Travel thread 3.0

[WA Toffee]

Peniche is nice for a day trip. Ericeira if you have a car. Nice road trip down to cascais. The waves round there can be mad.

If it's waves you want, surely Nazare would be the recommendation?

 

[JimmyJeffers]

If it's waves you want, surely Nazare would be the recommendation?

I have wanted to drive up there when they get the huge swells and go to that famous lighthouse. I’m not a big fan of surfers or surf culture though so will likely not enjoy myself and make my wife angry.

 

[WA Toffee]

I have wanted to drive up there when they get the huge swells and go to that famous lighthouse. I’m not a big fan of surfers or surf culture though so will likely not enjoy myself and make my wife angry.

I went last year, it was absolutely crowded at the lighthouse. Asked someone if it was always like this, they said it was extra busy because the conditions were right for a world record wave to be surfed (currently 105 feet or something stupid like that )

Didn't end up that big but definitely a fair few over 50 feet high getting surfed.

Absolutely mental

 

[Haydn]

I went last year, it was absolutely crowded at the lighthouse. Asked someone if it was always like this, they said it was extra busy because the conditions were right for a world record wave to be surfed (currently 105 feet or something stupid like that )

Didn't end up that big but definitely a fair few over 50 feet high getting surfed.

Absolutely mental

We’re just south of Nazare, 15 mins drive away. Fantastic looking beach (praia Gralha) directly behind us, down beneath the cliffs, with waves crashing in. Everyone we’ve met has opened with, “whatever you do, don’t go swimming there, too many have drowned”.

All well meaning locals, apparently there’s a crevice just offshore, where you get to swimming depth, that creates crazy currents. We’re therefore swerving that.

Loads paragliding off the cliffs. We’re sticking to Sao Marthino town beach, a lagoon sheltered from the Atlantic. More like the boating pond at Rhyl on a mildly rough day !

Great breeze all day though, hired a Hoby Cat for a sail today, all routine and under control, until you get to the bit where the lagoon opens up to the ocean. Retreat and bravely sail away, was the decision, sod that !

Have to say ‘tho, Sao Marthino is a brilliant family spot. Mostly Portugese families on holiday, so no Dog and Duck type boozers spotted so far. Grandson has been invited to join loads of footy games with the Portugese kids.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

We’re just south of Nazare, 15 mins drive away. Fantastic looking beach (praia Gralha) directly behind us, down beneath the cliffs, with waves crashing in. Everyone we’ve met has opened with, “whatever you do, don’t go swimming there, too many have drowned”.

All well meaning locals, apparently there’s a crevice just offshore, where you get to swimming depth, that creates crazy currents. We’re therefore swerving that.

Loads paragliding off the cliffs. We’re sticking to Sao Marthino town beach, a lagoon sheltered from the Atlantic. More like the boating pond at Rhyl on a mildly rough day !

Great breeze all day though, hired a Hoby Cat for a sail today, all routine and under control, until you get to the bit where the lagoon opens up to the ocean. Retreat and bravely sail away, was the decision, sod that !

Have to say ‘tho, Sao Marthino is a brilliant family spot. Mostly Portugese families on holiday, so no Dog and Duck type boozers spotted so far. Grandson has been invited to join loads of footy games with the Portugese kids.

All up that coast north of Lisbon it’s more like that with less Brits around except for ericeira maybe. Even there it’s mainly surfers and posh people so no generic sports bars.

 

[RufusCat]

We’re just south of Nazare, 15 mins drive away. Fantastic looking beach (praia Gralha) directly behind us, down beneath the cliffs, with waves crashing in. Everyone we’ve met has opened with, “whatever you do, don’t go swimming there, too many have drowned”.

All well meaning locals, apparently there’s a crevice just offshore, where you get to swimming depth, that creates crazy currents. We’re therefore swerving that.

Loads paragliding off the cliffs. We’re sticking to Sao Marthino town beach, a lagoon sheltered from the Atlantic. More like the boating pond at Rhyl on a mildly rough day !

Great breeze all day though, hired a Hoby Cat for a sail today, all routine and under control, until you get to the bit where the lagoon opens up to the ocean. Retreat and bravely sail away, was the decision, sod that !

Have to say ‘tho, Sao Marthino is a brilliant family spot. Mostly Portugese families on holiday, so no Dog and Duck type boozers spotted so far. Grandson has been invited to join loads of footy games with the Portugese kids.

Their just isn't the same drinking culture in Portugal as their is in Northern europe.

