So I have always been a big fan of Scandinavia in general. I went to Bergen, Norway to study via the Erasmus program, I did numerous trips to Oslo and Copenhagen over the years, and I really enjoy the Scandinavian culture and lifestyle. If there is really one "downside" to remark here, though, it would be that in general, the place is cold. Don't get me wrong, you can still have the best of times - just remember to bring a jacket (or two).

So, when a long weekend was coming up in November of 2017, I tried to convince a friend of mine (from a warmer climate country, too) to go hiking with me in Bergen. Unsurprisingly, he was turned off by the idea and suggested a warmer place instead, and so the choice became Portugal, which neither of us had been to before.

I hate to spoil the rest of the article this way, but that turned out to be a fantastic choice.

Day 1: Arrival in Porto

The trip began in Porto, a city in the north of Portugal, which, according to the local guide, is also the origin of the country's name Portugal. We arrived late in the day, which meant that no larger tours were viable anymore - but it was plenty good for a little exploration followed by a tapas-style dinner in town. Something that stands out about Porto is that it is dissected by the Douro river (home to great wine producers further upstream), with a bridge designed by G. Eiffel (the tower guy) spanning across to its sister town of Vila Nova de Gaia. That is also the one on the cover of this post!

Porto seen from the Douro's southern bank. There's a really nice restaurant for bacalhão, the town's specialty, nearby! Taken with the Summilux ASPH 50mm.

Day 2: Guided tour and journey to Lisbon

This day was split into two main components. After the breakfast, we embarked on a guided tour spanning the old town along with some other places. I highly recommend doing this, since it leads you to some hidden gems of the old town, like a backyard sweets sale by an old lady running a bakery.

Colored houses in old town Porto. The city itself is really colorful, which is welcome for photographers who like saturated images. Taken with the Summicron ASPH 28mm v2.

We also passed some important historic buildings in the city, such as the old main station and a number of old christian monasteries. In general, a lot of places display the christian heritage of the city, without being overly obnoxious.

An old railway station in Porto. The blue tiles on the walls are carefully crafted artworks representing christian adventures and historic events around the city and the country of Portugal as a whole. Taken with the Summicron ASPH 28mm v2.

After the tour, we bought train tickets and made the journey southbound to the capital city, Lisbon. It is a good three hour ride, and not much did happen along the way (except a pretty great sunset!).

Day 3: Exploring Lisbon

Different city, same plan! Again the day started off by a guided tour, and later explored without a specific plan. Two awesome destinations to name here are Time Out Market, a very diverse food court located right at the waterfront, and Taberna Sal Grosso, a restaurant with a fantastic lamb stew among other dishes.

The mouth of the river Tagus, ending in the Atlantic Ocean in Lisbon. Certainly gives out some SF Bay Area vibes. Taken with the Summilux ASPH 50mm.

Ponte 25 de Abril, Lisbon's answer to Golden Gate! Taken again with the Summilux ASPH 50mm.

Day 4: Sintra, return to Porto and wrapup

Day 4 was all about Sintra, a small village west of Lisbon. It is home to a number of old preserved Moorish castles and fortifications, which are open to visitors. After exploring the Castelo dos Mouros, the military fortress, which required a decent climb to reach at first, we made way to the Palacio da Pena, a really colorful palace established by the Moors and kept by later Christian rulers.

One of the castle wings of Palacio da Pena. The vibrant colors make this a standout landmark drawing in tourists by the hundreds. Taken with the Summicron 28mm ASPH.

Later that day, we went on the train again and went back to Porto, from where we departed back into 2 degrees Celsius Germany the next day.

Closing thoughts

I have much more photo material I could post here, but I think this will do nicely for now. Bottom line - the Leica plus two lenses max is your best friend on a half-week city trip abroad where every gram counts.

Portugal is definitely worth a visit! This one touched just the biggest two towns, and yet we got three days and change full of action. To be clear, the weather being a cozy 18-21 degrees constantly, with cloud-free skies, certainly did a large part for the experience. But a lot of the journey is so memorable, even after three and a half years after as I am writing this, because of the small things falling into place - constantly getting lucky with good restaurants, the weather (at that time a year later, the city was engulfed in storms), and the culture (certainly as warm as the weather!). So whenever it is possible again, I will definitely come back!