Up at the crack of dawn, we were in Porto by 10:00 and, following Hertz's instructions, left the car in front of the railroad station and the keys with the girl behind the counter at the corner café! That's Portugal.

While we were sorry that the old cars had been replaced, the new ones were much more modern and cleaner than either Amtrak or British Rail. We had a good three-course lunch that was professionally served by attractive and friendly staff. We agreed that the railway companies in the U.K. and the U.S. would benefit from making this trip themselves.

There was a huge queue at the taxi rank in Lisbon but it moved very quickly and soon we were on our way to York House. Granted it's a bit out of the way, but you have to take a taxi to the center of things whether you're at The Ritz or York House. Both, by the way, are the only hotels in the Michelin marked in red (their way of saying that they are more pleasant than the others).

Up two flights of vine-covered stairs from the street, we entered a delightful, leafy courtyard set with café tables and chairs.

The hotel and its annex up and across the street really were full; we had been very lucky to get rooms. Mine was charming — an airy, eclectic collection of country antiques, glazed tiles and hand-woven fabrics — and looked out on the courtyard; Richard's, on the other hand, was smaller than a hat box and looked out on nothing. So be careful when booking; make certain to request rooms 40-48, 12 & 14 or suites 303 and 307.

The attractive, blue & white restaurant opens onto the courtyard where, weather permitting, breakfast and lunch are also served.

I'd promised myself to try and find some hand-embroidered linens, so off we went to Rossio. In no time I found some really extraordinary sheets and pillowcases at Lavores Femininos, 179 Rua do Ouro; Louisa speaks perfect English and if she doesn't have what you're looking for, she'll know where to find it. We didn't dine at the hotel that evening but went out with a nutty couple that Richard knew. We pub crawled, ate in a restaurant in the red light district (not our idea), and ended up in a private disco whose entrance was so hidden I'd never find it again. It probably wouldn't be there anyway.

We checked out of York House the next morning.

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So "as the sun sets," what about Portugal? Most of it is cheap, most of the folks are very friendly and helpful, the pousadas are fascinating and, as long as you stick to simple places, the food is good. Except for the Vila Joya and perhaps La Reserve, you can have the Algarve — the south of France is much more beautiful, attracts a nicer crowd, and offers a terrific selection of places to stay, great food to eat, and things to do; and it's not that much more costly. For me the best of Portugal is Evora, Sintra, and the Costa Verde. When I go back, I'm going to base myself at Guimarães and spend a week or two driving north and northeast into and around the national parks near Montalegre and Brangança. Then perhaps I'll venture over the border and explore the ragged northern coast of Spain and on to...well, I'll write you all about it later.

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