Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Friday 30 October 2009

Single ticket to Cuba

29 October 2009

Last exit to Cuba ...

Took the train this morning from Entrecampos (Lisboa) to Cuba (Alentejo), which is the closest station to Cortes de Cima. There is something magical about buying a single ticket to Cuba. However, the three bloggers (per Karlsson, Sam Ockman – 1000 corks and myself), who had travelled together on the train to Cuba, were amazed to be told by the station master at Cuba that photos of the station are banned. Quite what a sleepy little station in the middle of the Alentejo has to hide is very far from clear. Perhaps we really had travelled to Cuba!

Waiting@Entrecampos, Lisboa for the train to Cuba

We were picked up by a mini-bus to take us to Cortes de Cima. Progress towards our destination with frequent stops for photo-ops including the statue in downtown Havana (sorry Cuba) of Christopher Columbus and then a statue of Vasco da Gama in nearby Vidgueira.

Cuba's tourist office

Cycling dog outside Cuba's railway station
(Its owner obviously didn't know about the photo ban as he encouraged us to take photos)

Vasco da Gama, Vidgueira

Our destination

2 comments:

Cortes de Cima said...

Jim, now that you know what a pleasurable experience the portuguese railways can offer, we hope you will visit us soon again! See you in Lisbon this weekend for the 2nd European Wine Bloggers Conference!

Jim's Loire said...

Thanks Carrie and thank you again for yesterday. Have long been impressed with Portuguese railways – the train travel not buying a ticket, which in Lisbon can be a nightmare. See you at the conference. Post on our visit yesterday coming up next...