Adeus e Obrigada, Lisboa!

Adeus e Obrigada, Lisboa. Goodbye and Thank you, Lisbon.

Sadly, my Portugal trip has now come to an end. I headed to the airport early this morning for my flight to Newark. I had heard through the grapevine that the airport would be packed today and I should make sure to arrive early. I couldn't understand why it would be so busy until I arrived. I was greeted by probably hundreds of soccer fans headed to Brazil for the World Cup. I knew that it was coming up, but it didn't occur to me that everyone would be heading down there today. 

No soccer fans were headed to the US, so I had a nice, comfortable flight. The flight to Newark wasn't quite as short as the flight to Lisbon, but it was good. United has personal TVs in each seat, so I was able to watch 3 movies on the 7 hour flight to the US. For meals, we got lasagna for the first lunch and another light lunch of a small sandwich shortly before landing. 

The flight from Newark to Seattle was not as pleasant. We started boarding late - even though our plane had been sitting on the tarmac for at least an hour. As it got close to our departure time, the flight attendant got on the PA to tell us that we wouldn't be leaving on time because people were still boarding...obviously. Here's an idea - maybe if we would start boarding on time, we would be able to leave on time. Once we were all on the plane, they closed the door, but we still didn't push out. A few minutes later, they told us that the weight had been miscalculated so they had to take mail off the plane. 30 minutes later, they said that now the bags needed to be redistributed, which took another 20 minutes. We ended up taking off a little over an hour late. Thankfully, we were able to make a little time up in the air, but it still got us into Seattle pretty late. It's always the last flight that seems to take forever, right?

While the actual traveling part isn't the most fun, the experience that you get once you get there makes the long flights totally worth it. 

Even though Portugal isn't on the top of the list for many American travelers, it has been one of the best experiences of my life and the country has made its way into my top 3 European countries I've traveled to. I can't wait to go back and will hopefully get to spend more time in each city. On the next trip, I would like to stay in Lisbon, Sintra, Lagos, Coimbra and Porto. Each city is completely different and has something different to offer, so it would be impossible to choose between them. I definitely would like at least 2 full days in each city to be able to explore more and also take day trips outside of town. 

I truly hope that everyone traveling to Europe would be able to experience Portugal. It is a bit more expensive to get to than other more popular cities, but worth going to. The country is full of beautiful sights, exceptionally nice people, great food and of course, really good wine. 

Goodbye Portugal. I'll be back.

Last morning in Porto and back to Lisbon

Sadly, this was my last morning in Porto before heading back to Lisbon. It is definitely hitting me that my trip is coming to an end. It is extra hard since Porto has probably become my favorite city in Portugal. There are so many things about this city that I enjoyed. The port wine is incredible and the buildings seem to be in that classic style that one would think of when you imagine European cities.

Adding onto this classic European city a beautiful river and many bridges, what you are left with is a fantastic city to visit. I only wish I could've spent more time. It also would've been nice to go down the Douro Valley to the vineyards. 

I spent my last few hours looking around the north part of town near my hostel. There's a large square not too far from the Sao Bento train station that also has classic European buildings. These ones remind me of Vienna, Austria:

To finish my north Porto tour, I found a cute cafe and got a latte.

I hadn't had much time to really sit an relax during my short time here, so this was definitely a treat. Sadly, it couldn't last and I had to make my way back to the hostel and then to the train station. I arrived early at Sao Bento to get a really good look at this popular station with wonderful architectural style. When you first walk inside the station, you are greeted by beautifully tiled walls covering the entire room. 

This was on all four walls. I can't even begin to imagine what a project that was for the painter(s) and then the construction workers getting it all on the wall. After I got a good view of this, I walked out to the tracks and noticed that the station was completely surrounded by hills and buildings.

