Back when I turned fifty years old, we spent my birthday in Paris. Since I am a Christmas Eve baby, that meant we celebrated Christmas in Paris. It was exciting and it was special. So while I’m still sixty-five, we decided to celebrate the holiday season in Paris once again.
This time we’ll be there before the holiday, so we’ll be able to enjoy the Christmas Markets and decorations throughout the city. Paris is called the “City of Lights” and during the holiday season it shines even brighter with mesmerizing holiday displays.
From the strings of lights along the Champs Élysées to the holiday window displays at the Galeries Lafayette or Printemps to the glowing Christmas trees strategically placed in the little squares around the city, it promises to be festive. I saw an article talking about the many ice skating rinks being constructed in the market areas and just smiled. There was a time when I would have jumped at the experience, but those days have sadly passed. Now we’ll just enjoy watching the young folks while we sip our mulled wine.
The weather will be chilly, but that’s what happens as December arrives and the holidays approach. There is likely to be a bit of rain that will fall, though honestly, I’ll be hoping for at least a couple of snow flurries. We’ll plan to dress in layers and bundle up and find the hot chocolate or hot mulled wine kiosks or a cozy Café to duck into.
Hot wine and roasted chestnuts
We’ll be staying in the 6th arrondissement at the Au Manoir Saint Germain des Prés Hotel. It’s a nice hotel in an excellent location. There is a metro station, a bus stop and a taxi stand nearby. A few restaurants and cafes – Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore are literally across the street.
Since our goal is to enjoy the Christmas markets, we’ll also be centrally located to get to them. The closest one will be just across the street around the Saint Germain des Pres Church. So yes, snacks in the evening will always be close by. Just think…warm chestnuts!
We will be keeping this trip simple. We have made reservations for a couple of outings but we’ll mostly just wander and have fun. To acquaint ourselves with the areas and maybe instill a little holiday spirit, we booked a ride on the Tootbus for a nighttime holiday light tour. It’s basically a 90 minute ride to see the various places that are brightly decorated. We also booked tickets to a Vivaldi concert being held at La Madeleine. We are just a bit early for the Christmas concerts, but I can sing those songs myself – quietly!
La Madeleine
We have also made reservations at restaurants for a few lunches and dinners, but we’re looking forward to indulging in some of the food at the markets. We’ve heard that the dining fare at some is different and delicious, so I can’t wait to check it out. I’m not expecting corn dogs or greasy fries, but I do know about Pain d’épices or french holiday spice bread and Bouche Nöel. Yum!
Anyway, we’re all set with Air Canada and our airport transfers at home and in Paris, so all that’s left is to wait for a few weeks.
We always reflect back on our trips when we get home, as well as answer the inevitable question: “What did you like best?”. We had many things that we talked about this time, which would indicate that we had a very enjoyable trip. I thought I’d share some of our thoughts with you as we reminisced.
The easiest thought to convey is that we loved Portugal. We visited six cities with distinctly different vibes to them, but there was one continuous thread. That underlying thread is that we were enamored with how nice the people were. Every person we dealt with was a true ambassador for the country. Friendly, helpful, upbeat, polite and encouraging are some words that immediately come to mind.
We do not speak Portuguese. Before traveling, we used Duolingo to learn a little bit to be polite and respectful. We always try to do that as it enhances our enjoyment. We received nothing but smiles and encouragement when we used that little bit of Portuguese. People would help us with our pronunciation without talking down to us at all. It was very uplifting from a traveler’s perspective.
The distinct vibes from the cities came from the locations, the history, the pride and the culture of each. We traveled through what I would call the middle of the country. To the north, we went as far as Porto and to the south, we stopped at Lisbon. There was so much more to see, but we had to have boundaries. As Sue and I always say: “Next time!”.
We started in Porto. I’d say it was a very social city. The main tourist area is compact and easily walkable. Well, walkable if you are ready for the hills. We knew there would be hills, but we didn’t realize that they would be everywhere. Even going down the hills could be a chore as some were a bit steep. The waterfront on both sides of the river was where the action was to be found. Boat rides, bars and restaurants lined the Porto side, while the Villa Nova side had the Port Lodges.
Moving on: no surprises here, Coimbra had a college town vibe. With the University being the central location, there was a laid back approach to things there. Lots of places and activities focused on the students. There was also much nightlife catering to a younger demographic and Fado for the tourists.
Tomar was a favorite for both of us. This stop on our journey just had a special feeling to it. It’s a smaller town, but such a historically important town. For us, our tour with Nikita of the Templar Castle and the Convent of Christ was the high point of the trip. It’s hard to explain, but it left us feeling spiritually fulfilled. We each left wanting to be a better person.
Mother Nature took center stage in Nazaré. Looking over the ocean and feeling the power of the water is mesmerizing to me. Then, watching the sun set brought such a sense of calm. We discussed the wonderment that the ancient people must have had wondering where the sun went each day. Sailing as far as they could go, but never finding where the sun hid when it disappeared from the sky.
In Sintra, we were dazzled by the opulence on display along with the show of power. The huge, imposing castles looming on the mountain tops ready to protect the lands against invaders. Then, nestled nearby, were the palaces of the wealthy dotting the landscape. It was a very interesting contrast.
And lastly came Lisbon. It had the big city vibe, but not always. We stayed in the oldest part of the city known as the Alfama district and spent most of our time there too. While we occasionally strayed across the city and got a feel for the more modern sections, we centered our attention on the historical district, which provided the small city feeling that we enjoy.
