
The marzipan, available in different shapes from carrots to bunnies, and everything in between, is not to be missed.

We then headed to Faro, the historical capital of the Algarve, to visit the old-walled town. The shimmering white Monument of the Discoveries in Lisbon is a sight to behold (Alison and Sumanto Ray) We ended our excursion with a visit to the resort town of Lagos – once the home of Prince Henry the Navigator, today a picturesque seaside retreat of winding cobblestone roads and quaint squares encircled by 16th century walls. Vincent, the site of many sea battles centuries ago. We admired views across Baleeira Beach before continuing along the coast to Cape St. The dramatic cliffs and beautiful beaches of the Sagres Peninsula, at the very edge of Portugal, provided the most stunning backdrop for our morning coastal drive. Porto is also home to Livraria Lello, one of the most beautiful book stores in the world (Alison and Sumanto Ray) We spent the rest of our day meandering through the cobblestone lanes of Bairro Alto. We saw the Unesco World Heritage Site of the Hieronymite Monastery, an exquisite testament to 15th century Manueline architecture (Portuguese late Gothic style of architectural ornamentation of the first decades of the 16th century) and art. A view of Lisbon city from the River Tagus(Alison and Sumanto Ray) In Porto, you cannot miss a visit to the Palácio da Bolsa or the Stock Exchange Palace (Alison and Sumanto Ray) This means you must dress in layers and always carry an overcoat and an umbrella.

Sunny skies could be replaced by storm clouds in a matter of minutes.

There is a saying among the locals about the weather: If you don’t like it, wait for five minutes, it’ll change. It is not as expensive as some other European countries. The people are friendly and more than glad to stop for a chat. Portugal has everything a traveller could wish for: scenic views, history, fantastic food and drink, and of course shopping.

A few centuries after Vasco da Gama’s ‘discovery’ of India, we decided to trace his steps, albeit in reverse.
