“Vanessa So sorry that I have been so late in getting a response back to you.  Our trip was so action packed that we did not have much time for reflection.  And then when we got home our lives quickly went back to normal with all the things to do to catch up and prepare for Christmas.  Anyway, here are some comments for you. 1. Portugal Trails was an excellent company to deal with and I would highly recommend it to any traveller to Portugal. 2. Your personal management of our file, Vanessa, was superb.  You are a great travel agent! 3. All of the planning and preparation by internet in advance of the journey was easy and successful.  Your systems work well and are very accommodating and responsive to the customer. 4. One of the main highlights of the trip for us was the outstanding hotels that you booked for us.  We wanted something unique, special and out of the ordinary and you certainly gave that to us.  While every place was exceptional, the convent at Evora and the Pousada do Castelo in Obidos were the most memorable experiences. 5. The tours of both Lisbon and Porto were excellent.  The guides were knowledgeable and personable.  In particular we really enjoyed our walk with Rita in Lisbon. 6. The transportation/transfers were top notch.  Vehicles were on time, clean and comfortable. The drivers were extremely courteous and catered to our needs.  A special thanks to Anna for meeting us right at the train in Lisbon on our return and escorting us to the parked vehicle.  The train ride from Porto to Lisbon was fast, comfortable and very convenient. 7. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to see all of the sights that you had recommended but we did many of them.  All were good recommendations and we enjoyed them thoroughly. We could have easily used another 3 or 4 days on this route to get everything in and to have more time to just relax and soak it all up.  Alas, that is life.  So much world to see and so little time to see it.  But a good reason to come back to Portugal again soon.  Next time we want to go up the Doura valley for sure. 8. The Guide Book is an excellent initiative and we relied on it a lot.  The basic format, layout and approach are really good.  We did have a bit of a problem with navigation though, particularly in the towns and cities.  In some cases the maps in the book showed different routes than those programmed in the GPS.  And the GPS, while good on the open road, had a lot of trouble in urban areas where turns were very close together.  After a few days, we stopped using the GPS and just followed the instructions/maps in the Guide Book.  And we sometimes got lost but helpful locals got us to where we needed to go.  In Porto, where we got totally lost, a good Samaritan we met at a gas station drove his car as an escort to get us to the Yeatman. 9. The food we ate everywhere was very nutritious and tasty – perhaps too many yummy pastries that made it hard to avoid over eating.  And of course, the wine, port (and even the ginja) were delicious. 10.  Overall we found Portugal a great country to visit – perhaps the hidden treasure of Europe.  The scenery is beautiful, the country is steeped in history with well-preserved sites and yet the the amenities for travellers are totally modern.  We were particularly impressed with the apparent prosperity in both cities and countryside and the obvious cleanliness and care with which properties were kept.  And all of the Portuguese people we met were friendly, courteous and helpful.   We never felt concerned for safety or taken for granted. 11. Thanks for passing our donation to the charity in Estoril.  That was a very kind initiative which speaks volumes to the civic mindedness of yourself and Portugal Trails. Peter and Karin, John and Patricia”