As you could probably tell from the blog, we really enjoyed our meals throughout the trip. Every location had excellent food choices of all kinds. We mainly stayed with traditional or modern Portuguese, but we did sneak in Italian, Indian and even a little American. Our restaurant choices ranged from sandwich shops to two-star Michelin restaurants and we were wowed many times over.
And the final thought is the question – would you go back? The answer is a resounding – Yes!
We saw and experienced quite a bit, but honestly, we only scratched the surface. There is so much more to see, do and experience.
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In addition to all the ‘research’, there were some others that really made the trip what it was. Here is a list of some of them. Also, I have gone back through the blog and updated the links to the various hotels, restaurants and other folks that we used.
Could you get around by car if you wanted to drive?
You could. It seemed to be easily drivable. The highway system looked good and the roads are well maintained. It would be fine for getting between locations. However, Lisbon and Porto have old, narrow roads and parking is difficult. I’d probably avoid having a car in those cities. Our driver also mentioned that the tolls are quite expensive on the highways.
Are the restaurants expensive?
The meals were very reasonably priced. There were plenty of places that were offering fixed price menus for lunch and dinner. Like anyplace else, you can control your spending through your choices of restaurants. There are lots of cafes and tavernas, along with fancier restaurants. I’d say that seafood is definitely priced well, as it is abundant. Another tip would be to go with the house wines. They were definitely cheaper than the wine list selections.
Did you have problems getting around in the cities?
No! All of the cities we went to were walkable. When we didn’t want to walk or it was raining, there were taxis, Uber and Bolt or tuk-tuks. We only took a cab one time and that was in Lisbon on our way to a nicer dinner.
With just one day left, what better way to celebrate our journey through Portugal than with a nice dinner at a wonderful restaurant?
To avoid the inevitable wind-blown and exhausted look, we took a taxi to the restaurant. The taxi driver’s face showed surprise at the relatively close destination (about a 30 minute walk), but the hills and cobblestone sidewalks are much more navigable in the back seat of a cab.
Our restaurant for the evening was Alma. It is a 2-Star Michelin restaurant led by chef Henrique Sa Pessoa. Alma means ‘Soul’ in Portuguese. On this evening, the chef and staff poured their souls into making our dining experience amazing.
We chose the tasting menu consisting of the Chef’s signature dishes. It was called the ‘Alma’ menu and it was outstanding.
The menu looked deceptively manageable as tasting menu portions tend to be on the smaller side…that is, until the service started.
We also selected to have the sommelier pair each course with an appropriate wine. To warm up our taste buds, we started with a glass of champagne to toast to a successful trip.
The pre-menu bites. They call them ‘moments’. We just ate them and called them ‘delicious’.
And then, with the bread service, our tasting menu began.
And we finished with a few extra treats. What an awesome meal and overall dining experience it was. Each course was a masterpiece. The preparation, presentation and nuanced flavors made the meal such a joy. Add in the friendly and efficient service and you have yourself a very memorable meal.
When we were ready, the restaurant called a taxi for us and within fifteen minutes we were back in the hotel room and talking about what a great meal we had just had. It was definitely one of the best meals ever.
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Wednesday ended up being a day for getting things done and relaxing. No tours, no big meals – just taking care of loose ends before we leave. The weather was mostly sunny, but windy and cooler. There was a high wind warning for the coastline and we were getting a bit of those winds.
We did go downstairs for a quick breakfast, but neither one of us were too hungry after last night’s dinner. There was room for a cappuccino and a Pain au chocolate – it’s like Jell-0, there’s always room. We had a chance to say ‘goodbye and thank you’ to the staff.
While the maid was working on our room, we found a comfortable place to sit and caught up on a few reviews, emails and confirmations. When we got back to our room, we used our private wi-fi to check-in with Air Canada for our flight and for our transport from Toronto to home.
With the “paperwork” completed, we went outside for a drink and to watch the cruise ships. Two new ships had arrived – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Both were large ships, but the Celebrity ship was huge compared to the other. I still don’t know how they float.
Later, we each had a hamburger on the terrace and then went inside, as it was getting cooler as the sun was setting. We turned on some music, repacked our suitcases and got a good night’s sleep.
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Thursday was our travel day. We had to get up early as we had an 8:30am taxi scheduled to take us to the airport. We bid a fond farewell to the desk staff as we checked out. They were all so friendly and helpful during our stay.
When the taxi arrived, we were able to zip through the empty morning streets to the airport. Only when we got close to the airport did we actually encounter traffic. As it turned out, we arrived with plenty time to spare.
The terminal layout was a little funky and confusing. We were able to use the kiosk to print out our boarding passes, but we couldn’t find an Air Canada baggage drop. We finally had to ask someone and they pointed the way. It was tucked into a corner after having to walk down a hallway. We did find it, dumped off our bags and then headed to a Priority Security line that had nobody in it. We passed through security, weaved our way through the Duty Free Shop and then finally arrived at the center of the terminal.
We were able to use the TAP Airline lounge, so we wandered up to wait for our flight to board. The lounge wasn’t anything special, but it was a comfortable place to sit away from the crowded terminal and they had clean, separate rest rooms, which we appreciated.
When boarding time approached, we headed to our gate. It was at the entrance to the gate area that we finally passed through Passport Control. I thought we had made a wrong turn somewhere and were somehow going to miss it, but they came through. Some of the machines were not working properly, but they did have someone available to help get us through. One stamp later and it was off to the gate.
