Travel Diary June 2023: Aveiro #travel #Aveiro #City #Portugal #moliceiro

We took the train to Aveiro from Coimbra. It was a lovely place to spend a day. Aveiro has a Venice of Portugal feel with these brightly coloured boats, moliceiro, which have similiarities to Venetian gondolas. The boats were originally used to transport and collect a type of seaweed, moliço, which was used as a fertiliser.

This is where we bought our tickets but they can also be booked online.

People on the bridges like to wave as you pass by

This close up shows the ribbons tied to the bridges like padlocks as gestures of love in other cities! These are pretty and bring colour and life. In that respect, I prefer them to the padlocks!😍

Due to time restraints we also took a taxi to the beach. Here I am at Praia de Vagueira. It was further along than anticipated and turned out we should have gone to Praia de Costa Nova! Next time perhaps…

I really enjoyed our day trip to Aveiro. Such a lovely place to visit. I was impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of the moliceiro guide who spoke four languages. Puts up Brits to shame. But… I am learning Portuguese!

Até logo!

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June 12, 2023 25

Travel Diary June 2023: Coimbra #Portugal #Coimbra #city #travel #botanicalgardens #University #trees #bambooforest

We travelled to Coimbra on 2nd June, a Portuguese city on our bucket list for some time. It is a lovely city with a traditional and friendly feel. Not too big and not too small! 😊

Here are some photos…

What a sunset!

There are a lot of stairs and steep paths! The photo below doesn’t give a true perspective of the steepness. You just have to trust me that it was mega steep. Escadas de Quinchorro. Phew! That poor unsuspecting chap just happened to be climbing the stairs when I took his photograph.

Sunday 4th June 2023 we went to the University and the Botanical Gardens which are located high up! So don’t forget your walking shoes. There is a bus though…

Here I am at the entrance to the gardens, looking happy as I do love to visit botanical gardens!

One of the first things I spotted was a green parrot-like bird 🦜 eating a fruit. Sadly, he was so camouflaged, it was impossible to see him in the photo below. He was eating a small red fruit!

I love trees and nature, so this was a real treat for me. There are trees galore, some extraordinary ones! This Jacaranda is reaching up to the skies via an escape hatch in the cafe.

This Cedrus Deodara had a plaque in remembrance to poet and novelist Rui Costa: ‘He combined his interest in Literature with a taste for Law, graduating in this area from the University of Coimbra (1996) and practicing law for six years, in Lisbon and London.’

My favourite trees were the Australian Bayan which were simply stunning!

Their roots are something else! Spectacular.

And the bamboo forest is huge too… that’s my hubby and he is 6ft 1…

The chapel… São Bento, nature has been allowed to create a kind of neglected, camaflagued look.

There’s a lot we didn’t see but I’m sure we will be back. If you are a huge tree lover, like I am you will love it!

Ticket Price

Free, but I think there is a charge for the glasshouses.

Opening Hour

Winter: 9am-17:30 Summer: 9am-20:00

Recommended Visit Duration

Around 1 hour or more

Enjoy!

Next up a day trip to Aveiro, Portugal…

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June 8, 2023 15

Travel Diary May 2023: Portimão #Portugal #Algarve #travel #photography #beach #nightsout

This is my new feature, my photo travel diary, some of which will be in Portugal. We have a few trips planned, first off a short weekend away in Portimão, May 2023. 😎

As you can see Portimão has the most wonderful beach! Beautiful sand and rock formations. Absolutely stunning. And from here you can take lots of spectacular boat trips which we have done in the past and loved.

In the evening, we discovered a fantastic restaurant – ended up being our favourite. Lots of Portuguese cuisine, fish, plus good old lamb chops! All very tasty. The restaurant is aptly named Vinhos & Comidas, wine and food. Caught hubbies eye as he likes his vinhos!

A walk along the strip – of bars and evening entertainment took us to Santa Catarina castle fortress constructed in 1641. The fortress was built to protect from Spanish pirates and moors. From here, there are a lots of steps down to the marina. It’s worth taking a stroll to have a look. It’s low season at the moment, so the marina was quiet, most of the action and more frequented places to eat were around the strip.

It was more challenging going back up all the steps, especially after a few vinhos! But we made it.

ROCKS AND CREATURES

The rock formations on the beach are stunning, the one below reminded me of a cat! Plus there was a dinosaur head, or a sharp nosed man, a whale, and a screaming man… that’s writers for you we see inspiration everywhere!

A 🦕 🦖 🐲 dinosaur head? Or from the vantage of the sea perhaps a sharp nosed man with a high forehead?

At the top can you see the screaming 😱 man? Eerie…

Forget the rock creatures.
A laze on the sand perhaps?

BEACH ⛱️

Here’s hubby posing below by the rocks…

And me.

