We stayed one night in Guimarães in October 2015, which was quite sufficient for this small town. I chose nice hotel within the old city walls called the Toural.

The town's castle dates back to the tenth century, and still stands solid and imposing at the town’s highest point. They don’t charge an entrance fee to get in, and you can appreciate some pleasant views of the hilly surrounding countryside. The town’s medieval quarters have remained largely unchanged since they were built. The Portuguese are keen on colourful tile patterns, as we saw the next day at Porto’s famous São Bento station.

The Portuguese national identity isn't something that has much significance to me – I had only ever visited the country once before! But it was nonetheless a pleasant, relaxing place to visit, and an opportunity to sample ‘small-town’ Portugal – as opposed to the big-town bustle of Lisbon and Porto.