We were happy to see our plane and to know that we had our Business class seats for the ride home. I filed a claim for losing them on the way over, but still haven’t heard anything from the airline. Boarding went smoothly and before long, we were on our way home.
The flight was mostly turbulence free – just a couple of bumps. It was a seven hour flight back to Toronto, but the time went by quickly. Passport control, baggage and Customs went smooth. We made a quick call to our driver and he arrived in a flash. It was the same gentleman who originally took us up to the airport, so we chatted most of the way and the time went by quickly.
The traffic wasn’t too bad as we took the 407 Toll route instead of the 401 around Toronto. Between that and being able to use the multi-passenger lane, we made excellent time. We crossed the border at Niagara Falls and got a chuckle from the Border Agent, as Sue had a detailed list of all our purchases and the costs. More than he must normally see for $28 worth of goods.
The remainder of the ride was uneventful. We were dropped off right in our driveway and in the house before we could even realize that it was quite chilly outside.
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And that my friends was our Portuguese Adventure!
We had a great time, saw some beautiful sights and met some wonderful people – making the trip an overwhelming success. Thanks for following along.
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I’ll have one more post with a summary, some details that I was asked about and a couple of updates. If you go to the blog site instead of reading it via the emails, I’ll also be adding the web links for some of the places and services that we used.
Monday morning arrived and the weather forecast was partially correct. We had some heavy rain overnight. However, now they are saying the day will be mostly sunny with just a short shower predicted.
Having cancelled our tuk tuk tour, we were disappointed that the weather would now be clear. We decided to just find a friendly looking driver and do our own tour. We walked down to the front of the cathedral to pick a ride.
We saw a decent looking tuk tuk and the driver looked friendly enough. He saw us looking and walked over to give us his sales pitch. Just a little hesitation and the price dropped a wee bit, so we booked him.
It would be a two hour tour that would include the three main viewpoints and everything in between. Plus, we could stop for pictures along the way. It was just what we wanted.
Before heading out, André gave us a little history lesson on the areas we’d be visiting and Portugal in general. With a thrilling rush, we were off!
Ok, it was a mediocre ‘putt putt’, but you get the idea!
Our first stop was the ancient Roman amphitheater ruins. Just as we were approaching the site, the skies opened and it started to rain. Not mist, not drizzle, but pouring rain. The weather gods were against us.
We scooted into to the ruins as did everyone else who was close and getting drenched. When we finished, we ran back to the tuk tuk and put down the plastic rain cover.
That “this is going to be miserable” feeling started coming over us, but on we went.
We passed by the two Miradouros that we had already been to and headed up the hill.
The rain let up when we reached the Miradouro do Senhora do Monte.
Despite being a bit damp, we enjoyed the spectacular view over the city.
Sue put on her rain poncho, which would have a significant bearing on the weather. Summed up: the rain stopped and the sun started peeking through the clouds.
We drove on through the old city, weaving our way through the bumpy, cobblestone streets. Seeing the residential neighborhoods was very interesting, especially the small shops, restaurants and squares. Everyone we came across knew André; I guess that’s the benefit of having a local as your guide.
The second viewpoint was Miradouro da Graça. It was close to the city Pantheon and provided picturesque views down and across the river.
By the time we were ready to move on, we decided to raise the plastic covering on the tuk tuk. While we could see, we couldn’t take pictures and wanted that option back.
Next we passed by St. George’s Castle as we headed across to our third viewpoint. There was a lone peacock from the flock which reside at the castle. He had wandered over to a nearby house. We surmised that the person must feed him, so he returns to visit. He looked ready to ring the doorbell for a treat.
On our way to our next location, we made a short stop at the Church of Saint Roch. André said that many people have called it one of the prettiest Catholic Churches in Lisbon.
Our final viewpoint was the Miradouro de Santa Catarina. It’s a beautiful little park and was across from the first two and gave us a perspective from the other direction.
Up and through the more posh part of town, we went to the Parque Eduardo VII. It was a beautiful park that had been dedicated to King Edward VII when he visited Lisbon.
We then made our way to the Avenida da Liberdade, the grand avenue in the newer part of town. The area along the avenue is where all the fancy hotels and designer shops are located.
We had the option to extend our tour and go to the riverfront areas, but frankly, my back just couldn’t handle it. Some of the bumps along the way had been spinebusters and I needed to stretch out. So we headed back to the Alfama.
We really enjoyed the tour, even with the short spurt of rain. Our driver turned out to be the right person for us. He was informative, funny, personable and a good driver!
It was a short walk back to the hotel and I couldn’t wait to just lie down and stretch my back a little bit.
For dinner, we went back to Audrey’s, which was our Thursday night destination. I was hoping that they might still be serving their daytime menu as the piri piri chicken sounded good, but it was not to be. Not that there is anything wrong with their dinner menu…
We tried to keep it a little lighter. Sue had the prawn appetizer and then the cod. I went with the prawn appetizer and then had the scallop appetizer as my main course. We paired it with a white wine from the Dao region. Since I kept it light, there was room for the chocolate mousse dessert.
The best part was the short walk back to the hotel afterwards.
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Tuesday, we snuck in what would have been the second half of our cancelled tour. We walked back to the tuk tuk station in front of the cathedral and spotted the guy who had chatted with us on Friday.
We approached him and said we were hoping to find him as we were interested in a tour. He seemed genuinely surprised that we would seek him out. His name was Bruno, the price was reasonable and we were off.
