Sunday, February 12, 2012 - Today’s road trip is to Lisbon, Portugal where we’ll stay for the next week. The distance is around 710 km. We were all packed and departed right on M’s schedule of 8:30. After a brief stop for caps to go, we are off to Seville about 3 hours away. We back-tracked to Malaga and north until we left the same route we came in from Valencia to head northwest to Seville. Again we passed mega amounts of olive trees. We had no idea that olive oil production was so big in Spain. After traveling through the mountain near the coast the landscape flattens out with lots of farmland as we progress towards Seville.
Navi takes us into Seville and our destination is the Cathedral in the “Old Seville” that is reported to be the third largest cathedral in the world. We find out that many streets are traffic limited, and as we make our way closer to the old section, some are very narrow and parking is non-existent. After traveling down a couple of very narrow streets, we happily find our way to a larger street area and to our pleasant surprise a public parkade. We quickly conclude that we are within walking distance of the cathedral. Although it’s a tight squeeze for the Peugeot, M manages to make it down and later out without any fender scraping. A couple of times he needs to stop and backup to complete the tight curves.
We catch the lift back up to street level and begin to make our way toward the steeples of the cathedral. We pass a number of neat buildings, some contemporary and some old as we make our way into the heart of the older section. We walk along cobbled narrow streets between apartment blocks with restaurants, shops, and hotels at street level.
It takes us about 15 minutes to walk to the square that opens up to many beautiful old buildings as well as the massive church. It is very elaborate on the outside, but the inside is very plain compared to many other churches we have seen. We spent time wandering the large square, checking out the architecture of the old fortress.
As we are in Seville M says we should look for the “Barber”. M and J searched and found one, but as its Sunday no one could confirm if this really was THE “Barber of Seville”.
It takes us about 15 minutes to walk to the square that opens up to many beautiful old buildings as well as the massive church. It is very elaborate on the outside, but the inside is very plain compared to many other churches we have seen. We spent time wandering the large square, checking out the architecture of the old fortress.
As we are in Seville M says we should look for the “Barber”. M and J searched and found one, but as its Sunday no one could confirm if this really was THE “Barber of Seville”.
We made our way back toward the car park, had a bite to eat at a little café, then with Navi’s help worked our way out of the city center. It took a bit of maneuvering, but we were successful. There were a number of wonderful places, wide boulevards and parks we passed as well as the local bullfighting ring. This is a city that would be worth a longer visit another time.
We left Seville and continued onto the Portugal border.
We pass into Portugal about an hour later and then we had another 2.5 hour drive. The landscape changes to more brush and greener than west of Seville. We drive inland on a great highway system. It looks like the roads in Portugal have benefitted from being part of the European Union. We drive through the Algave region, known for its beaches and resorts, although we can’t see these as the freeway takes us inland. There are many small villages and many more roads that in the western part of Spain we have just left. We see a number of smaller farms and loads of cork trees.
As we drive north the landscape flattens again and we see farmland and trees. We arrive in Lisboa at 4 – we gained an hour when we crossed the border into the country. We have to pay a toll to get across the Tejo River (Tagus River) and the car lines are long at every gate. As we drive across the 3 km Ponte 25 Abril bridge (named for the date in 1975 when the 45 year dictatorship came to an end) we can see Cristo Rei apparently a ‘mini’ version of Rio de Janeiro’s statue of Christ (although Lisbon’s is over 90 ft tall atop an 270 ft tall base).
It was a gift to the people from Salazur, Portugal’s ruler from 1932 - 1968. If that’s the mini version we can only imagine how huge the original in Rio is.
It was a gift to the people from Salazur, Portugal’s ruler from 1932 - 1968. If that’s the mini version we can only imagine how huge the original in Rio is.
We follow Navi’s directions for about 6 km to reach our destination. Our apt for the week is located in “Old Lisboa” down by the riverfront.
Directions were to drive through the arch under the orange building once we reached Rossio square. We did find that and drove through finding ourselves on a one-way narrow street. Having driven three blocks, Navi told us we were near. The rest had to be done by foot. It ends up our apt is on a pedestrian only street. M parked where he could, and we hauled the luggage the half block to the building. Miguel and Manuela met us at the front door.
Directions were to drive through the arch under the orange building once we reached Rossio square. We did find that and drove through finding ourselves on a one-way narrow street. Having driven three blocks, Navi told us we were near. The rest had to be done by foot. It ends up our apt is on a pedestrian only street. M parked where he could, and we hauled the luggage the half block to the building. Miguel and Manuela met us at the front door.
