I’ve always been fascinated by my grandparents' escape from Europe during the war.
It’s been forever part of our family’s oral history that Portugal was the country where they got their U.S. visas and caught a boat to New York. The year was 1940 and my grandmother was nine months’ pregnant with my Dad.
Inspired by their experience as refugees 77 years ago, I planned a weeklong trip to Portugal this summer, retracing the route that my grandparents paved during those dark days of Hitler, Mussolini and Franco.
My plan is to see Portugal as they saw it, so I’m starting in Coimbra (where my grandparents first tried to get visas), continuing on to Porto (where they got their visas) and ending in Lisbon (where they caught a ship bound for America).
While it’s doubtful that my family went fishing during their stay on the Iberian Peninsula, I’m going to squeeze in a day of trout fishing in the Minho Province in the far north, near the frontier of Spain. Here’s my plan for Portugal for June 2017.
Thursday 6/15 – Fly NYC to Lisbon
Delta #473 – Leaves JFK 10:13PM, Arrives LIS 10:30AM
Friday 6/16 – Arrive Lisbon, train to Coimbra
Overnight at Guesthouse Casa Pombal
Saturday 6/17 – Morning in Coimbra, train to Porto
Overnight at Vintage Vestana Porto
Sunday 6/18 – Walking tour of Porto
Ricardo Brochado, The City Tailors
Overnight at Vintage Vestana Porto
Monday 6/19 – Morning in Porto, bus to Ponte de Barca
Overnight at Casa Nobre do Correio Mor
Tuesday 6/20 – Full day trout fishing in Minho Province
Pedro Lopes, Cavado Fly Fishing
Overnight at Casa Nobre do Correio Mor
Wednesday 6/21 – Bus/train to Lisbon
Overnight at The Independente Suites & Terrace
Thursday 6/22 – Full day Lisbon
Overnight at The Independente Suites & Terrace
Friday 6/23 – Full day Lisbon
Overnight at The Independente Suites & Terrace
Saturday 6/24 – Fly Lisbon to NYC
TRANSPORTATION:
Train: Lisbon Oriente to Coimbra
1:39pm - 3:51pm (13:39 - 15: 51)
2:09pm - 4:14pm (14:09 - 16:14)
Train: Coimbra to Porto
1:43pm - 4:25pm (13:43 - 16:25)
2:53pm - 5pm (14:53 - 17:00)
4:59pm - 6:50 (16:59 - 18:50)
Express bus: Porto Airport to Ponte de Barca
10:45 - 12:45
13:05 - 15:05
15:50 - 17:50
19:00 - 21:00
Train: Alfa Pendular fast train from Braga to Lisbon
Departs 6:07am, 1:07pm, 6:07pm, 8:07pm