Port & Pasteis in Portugal

We rattled into Portugal on the overnight train from Madrid with our ever growing backpacks (current weigh in was at 20 odd kilos each) and jumped straight into the tourist traps of Lisbon.

Our first walking tour, with an Austrian guide in the middle of Portugal, was extremely entertaining and we learnt about the tumultuous history with apocalyptic earthquakes, powerful leaders, hated Kings and of course the best cafes, shops and views in town. A day trip out to the famously sweet Belem was deliciously good due to the more-ish Pasteis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts) that had us going back for 2nds and wishing our belts could fit in 3rds (even snuck into our top 5 Foodie list).

From Lisbon, we journeyed north to the very charming Porto. As we enjoyed a fresh seafood meal with a signature glass of port gazing out at the sunset across the river, we agreed that the beautiful historical terraces truly deserved their UNESCO listing. Porto (and Portugal) have a beautiful understated charm.

Until more radventures,

Scott and Sara

 Traditional wall in Lisbon with fado style tiles

 Terracotta roofs of Lisbon

Crunchy pastry + Sweet warm custard = A delicious Portuguese Tart!

 Eating with the locals - DIY cooked meat on a hot stone. Scrumptuous.

 The ruins of an earthquake struck monastry in Lisbon

 Looking back at historical Porto

A traditional 6 meat sandwhich in Porto, aka francesinha

A glass of port in Porto - very sophisticated!

Morocco Madness

It is impossible not to get hypnotised by Morocco's enchanting self. Straight off the plane we had a glimpse of our time to come... Serious haggling! Moroccans are passionate about giving you an "almost free" price which breaks every backpackers budget. In the souks and narrow lanes we lost ourselves amongst the smells, sights and sounds of Marrakech. We filled plate after plate with rich tagines, grilled meats, snail soups and cous cous; our cups overflowed with the golden liquid of frothy sweet mint tea.

We journeyed a little out of Marrakech to find out more about a Berber village and Ourika waterfalls. After rocking the Kazbah there was some marvelling at the Sultan's Palace, which was followed by weaving trips through the bustling medina. These mainly entailed trying to avoid the snake charmers (unsuccessful - they practically threw the snake at Scott), transvestite belly dancers and rabies infested monkeys, but we always managed to make a beeline for the freshly squeezed juices, cheap and delicious grilled meats and more hot sweet tea. As the days went by, we warmed to the unique way of the Moroccan people and with our honed bargaining skills snapped up a few treasures.

 "It's only a water snake. They don't bite" said the snake charmer

Interesting snail soup 

Our Tea Man 

One of the Palaces 

Bustling Markets

Spicy Meat Skewers