And a change of clothes

COFFEE AND ENTERTAINMENT

Fancy a Portuguese galao coffee… and a sea view? Don’t mind if I do…

It’s a great place for a weekend away. And a good spot for young people to enjoy the nightlife. Having said that, hubby and I did have a couple of late nights. The last of which began with his…”Shall we have one more drink?”

Oh, we should have known! This is reminiscent of our last trip to Lagos where a similar thing happened.

This time, in Portimão, we ended dancing at a pub, The Irish Rover, until the early hours with three lasses from Manchester who kept getting us up to dance to a very good rock tribute band.

Manchester girls really know how to party!

Oh, to be young again! We needed a day to recover…

We had a quiet last evening… kept on bumping into the Manchester lasses but didn’t dare go back to the rock pub… Instead, we lived dangerously and came across this fellow down at the beach.

Luckily he wasn’t real. A croc ceated by a local artist!

FAREWELL

Farewell Portimão, some evening photos taken over two nights to say goodbye!

One last thing to note, the area we stayed in is built up with lots of high rise hotels/Apartments compared to the quieter area of Tavira where we stay part of the year.

This is our view from the Portimão apartment, Flor Da Rocha, which was well equipped and comfortable and had everything you’d need for a stay including a pool and a gym. Not an overly quiet option but this is a party town!

It is good to explore different parts of Portugal!

Rock on!

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https://nextchapter.pub/books/bloodstone https://nextchapter.pub/books/golden-healer

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May 25, 2023 21

Algarvean Adventures – 1 #Portugal #Tavira #travels #Algarve

As some of you already know I had an adventure in Portugal beginning in October and lasting until the middle of December.

I’m now back in the UK and boy was that complicated what with pre-flight testing requirements and the like. Thanks to hubby for being great at doing it all.

I’ve taken the plunge and resigned from my job! Difficult to disappear for several months without doing so. Might have been easier if, cough cough I was still working from home. Lol.

My new home from home in October, November (and… just short of two weeks in December,) was the sun drenched Algarve – in a beautiful lesser known but up and coming Algarvean town – Tavira and what a stunning spot it is.

Three bridges cross the centre of Tavira with pubs and restaurants in ample supply. There is nothing more relaxing than drinking a glass of wine and admiring this stunning view! It really helps to soothe those ever present covid anxieties.

I began my stay in a typical Portuguese flat in the quaint centre of the town with hubby. Busy, quite noisy, (lol,) interesting, and great for nipping out to all the local amenities, bars, shops and… not too far from the train station and the all important library!

Here are some panoramic views of Tavira from the Maria Nova roof top hotel, where you can (covid permitting,) sample the drinks, music and bar snacks.

Early on my hubby and I went to Tavira beach via the Tavira Island ferry. How quaint is that?

I’ll be sharing more photos and news in my next instalment of my Algarvean adventure! Before I go, let’s take a trip to the beach!

You can reach the beach either by catching the ferry in the central town area, or by walking to the marina to catch it there – which we did. It was well worth the long walk.

On Friday before our departure we realised that no local places were open Saturday afternoon to do flight covid tests. EEK. A scramble to find anywhere. We managed thanks to my resourceful hubby and were fit to fly!

Best much love, I can’t quite believe my good fortune! I just hope covid fxxxx off so we can have total freedom of movement again.

I took the Christmas lights photo which heads this blog on my last night in Tavira, so pretty.

Hope your Christmas preparations are going well. Bye for now,

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December 15, 2021 30

Scrummy Food, Tulips and Cocktails #Food #Montreal #Canada #Holiday #Tulips

One of the things I discovered as we were sitting in the taxi on route to catch our bus to Heathrow was I’d forgotten my coat! So, I ended up borrowing my eldest daughter’s jacket when I could – this furry brown one was my favourite!

Here I am at Venice, Montreal, wearing her jacket and my woolly hat! And here she is when she grabbed it back on a later day outside Bevo Bar and Pizzeria!410 Rue Saint Vincent, Montreal QC H2Y 3A5

As you can see we stopped for a cocktail – the first of many!!! We went there on another evening to sample their fantastic pizzas. Yum…

I did buy myself a new jacket… think tulips and jazzy coat. I’m in the slideshow below. The tulips were stunning at the Botanical Gardens, Montreal. Talk about a field of colour…

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Getting back to cocktails. See the green one below? That was my favourite! We were on a rooftop bar, and it was the bizz!

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The food… Boy, was it tasty – my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Here are a few of the amazing dishes we tried… Look at this plate of beautiful food at Arthurs Nosh Bar… 4621 Notre-Dame O Rue, Montreal QC H4C 1S5 Not only does it look like a work of art it tasted like one too! It was well worth the wait. We had to queue to get in but this looked and tasted fantastic. A definite favourite!