I eventually made my way onto the train to Lisbon. I caught the high speed Alfa train from the main station that was a 5 minute train ride from Sao Bento. A few hours later, I arrived back in Lisbon. Now it was time to find my last hostel of the trip. Since I don't have regular internet or GPS, I had been taking screenshots of the hostel maps and directions from the metro or train stations. With this one, I just took a screenshot of the GPS map and another of the written directions. Well, when I arrived at the metro, I had forgotten that I had the written directions with the address. Needless to say, looking at the small map with a line didn't do much for me. I ended up on the right street, but after walking a few blocks and still not seeing it, I started to get very nervous. The hostel, Home Lisbon Hostel, is in English, so people wouldn't know what I was talking about. I asked a newspaper vendor and showed him the map. He insisted that I keep walking down the street, even though the map showed I had already passed the intersection. I walked a couple of blocks and started to get very nervous that I may never find this place. I started looking for a wifi signal immediately. As I walked, I noticed that one had popped up! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I looked up the hostel right away to get the address. I found out that I was only 2 blocks away and headed in the right direction. Whew! 

Finally, I made it to the hostel. This was, by far, my favorite hostel of the trip. Within an hour, I wished that I had stayed there on my first two nights. Home Lisbon hostel isn't just the nicest hostel, but also had something very unique - Mama's Dinners. The mother of the hostel owner, Mama, cooked dinner very night for anyone in the hostel who wanted to join. For only 10 Euros, you could get a home cooked 3-course dinner, wine and beer to drink and then finish up with a shot glass filled with Ginja, port or moscato. Of course, at the end, we all had a toast. By my count, about 40 or 50 people attended the dinner. I can't even begin to describe how wonderful it was to sit down and eat with the entire hostel and staff. This was an experience I won't soon forget and hope to have again at some point in the future. 

I'm getting a little ahead of myself. Before dinner, I explored Lisbon one more time before I fly out tomorrow. I made my way to Restauradores square to follow tradition and buy a Hard Rock Cafe shirt. I rarely eat there anymore, but I have been getting shirts from all over the world since I was a kid, so I still like to continue the tradition. My next stop was the waterfront. I did a little bit of wine tasting in the square and then sat by the water for a little bit. 

As I was looking out over the water, I was watching the ferries cross the bay. It occurred to me that I hadn't taken a ferry yet and I had read that you can get great views of the city from the other side. So, I got up and made my way to the ferry station. When I got there, I realized that I had no idea what is on the other side of the river or where I could go to. I ended up picking the cheapest ticket, still having no idea where in the bay it was actually taking me. I ended up in Almada, which is the closest city to Lisbon. It was immediately apparent to me that they don't get a lot of tourists. Almada has a cute city center:

I eventually made my way up the hill near this old castle (not for tourists). Not knowing what was around, I found a park that had a wonderful view on the other side. There's a Jesus statue that is nearly identical to the famous one in Rio de Janeiro. It overlooks the bay and a bridge that reminds me of the Golden Gate in San Francisco. 

Almada was good to go to, but the real highlight was seeing Lisbon from the bay. I could look at this view all day:

I made my way back to the hostel after the ferry docked in Lisbon. When I arrived, I met a very nice Australian girl in my room. We got to talking and decided to go to Mama's dinner together to chat more. She had just finished a nanny job in Spain and was making her way around Portugal. Once in the dining room, we met a couple girls from Texas and a sweet Chinese girl. We all had a great time chatting during our THREE hour dinner. Yes, it lasted 3 hours and I loved every single minute of it. What a better way to end my Portugal trip than this? I can't think of one.

Porto by scooter

It has been such a fantastic day! I got up early to get breakfast, surf the net and get down to the scooter shop when it opened. We got payment and a very large deposit secured and the owner showed me all the details of the scooter and how to ride it. I was just so excited that I couldn't wait to be off. When he was all done, I zipped right off towards the beach. Riding a scooter was an interesting experience. It was so exhilarating and exciting to zip right along with the wind in my face. Like riding a bicycle, but so much faster and way less work.

I got to the beach pretty quickly and pulled over into a small spot. The great thing about scooters is that you can practically park anywhere - including sidewalks or in between cars. In fact, the owner recommended I park between cars because it would be free. He said that because I would have no place to put the pass showing I had paid that the policeman generally don't even bother. So, because I can't put my parking pass anywhere, it's free? That's very interesting logic. I'm definitely not in the States anymore. I was worried about it, but didn't run into any problems.