He had his friend Max come down to help with the luggage. Meanwhile he went with M to move the vehicle because he wasn’t parked in a proper spot. The building is old, likely built after the destructive 1755 earthquake that destroyed a great deal of the city. Our apt is on the top floor and no lift. Hauling a suitcase up the stairs was quite the workout for T, while Max carried the other. The end of the narrow steep staircase finally ended and both were out of breath. Good thing the cases weren’t really heavy! The hallway certainly showed the age of the building, but the apt is well lit, and modern. We have 2 floors and the view from the windows is wonderful. We’re right in the heart of the city!
M made arrangements with Miguel to park our vehicle for the week near his place to prevent anything happening to our “foreign car”. We’re central enough that we can use public transport if we want. We find out that Lisbon has a population of about a million, but about another million people live in the surrounding areas due to cheaper housing and come daily into the city to come to work, thus doubling the population during the day. Traffic can be fairly congested, so using public transport will be handy and much less stressful. We have an array of movies to choose from as well as a heap of CDs with some great music that we’ll likely use this week. All appears to be just great!
Monday, February 13, 2012 – On the way out in search of this week’s coffee café, T decided to count the stairs – 92 narrow steps varying in degrees of depth and height. This doesn’t surprise us anymore, as we’ve had exposure to many kinds of steps in a number of places we have stayed. We certainly wouldn’t see this at home. There are a number of cafes along Rua Augusta (the main pedistrian only street in the old section of Lisbon) and we go to the one closest to the apt today, a stand up bar type where many locals stop in on their way to work. An enjoyable jaunt and we try a local custard tard (pastéis de nata)– a Portugese speciality and enjoy it with our caps. It would appear the locals love their pastries, as the coffee shop windows are full of all kinds of goodies to tempt those passing by.
The street outside our apt is busy by 9 AM and will remain busy for the remainder of the day.
It is busy with deliveries until the shops open, then the vehicles are gone. There are a number of shops along this route both for tourists and locals. While J does school-work, M and T go find a grocery store for supplies for the next few days. Then after lunch and once J is finished his schoolwork for the day, all 3 of us are off to explore the neighborhood and surrounding area. It looks like we’ll be able to do a fair amount of exploring by foot.
It is busy with deliveries until the shops open, then the vehicles are gone. There are a number of shops along this route both for tourists and locals. While J does school-work, M and T go find a grocery store for supplies for the next few days. Then after lunch and once J is finished his schoolwork for the day, all 3 of us are off to explore the neighborhood and surrounding area. It looks like we’ll be able to do a fair amount of exploring by foot.
At the end of Rua Augusta, across from the waterfront, we walk through a beautiful arch, Archa da Rua Augusta finished in 1873 to commemorate the rebuilding of Lisbon after the earthquake. It towers over the street with figures of Marques de Pombal and Vasco da Gama who played huge roles in formulating Lisbon’s history. Pombal oversaw the rebuilding of this area of Lisbon that is set up in a grid formation compared to other parts of the city that definitely are not. Da Gama was the famous Portugese explorer who first opened the trade route to India around the bottom of Africa past the Cape of Good Hope. We walked into Praça do Comércio a beautiful arcaded square that once was a royal palace square along the riverfront within a former palace. It was here that King Carlos 1 and his son were assassinated in the early 1900’s. There’s an imposing statue of Don Jose, the Portuguese king at the time of the 1755 earthquake that devastated the city. Looking around one can certainly see the remains of the palace setup.
The square was busy with locals as well as tourists. There was a band set up playing some great tunes that we enjoyed listening to.
Once we were finished listening we began walking along the some of the streets and headed up toward a church stained glass window we saw from the waterfront. We check out the wonderful buildings lining the streets. There are many buildings that are faced with azulejo tiles – painted ceramic tiles. We wandered along streets with narrow sidewalks past three old churches Santa Maria Magdalan, Igreja de Santo Antonio – the church that was built on the spot where Lisbon’s most popular saint was born and where his parents lived. Later St. Anthony moved to Italy, Padua and became St. Anthony of Padua. The church M and T were married was named after this saint. Our last stop was Se Cathedral, built in the 11th century and managed to survive the earthquake. It was built to commemorate the re-conquest of the city from the Moors. It was the site where they had their mosque. The churches were beautiful, basic exterior with incredibly high ceilings inlaid with marble. There were some wonderful ornate altars alongside the walls for various saints, each unique in itself.
Once we were finished listening we began walking along the some of the streets and headed up toward a church stained glass window we saw from the waterfront. We check out the wonderful buildings lining the streets. There are many buildings that are faced with azulejo tiles – painted ceramic tiles. We wandered along streets with narrow sidewalks past three old churches Santa Maria Magdalan, Igreja de Santo Antonio – the church that was built on the spot where Lisbon’s most popular saint was born and where his parents lived. Later St. Anthony moved to Italy, Padua and became St. Anthony of Padua. The church M and T were married was named after this saint. Our last stop was Se Cathedral, built in the 11th century and managed to survive the earthquake. It was built to commemorate the re-conquest of the city from the Moors. It was the site where they had their mosque. The churches were beautiful, basic exterior with incredibly high ceilings inlaid with marble. There were some wonderful ornate altars alongside the walls for various saints, each unique in itself.
