Blogs from Sintra, Lisbon & Tagus Valley, Portugal, Europe

Kicked off the day with a delightful breakfast in the courtyard before heading to the Castelos dos Mouros (Moorish Castle). Despite Geoff’s aspirational assertion that we should walk the 1.5km uphill, rejection was unanimous and an Uber summonsed. Thankfully, since the Moors apparently had a fondness for building on a hill. A tall hill. On a ridge. So we climbed and we explored. There are two fortifications on high points of the ridge, connected by walls and surrounded by a lush forest. We enjoyed wandering the walls and peering over the edges, imagining the enemies trying to attack and having hot oil poured on them. Both were quite the climb, but a cooling breeze and views of the surrounding countryside and Pena Palace made it less painful. Maybe my legs will feel differently tomorrow. Some replenishing ... read more

We woke to a cold (16C), wet day. We made some breakfast and chatted to a few other hostel guests, then decided that we might as well bus to Sintra. It was on our list of spots to go to, and as it was an hour bis in each direction, we reasoned that it was a good choice for the drizzly weather.... read more

November 7, 2019 Our ship sailed in towards Lisbon around 9am on the brackish River Tagus which meets the ocean at the lighthouse. I was surprised to learn that Lisbon is not on the ocean. Seeing things first hand is a constant history and geography lesson. As we entered the river we passed under their iconic 25th of April Bridge, a replica of our own iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The bright red 25th of April Bridge is named for the celebration of the end of dictatorship and day of liberty (April 25, 1974). It is the longest suspension bridge in Europe. The Bridge has two levels, one for cars and the other for a train on the lower level. We were told there are frequent traffic jams. Unlike the bridge in San Francisco, ... read more

Pour nos 5 ans de mariage,nous avons décidé de nous offrir un petit périple outre-mer en «presque» amoureux... Presque, c'est parce que nous sommes partis avec «juste» notre petite Mélie de 6 mois et avons laissé nos deux grandes de 2 et 3 ans aux bons soins de grand-maman... Ça devait donc être relativement «simple» et «facile» avec «juste» un bébé...La preuve que tout est relatif dans la vie, particulièrement après 3 enfants... Tsé, y'a rien là un vol transatlantique avec le jetlag et cie avec un bébé de 6 mois... En prime, on est parti juste avec nos bagages à main, pas de grosse valise, rien de tout ça... On est des brutes je vous dis! Après un vol de nuit où bébé Mélie a dormi un gros 5 heures sur 6 (c'est une brute ... read more

Bom Dia, I left Evora in the early morning, which was really pleasant because it was not too warm yet, and i was able to get a beutiful view of the stars as there is very little light pollution on the Alentejo. I arrived in Lisbon during rush hour, which was not ideal, but after watching three metro trains pass by full, I managed to squeeze into one and get to my hostel. After meeting Joao and Jorge, two of the incredibly friendly and helpful staff, I dropped off my stuff and then ran off to the beautiful Rossio train station as I was racing off to Sintra to meet up with Daniella and Sandro, two friends I had made in Porto. After the 45 minute train ride west towards the coast, I hopped in a ... read more