Daniels Europe 2014: Paris.

PORTUGAL

We are now in Portugal and loving it!  We were two ten hours days in the car and driving through beautiful fertile farm lands and vineyards. All land is used in some crop or another.  Vineyards are plentiful and are up mountain sides as far as one could see.  Acres and acres of grapes growing.  Traveling through the foothills of the Pryanees was a delight.  Lush green everywhere!  Here we experience pine trees with huge cones among palm trees, flowering trees and bushes, Azure winged magpies, doves and with think a species of stork.  Truly unbelievable with gigantic nests with tiny heads peeking out.  They nest on tall electric poles and sometimes there are nests two or three to a pole!  Like a bird apartment dwelling!  When they are in flight, they have a huge wing span and the tips of their white wings are black and their legs are long.  I can't seem to get over how magnificent they are.

Yesterday we walked to the Atlantic Ocean beach.  Imagine us all the way here from the Pacific Ocean!  It is warm here and the wind keeps it's presence.  We are taking a group bike ride through a national park reserve and then plan to play a bit of mini golf on a course just a few blocks away from us.  Our apartment is fabulous!

This place is a golfers paradise.  Tennis players like to come here, too.  The PGA is planning some kind of a tournament here in 2015 and we are seeing how a golf course is made.  Quite the deal.  There is so much to talk about.  Our stay here is shorter than we want, but we do hope to return.

More words to come................