Blogs from Lisbon, Lisbon & Tagus Valley, Portugal, Europe - page 10

So sorry about not writing for a few days but I'm gonna write from Saturday, August 3, 2013 to today! Saturday, August 3, 2013 So this morning we woke up and had breakfast and went straight to the beach!! The one we went to was the same one was as last last time we went to the beach (the one were we ran on the beach... yeah that one)!!!! So when we got there we set up our towels and every thing. After that we went for a 25 minute swim to get use to the water and then we got out and went to have our lunch, and then after that we went back in and then came back in and then we played soccer and went for a swim and I don't really know ... read more

After visiting Sintra and the coast, we went to the beach near our house but we did not stay long because it was much more windy than in Algarve. So we relaxed there for a while, read a bit and then came back home to prepare before going out in Lisbon. We were indeed meeting a friend from Düsseldorf and a couchsurfer from Lisbon for dinner and then going for a drink. Our friend from Düsseldorg had been the day before to a nice, very little and cheap restaurant, where there were serving fish :) So we went there all together and it was really good. Afterwards, we went for a walk in the city center. We tasted a local alcohol called "Ginjinha" (or cherry-cherry for Lidia ;) ), it is made out of infusing sour ... read more

Today I focused on the sights just down the Tagus River from Lisbon, in an area called Belem. This is the true heart of old Lisbon, back in the early 1500s when Portugal discovered the sea route to India, and the country became incredibly rich. Massive buildings projects appeared, including the famous Jeronimos Monastery. This place stretches for an entire block, and contains incredible cloisters done in what is called the Manueline style, after the Portuguese king at the time of all the sea voyages. It's basically just defined by really ornate decorations, and a lot of symbols relating to the sea, like ships and ropes and such. The Monastery also contains the tomb of Vasco da Gama, the man who discovered the route to India in 1498. Also in the area is the Belem Tower, ... read more

Literally spent the entire day traveling, starting off in Keswick, and right now sitting in downtown Lisbon. That entailed nearly every form of travel, from a bus from Keswick to Penrith Rail Station, then the train to Manchester Airport, a 2 and a half hour plane ride South to Portugal, and finally another bus into the city. Really wasn't intense, though, just boring. A lot of sitting around waiting for things. And honestly, I'm glad to be out of England. The best word I've decided for the English is "quirky," or even just downright weird. They hike with ski poles and drive on the wrong side of the road. And anyway, England, while it has nice sights, just doesn't feel any different from the States. It's not at all exotic, and, at times, kind of boring ... read more

Chelsea's first trip!We decided on Portugal even before she was born. We envisioned a couple weeks driving through the country, tasting Port, relaxing on the sunny beaches, paddling down picturesque lakes. After she was born, we realized it would be better for her, and us, if we used Lisbon as our home base and did day trips by train. We had a great trip! With Chelsea strapped in the carrier (the cobblestone roads were not conducive to comfortable stroller transport), we explored the city streets, went in and out of cafes and restaurants, and found shadey trees to relax under. Our day in Sintra included a beautiful walk through Quinta da Regaleira. We walked through underground caves, and one lead to the bottom of this really cool well. Cascais was a touristy beach town where we ... read more