Well, yes it did happen (see my last post).
I got back from Portugal yesterday afternoon (28 October) after 9 nights away. As I had hoped, I was much happier with the current Portuguese policy on pandemic restrictions as compared to Scotland/UK and as it turns out, people there are complying. Wearing a mask is compulsory in indoor public spaces – restaurants and trains, for example – and advised in busy outdoor spaces. Social distancing also remains part of the plan.
I felt comfortable and secure.
My travel plans turned into reality without any problem, but I must say that assembling all the bits and pieces we need at the moment was a pain in the neck. It was expensive too. More on that another time.
My Airbnb studio in Porto and the hotels in Coimbra and Lisbon were great. I was lucky with the weather, and only one half day was affected by rain. Porto and Coimbra turned out to be lovely. The food everywhere was fantastic.
My train journeys from Porto to Lisbon via Coimbra were a real pleasure as well. Ryanair and easyJet played their part by being on time, and mostly on their best behaviour. My Lisbon taxi driver even turned on the meter without being asked to, and took the most direct route between hotel and airport.
Strange, but true.
ⓒ iain taylor, 2021
🏴🇵🇹🇪🇺