Portuguese tile work
When we first flew from Toronto to Madrid we made
a couple stops in Portugal – one in the Azores and one in Lisbon. This of course gave us zero time to explore
but from what I could see from the plane it looked lovely. The longer we have
been here in Spain the sillier it has seemed to us that we have never taken the
time to go back and actually explore Portugal. I think if we were able to drive
here it would have happened sooner (Its only a 6 hour drive to Lisbon from
Valladolid) however being without driving abilities here we decided the train
was our best option. So last week we
thought lets just book it for that weekend!
The train from Valladolid takes about 8 hours and
travels to Lisbon overnight. It cost us
90 Euros each for return trips which left Friday evening at 11 pm. I don’t want to get into a whole rant here
about Renfe but I was not impressed with our trip. We opted for seats instead of beds as we like
to travel cheap so we already knew it wouldn’t be an amazing night sleep. We didn’t know however that Renfe does not
understand the internet. When the
tickets were booked we were allowed to choose our seats. Based on the diagram
given I chose seats that faced forward and did not face another couple. However for both of our trips the diagram of
the train online was not the same as the actual train and we ended up sitting
facing two other people the entire ride.
For a short trip this isn’t a big deal but when you are trying to sleep
and the person across from you keeps kicking you it get s pretty annoying. There is just no way to be comfortable so
sleep comes in short waves throughout the night.
Early morning down by the river
No shortage of spray paint in Portugal...
View of the city from the Castle
Once we arrived in Lisbon however the
uncomfortable train ride was absolutely worth it! Lisbon is one of the oldest
cities in the world and the oldest in Western Europe. I was
very pleasantly surprised with how modern and yet still full of history and
authenticity the city was. I found Lisbon to be very diverse in culture, ethnicity and city life in general.
Most people we met spoke English and there was a variety of foods for
vegetarians to eat! As with most of
Europe, they still love their meats, but we didn’t have any issue finding
something we could enjoy. The Pastel de Nata (Custard tarts) were especially
delicious. Do not travel to Portugal and
skip the tarts you will regret it (I am slowly cutting out dairy in my life and
so I am glad I tried this before I say goodbye to it completely)! Oh and the
Indian food selection was unreal! It
wasn’t a matter of finding a restaurant but deciding which one to go to. I was in my happy place for sure.
Pastel de Nata
We only really had one day to see as much as
possible as the second day we were heading to the town of Sintra, so we did what
Ross and I do best, we walked our butts off!
Seriously though Lisbon is almost as hilly as San Francisco. If I lived there I would never need to work
out because walking around town is amazing exercise. We started in the center of town and went
from there. We spent a good deal of time
wandering around the city center (Baixa) and the old town (Alfama) in the morning,
and the upper quarter (Bairro Alto) that evening.
The lovely streets of Lisbon
Art sales
Coolest tree roots I've ever seen
Castelo de Sao Jorge (Saint George Castle) was a
must see for us. A Moorish Castle which
overlooks the city and the Tagus River (which leads out to the Atlantic
Ocean). In 1147 Portugal was free from
Moorish rule and the castle was taken over by Christian forces. It was not until the late 14th
century that the castle was dedicated to Saint George, a warrior saint, who was
quite often portrayed slaying dragons.
The castle has seen better days, it was left fairly ruined in 1755 when
an earthquake hit Lisbon, but has undergone several restorations over the
centuries and now stands as a historical monument and wonderful tourist
attraction.
Wandering the Castle grounds
The courtyard where we ate some apples
Castle walls
We were fortunate enough to stay in a hotel with
an outdoor swimming pool so after an exhausting morning of sightseeing we found
our hotel and spent some time in the pool and laying in the sunshine before
heading back into town for dinner and more exploring. I should point out that although Ross and I
walk everywhere the city has amazing transportation systems in place. Buses, trams, metro lines, and a million
taxis. So getting around is cheap and
easy for those who do not want to kill their legs like us.
This is the would have been amazing shot if I wasn't so taken by the pistachios I was eating
Making our way through Bairro Alto and back
towards the Baxia district we came upon The Santa Justa Lift. This is an elevator which was constructed in
1902 to connect the lower Baixa district with the higher Largo do Carmo (Carmo
Square). It cost us 5 euros each to be
lifted to the first platform where the view of the city is lovely but there are
stairs you can take to the third floor (I do not know why the second floor was
closed) and get a stellar look at the entire city! It was worth the 5 euros, however once we
crossed the walkway over to the square we realized we could have just walked
across from the other side and not had to pay to ride in an old elevator. The experience was neat though.
Santa Justa lift
The stairs to the third floor
View of the city
More views from the elevator
Largo do Carmo
One of my very favourite parts of the evening was
finding Starbucks! Now I always look
forward to Starbucks but this trip was made very special. It is not secret to anyone who knows me that
everything fall is my thing (call me a basic bitch if you want – we all know
that’s not the case) so it has been incredibly difficult being in Spain and not
having my autumn weather, activities and treats. Pumpkin Spice is life and it only existed in
North America until now! Apparently
because of the popularity Starbucks decided to try out other markets and
Portugal is one of them! So I got to
enjoy a delicious latte that I thought I would not see until Autumn 2016! This may seem silly to you but it meant a lot
to me. It made me feel a little closer
to home. Also it tasted better than in
Canada, less sweet more spice and I like that.
