Blogs from Lisbon, Lisbon & Tagus Valley, Portugal, Europe - page 2

March 2012. My first ever holiday and my first time experiencing flying. Also the first time I travelled alone. I was really nervous as I had never travelled so far away from home, at that point, I had only been as far as Cornwall and Norfolk. I was terrified! I have OCD and I have always been a nervous traveller - making sure that I had everything with me ( money, tickets, passport, etc.) I got to Heathrow by using the Piccadilly Line which is great for me as I can ride it from Cockfosters in North London all the way to Heathrow. Which for someone with a big suitcase is amazing as there are very few people on the train and so you get first dibs on the suitcase storage area. Because of my OCD ... read more

HIKING THE PORTUGAL EL CAMINO LISBON The El Camino; these are magic words to me ever since I first learned about the many pilgrimage routes that wend through Europe to the Cathedral in Santiago, Spain. In 2017, my daughter, Lauren, and I hiked the French Way, starting in St. Jean Pied de Porte in France. After forty-five grueling days and five hundred miles, we arrived in Santiago. Though exhausting, it was a trip of a lifetime. Ever since that trip I've wanted to go again. I read about many different routes to Santiago but I liked the Portuguese Camino because much of it borders the sea. Most pilgrims start the Portugal walk in Lisbon or Porto, both World Heritage cities. Since I have more time I wanted to start in Lisbon; the city is full of ... read more

15th December 2020 Chiado district Lisbon Home to the theatres, the cafés and the oldest bookstore still active in the world, Chiado is the location for today’s tour with Ines our guide. We travelled back in time to the 19th century Chiado district. The district is named after, António Ribeiro, a Franciscan monk who left the order to become a satirical poet and actor. António’s distinctive style was his shrill and high voice, which gave him the nickname Screech (Chiado in Portuguese). The statue of Fernando Pessoa depicts him drinking coffee outside the Café A Brasileira. The Art Deco interior of the Cafe a Brasileira has remained unchanged since opening in 1905, with wooden booths, mirrored walls, brass fittings, and a long oak bar. The Elevador de Santa Justa is one of the truly unique tourist ... read more

Having completed the Kumano Kodo last year and learned that by completing both the Camino de Santiago and Kumano Kodo you became a Dual Pilgrim, I decided to tackle the Camino de Santiago. In researching the many Caminos, I decided that my decision of which path to take would be decided on two things. Firstly, I wanted a path less travelled and secondly I wanted to complete the hike earlier in the year, again when less Pilgrims would be there. In going earlier in the year, it counted out the Way of St James or the French Way, as the route over the Pyrenees would be closed. I had not been to Portugal before and with the route there being open, decided I would tackle the Camino de Santiago from Lisbon to Santiago, via Porto, a ... read more

Overview This was my first visit to Europe in ten years. I had forgotten how many tourists come to Europe. It might be another ten years until I return... I can appreciate even better now how recent terrorist attacks in cities like Paris can have such a significant impact on a city's economy. I was also interested in getting a first-hand view of the impact of the Financial Crisis from ten years ago. That event is still raw for many Lisboetas. With a minimum wage of €700/mth and rents running the same, more and more Portuguese struggle to get ahead. There was certainly animosity towards the EU when talking to the locals. Two things struck me by surprise. One was the amount of English spoken by the Portuguese. However, in Europe, it is pretty tough to ... read more