He was asking us about things we’ve seen in Lisbon and made a couple of ‘turns’ so we could see a few things that we missed.
We started with a short stop at the Praça do Comércio. It’s one of the most famous squares in Lisbon and faces the harbor. Behind it is the Arco da Rua Augusta, affectionately known as the gate to the city.
Before the earthquake of 1755, the palace stood in this location. In the center of the square is a statue of King José I and Gentil, the horse he is astride.
After some pictures, we were off once again. Bruno made sure that we passed by the “pink street” with its myriad of hanging umbrellas. It’s home to many restaurants and bars.
We swung down to the main street that cuts across the riverfront. Hooray, an end to cobblestones bumps!
As we were cruising along, there was a sudden downpour. Luckily, it only lasted a few minutes, but it was just supposed to be cloudy – just ask the weatherman.
We enjoyed chatting with Bruno; he kept referring to us as his ‘Favorite Buffalonians’. He told us he actually lived in Toronto for a short while and has a friend in Seattle he wants to visit.
We passed by several spots that he pointed out and stopped at a few others. We drove by the Timeout Market and stopped to catch a glimpse of the LX Factory.
LX Factory – repurposed former industrial site with shops and artisans
Our next stop was at the Presidential Palace or the ‘Pink House’ and then on to Jerónimos Monastery.
A loop around and over the train tracks took us closer to the waterfront. It was noticeably windier, but the fresh sea air smelled so good.
Our first stop was at the Torre de Belém. Now a tourist attraction, it was formerly a medieval defensive fortress and a perfectly located tax collection point.
We were still at low tide, so you could walk on the riverbed; however, when the tide is high it becomes surrounded by water.
Located near the entrance to the park where the tower is located is a statue commemorating the first airplane flight to South America.
I wonder if they served snacks?
Next we made our way over to the monument to the discoverers. It is dedicated to those people who represent important figures in Portuguese history. Leading the way was Henry the Navigator.
Bruno wanted to make one last stop before we started back towards the Alfama. It was along the river and he said it would be great for a picture – we agreed.
A bit wind-blown, but happy pals.
We wound our way back towards home and Bruno insisted on dropping us off at the hotel.
In the grand scheme of things, maybe having to cancel our original tour wasn’t such a bad thing. We met and enjoyed two new friends and maybe that’s just the way the world works.
We needed to relax for a while and thought a small bite to eat might be a good idea. We went out on the terrace for a beverage and a couple snacks. New boats were at the dock – one that must have just arrived, as there was a stream of people exiting at the terminal.
We enjoyed our little nosh and then headed to the room to rest up for a while. Tonight we have our final celebratory meal to cap off the trip.
Unbelievably, it’s our last weekend in Portugal. After a stretch of good weather, the rain has caught up with us. The overcast skies are one thing, but the rain makes the streets and sidewalks slick.
We were able to sleep in a little bit, as our first activity of the day is lunch. We are going to Restaurant Prado – a Michelin starred restaurant not too far from us.
Restaurant Prado is billed as a farm-to-table eatery with an ever changing menu based on the freshest ingredients available.
The menu
Our hostess, pictured above, was super friendly and when Sue said “Hello and nice to meet you” with a perfect accent, she assumed she was fluent in Portuguese and started talking. Busted! We had to backtrack and go back to partial Portuguese / partial English.
She explained that the menu items are meant to be shared and were designed to be brought out in sequence. So here were our choices:
What a delightful lunch. Everything was a blend of flavors and textures and everything paired perfectly with our wine. Definitely worthy of a Michelin star. They were also so friendly and hospitable; not even a hint of star snobbery.
Before we left the hotel, we had received a message regarding our evening boat ride. Due to inclement weather, we could cancel or reschedule. Since our itinerary was set, we ended up cancelling. We are going to try again on another date – time and weather permitting.
Since we planned the special lunch instead of dinner to accommodate our now cancelled boat trip, we walked around for a little while to look around and digest!
During the afternoon, we relaxed for a while to map out our strategy for the next couple of days. We also took some time to upload the photos to my iPad and to look through them. We put on some music and I did a little blog updating to catch up.
Not being overly hungry after our big lunch, we looked for someplace simple that was nearby.
There was a small place a short walk from the hotel called Pizzaiola that sounded good for a light dinner. We shared a small pizza, a tiramisu and a bottle of wine. Our waiter was really pleasant and before we left, he brought each of us a glass of limoncello.
We made the short walk back to the hotel and settled in for the evening. A little music to relax before dozing off.
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Sunday morning was interesting. We looked out of the balcony doors and the cruise ship from yesterday was gone. However, there were two new ships docked in its place. Abracadabra!
While we were getting ready to go down to breakfast, we received a text from Viator. The weather forecast for tomorrow is for heavy rain, so we could cancel and get a full refund or go and be miserable. So, we’ll be getting a refund. How disappointing!
Oh, and today is gray and cloudy, with a light misty rain. I needed breakfast and to think a bit.
With the weather being sub-optimal, we did the unthinkable: we turned on the television. What started as a check on the weather turned into watching part of the football game in German. A new travel low point.
Dinner was at a restaurant called Grenache. It has a slight French lean to the menu and is another Michelin starred restaurant.
What a fabulous meal and great evening! The staff there made the evening incredible. From the moment we arrived until we said goodbye and walked out, they treated us like we were special guests.
So the weekend became a foodie weekend thanks to the weather. Unfortunately, the weather doesn’t look too good for the next few days. It looks like we will have to dodge some raindrops if we want to go sightseeing.
