Free Time!As someone who is used to independent travel, I really appreciated the free time built into the Rick Steves tour itinerary. Beyond the opportunities to try those smaller local restaurants, you'll have time to wander around aimlessly, take a nap, or see that less-visited church or museum.
These are some of the things I did/saw during my moments of free time - |
Walking Around Évora - photos taken while I was just wandering around getting lost - strong sun and fairly hot but worth it!
Walk Across the River in Coimbra. First walk along the Mondego River in the lovely shaded park. Then cross over the river on the pedestrian bridge and you'll end up in a large municipal park used primarily by locals. (When I was there I was sharing the park with some elderly Portuguese men and some younger locals taking a lunchtime nap in the sun.) Lovely quiet place to stop for a moment, eat a snack, write in your journal, or read. Also the best photographic views of the old city are from across the river! |
National Tile Museum in Lisbon - fairly easy to get there on the bus (with some help from some friendly elderly local ladies to tell us when to get off). And you'll see some examples of tilework from other kinds of use that you won't get to see elsewhere on the trip. Like the below display of a staircase decoration that would have been used in a noble house.
Pinhão in the Duoro Valley - walk the short pathway down along the river - not too far but great views. The hard-to-miss train station is sweet and picturesque. The town itself has a lot of mechanic and hardware shops, supporting the farming industry of the region. There was even a shop selling port bottling equipment! |
Eating a Portuguese Pear on a Sunny Day. While I didn't capture the moment in a photo, my favorite local purchase was stopping in a tiny store near the Church of St. Francis in Évora. The elderly proprietress and I had one of those hand gesture conversations when neither of you speak the same language. I bought some water and a couple of these pears (called Pêra Rocha - picture below from a later market visit). I then walked over to a local park where a lot of locals were enjoying Italian ices and overall just relaxing the sun. Although it doesn't sound like much to describe it, it was one of my favorite memories from the whole trip! And the pears became one of my favorite snacks for the rest of the tour!
Sunset Walk Along Nazaré Beach. Walk the mile down the beach to see the local fish vendors, people fishing off the promontories, support the local economy by shopping at the (very touristy but still fun) souvenir shops, and then cap it off by stopping on your way back to get some yummy (and hugely proportioned) gelato! |