Portugal has some of the most beautiful towns as it has hundreds of years of history with influences from the Moors. Expect to see cobblestone streets in every town, tons of castles and forts across the country, colorful tiles on building facades and scenic coastlines and rock formations. The people are very friendly and many people speak English. The cuisine is seafood based, but I enjoyed the wonderful pastries and Portuguese wine. The wine there was very cheap, $2 for a bottle in a grocery store and $2 for a glass in restaurants. Portugal is famous for its Port wine but also has several other varieties such as Vinho Verde which you can find here in Trader Joe’s.

The 6th largest city in Portugal, half way between Lisbon and Porto has one of the world’s oldest universities, a UNESCO World Heritage University, established in 1290. It’s a colorful, hilly, riverside city that was the first capital of Portugal.

Since the Renwick Gallery reopened in 2015, it has made itself the museum to see for instagrammable pictures and by doing so with such amazing exhibits their visitor numbers have skyrocketed! Don’t expect any paintings on the wall, this place has very interesting art exhibits that attract people who otherwise aren’t interested in art. The museum is always crowded! I love visiting to see their impressive art exhibits.