Once we were finished our touring for the afternoon, we headed back down toward the apt. We stopped at a shop selling port. Portugal is known for its port, so why not learn more about it from someone who knows more than us? After getting some info on the different vintages of port as well as trying several kinds, M chose a bottle to take back to the apt. As usual, T makes a great dinner, and then we watch one of the DVDs from the apartment to end the day.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 – Happy Valentine’s Day. Our usual routine, coffee although we decide to walk another couple blocks and find a different café this AM where we can sit down. Then we do a workout and J completed homework. We decided to go out for lunch today and chose a restaurant that is in Rossio square, one that is frequented by the locals. It is in the opposite end of Rua Augusta and is just hopping. We found a table outside on the terrace in the sunshine. All kinds of people selling all kinds of stuff, and approached you whether you wanted them to or not. There’s definitely a mixture of ethnicities here and it’s attributed to immigration from Portugal’s former colonies – Brazil, Mozambique and Angola. The view of the square with its fountains and monuments is busy with cars and people. After an enjoyable lunch, featuring baccala, cod, we decided to wander/explore Alto Barrio area that is a neighborhood overlooking the area we are staying in.
It was a delight to walk through narrow streets with sidewalks barely wide enough for one person along some busy streets. Buildings varied in character, some having been refurbished and others have definitely seen better days, but this all adds to the delight of the afternoon’s walk. The sidewalks are mosaic throughout the old city – it is really adds to the appeal. We wander the streets looking for Convento do Carmo that we could see from our apt window and with some cool Gothic arches. At one time it was the largest church in Lisbon, but was partially destroyed by the earthquake. It gives quite an effect.
Right beside this landmark is the Elevador da Santa Justa as the tourist book says “Lisbon’s answer to the Eiffel Tower”, built by a locally born architect who apprenticed under Eiffel. It is quite a sight – all ironwork, but kind of seems out of place…. yet does give a great view of the river and the old town. We chose not to ride on it as we weren’t interested in ending our afternoon exploration of this area yet.
Right beside this landmark is the Elevador da Santa Justa as the tourist book says “Lisbon’s answer to the Eiffel Tower”, built by a locally born architect who apprenticed under Eiffel. It is quite a sight – all ironwork, but kind of seems out of place…. yet does give a great view of the river and the old town. We chose not to ride on it as we weren’t interested in ending our afternoon exploration of this area yet.
We continue to explore the area with T leading as she actually reads the brochures and has a Lisbon book she found at the apt. Next we find the Igreja de São Roque, the earliest Jesuit church in the Portuguese world, and one of the first Jesuit churches anywhere. It served as the Society’s home church in Portugal for over 200 years, before the Jesuits were expelled from the country. The Igreja de São Roque was one of the few buildings in Lisbon to survive the 1755 Earthquake relatively unscathed.
Later we are treated to a wonderful viewpoint from Miradouro Sao Padro De Alcantara of where we were staying and east. This city seems to have many squares with benches to sit down and admire the life of the locals.
As we approached the apt, we picked up some almond tarts, another specialty of Portugal to have for dessert with the port. The boys bought T some roses from a street vendor and we headed back to eat in for our Valentine meal. All three enjoyed it and then we watched a movie while catching up on emails.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 – Again, our usual routine. We went back to yesterday’s café and this time we decided to try a different one of the local delicacies; a tasty shredded chicken center with mashed potato covering that is breaded and deep-fried. Today’s exploring takes us up behind our apt to where Castelo de Sao Jorge still stands. We walk along the route we took on Monday afternoon, past the cathedral and followed the signs. Within about 20 minutes through a maze of streets, we are at the entrance to the castle. We pay the entrance and then begin our exploration of the site. The view of Lisbon is wonderful, as we enjoy various vantage points and we explore the fortress. It was for military use and along the walls overlooking the city were numerous cannons. It was enjoyable to sit and admire the view. J enjoyed watching the planes approaching the airport to land. The castelo at one time belonged to the Moors, but was overtaken in the 1100’s by crusaders. In the 1400’s Portuguese kings resided within the walls but they stopped using the castello because they moved down to the area by the waterfront where we walked on Monday.
It was another beautiful sunny day, around 19C. We took a slightly different route walking down into the section of the city we were staying in, along narrow cobble roads as well as long staircases to reach the lower elevation. We decided to head back to Rossio Square to find a table to sit at, have a refreshment and people watch. The square has a huge towering statue of Dom Pedro, who became king of Portugal in 1826, as well as a couple of fountains.
