Serra da Estrela

Do you like to ski? If you do, and you live here in Portugal, you probably miss "serious skiing", as in "serious hills", that is unless you get the opportunity to wisk away to Switzerland or Andorra or something like that every once in awhile.

Now in Portugal, this is what skiing looks likes:

Yes it's Serra da Estrela, the only place you can slalom your heart away in the 'land of Camões'.

Ok, it looks treeless, it does have a chair lift and buildings with round-shaped tops. Those are known as The Towers - old military observatories. In 2008 the Portuguese Ministry of Defense had wanted to put them up for sale. Unsure of how that turned out - if the listing ever went ahead, and if so, if it's still up for sale. Here's a closer look.

So maybe Serra da Estrela may not offer up the best skiing, nothing like what we may get at Grouse Mountain, if you're from Vancouver ...

... or Mont Tremblant if you're from Quebec.

However, does any ski resort or mountain range in Canada produce a cheese as delicious as this Serra da Estrela cheese?

Or a breed of dog as cute as the Serra da Estrela shephard dog?

I thought not.

Hey, skiing isn't everything.