And these two meals were from the same pub which was very near our AirBnB, Pub Bishop and Bagg 52 Rue Saint Viateur O, Montreal QC H2T 2K8 the food was amazing. See those potatoes they were cooked to perfection. Yum… And there vegetarian option was fantastic too. All very hearty but tasty food.

Then, we tried a vegetarian/vegan place called Lov. I chose the vegan burger and it was fab. 464 McGill Rue, Montral QC H2Y 2H2

https://www.lov.com/
At Taiyo we ordered from a tablet on our table and after a while we couldn’t quite remember just how much we ordered! Needless to say we ate everything but had less room for the amazing banana fritters. 1709 Rue Saint-Denis, Montréal H2X 3K4.

Montreal is definitely a foodie’s paradise. This is just a sample of some of the amazing restaurants we went to and the cocktails… what can I say? Whilst on holiday, it’s imperative to let your hair down!

Time for a diet… and detox. Lol.

Do check out my other Montreal posts:

https://mjmallon.com/2019/06/06/notre-dame-basilica-montreal-canada-travel-holiday/

https://mjmallon.com/2019/05/26/grafitti-murals-montreal-canada/

And check out this post on Canadian travel:

https://noatech.travel.blog/2019/06/09/16-top-rated-tourist-attractions-in-canada/

Have you been to Montreal?

Do comment, I’d love to here from you.

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June 16, 2019 14

16 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Canada

Whilst I am missing Canada thought I’d share this from Noatech Travel Blog. Looks like I must go back one day. There is so much to see in Canada.

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June 9, 2019 7

Notre-Dame Basilica #Montreal #Canada #travel #holiday

This beautiful basilica is situated in Old Montreal, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The church is located at 110 Notre-Dame Street West and faces the Place d’Armes square.

It is a truly stunning church, perhaps one of the most beautiful I have seen. The colour and splendour of the interior is so dramatic that you can’t help but draw a breath of astonishment as you walk in. Moreover, there is a definite sense of calm in this church, a spiritual feeling which is apparent from the moment you arrive.

I would definitely recommend it as a must see location if you are visiting Montreal.
Here is a short extract from Wikipedia singing its praises:

The interior of the church is amongst the most dramatic in the world and regarded as a masterpiece of Gothic Revival architecture.[1] The vaults are coloured deep blue and decorated with golden stars, and the rest of the sanctuary is decorated in blues, azures, reds, purples, silver, and gold. It is filled with hundreds of intricate wooden carvings and several religious statues. Unusual for a church, the stained glass windows along the walls of the sanctuary do not depict biblical scenes, but rather scenes from the religious history of Montreal. It also has a Casavant Frères pipe organ, dated 1891, which comprises four keyboards, 92 stops using electropneumatic action and an adjustable combination system, 7000 individual pipes and a pedal board.[2][3]

I had the fortune to visit Montreal with my two daughters in May. Here they are in the photo below walking ahead of me taking in the spectacular view…

Approximately 11 million people visit Notre-Dame every year, making it one of the most visited monuments in North America.[4]

And here’s another image for you to enjoy.

Unfortunately my photos do not do it justice.

Find out more here: https://www.basiliquenotredame.ca/en/

I hope you get a chance to visit.

Do comment, I’d love to hear if you’ve been.

My previous post about Montreal: https://mjmallon.com/2019/05/26/grafitti-murals-montreal-canada/

Do check out this post about all the wonderful tourist attractions in Canada: https://noatech.travel.blog/2019/06/09/16-top-rated-tourist-attractions-in-canada/

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June 6, 2019 29

Grafitti Murals – Montreal Canada

I’m just back from a lovely holiday with my two daughters in Montreal.

Everywhere I looked there appeared to be Grafitti murals on the streets. Being a big fan of Graffiti murals I thought I’d share them with you.

See the one above? It’s the very first mural I saw on my holiday situated near our Airbnb in Laurier.

Eerie isn’t it?

Here are some of the other ones I came across… The girl in the mural below looks sad too…

I like how the next mural blends in with it surroundings. The real flowers joining the painted flowers in an unusual way! We stopped in this area for a coffee at Cafe Olympico.

The next one’s kind of exotic. But those bushes really need cutting back! We’re missing out on the bottom part of the mural in Quartier Latin.

This is also in the Quartier Latin. Very bright and vibrant like this area of Montreal.

Then here’s one from Mont-Royal

If you are planning on visiting Montreal and would like to find out more about their street art check out this post: https://www.mtl.org/en/experience/montreal-murals-101

Have you visited Montreal? What are you waiting for…

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Unique Selling Point: Unique, Imaginative, ‘Charming, enchanting and richly layered this is purely delightful.’

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May 26, 2019 22

Colleens Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge No 112 – #Travel #Lisbon #Photography #HardRockCafe #Music #Accident #Trip #Fall

My hubby and I went for a long weekend to Lisbon. Unfortunately I had a fall on holiday and hurt my foot. I’d been out the night before at the Hard Rock Cafe, (indulging in cocktails and behaving like I’m one of the youngsters.)