The last leg of our adventure has arrived. Our driver arrived a few minutes early, but we were ready and waiting. Off we went to Lisbon.
The drive took about forty-five minutes due to the traffic in the city. Lisbon has that big city look as you approach it. There are many taller apartment buildings, busier roads and more graffiti. We had to cross the city to get to the area we are staying in. We went from big wide avenues to smaller, narrow streets. From nicely paved roads to bumpy cobblestones streets. Quite different, indeed!
We are staying in the area of the city known as the Alfama. It is the oldest part of the city, having survived the devastating earthquake of 1755. The earthquake not only destroyed much of the original city, but the aftershocks and subsequent tsunami were felt as far away as Great Britain.
Our hotel is called the Memmo Alfama and is located in the historic center of the Alfama, near to the Lisbon Cathedral. We have a terrace room and although the room is not large, we have an outside sitting area that overlooks the terrace bar and has an awesome river view.
The hotel is quite nice and has such a relaxing vibe – especially the outside area.
Upon our arrival and after unpacking, we took advantage of the outdoor area. That was where we met our server and new friend, Monica. We had a bit of lunch and a bottle of wine while looking out over the river.
The ship that the folks we met in Sintra (Al and Terry) were taking was docked at the port. We were waiting to see them depart, but they didn’t leave until after we left the outdoor terrace.
We did get to see the Virgin Cruise ship ‘Resilient Lady’ arrive and ease into port. Fun to watch, since I have no plan to board a cruise ship anytime soon.
For our first evening, we went to Audrey’s Restaurant for dinner. It was a short uphill walk from our hotel, but the walk was well worth the reward.
When we arrived and were seated, there were live musicians performing and they were very good.
Our meals were once again delicious. You’re probably tired of hearing that phrase, but we really have not had a meal that was subpar anywhere so far.
As always, we ordered a bottle of wine. Sue had the grilled scallops and I had the grilled prawns with a mango sauce to start, then we both had the grilled cod for our main.
Having enjoyed our dinner, we walked back to the hotel. When we arrived, there was a bossa nova music performer on the terrace outside of our room. We stepped outside on our patio and enjoyed a second round of wonderful live music for the evening.
When he finished, we stepped inside and enjoyed a good night’s sleep.
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After preparing for the day, we went down and enjoyed a good breakfast. There were lots of choices available and additionally, they would prepare eggs, pancakes or crepes if you wished.
Now fueled for the day, we headed out to walk around.
The iconic Tram 28
Our area is hilly, so we started by heading down towards the cruise ships. Once we arrived on the lower level, it was relatively flat.
From closer up, the ships look even bigger. We walked around for a while and then started heading up. The one thing that we noticed was that many of the “souvenir” stores were all selling the same things and most of it was knock-offs made in China. There wasn’t much that you could say was made in Portugal.
However, we did notice individual upscale shops selling quality linens, towels and household tiles/fabrics that Portugal is world famous for.
We ended up near the cathedral and found a bench to do some people watching. We were sitting near where the tuk tuks park to pick up riders. We were talking to a really nice driver who had actually lived in Toronto for a couple years.
While sitting there, we were noticing the various people walking around. We laughingly called it “Foot Fetish Friday”. The vast majority of people were sensibly wearing sneakers or similar footwear. However, there were quite a few wearing flip flops, flat leather sandals, scuffs and even a couple pairs of heels – a podiatrist’s delight!
After sitting for a while, we continued our upward trek. There are two viewpoints or miradouros that we stopped at that give you a beautiful view of the surrounding area. The first was the Miradouro das Portas do Sol.
The second and most popular one – Miradouro de Santa Luzia -provided beautiful views all around and down to the river. The red tiled roofs were in stark contrast to the cloudy grey skies.
I guess the clouds thought enough people were out to be impacted by the slippery cobblestones, so it began to drizzle rain. We started to head back to the hotel and decided to just relax before dinner.
We were able to find a weather protected table on the terrace, so we enjoyed a little happy hour before getting ready to go to dinner.
Dinner was at a restaurant that was fairly close to the hotel. It was called Casa Tradição and we loved it.
We went with tasting menu and wine pairings and couldn’t have been happier. It was nine courses in total with six small pours of wine.
What an unexpected surprise dinner turned out to be! The wine pairings were all spot on too.
There was a quirky older couple from the UK seated next to us who we chatted a bit with. They were very nice and well traveled, with some travel adventures that they shared. Comparatively, I felt like our adventures were very mundane. I wanted to say that once, we were served warm rosé. 😉
It was just a short walk home and we just relaxed for a while before heading to dreamland. Tomorrow starts our last weekend in Portugal.
For our last full day in Sintra, we’re back to touring. Today we visited the Pena Palace on a guided tour. We used the company “Get Your Guide” once again and we were happy with our choice.
Unfortunately, we have a rainy day ahead of us. It appears that ‘cloudy day’ is a code used by the weather people to indicate rain. No sense scaring away the tourists.
To start, we met our guide Jorge by the train station. It turned out to be just Sue and I on the tour. Jorge was great. We started by talking about the day ahead and looking at some maps while he talked about the history of the palace. When he finished, we were off.
The road to the top of the mountain is narrow and twisty. It’s mostly one way, but there were a few stretches where we had to share. The parking areas are madness.
Just squeeze them in folks! (Objects in photo are MUCH closer than they appear.)