I walked down to the Lighthouse first. The waves and swells were just crazy. I'm not sure I've ever seen anything so big on a relatively calm and sunny day. The swells were just going in every direction and crashing to the walls of the strip of land. They even had signs for a "splash zone" with a picture of stick figure waiting for his impending death by tsunami wave. I thought it was hilarious.

I hung out at the beach for about an hour or so and then made my way to the next beach a little north. This was where I got a restaurant recommendation from the scooter owner. I passed these beautiful beaches (and realized I definitely picked the wrong beach to sunbathe on) and couldn't seem to find this restaurant anywhere. So, I went back to the beach and found a parking spot. I asked the parking attendant where this restaurant was located. He just pointed down the beach and said I would run into it. After a bit of walking, I came up to this collection of restaurants off of the beach area. But I didn't see the specific one I was looking for anywhere. So, I started to ask people in Portuguese where to go. One gentleman pointed down the street. The next couple told me it was "right here". Then I asked an older man and he told me (in Portuguese and hand gestures) to take the next street and I think to go a couple of blocks in that direction. A few blocks later, another lady told me that it is not, in fact, a restaurant. Como? How is it not a restaurant? Everyone else was leading me in this direction. I kept walking and asked another man, who then pointed one block down the street and there was a restaurant with this name in it. I quickly figured out that this was a neighborhood known for their fish restaurants. It was not a specific restaurant after all. The place I ended up at had a restaurant name AT this specific neighborhood. Oops. I felt a little bit stupid. And to pay for it, I ended up at a way more expensive and nice restaurant than the others in that collection. I was also very under dressed, as I was wearing a sleeveless top and shorts over my bikini. I thankfully had my light jacket to put on to fit in a little better. The food was delicious though. I ordered the bacalhao a bras - which is salted cod in heavy cream.

For dessert, I went back to the beach and got a cup of gelato. Then I made my way back to the scooter and back to town. I started my drive in north Porto, stopping at the big music hall, which was next to a park inside the roundabout. I proceeded to get lost in town as I attempted to make it to a particular bridge to cross over to south Porto. But once I made it to the bridge - Wow. The Ponte de Infante is a very high bridge and I could practically see all of Porto as I crossed over. I wish I could've stopped to take a quick look.

South Porto is where you can find incredible views of the city center and it also hosts many of the famous Port wineries. The actual vineyards are in the Douro Valley, which is down the river. They used to transport the wine from the vineyards to town in boats.

Before stopping at the wineries on the waterfront, I strolled around the hills and got some incredible views. Then I worked my way down where I pulled over the scooter and headed to the wineries.

I stopped at one of the oldest wineries, Kopke, first. Tastes were pretty expensive, so I only had one. Then I went next door to Calem. This winery had a tour where they showed off the barrels and taught us the history of port wine and how it is made. We finished off with a tasting of Tawny red and white port. I'm really starting to enjoy port wine. It is very sweet, but the brandy compliments it so well and make the wine so pleasant to drink.

I walked along the waterfront for some time before hopping back on the scooter. Since traffic was backed up to get onto the bridge, I made an attempt to go up and around (without a map). Not sure if this was my brightest idea. I got lost, ended up on the freeway a couple of times and almost crashed in a roundabout before finding my way to the bridge. I definitely could have sat in traffic and made it to the bridge more quickly, but where's the adventure in that?

My scooter adventure is now over. Overall, it was an incredible day. It definitely ranks high on my favorites of this trip. I would recommend renting a scooter to anyone. It was such an amazing way to experience the city and gave me a day I will never forget.