 

[Gwladys St. Glory]

My kinda' gig...

 

[Haydn]

All up that coast north of Lisbon it’s more like that with less Brits around except for ericeira maybe. Even there it’s mainly surfers and posh people so no generic sports bars.

Just home from Sao Marthino do Porto. Brilliant spot. Amazing beach for the kids, plenty of genuinely Portugese eating houses and bars for the olds.

I eventually joined the others in being a chilled out surfing dude !

Not a single mozzie bite amongst 7 of us was a bonus. Probably due to the constant sea breeze, which would ground them. Scorching every day, jumper job at night.

Costs were a fraction of what we paid in Brittany last year. Without doubt, a great place for a family holiday. We did the Eurocamp gig, about a mile out of town, but again, superb for the kids.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

Just home from Sao Marthino do Porto. Brilliant spot. Amazing beach for the kids, plenty of genuinely Portugese eating houses and bars for the olds.

I eventually joined the others in being a chilled out surfing dude !

Not a single mozzie bite amongst 7 of us was a bonus. Probably due to the constant sea breeze, which would ground them. Scorching every day, jumper job at night.

Costs were a fraction of what we paid in Brittany last year. Without doubt, a great place for a family holiday. We did the Eurocamp gig, about a mile out of town, but again, superb for the kids.

Aye barely any mosquitos round there. The temperature difference is mad. Can often be over 10 degrees warmer 30 minutes in land. Often overlooked due to the rough/ colder sea.
Alentejo coast is pretty similar, although less developed (for now) Prefer it to the Algarve.

 

[Haydn]

Aye barely any mosquitos round there. The temperature difference is mad. Can often be over 10 degrees warmer 30 minutes in land. Often overlooked due to the rough/ colder sea.
Alentejo coast is pretty similar, although less developed (for now) Prefer it to the Algarve.

When we got back to Lisbon airport, it was knock you out hot. We’ve been to the Algarve many times, not a patch on this area. Proper Portugal, with super friendly people.

Seven of us went out for an evening meal. Starters, main and 2 beers each. €75 total. That’s happy days.

 

[thirdmantackle]

Spent 10 days in Nimes. Lovely spot. Great buzz at the weekend

Now up in the Ardeche. Quieter but lovely scenery.

 

[Bkk Andy]

I was in Venice today. It's worth a visit if you happen to be close by but I wouldn't make a huge effort to visit the place. I was left a little underwhelmed to be honest.

 

[Haydn]

Off to Kazakhstan Sunday. Heading to the capital Astana for the Wales world cup qualifier, next Thursday. Then flying over to the old capital city, Almaty, for a few days.There’s over 1,000 making the trip, so a party will be had, for sure.

Just started reading up about what to expect. Horse meat mixed grills are apparently the popular national dish and beer should be £2 a pint, or less. Apples originated there and it’s the size of western Europe, bordering Mongolia, China, Russia and 3 of the other Stans.

Since the downfall of the USSR, it’s grown rich on oil and minerals. This wealth obviously played no part whatsoever in them being moved to UEFA, from the Asian football gang they were in previously. Kairat Almaty just qualified for the Champions League group stage, knocking Celtic out on Tuesday.

If anybody’s been, travel tips and advice on alternatives to the horse meat mixed grill, gratefully accepted.

 

[Connor mcloud]

Off to Kazakhstan Sunday. Heading to the capital Astana for the Wales world cup qualifier, next Thursday. Then flying over to the old capital city, Almaty, for a few days.There’s over 1,000 making the trip, so a party will be had, for sure.

Just started reading up about what to expect. Horse meat mixed grills are apparently the popular national dish and beer should be £2 a pint, or less. Apples originated there and it’s the size of western Europe, bordering Mongolia, China, Russia and 3 of the other Stans.

Since the downfall of the USSR, it’s grown rich on oil and minerals. This wealth obviously played no part whatsoever in them being moved to UEFA, from the Asian football gang they were in previously. Kairat Almaty just qualified for the Champions League group stage, knocking Celtic out on Tuesday.

If anybody’s been, travel tips and advice on alternatives to the horse meat mixed grill, gratefully accepted.

A friend of mine is married to a Kazakh from Almaty area, he says the local food is awful, bland and tasteless.
Sorry

 

[Haydn]

A friend of mine is married to a Kazakh from Almaty area, he says the local food is awful, bland and tasteless.
Sorry

Thanks, I was hoping for amazing, exotic and full of flavour. But I’m from north Wales, so bland and tasteless won’t be an entirely new culinary experience.