Once we were able to park, we bought our tickets online and then headed for the entrance. Ironically, we met up with our guide Jorge from our Quinta tour. We missed him on our way out two days ago, so we were able to give him the gratuity we had for him.
We bought tickets for the outside part of the Peña Palace, which included the gardens and outer structures. While it may have been nice to view, the interior didn’t have the original furnishings and would be crowded on this rainy day.
Jorge has an interesting background with one of his passions being landscape design. As we walked along the paths through the gardens, he shared some interesting insights about the surrounding flora, trees and microclimate.
The cloudy, grey skies made the gardens and trees feel very somber. The fog and rain we could have skipped, but it went along with the location.
All along the path, we passed by stands of trees including Sequoia, Camelia, Cypress, Magnolia and Chestnut. We saw some Bay trees and Jorge plucked two bay leaves for souvenirs. He explained that the trees, plants and herbs growing throughout were specifically chosen for the gardens and come from many different places around the world, including the U.S., Australia, Asia and South America.
When we arrived at the palace, it was interesting to see the blending of styles and to learn of the symbology. There are two main gates used to enter the complex, and then a main entrance into the courtyard.
Outer gate – key, trilogy and the gloveInner gate – Gold, Diamonds and HelmetDepiction of a mythological Triton and the creation of the worldManueline FacadeClock tower and Chapel
The Chapel which dates back to the original monastery:
Inside the chapelRed areas were private family spaces.
The gardens and lakes provided a lovely backdrop for our stroll to exit the palace. Jorge went to get the vehicle and we would meet him near the gate.
Our visit to this jewel on the mountain was enjoyable. The rain and fog took away some of the splendid color elements, but not its natural beauty. King Ferdinand II combined culture, power and nature and left a legacy that is a treasure.
We drove back to town and Jorge was nice enough to drop us off near the hotel so we wouldn’t have to walk back from the train station.
Sue and I immediately (after the requisite restroom stops and clothing changes) plopped down to rest our legs for a while. We love the scenery, but the hills are murder on these old legs.
We would just relax and stay dry until dinner time. When dinner time arrived, it was still raining.
After our enjoyable happy hour excursion the day before, we decided to go back to DizTinto for dinner. Luckily, we had made a reservation as they had a full house. We had a wonderful bottle of wine to help warm our cockles, along with some Shrimp in a garlic sauce. Then, Sue went with the braised pork cheeks with smashed citrus sweet potatoes while I had the John Dory fish with jasmine rice.
Everything was delicious and the servers were a delight. By the time we left, the whole gang came over to say goodbye.
Long day, fresh ‘wet’ air and lots of walking – time for bed.
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Woke up this morning raring to go. We took our showers, got dressed and then waited. Waited to check out just before noon and then waited for our Daytrip driver to arrive.
It’s just a half hour ride to Lisbon and we’ll be there soon.
The early bird catches the worm and the early Herkeys caught a tuk-tuk up to the Quinta da Regaleira.
Right on time, Ana arrived to whisk us up to our first tour site. There was an early chill in the as we made our way around town on our way to the Quinta da Regaleira. As it was a Monday morning, there was a goodly amount of traffic as the residents attended to their work and daily activities.
We arrived a little early for our tour time, but not having to walk or climb endless steps was great. We bid Ana goodbye and then found a shady spot to wait. They let in a certain number of people at timed intervals to avoid overcrowding, which I applaud them for. When our time came around, we were able to casually walk through and take photos without getting jostled.
Our guide for the tour was Jorge and he was excellent. There were sixteen people in our group and everyone was pleasant and stayed together.
We started by just taking a walk through the garden paths while Jorge gave us some background information. Construction began in 1895 and it was completed in 1912. It was built as a personal home for António Monteiro and his family. Unfortunately, his wife died in 1913 and he died in 1920. The family wealth was divided between their two children, with the daughter getting the Lison property and the son getting the Sintra property.
The son ended up losing everything gambling in Monte Carlo, including the house. The guy who won it from him was going to turn it into a hotel and the town of Sintra said “No”. Sintra ended up going into debt buying the property and it wasn’t completely paid off until 1993. At that time it became a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Back to the tour…
The gardens were beautiful, filling the air with fresh natural scents. There were many places that contained fountains or other water features that gave the grounds a very tranquil feeling.
We continued on until we arrived at the Torre da Regaleira (the tower). It’s a beautiful place with a center sculpture that is symbolic of a woman’s womb and represents the rebirth. Each sculpture throughout the grounds is beautiful and holds a symbolic meaning as we saw here.
One of the highlights of the grounds that tied the Quinta to the Templar Knights was the Initiation Well. Think of it as a nine story tower built underground. It is a physical representation of Dante’s Nine levels of Hell. It was known that Mr. Monteiro had connections with the Templars and Freemasons and it was rumored that certain rituals and meetings were held on the property.
At the bottom of the well is a labyrinth of tunnels that lead to the gardens, with each path going a different direction.
We made it through…
Our group next got together at the Fountain of Abundance. It was called that because the water continually flows there every day of the year.
The Fountain of Abundance
From there we made our way to the chapel. The Templar connection was strong here with the design elements and myriad of Templar crosses.
The final stop on our tour was a visit to the main house. It’s not one of the most beautiful interiors we’ve seen, but there were a few items that stood out.
The ceiling was made out of Brazilian woods and was all hand carved. There were many pieces of furniture on display, including the “throne” used by the man of the house. Ewww!
All in all, it was an excellent tour. Jorge did a great job leading the group and sharing his insights.