My hubby and I were listening to a very good cover band. The next day I was feeling pretty good – no hangover! But it was raining heavily and the cobbled pavements were very slippery.

We arrived at this spot – we’d been there the evening before. This was taken when it was sunny…

The next day the band were there again. They were about to set up. Imagine those wet cobble stones, see that foot. It’s probably mine. Yes, you get the picture.

I felt a sharp pain

Hubby rushed to help me up

Good nothing broken

A hard rock holiday fall

A low-risk trip, groan get up!

So the band and my hubby rushed towards me to help. I felt like a celebrity!

It was my birthday but it was not quite what I had in mind for a birthday present. Lol.

Still the Altis hotel made up for it with this unexpected surprise.

Luckily no major harm done but I am still hobbling about a bit.

… Ouch.. I should have caught this instead…

If I had I would have admired this awesome graffiti… Which I did on another occasion.

I should have hugged a tree instead to stay safe. This one reminded me of an enormous, hairy gorilla with big caring arms!

Luckily the first two days were very sunny. Blue shades weather. I pinched my hubby’s sunglasses. He said they suited me!

We saw some wild life – this charming fellow caught my eye… He looks astonished doesn’t he? Camera shy perhaps? Or perhaps he heard about my fall.

All in all I had a lovely birthday break away in Lisbon. It’s a beautiful city, I’d really recommend a visit.

I LOVE PORTUGAL.

But watch out for those cobbled streets in the rain. I wish I hadn’t had that fall. But, it could have been much worse.

I’m grateful I didn’t get whisked away in an ambulance – this has happened to me and various other family members before…

We are very accident prone. Check out this post:

https://mjmallon.com/2015/02/15/an-unusual-valentines-adventure/

If you’d like to join in Colleen’s weekly poetry challenge you better get your skates on!

https://colleenchesebro.com/2018/11/27/colleens-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-112-cold-safe-synonymsonly/

Have you been to Lisbon? Do let me know in the comments. x

Stay safe and out of the rain.

Bye for now,

I’m a contributing author in the Plaisted Publishing House Ghostly Writes Anthology 2018 with my story Ghostly Goodbye.

Ghostly Goodbye by M J Mallon

Ghostly Goodbye is a paranormal love story about a young woman called Iris who can’t get over her husband’s death. She is mourning him so much that she feels dead inside. Her husband Ed sends her a ghostly message from beyond the grave via an old forgotten garment in her wardrobe. She responds by dragging herself from her tomb-like bed and he draws back the curtain of death to visit her in a most unusual way.

Available on Amazon, Apple, Nook, Kobo, Scribd, 24S, Playster, Indigo, Angus & Robertson, Mondadori Store: Universal Buying Link

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December 1, 2018 12

Portugal Missing You! #Portugal #Holiday

Missing you Portugal! We stayed at this all inclusive hotel in Porches, the Algarve – Be Live Palmeiras Village. This is the pool area with a slide – there were two pools with bars – where you could wile away the sunny day with a cocktail in hand! I’d highly recommended this hotel especially for families with young children, the entertainment on offer to keep them occupied was excellent. The poolside activities such as Water Zumba were also great fun, and there was a daily program of evening entertainment too. There were two buffet areas included in the all – inclusive price plus three extra restaurants with a small charge attached. The food was diverse, catering for most tastes. In general I’d recommend Buffet 2 as there was an outdoor seated area to enjoy your food in the sun, rather than eat inside in the other larger buffet area within the hotel itself which felt like a food hall.

We discovered this wonderful cave cut through the cliff face linking two beaches near our hotel.

It was well worth it!

Here I am with my daughters about to explore what’s beyond the cave…

And here’s the reward – a beautiful beach on the other side.

Talk about tranquil golden sand, textured with footprints of assorted humans, occasional dogs who have escaped from their owners – rolling in furry abandon on the sand, not to mention the crazy seagulls. One minute those seagulls were tranquilly standing on one leg, stretching their wings, doing a tai chi move, the next they were dive bombing us!

Striking cliffs and that sea……so rich with hues of colour. An artist’s dream.

These wonderful cliffs are everywhere in Portugal and provide a great backdrop for family photos.

A holiday to Portugal wouldn’t be complete without a boat trip. The four of us went via Albufeira on a well organised day out. We had a wonderful experience stopping at a beautiful bay for a barbeque of fresh fish, pork, salad and wine.
No wonder my hubby and I are smiling!

Here is the lovely boat we sailed on..

Perhaps I might have convinced you to visit Portugal. It is one of my favourite holiday destinations – I have been to the Algarve three times, and loved it each time!

Bye for now,

Buy Book: myBook.to/TheCurseofTime

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September 11, 2016 21