Coimbra and Porto

Coimbra has been amazing and I'm sad to leave already. Since my train didn't leave until about 1:30 pm, I had some extra time to spend in Coimbra in the morning. After breakfast, I went down to the river and walked along the waterfront for a bit. I'm glad I crossed over to the other side of the river. What a fantastic view of this hilly city. Of course, I couldn't resist walking up into the heart of it again. The cathedral, Se Velha, opened up at 10, so I made my way up there for a tour. The guy at the front was so excited to have an American visit that he just couldn't stop talking and telling me all about the cathedral and what it meant to the city. The construction was financed by the King of Portugal out of his personal account in the 12th century. Portugal was actually recognized as a country by the Pope as a result of the cathedral being constructed. After the tour, he asked me what my true feeling was of this place. I realize that English is not his first language, but what a strange question! I said it was beautiful and I loved the Gothic style of the cloister. There wasn't much else to say. It is definitely worth seeing, but it is just another cathedral - maybe only slightly different than others in Europe due to the hand painted tiles lining the walls. As I left, I tripped on the threshold and fell. This would not be shocking to anyone who knows me. The poor guy came running out of the church to check on me. He told me I should come back inside and sit for a little while. Bless his heart. I was already standing and feeling pretty OK, though. Maybe just a little embarrassed after tripping in front of everyone in the square.

It was finally time to leave Coimbra and start the next part of my journey. I got on the train to Porto that seemed way to short compared to the rest of my trips. It was only and hour and 15 minutes between the cities, not including the short 4 minute rides to get to the correct station at each city. I was hoping to take a quick nap and got about 20 minutes in.

I arrived at Sao Bento station in Porto a little before 3 pm. What a beautiful station - definitely the nicest that I have seen since I've been here. The architecture of the station is just incredible. I was so rushed to get to my hostel, I really didn't get a chance to take it all in like I wanted to. I will go to the station a little earlier on the day I leave to get a better look.

It became clear very quickly that Porto was another city that would require a lot of walking and climbing. As soon as I left the station, I was hiking up to the hostel. Thankfully, it wasn't very far at all. My bag is getting heavier as I buy more souvenirs (plus olive oil and Port wine). After I checked in to my awesome, wine-themed hostel, I walked down to the river to see if I could reserve a scooter for tomorrow. I made it to the shop after taking a few wrong turns. Unfortunately, they don't do half day rentals as advertised on the website. But the full day rental was only 8 Euros more than the half day anyway, so I decided to still reserve one. At 28 Euros, it's a little on the spendy side, but I figured it was very worth doing as I have never ridden a scooter before. So, I have it all reserved for tomorrow. I'll pick it up when they open at 10 am and then return it just before they close at 7 pm. I can't really complain about 9 hours with a scooter.

I kept walking from the shop and went down the waterfront where I had purchased a river cruise for 10 Euros. All the river cruises go cross under the 6 bridges of Porto. It was actually a very nice cruise and the sights were good to see.

When I got off, though, I saw a sign for a cruise that had Port tasting included at the tasting shops. Tastings are generally at least 2.50 Euros and up, so that's a great deal for 10 Euros. I'm not sure exactly what that includes, but it must be some kind of tasting for them to put that. Oh well. I still made my way to the tasting shops (most of which were closed at just before 7 pm when I was going). I did find one open and tried a couple of tastes there. The "tastes" are very different than American standards. We would consider that an ounce. They consider it half of a small glass. That made the price a little bit better.

At the tasting shop, a man came up to me and asked what I thought of the 2 different Ports since he only had one. It turned out that he was a ski instructor at Whistler in BC, Canada. We ended up having a great time talking and walked back up the treacherous hills together. Like my roommate in the hostel, he was doing the Camino de Santiago trail. He had started in Spain and walked his way here. I had never heard of this, but by the end of the night, had met 4 people in town who were doing the trail! It is called the Way of St James and is a pilgrimage trail that is all walking. The walkers usually end up staying in hostels are are of all ages. They finish in the city of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. There are several routes and each of these people I have met all seem to be on different ones. They say it's a journey of the soul. The Australian woman I met, whose daughter is only a few years younger than me, describes it as a soul-searching journey. I'm not sure I could walk for 800 miles over 6 weeks or so, but I would definitely like to read more about it.

This is Susanna, from Brisbane, Australia:

My new Australian friend and I had a fantastic time talking in the hostel this evening. We talked all about our 2 countries, the importance of travel, and this Camino trail. I got to know some other people in the hostel too. An older Canadian man, who is twice my age, is also doing the trail. We spoke of our hometowns a lot. He said he had been to Portland and it was a beautiful place. The kid next to him from Quebec said he had seen "Portlandia" and wondered if it was really like that there. Yes, I told him, it is pretty accurate for some people in the city. They are weird and very proud of this fact.

