Blogs from Lisboa, Portugal, Europe - page 3

Still feeling like little piggies. Visited our neighbours at the castle this morning. Immediately after brekkie I went to get some cash from the hole in the wall machine but when I discovered it would cost an extra €4.80 I cancelled the transaction and took out my card. Apparently I took the card out too quickly because the machine starting blaring and flashing! Despite, or maybe because I started pressing every button in an attempt to shut it off, it continued for an embarrassingly long time as I tried to slink away unnoticed. I found another machine that didn’t charge extra and didn’t swear at me. So cashed up we went across the street to the castle. The Castilo S Jorge is a dominant feature here. It’s obviously a tourist hot spot but it also dominates ... read more

Odemira to Lisbon 86.37 km An interesting day with some cheating… The day started as regularly. Breakfast was very decent and the sky was looking to rain. Although we started out riding dry, the rain came quite quickly. Fortunately, the rain did not last. Little weather problems for the rest of the day. Some decisions were made to shorten our ride. Instead of biking around the bay close to Setubal, we decided to take a ferry, shortening the ride significantly. Getting off the ferry, we met a german couple that recommended us not to drive through Lisbon, but to take the train. As it turned out an excellent recommendation. Driving on a bicycle with luggage through a busy town is not recommendable. Too dangerous. An interesting note on the train: crossing the river the train is ... read more

Our arrival to Lisbon was met with a 2 hour delay clearing customs and subsequently missing our re-arranged taxi to the Hotel, so a slow start! Old Lisbon is a fairly condensed area therefore our Hotel was very central to major attractions and only about 30 minutes from airport. The sunny weather and 30C temperatures more than made up for the airport experience and a relaxing tapas meal on a roof top bar was a fitting end to a long travel day. Greater Lisbon‘s population is appx 3 million, but the core city is only 550,000. The Portuguese call it Lisboa, which means “quiet harbour” and it was well suited for the country’s Imperial ambitions in the 14th/15th century. At it’s height, the Portugal empire included, Brazil, Macau( twin to Hong Kong), GOA( India), Mozambique and ... read more

“Mama, can I have a salted cod fritter with oozy cheese for breakfast?” Instinctually I grimaced, with a reflexive, “no”. Then I remembered that while on vacation, one should be more lenient. And so 5 Euro later, Asha was munching her way through a crispy, very pungent pastel de bacalhau. She smiled. And so it begins… It has been over three years since our last international vacation and travel has significantly changed for our family. In addition to contending with pandemic restrictions (testing is stressful!), the biggest difference is that there are now four strong opinions to consider, leading to some strife and much compromise. Previously the girls were content (well really, they had no choice) with our choice of location, activity and food. Now? Every decision is a debate with the girls weighing in. ... read more

The following 4 blog posts Lisbon Day 1 through Sintra Day 4 describe my last week in Portugal before returning to the USA December 16, 2021 through January 20,2022. Early Bus Ride 9 AM Albufeira to Lisbon about 2 hours 45 minutes for 5 Euros to Sete Rios Bus Station north side of Lisbon; Metro/subway station 5 minutes walk took me directly to where I wanted to go. I went to Restaurantadores stop ( a street with tons of restaurants and street cafes), the Rossio Train station and across the plaza was the Rossio Metro stop which has baggage lockers $5 Euros for more than 2 hours use. From there I started the Rick Steve's podcast self guided walking tour of 2 of 3 historical neighborhoods. Baixa (downtown) and Barrio Alto (Uptown literally UP a huge ... read more