Portugal Riffs Vol. 3 - Easy on the Eyes, Hard on the Ankles

I recently read a tweet (my first mistake) that claimed everything in the U.S. is better than in Europe.  I respectfully disagree, but I’m only going enumerate one reason right now: crosswalks.  Unless there is a stoplight associated with the crosswalk, drivers MUST stop when someone is at a crosswalk, either stepping in or on the verge of doing so.  I boldly step into the crosswalk, while Carol has a dimmer view of human nature.  She hangs back waiting to ensure the car stops.  Honestly, her approach is probably better, but I’ve yet to be run over (“yet” being the operative word).  Some American cities appear to be adopting that policy, but we’ve got a long way to go to give the pedestrian the edge.

Btw, if you hear I died during a trip to Europe, odds are it happened when I tried crossing when some Mercedes driver decided not to stop.

Portugese towns are full of cobblestoned roads and sidewalks, as well as red roofs.  On the roofs, not only is it quaint, but it is also so obsessive that I have to believe there are incredibly powerful and strict community associations where you lashed if your roof isn’t red.  The cobblestone streets/sidewalks are also quaint, but they are hell on our knees and ankles.  And, all we did was walk to get around, so we had quite the workout on the uneven streets.  There's a lot to see, but the country is hard on ankles.

Things that fascinate me: blue tiles, blue and yellow tiles, Roman mosaics, wine barrels at wineries, aqueducts, city walls, cloisters, Roman arches, and buildings that are older than July 4, 1776 (especially cathedrals, castles, forts, and palaces).  Oh, and cherubs.  Extra points if the cherubs are holding skulls.  And chapels made out of bones.  I’m sure there are more things that fascinate me, but this is a good list for Portugal.

Pro tip: Even if you prefer to stay in hotels, about halfway through the trip, rent a VRBO (or AirBNB) with a washer (and dryer if possible).  That way you can do laundry and bring much lighter luggage with you.  This trip I booked more hotels than normal, partly because I wanted to unload a bunch of points.  But in 2019, the Christmas markets trip, we only did one hotel, and the rest were VRBOs or Booking.com.