It's been a fun day in both cities. I have now tried to 5 Port wine tasting at the hostel and had a Pink Lady cocktail (pink port and tonic). I think it is time for bed so I can get up for my big day on a scooter tomorrow.

24 hours in Coimbra

Early this morning, it was time to leave Faro and head up north to Coimbra. It was great to be able to get on the Alfa high speed train, but it left at 7 am. Since I only have one night in Coimbra, I wanted to get there early and make the best of it. The high speed train was pretty cool. It got up to 220 kmph, which my my calculations is about 143 mph, I think. It didn't even seem like it was going that fast, but it lists the train speed in the front of the car. There was service and wifi on the train. I ended up getting a pretty great hot breakfast for 6 Euros - including Orange Juice and hot tea. I also ordered a water in all Portuguese. It was my very first full interaction in all Portuguese on this trip. The wifi was great to have. It tended top be spotty, but it was really nice to have on a nearly 5 hour journey.

Once I got to the train station, that's where my real journey started. Since I was heading to Porto the next day, I had to get a reservation on the train. When I arrived in Coimbra, I went to the ticket counter and asked to get on the train tomorrow. It was then that I realized the ticket agent didn't speak a lick of English. I asked if any of his colleagues did. Nope. OK, then. I'll speak all Portuguese then. I couldn't remember how to say 32 to ask for my 1:32 pm train, so I pulled up the schedule on my phone, said the date (which he still didn't get and I had to write it on my Eurail pass) and then went through the rest of the conversation in my limited Portuguese. I had a strong feeling that they probably don't get many English speaking visitors and I might have to be speaking a lot of Portuguese here. 

I made it to my hostel a bit later after a very big hike up many stairs and cobblestone ramps. What is with the cobblestone streets and these towns built on hills? My calves had just stopped hurting 3 days after Sintra and this just killed them all over again. I'm pretty sure I will have legs of steel after this trip. The hostel was located next to a beautiful Moorish-like Cathedral called Se Velha in this cobblestone square. It was nice to get checked in and get back out on the town with my limited time. 

I immediately went to find a place to eat. After walking through the University of Coimbra and down the road on the other side, I found a cute little place with tables outside. Our entire interaction from the time I ordered until I asked for the bill and paid was in 100% Portuguese. I was very proud of myself. I think I'm definitely getting more bold and confident in my Portuguese speaking. However, I have noticed that if people start off a conversation with me in English, it's been difficult to go back to speaking any Portuguese - even saying thank you. They almost seem to set the precedent that this will be a conversation in English and that's that. 

After lunch, I made my way back towards the University - first stopping at the botanical gardens. What a beautiful place that was. It reminded me a lot of the Secret Garden with all of the old stone structures and steel gates with plants growing all around them. It was so quiet in there also. I sat for a little bit and just listened to the birds chirping all around and nothing else. It was quite peaceful and I loved every second of it.

Next stop was the prestigious University of Coimbra. Think of it like the Harvard of Yale of Portugal. It sits atop a hill and overlooks all of the city of Coimbra. I can't imagine being a student and climbing that hill everyday! But what an amazing university. This location has been going since the 1500s, when it moved up from Lisbon. The students also wear the traditional uniform with a black cape. School is out for summer, so the only students I saw were those leading tours.The university grounds are just fantastic. There is one particular square that was the original part of the university and where all the students used to study. One of the buildings has a grand staircase with beautiful decorative iron railings. In between buildings is a clock tower that still has working bells. There is also a gorgeous cathedral right on the campus.

Back at the hostel, I had booked a Fado performance for later in the evening and I wanted to eat nearby. In my Lonely Planet guidebook, a restaurant in the northern part of the city was recommended for good food and great location. They weren't kidding! It was right next to a beautiful structure that had a small fountain in the middle surrounded by 4 towers with all the water cascading into large pools on either side of each tower. It was definitely not a bad view for dinner. And the dinner was great too - roasted duck and rice.