It’s one of Lisbon's main intersections. Some of the same characters were out and about today as well as the street performers. It’s a great place to watch “Lisbon”. Before heading back, we stop at the local grocer and pick up a few things for dinner. The shop is busy, but in no time we are through the lineup and heading back for dinner. We decided to watch “Catch Me If You Can” with Leonardo di Caprio and Tom Hanks after dinner, a great story we all found interesting.
It’s one of Lisbon's main intersections. Some of the same characters were out and about today as well as the street performers. It’s a great place to watch “Lisbon”. Before heading back, we stop at the local grocer and pick up a few things for dinner. The shop is busy, but in no time we are through the lineup and heading back for dinner. We decided to watch “Catch Me If You Can” with Leonardo di Caprio and Tom Hanks after dinner, a great story we all found interesting.
Thursday, February 16, 2012 - J completed homework while we went for coffee. We decided to buy a 2 day pass on the open top Yellow Tour Bus that allows us to hop on hop off at various spots within the city as well as make use of other city transportation systems.
After lunch J didn’t want to come along with us, so he had some alone time while we decided to see some of the city using the tour bus. We sat up above in the open air. The sun was shining brightly at 19C again. When not in the shade it is quite warm. Our tour of an area of the city takes about 2 hours and we see some of the 20th century development as well as areas that host many important monuments and buildings commemorating important events in Portugese history, some dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries like Torre Bélem, Parque Eduardo VII, Mosterio Jerónimos, and Monument to the Discoveries (Padrao dos Descobrimentos). This last one was erected in the honor of Portugal’s Prince Henry the Navigator in 1960. It commemorates Portugal’s many famous explorers and adventurers.
Although not part of the tour itinerary (we think) we even saw a submarine entering the area.
Although not part of the tour itinerary (we think) we even saw a submarine entering the area.
Tonight we decided to go out for dinner at one of the nearby restaurants. We enjoyed seafood, cod is the local fish, so M and T enjoyed dishes with that while J enjoyed clams and calamari, both with a Portugese twist.
Friday, February 17, 2012 – Cool thing about the location of this place is there is always something happening out on the pedestrian walk below us. This morning, we are being serenaded by a string quartet playing classical music and they are really good.
Yesterday it was a mime guy posing as a statue,
down the block an accordian player, the day before a saxophonist. Around noon, we went to the Mercado da Riberira, Lisbon's most popular food and fish market, about a 15 min walk from where we are staying. It has existed in this locations since the 1930’s. We picked up some veggies, some meat as well as some fish fillets for tonight’s dinner. There was quite the variety of fish to choose from. Some we had no idea how they would taste and some were downright nasty looking!!
Yesterday it was a mime guy posing as a statue,
down the block an accordian player, the day before a saxophonist. Around noon, we went to the Mercado da Riberira, Lisbon's most popular food and fish market, about a 15 min walk from where we are staying. It has existed in this locations since the 1930’s. We picked up some veggies, some meat as well as some fish fillets for tonight’s dinner. There was quite the variety of fish to choose from. Some we had no idea how they would taste and some were downright nasty looking!!
After lunch, J decided he wanted to hang out at the apt yet again, while we took the local tram car to tour some of the old neighborhoods that have narrow streets such that they are only one car wide with no room for parking! While touring we had audio explanation of the areas and learned about the history. It was through these neighborhoods that we saw local life with no influence of the tourist shop. The trams date back to the early 1900’s and are run through various neighborhoods in Lisbon – a great tourist and local means of transportation. Now they are run on electricity and are a great means of reducing pollution.
We stopped at our usual spot, Rossio Square to have a beer and watch life on the street. It was a fine warm afternoon to soak in the atmosphere. T decided to go through a few shops while M returned to the apt. Today’s big crowd drawn outside our apt building was a performer passing flames over various body appendages. He didn’t appear to have much hair left on those arms he was passing the flame over!
Saturday, February 18, 2012 – Another beautiful warm day in Lisbon. We’ve been very lucky this week with great weather to explore. We decided to take yet another Yellow Bus Tour of another section of Lisbon we haven’t checked out. However, by the time we got there, they weren’t running anymore for the day due to Carnaval parade celebrations and some of the streets were going to be closed.
We were disappointed, but decided to head back to Rossio Square to see what was up, sure enough the place was filling with people for the parade. All kinds of people were dressed in costumes – it was great entertainment. We could hear the parade approach with drummers and chanting. What a way to spend the rest of our last afternoon in Lisbon. There is a stage set up and as soon as the parade finishes, the band starts playing. The place is now full of people, dancing, singing along and bopping to the music. The atmosphere is rocking with great music although loud enough to make conversation difficult, so we sat in the sun, took photos and had some refreshments and soaked up the scene – fabulous!
We went back after dinner, thinking the band would play again, but unfortunately, they only play for a couple of hours, perhaps because it does cool off once the sun goes down. So we took a few night shots of the city. We then returned and packed things up for our departure tomorrow morning.
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