Early morning Metro rides
On Sunday morning we woke early and caught the
metro to Sintra. This is a town about 40
minutes outside Lisbon and it was only a 4 euro round trip each which is just
awesome! Sintra is a town I had seen
countless photos of but I did not realize exactly where it was. I was so happy that a
couple different people said we should visit if we were going to Lisbon. If people had not of recommended it we may
not have gone and we would have missed so much!
Wandering the mountain side
Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The touristy town sits at the base of the
Sintra mountains and travels up into a gorgeous forested area which
is speckled with castles, palaces and amazing gardens to explore! Once we arrived by train we took a tourist
bus up the mountain. Yes, it is possible
to walk it but you would need more than one day to see it all. As it was we took the bus up and still only
had the chance to visit three sites. The
bus ride was an experience all in itself.
It was Ross and I and about 40 elderly Portuguese folk. And these folks were rowdy! They were all talking and singing and yelling
across the bus. I have never seen such a
thing. It was hilarious and I so wish I
could have understood what they were saying.
They really seemed to be having a wonderful time.
The first site we saw was the Castelo dos Mouros
(Castle of the Moors). This was built
during the 8th and 9th centuries and was primarily used
to guard the agricultural land that was necessary during the time and as well it
was considered a primary military point.
The Castle sits on top of the mountain and has a panoramic view of the
town and out towards the ocean.
Castelo dos Mouros
Walking the castle walls
Unreal views
It was so interesting to walk the walls and feel
so in touch with such a rich history. I
really felt like I was back in the days of Robin Hood! The narrow walkways and steep steps allowed
me to try and visualize what it would have been like so many centuries ago
guarding the castle and the town below.
We of course had a drink at the café there because obviously I want to
sit in a mountain top castle and drink tea!
What a lovely start to the day.
Such a cool place for a cup of tea
After leaving the Moorish Castle we walked to the
next site which was the Palacio Nacional da Pena (Pena National Palace). During our walk there we met a lovely older
couple from Tennessee who asked if they could follow us to the palace. Ross said it was fine but only if they walked
like he was walking and then he proceeded to wave his arms back and forth over his
head. I turned around and saw they were
both laughing and doing it as well! It
was really sweet and I instantly liked them.
Something so great about travelling is the people you meet along the
way. People you would never meet
otherwise that help make your memories special.
The Palace itself was like something out of a
fairy tale! I have never seen such an
elaborate facade. The colours, the
designs, the shape of the building, it was all so magical. It is also a national monument, a UNESCO
World Heritage Site, and one of the 7 wonders of Portugal. Much of the style of the palace is Romanticism
but has a blend of Neo-Gothic, Neo-Islamic and Neo-Renaissance influence as
well.
Palacio Nacional da Pena
Amazing colours
I mean look at this doorway!
Every twist and turn lead to more beautiful views
I could make serious use of this kitchen!
We spent a great deal of time exploring the
entire inner and outer spaces, stopping for lunch in the restaurant. It felt very special to be eating lunch in
such a beautiful castle! Tomato soup and
spinach pies – My veggie heart was full of gratitude for delicious
options.
As we were walking through the castle gardens on
the way out I couldn’t help but cry as a wave of emotion swept over me. I truly feel so lucky to be seeing such
wonderful places. I feel so grateful to
have Ross in my life. If not for him I
do not know where I would be but it likely would not be in a Portuguese
castle. How lucky are we to want to
travel the world together and to actually have this opportunity! There is not a day that goes by that we do
not talk about how lucky we are.
Views wandering down the mountain
Felt so great to be in the forest again...Even if it was just walking down the road
We left the castle and walked down the mountain
for an hour until we reached what I believe to be the most magical place we saw
that day. Quinta da Regaleira, an estate
which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the main attractions for tourists in Portugal. The gardens and estate were
constructed over several years by Carvalho Monteiro a wealthy merchant. He wanted to create a space which reflected
his ideology and interests which included masonry, and the Knights
Templar. The Palace itself is 5 stories
and is of Gothic influence with gargoyles, and pinnacles.
Gorgeous Estate
Amazing Gothic Palace
The small Cathedral in the garden
Towers in the gardens
It is the garden that is the most fascinating
part of the estate however. It is a maze
of flowers, trees, grottos, caves, tunnels and waterfalls. The best parts were the Initiation Wells (aka
inverted towers) These wells were never meant to serve as water sources but
were intended for ceremonial purposes.
The larger of the two wells has a 27 meter spiral staircase which is
linked to tarot mysticism. It is said to
make relations to the ascension between Heaven and Earth. I had seen photos of this over the years and
it was something I always wanted to see but never believed I would get to so
this was a truly intense moment.
Pond we found when exploring the tunnels
Crossing ponds
Tunnels that lead to the wells
Looking up from the bottom of the well
Looking down into the Initiation Well
From the bottom of the Unfinished Well
Portugal was so much fun and really
inspirational. I feel like I stepped
back in time and learned so much about the history. I would have liked to spend a few more days
touring around but alas if we want to see a lot of places we have to be cheap
and sometimes that means sleeping on trains so we can have a weekend away! I absolutely recommend visiting Portugal if you
ever have the chance.
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