Later in the evening, it was finally time for the Fado performance. I showed up early and was the first one there, so I got a great table in the front. Apparently with the ticket I bought at the hostel, I got one drink for free. The really nice server recommended a couple of great wines to choose from. They weren't even on the menu! But they opened the bottle for me. I chose the red wine from the Douro Valley - a popular wine making area just east of Porto. When I was all set with my wine, the performance started. Wow. Absolutely incredible. Fado is definitely this hauntingly beautiful music that can just captivate you in an instant. There are different ways to do Fado - some have instruments and/or singing. This performance had a Fado guitarist, bass guitarist and a singer. In the background, they showed old images of students at Coimbra. Fado has been very popular with students for many years. Overall, I loved this performance and couldn't stop smiling the whole time. It was really nice to see something that is so popular and unique to Portugal.

Faro, Lagos and Praia de Luz

This was my 2nd day in Faro and as promised, I made me way to Lagos and the Praia de Luz to try to go sailing. I took the hour and 45 minute train to Lagos and then the bus was about 20 minutes or so. Figuring out which bus was a little difficult. The ticket agent just pointed me in the right direction and said it leaves at 9:25. All was good until 2 buses pulled up at the same time. One said Luz on it, so I asked the driver if it was going to Praia de Luz and it was. Whew! The bus was pretty uneventful although the entire trip from Faro took me nearly 3 hours, including waiting a few minutes for the bus to arrive.

Unfortunately, when I got there, the weather wasn't good enough to go and they weren't taking any of the boats out. They set off from the beach and with the wind shifting in the wrong direction, it caused quite a bit of waves that would've made it difficult to even get past. The guy told me I could wait around till the afternoon to see if things would change and check back in. So, I hung around the beach and walked through town. The beach was absolutely beautiful. I wish it had been a nicer day, but I was happy with what I saw.

I had a great lunch of fish and chips and a place overlooking the water. With a fairly cheap meal, I really can't complain about any of it.

Then I took a walk around town and found a sign pointing to natural springs. I had to take these stone steps down the cliffs, which led me to a spring and also the underside of the cliffs. That was probably the best part. It was pretty cool to just sit there under the cliffs and watch the water crash against the waves.

After walking around, I made my way back to the beach. I pretty much knew that it was a no go before I spoke to the guy because I could see the waves had gotten even worse since I arrived. I was pretty bummed about not getting to sail. I somehow managed to pick the ONLY bad day they have had in a while and the weather is forecasted to be way better and right on track tomorrow. I could question my decision to stay in Faro rather than Lagos after knowing that I could've gone straight to Lagos from Lisbon and gone sailing yesterday, but there is not point in doing that. It won't change anything and I'll just bum myself out even more.

I made my way back to Lagos on the bus immediately after confirming I wouldn't be sailing. I had missed the 2 pm train, so I had about 2 1/2 hours until the next train. I figured if I couldn't sail, I should at least try to get a tour of the grottoes. There are several cliffs and rock formations along the coast of Lagos and many have caves underneath. Visitors can either go with a commercial/vendor or just a local fisherman and get a one hour tour of the grottoes, where they will drive the boat inside. I found a fisherman on the promenade that would take me anytime. The problem was that I was by myself and they require a 20 Euro minimum to take the boat out when otherwise it is 12.50 Euros per person. They said it was up to me and I could either try to find someone or just pay extra and go on my own. After asking a few people, I decided to just go on my own. And I am very glad I did. Getting a private tour of the grottoes was pretty awesome. The fisherman was clearly a local and not from one of the tourist joints, so that made it a little more special. Aside from getting seasick from the VERY choppy water, I had a great time. I was able to take a lot of pictures and some video too. Here are a few pictures of the cliffs and caves:

The tour was my last stop in Lagos. I had an hour until my train left, so I just walked through the pedestrian streets in town and made my way to the train station. I'm back in Faro now for my last night. Tomorrow, I will head off to Coimbra at 7 am. Sad to say that after tonight, I am halfway through my trip already!

