Tell me about Portugal

Been to Lisbon, Porto, Nazare, Sintra, and places in between, basically along the coast. This was one summer after about two weeks in Spain.

Immediately after crossing the southern border I noticed that Portugal was much more colorful. Also, you are guaranteed to say, "This looks just like San Francisco! " when you approach the bridge of Lisbon.

Otherwise, I remember only negative events: Nikon stolen from my car; and severe enough food poisoning in Oporto to need an ER.

I'm not the OP, but I'm planning a stop in 2018.

Don't miss the Azores. My father was from Sao Miguel and went back frequently to visit family, but my mother would never let me go. I just assumed it was another thing they were fighting about in their never-ending divorce. She later admitted it was because she didn't want me to see how beautiful it was because she hated him so much.

And it is beautiful. I've never experienced color overload like I have there; the wildflowers, the sky (really was so blue), the lagoons, the ocean...

Russia is interfering in their elections.

Portugal is lovely. I've been to Lisbon and Oporto.

Lisbon has a ton of tiny little shoebox bar/restaurants with amazing food/wine selections. Wine in general is dirt cheap, from every region of Portugal. Hilly as all fuck - try the metro to get to more remote areas.

There's a literal 20's speakeasy in Lisbon that's a must-see: Bar Foxtrot (see link). Have to ring to get in - bartenders creating absurdly complicated cocktails in a place with the original 20's wood deco decor intact.

For shopping there is El Corte Ingles, a bigass Spanish department store. The tile museum is worth a visit. Taxis are quite cheap - generally Lisbon is one of the cheapest cities in Europe. Gelados Santini is the big gelato shop in Bairro Alto that's been around for decades.

Nightlife is....interesting. Party animals galore. I went looking for the gay bars around miidnight and they were all empty, then figured out all the gay guys were hanging out in an alley between all the bars. Like Spain they party really really late.

Sintra is quite pretty, but it wasn't for me - I have issues with tourist traps, and boy is Sintra a tourist trap. Worth a train trip though. If you want to see where rich Brazilians hang out, go to Caiscais.

Porto has a stunningly beautiful city center, tons of old Portuguese tile, and dozens of port wine tasting rooms south of the river. If you like port wine do the tasting tour, you'll be glad you did.

Oh yeah, there's a brand new art museum in an old power station that's worth a visit.

Unless you like seafood, the cuisine is fairly ordinary.

There are some very interesting small towns - Tomar, Evora, Braga, Coimbra.

BUMP

A friend visited and raved about how friendly and helpful the people were compared to the Spanish. What's Portugal like for gays? I know it's Catholic but so is Spain and they seem pretty gay-friendly.

In Portugal all seems to breathe freedom and peace and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils.

King Pedro V of Portugal was so hot. Unfortunately cholera got him at the tender age of 24 (together with two of his brothers, who were 15 and 19). His wife died shortly before that of diphtheria, aged 22. And his mother, whom he succeded on the throne, died while giving birth to a stillborn baby at the age of 34. What an unfortunate family!

Portuguese guys are hot. Love that combo of short guys with dark hair, olive skin and hazel eyes.