Afterwards, it was time to head for a bite of lunch. We came across a restaurant that I had looked at for dinner called Fatto. It serves Italian cuisine and was a great choice for a little nosh. We split a pizza and bottle of wine, then still had room for a little dessert.
Lunch was excellent, but we still had to hike back to the hotel. Up, down or sideways, the hills and steps were nobody’s friend.
Two-thirds of the way through the trip and I finally found a hat that I liked. Photos are upcoming.
When we got back to the hotel, it felt good to just relax for a while. It probably sounds like we do a lot of relaxing, but the hills, cobblestones and steps are taking a toll on these old bones. Factor in my little stumble back in Tomar and the rests are a necessity.
When dinner time arrived, we were happy to be going back to Incomum across the street from the hotel. They were quite busy tonight, but our favorites still made a point of saying hello, and Joana was once again our waitress.
We both had a bowl of soup – vegetable and crab & lobster – that were delicious. For mains, Sue went with the oxtail, while I had the octopus.
Roast OctopusOxtail
We also had a bottle of Douro red wine that paired up well. We finished up by sharing a molten chocolate cake with a scoop of raspberry sorbet.
We thanked everyone and bid them farewell before toddling back to the room.
It was a wonderful day. We are really enjoying our time in Sintra. Tomorrow we have an off day, so we’ll just scope out a little more of town.
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After a good night’s sleep, we cleaned up and went down to breakfast. You pre-order the day before, so it is nice to sit down and have them come right out with your food.
Since we knew we’d have the bigger evening meal yesterday, we went light. My favorite part is the bread basket – I admit, I’m a carb lover. It has three different types of bread, some croissants and pain au chocolates and they are all fresh and saying “eat me”.
A couple hard boiled eggs, some yogurt and a few slices of bacon and Voila….a breakfast of champions.
We dashed back to the room for our sunglasses and off we went. We headed towards the train station to find our meeting spot for tomorrow’s tour and to find our restaurant for dinner.
We found them both, but alas, it started to drizzle. That was unexpected; it was supposed to just be cloudy. We headed back to the hotel to come up with a new plan.
The new plan turned out to be relaxing for a little while and then going to a little wine bar we passed for some wine and snacks. It is called DizTinto Restaurant Wine Bar and it is just 100 feet from our hotel.
We were the first ones there, so we got lots of attention from the waiters and the chef. We ordered a bottle of white wine, a cheese and sausage board and a goat cheese gratin. It was a perfect way to spend a drizzly afternoon.
Why didn’t we just get an umbrella and continue to walk around? Two reasons: first, wet cobblestones are slippery and I’m already limping, and second, it was a wine bar with good food and wine – Hello…
When we finished it was still drizzly, so we just ended up going back up to the room to chill and listen to music.
My part of the chilling included going through the photos and then catching up on the baseball playoffs. There should be some good games. We can’t watch from here, but I was watching the highlights. Personally, I’m pulling for a Yankees vs Dodgers World Series.
We went to a small restaurant a short walk away from the hotel. It’s called ‘Taberna Criativa’ and it was magnificent. The two young women servers were incredibly nice. When we asked for one English and one Portuguese menu, our waitress was delighted. She took Sue’s order and then was surprised when I also ordered in Portuguese with only a bit of help needed.
Sue started with a bowl of vegetable soup, then followed it up with the grilled Salmon special. I started with vegetable dumplings and then had the Tiger shrimp with jasmine rice and coconut curry. We finished off by sharing a Creme brûlée with raspberry sorbet.
Vegetable dumplingsGrilled Salmon with broccoli and potatoes Grilled Tiger Prawns with jasmine rice and curry
Trust me, it was all delicious!
While we were eating, the rain had stopped. However, it began again for our walk home.
It was a very low-key day, but resting up felt good. Tomorrow we have another tour planned so we’ll get our ‘steps’ in.
We will be staying in Sintra for five nights. Everyone said one or two days is more than enough time to spend here…however, I disagree.
We are staying at the Sintra Marmoris Camelia, just outside of the historic district. People have called it the “Barbie” hotel because of its pink exterior.
Our room is large and cozy, with a great bathroom area. There are outlets everywhere, which is wonderful, since we have lots of gadgets that need charging. The bed is comfortable with lots of pillows. For our daily pleasure, the hotel provides some chocolates, fresh fruit, water and a decanter of port wine.
We also have a nice view over the valley that includes our sister hotel, and the ocean in the distance.
Once we got settled into our room and figured out the lay of the land, we did some planning for sightseeing and meals.
By the time we finished, it was time to get ready for dinner. Tonight’s restaurant is located ‘way across the street’ and will take us almost two minutes to get there. It’s called Incomum by Luis Santos and it’s been highly recommended.
There was a bit of a misstep at dinner. When we checked in, they didn’t show a reservation for us. Luckily, I had the confirmation email on my phone. Turns out the ‘H’ and ‘Y’ in our last name causes problems with the Portuguese language. They actually did have our reservation; someone had just mistakenly crossed us out when another customer arrived. Disaster averted!
Our waitress Joana was extremely friendly and helpful, making suggestions and recommendations, plus helping us with our Portuguese. Our meals were delicious once again. We both started with a bowl of soup; Sue had the vegetable while I had a lobster and crab combo.
For our mains, Sue had the Guinea Fowl with risotto and I had the grilled duck breast with puréed sweet potatoes. We had a lighter Douro red wine to accompany our meals. Both were excellent!
