Bottle of Red, Bottle of White

Maybe it’s the horses. Maybe it’s the history and the diversely beautiful landscape. And maybe it’s the wine. Come to think of it, that has a lot to do with Portugal’s lure.

In a week, I’ll be flying across the Atlantic with my friend and photographer extraordinaire, Meg McGuire, to head to my favorite riding school, Morgado Lusitano.

Daily classical dressage lessons aboard Lusitano schoolmasters will be interspersed with sightseeing, since Meg has never been to Portugal. We’ve made a rather ambitious “To Do” list to complete while we are there. Not to worry. We’ll be fortified by the wine.

Our “To Do” List

Visit the Escola Portuguesa de Arte Equestre (Portuguese School of Equestrian Art) in Belém, right outside Lisbon.

Eat natas, a custard-filled delight in a crispy, puff pastry crust from the mothership of natas, Pastéis de Belém. Sweet dreams are made of these little nuggets of deliciousness.

Head to Sintra, the beautiful city with multiple castles, cobblestoned streets and another type of pastry typical to the region, travesseiro. Do you sense a pattern here?

Explore Óbidos. Historically, the town was presented to the Queen of Portugal on her wedding day, a tradition that began with Queen Urraca in 1214 and continued until the 19th century. Now the white-walled old town features narrow, cobblestoned streets and a castle. The bonus: we can storm the castle and rent electric “twizzy” cars as we drive around the town and through the castle. Afterward, we’ll get a shot of Ginjinha d’Obidosa, a sour cherry liqueur served in a chocolate cup.

Visit a tack store. Like most equestrians, I have MORE than enough tack but Meg is interested in buying Portuguese half-chaps or polainas. I found a tack shop I have never visited and I MUST go there. Please, please, please let there be merchandise emblazoned with the store’s name: Casa Farto Correaria.

We may also hack through the cork trees (Portugal has cornered the market on wine corks), ride on the beach at Comporta, visit a Lusitano breeding farm or tour some of the wineries in Bucelas, just down the road from Morgado.

That brings me to the wine. Not only is Portugal famous for the corks used to corral the precious nectar of the gods, it produces some lovely wines at amazingly affordable prices. Our traditional Portuguese dinners at Morgado are always sweetened with a bottle of red, a bottle of white. It all depends on your appetite (thanks, Billy Joel).