colors onto the floor. I saw that my first time in Cologne's Dom this year. I was overwhelmed.

So glad you enjoyed it entirely. If I end up that way, I'll be writing you for tips.

Sarah link
6/17/2015 03:12:39 am

Wow. Just incredible!

Matilda
6/17/2015 04:24:16 am

Beautiful! So glad you two had a good time.

Deborah Kuo link
7/15/2016 07:59:52 am

i had no idea that travel was something you enjoy as well! looking forward to reading about many more adventures :)

Bakersfield Dressage link
7/15/2016 10:56:35 am

We can only afford to go once a year, but we try to make it a big one!

I started traveling internationally when I was 17. I've been to Hawaii twice, lived in the Canary Islands (they belong to Spain), and have visited at least 12 other countries, including Vatican City. :0)


Comments are closed.

    About the Writer and Rider

    ​I am a lifelong rider. 
    I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
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    About Speedy G

    ​Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
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    Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
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Among other things, Karen is a Wife, Friend, Reader, Writer, Rider, Traveler, and Dog Lover
Contact her at bakersfielddressage@gmail.com
  • Home
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    • G Ima Starr FA
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    • Nakota and Gideon
    • Corky
    • Sassy
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