And for dessert, Sue had a chocolate pie and I had a chocolate mousse with fresh raspberries. What a great way to start our time in Sintra.
We took the short walk back to the hotel and after relaxing for a while, we got a good night’s sleep.
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We woke up ready to go. We had a good breakfast to start us off. The hotel offered just about anything we wanted – omelets, meats and cheeses, pancakes, crepes, cereal, yogurt, breads and sweets, and fresh fruit. We went with omelets, bacon and some breads, plus I had my first cappuccino of the trip. It was good and filling.
We hopped back upstairs to grab some sunscreen and our sunglasses before heading out. It was a beautiful day with bright blue skies. We decided to make sure we knew the route up to our meeting place for tomorrow’s tour.
Well let me tell you, the Sintra hills are just as impressive as those in the other towns. We were both exhausted by the time we reached the top. Sue then wanted to walk to find our restaurant for the evening and my knee was having none of that nonsense.
Instead, we connected with a very friendly tuk-tuk driver and she took us on a free-form tour. Her name was Ana and we had a great time. Since we’ll be visiting a couple of the main tourist attractions in the days to come, Ana suggested that we head towards the beaches. We are so glad that we agreed, as the views were awesome.
We puttered our way through the forest, passing through some of the freshest smelling air and looking down on several sites, including the Monserrate Palace. We then cut through the pretty town of Colares before angling towards the ocean.
Monserrate Palace
Our first stop was at the Praia Grande. It was occupied by people enjoying the sun and others out surfing. While the waves were not huge, they were big enough for the folks to ride them into the beach.
Next we tucked into the Praia das Maçãs. It was smaller and geared more towards the sun worshippers. Ana told us that the water was not very warm, which is why we were only seeing the surfers in it with their wet suits.
Leaving the beach, we headed back to the historic old town in Sintra. Ironically, to get there we had to pass right by our hotel, so we just had Ana drop us off there. As a bonus, we were able to book her for a ride up to the Quinta da Regaleira in the morning. Yay!
Sue and Ana
Time to relax, and what better way to relax than with a bottle of wine. We stepped across the street and we were seated street-side to people watch and enjoy a nice chilled white wine.
Last evening’s waitress and host greeted us like long lost friends. They knew we had made reservations to return for dinner tomorrow evening and seemed happy to have us back. Given that the restaurant is always booked and busy, it was just nice of them to acknowledge us.
While enjoying our wine, a couple from Philadelphia sat next to us and struck up a conversation. Al and Terry were just in town for a day trip before returning to Lisbon and sailing back to the USA on a cruise ship. We had fun chatting with them and sharing travel notes. Al promised an update when their cruise was completed.
We then headed back to our room to relax a bit before dinner. It was too early to even catch the scores from the football games, so it was music and blog time until dinner.
We had a bit of a walk to get to the restaurant this evening. We left the hotel early so we could pace ourselves, but everything is uphill! And there are stairs! Yikes!
When we arrived at the upper level there was a lot of activity. People walking, shops and plenty of restaurants.
Tonight’s restaurant is called Romaria de Baco. It’s just a small tavern, but the food comes highly recommended.
Pork tenderloin Pork cheeksCarrot Cake 😉
And the recommendations were spot on. Another delicious meal for the books. Still haven’t had a bad one.
And then we had to walk back to the hotel. It was a bit easier going downhill, but the darkness became a factor. I know: whine, whine, whine. 😃
Anyway, we got back to the hotel and plopped on the bed to rest.
Tomorrow is our first landmark tour, so we’ll see how we do with the crowds.
Today is another travel day. We enjoyed our time in Nazaré, but we were ready to move on. Check-out went smoothly and we even managed to sneak in a Pain au chocolate and a piece of citrus pound cake – our first ‘semi-official’ breakfast.
Our Daytrip driver – Paolo – arrived right on time and we were off. Today’s vehicle was a Tesla Model 3. It had a nice ride and the rear seats were actually pretty comfortable.
Our ride would take about three hours, including a stop at Cabo Roca. We chit-chatted with Paolo the entire ride about everything. Where we’ve been, where we’re going, our impressions of Portugal, the train systems, etc, etc, etc…
The drive time passed very quickly. For you history buffs, Sue was excited when we passed by the lines of Torres Vedras. That’s where the Duke of Wellington and the British Army (along with Portuguese and Spanish troops) held off Napoleon’s troops during the Peninsula Wars, completely reversing the course of the war.
In the distance we could see the Sintra Hill and the Peña Palace perched on top.
We continued on until we rounded the Sintra Hill. From there, we made our way to Cabo Da Roca or Cape Rock. It’s the most western point of continental Europe.
The first thing we noticed upon arriving was that it was mobbed. And here I thought we’d be the only ones there…right! The parking area was chaos, but Paolo maneuvered the car into a spot and we were off.
Our Buffalo shout-out went to the guy from Long Island wearing a Josh Allen Buffalo Bills jersey. A quick fist-pump bonded us with the words “this is the year” as we parted.
The views were stunning and the notion of ‘no more land until you reach the US’ was interesting, but we were ready to complete the drive to Sintra.
And fifteen minutes later, we were arriving.
The weekly market was still going on as we drove into town. It looked like there was some kind of festival taking place too. We could hear folk music being played and some singing.
Just beyond the train station was our hotel. Sintra looks like a cool little town to explore and that’s what we’ll be doing for the next few days.
Slightly Whirled - A Traveler's Tales 