Figueira da Foz & Porto
Figueira da Foz
We started our trip in Diogo’s hometown, Figueira da Foz. We arrived the third week of September, right when the summer rush begins to die down. I was relieved by this but some family members felt sorry for our misfortune. We had in fact originally intended to come during the summer months, but after a comedy of passport errors, had to postpone. Either way, we were happy as clams to have finally made it to see his family. Figueira is a small seaside city. 10-minute drives in either direction bring beautiful cliff-top views over the Atlantic or entertaining sights of surf camps. The weather was perfect. We worried that we’d miss the summer weather but we got the perfect mix of crisp mornings and evenings and hot middays.
We stayed at the Malibu Foz Hotel for the week. It was very comfortable with a modern beachy aesthetic. We sat by the pool some days but mostly spent time with Diogo’s big Portuguese family. While I do not speak Portuguese besides a greeting here or a curse word there, they all (besides his grandparents) spoke great English and were very generous in speaking with me as best they could. His parents are both totally fluent so they would flank me at the dinner table and help me feel comfortable. My impression, whether it be shaped by my interactions with his family and friends, or a sense I got from the whole of it, was that the Portuguese people are just lovely—welcoming, fun, warm, and non-materialistic.
We ate at a number of wonderful restaurants including Restaurante Caçarola I, Tasca Maria - Comida Caseira, Chez Bernardo, Marujo, and Puro. We also danced the night away and sipped the most delicious G&Ts at RedShoes.
The beach is very long in Figueira. “Europe’s widest urban beach!”
Diogo and beer and nut things I wasn’t much a fan of.
Cute scooter
This was taken on our first day—beautiful view overlooking the ocean.
And of course so much good tile everywhere.
Us with Diogo’s maternal grandmother.
We spent an evening in Coimbra with Diogo’s parents. His mother attended the University of Coimbra, considered one of the best in the country.
This is a cute gargoyle.
A bit of fado to round things out.
I mean drool
Pink marble emerged as a theme of Porto.
Street altar
Stay tuned for week 2 & some surprises 😉💍