After two weeks of swimming traveling through Portugal, we ended up in Aveiro. FINALLY, it was an absolutely beautiful day! Of course, it was the last day.
Known as the “Venice of Portugal” due to its canals, Aveiro sits along the Atlantic Ocean. It is a beautiful, bright, clean city.
The colors accented by white are so striking, and THAT tile that I fell in love with was found all over. And I couldn’t get enough of the old train station.
When finding out we were spending the day in Aveiro, everyone recommended Ovos Moles de Aveiro which is the local pastry. Up until then, the local pastry was the only food I was really a fan of in Portugal. So we made a stop at one of the bakeries certified to sell it. 
The sugar and egg yolk filling is even sold by the bucket so the pastries can be made at home. 
The little pastries are just darling – shaped into various sea creatures – and are very delicate. However, of all the local pastries recommended and tried, these were my least favorite. They were very sweet without having a real flavor.
On the way back to Porto (and the pouring rain by the way) we made a quick detour into Costa Nova which is a little fishing village just north of Aveiro. All along the main road are these old fisherman “shacks” that have been restored into beach cottages. They are striped and colorful and so stinking cute…
And one of these days, I’m going back to Costa Nova and renting THIS exact one. So much fun!
Despite the weather, I really enjoyed Portugal – the people, the colors, THE TILE…not really the food though.
We flew out the next day. Porto to Lisbon to Paris to LA. The flight home is always about an hour longer than going. I can’t sit for an hour let alone 11 without being completely antsy and wiggly. However, for this flight I used my points and upgraded to Air France’s premium economy. Holy cow! I had so much leg room AND a foot rest. 
It’s the first flight I have ever taken that my legs didn’t just dangle because my feet don’t touch the ground while sitting in an airplane seat. I could be all kinds of wiggly and had room to do so. It made things much more bearable.
oh that is beautiful
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI like the photos of the seaside houses.
ReplyDeleteWould you go back again btw.
I think on planes you really need a few layers. Back in the day I had a tweed trousers that had a silk lining. There was absolutely nothing like it. But you being a girl an all you wouldn't get a second glance wearing a silk pajama bottoms under a jeans. Mind you, wearing jeans on a flight is as nutty as wearing them on horseback. Leastwise it is for this man anyway. Doesn't that bloody crossed seam cut into you.
There's been a footrest on any flight I've been on, even Ryanair and that's saying something, for the running joke in Europe is very soon Ryanair will install those train straps you see on the Underground or Subway.
Let's put it this way...if someone were to say "come on, we're going to Portugal". I'd go. But since I've been, I don't know if I'd make the trip again with all the other places I still want to see.
DeleteTo be honest with you, the international flights from LAX are primarily red eyes and SO long that I dress for comfort over not style...maybe just shy of pajamas. :) No, I love jeans, but would never wear them on a long haul. I cross, uncross, sit on, and fold under my legs hundreds of time on a flight and jeans aren't terribly comfortable for my lack of sitting still.
Once I flew Ryan Air from Paris to Venice and heard all sorts of horror stories. We were packed in like a cattle car, but it was an uneventful flight, thankfully. I'd compare them to Southwest - cheap, no frills - but if you don't care about that and the flight gets you from A to B, why not, right?
Oh, and, yes, most flights have that bar that is considered a foot rest, but it doesn't work well if one can't REACH it. :) This was the first one that I could use comfortably, plus it had a leg rest too with the seat almost reclining flat without anyone sleeping in your lap.
Jeepers, I've the opposite problem. I've never enough room and when the gobshite in front reclines his seat it's even tighter.
DeleteFunny I'm listening to the TV longside me right now and the BBC news said 9 out of 10 say they'd be delighted if the airlines removed the reclining seats.
No, when I write PJs it's the silk I'm on about, not you sloping about at 30,000ft pushing up blood pressure along with the air pressure. :-)
And yeah, Ryanair mostly flies 3 hours tops. And really if you are paying less than the cost of a taxi home from a night out the only thing you need is to get you there safely and that Ryanair is 2nd to none. Their safety record is exemplary.
I've a new design on my blog, Can you have a look and Yea or Nay it. I cannot really see it for some reason.
I can't even imagine being tall and having to sit in coach. It is truly miserable and I am not tall. I agree, the seats reclining is awful and shouldn't be allowed, for everyone's comfort. The thing about these Air France seats are that they are like a pod and in addition to the extra leg room the seat reclines without imposing on the space behind it, instead it slides forward somehow. I wouldn't say sitting for 11+ hours is comfortable by any means, but it was the most comfortable flight I have ever taken.
DeleteI think I realized the problem...blogger has changed the posting button's location. I was signing out instead of publishing. Oops! :)