Oh crikey, no no no. No such announcements from this end. Shall we just say that it involves the future publication of a book by a certain well know travel publisher who we all know...

Great news, Matt

Mrs W

A Book!! Congratulations Matt!

Sounds like a great excuse to make a special trip for an LDC reunion.

keep us posted.

Barb

Yesterday I shared with Mrs W the first chestnuts of the winter.
The same price as last year (12 units/2 euros).

Thursday. are you there? A formal LDC is not possible, I'm affraid, but why don't you show up for a coffee or a drink?

Hi - right now I'm in London - I'll get to Lisbon late tomorrow. Coffee or a drink sounds great - I'm staying at the Residencial Florescente, but I'll be getting a transport pass. Let me know what might work for you. You can email me through my website - www.wilhelmswords.com - click on webms at the bottomm of the page.

Thursday, this is a windy and rainy day to welcome you :-(

lobo_mau - I didn't get in until after the rain stopped - maybe 8:00 at night? Then I ate wonderful chicken at Bomjardim. The best I've ever had was in a little fishing village north of Lisbon in 1970, but this came close. Today I went to the Palace de Fronteira (sp?) and the Gulbenkian. I planned to go to Sintra but it was raining this morning.

Well, I'm just loving Lisbon! There's so much to do I'll have come back! I spent Saturday at Sintra and Cascais, and Sunday at Belem (successfully dodging the crowds). Today my feet gave out after the new Museu da Oriente, so I retired to the Institute of Port Wine. Any interest in meeting me there, lobo_mau? I definitely plan to visit it again.

Hi Thursdays
I sent a message to your email. I hope you are able to see it soon.
Joao

I tried to post a reply from Lisbon, but it seems to have ended up in the bit bucket. I'll see whqt I can do with this crazy Arabic/French keyboard in Casablanca.

I really enjoyed Lisbon - it made me smile, a lot, and I especially enjoyed meeting lobo_mau and his lovely wife over a glass of luscious port! Lisbon is high up on my revisit list. Oh, and I got to eat some of those chestnuts mentioned at the top of the thread - lots of vendors around Praca da Restaraudores (spelling?).

Christmas ligts are lit since last Saturday. At least in Rossio, Rua Augusta, Terreiro do Paço, Rua Nova do Almada, Rua do Carmo, Rua Garrett and Praça Camões.

Nice Leeloo's (the 5th element) pictures around Portugal

http://pt.trekearth.com/members/LeeL...rope/Portugal/

Manoel de Oliveira is turning today his 100th birthday and is the oldest active film director in the world.
I was impressed last year when I was watching his interview and he was asked to comment his past live and he said "the things I have done are not important, what's important are the achievements I have yet before me". He was only 99 when he gave this answer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manoel_de_Oliveira

Thank you for all your reports regarding beautiful Portugal.

Right this moment I am listening to the rain at a Quinta in the Douro. Just amazing. The owners are having a birthday party upstairs and I hear their laughter and try to understand a little Portugese. I feel truly blessed to be here.

Tomorrow we are driving south to Obidos and then to Lisbon where Paulo has graciously rented us a superb apartment in Chiado.

We are blown away by the people, they are so kind!!! I feel like I have met some of the most sincere people ever. Paula, our server in an amazing restaurant in Porto made me cry when she said she set her alarm for 4am to see the results of the US election. What a day to be proud of! The whole world was watching and cheering!

I think I have gained 10 pounds already! Last night some local cheese and a fabulous pumpkin jam on toast with a glass of port was like a slice of heaven!

Thank you again everyone for your tips, reports and pictures. Fantastic in every way but can not compare to actually being here.

Will try for a trip report after the new year but I just wanted to send my love and thanks to all the wonderful Fodorites. (I will probably spell this completly wrong but who cares, I am trying and loving every minute of it!!!)


Feliz Natal

XXXOOO

This post certainly brought a smile to me....as a boy, in the late sixties, I lived in Porto (father in international business). I recall buying roasted chestnuts from street vendors many times. Came served in newspaper funnels, they did, back in those days, and at about three escudos a dozen, what a bargain!

francefling. We were lucky to stay in one of Paulo's apartments in June and loved it.

I am sure you will also.

Isn't Portugal wonderful?

Need some insider tips... where can I find a good guide/driver with mini van to pick our family up at the airport...and one of our days take us on an excursion to Obidos and or Sintra that's affordable.. 800 euros is out of my league, but I do want to go...any suggestions

ttt

"Amalia - the movie" was recently released.

http://www.amaliathemovie.com/en/

Those who have attended the Fado Club "Caldo Verde" in Bairro Alto might remember a gentleman of some age, playing a guitar and singing a balad in the midlle of the fado performances.

If you watch closely the movie, in the recriation of Amalia's performance in Coliseu just after the revolution, you can see that very same gentleman playing the guitar.

In the introduction of the site I referred above, he appears, but only by 2 or 3 seconds.

Have fun