Lisbon to Faro

Today, it was time to leave Lisbon. No worries, I'll be back for one night before I fly back to the States. I booked a train at 10:20 am to Faro, which is on the Southern coast of Portugal. I paid extra for a reservation for what I assumed would be the high speed train, Alfa Pendular to Faro (it goes up to 130 mph and a reservation is required even with a Eurail pass). I found out that it was not the Alfa, but the slightly slower Intercidades (IC) train. I was especially bummed after I got to the station and saw that there was in fact an Alfa train to Faro that left 15 minutes before the IC train that I was booked on. I wondered if you specifically needed to ask for an Alfa train. So, that is exactly what I did when I arrived in Faro and booked my longest train of the trip to Coimbra. It worked and I shaved off a full hour to hour and a half for only 5 Euros. Deal. Since I am only in Coimbra one night, I am happy for the extra hour to explore the city.

The train ride to Faro was very nice. It was 3 hours and 20 minutes and crossed over much of the Portuguese countryside. The small train stations were really cute too. They reminded me of the old train stations you see in the US that are no longer in use. Well, in the European countryside, they apparently don't feel the need to upgrade their train station and I, for one, am very happy about it. They definitely add a little something to the train rides. I arrived in Portugal just before 2 and made it to my hostel after a short walk. The hostel, Baixa-Portugal, is in a great location and only a 5 minute walk to the center of town. I found that I could easily walk around town for a bit then go drop off my bags before heading back out. When I checked in, the manager, Luis, proceeded to tell me about ways I could get to the beach. I told him that I planned to go to Lagos and Praia de Luz tomorrow to go sailing. He looked at me funny and asked how long I planned to go for. When I said about a half day, he said "Impossible. You can't do it". He said that you have to take the train there and then a bus to the beach and to do sailing and take a boat to see rock formations (which is apparently what people go to Lagos for) will take too much time and I can't do it all. I think he could tell I was bummed because he then said, "Well, you could, but it will be an adventure getting there". Challenge accepted, sir. I'm very determined to go sailing and I WILL make it happen. I already knew the challenges of getting there, as you can see earlier in my blog. I can always be flexible and stay longer then finish up the evening in Faro. The first train to Lagos is just after 7 am and I will be on it. I figure that can put me at Luz beach around 9 or so. Or, I may go see the rock formations first and then finish up on the beach. I just hope it doesn't rain since it is in the forecast for tomorrow. If they will allow it, I will sail rain or shine!

After I was shown around this really cool hostel, I dropped my bags off and hit the town. I was told to go to the marina, the pedestrian-only streets that have a lot of restaurants and shopping and Old Town, which is a completely walled in section of town. When I say walls, I'm not kidding. They are about 20-25 feet thick! There are several entrances into Old Town and the main attraction there is the Cathedral. I'm not sure how old it is exactly, but I gathered it is at least 800 years old, if not older. The Cathedral was very nice. Similar to other European Cathedrals, but with the addition of beautiful painted tile lining the walls. The highlight was the bell tower. I had to climb of a very narrow, spiraled stone staircase (and somehow not fall while doing so). But once I reached the top, I realized that climb was totally worth it. There was a 360 degree view of Faro and I was right next to the very old bells. I wondered if they still work, but I haven't heard any bell tolls since I've been here. Her are some views of the Cathedral and view of Faro from the Bell Tower:

I wandered around Old town and the pedestrian streets for the rest of the day before stopping at the grocery store and heading back to the hostel. The great thing about hostels, besides being cheap, is that they generally have full kitchens. I found breaded beef and potatoes to make for dinner tonight and probably tomorrow as well. When I was making dinner, I met a couple of German girls on vacation. One had just finished her Masters degree, so she was off traveling with a group of girls before she gets ties down to a job. She was great to talk to as was her friend, who had actually visited Portland a couple of years ago. She said her highlight was going to Cannon Beach. We all made our dinners together, which turned out great. It was nice to have a meal in and save some money. Getting dinners for 2 nights and breakfast for a couple mornings (I leave so early both mornings that I'll miss the breakfast provided by the hostel), cost me only 7.50 Euros (about $10). Check out my delicious home cooked meal:

It's nearly 10 pm, so I'm in for the night. Ready for my beach and sailing adventure tomorrow!

Day 2 - Lisbon and Sintra

I am now finishing up Day 2 of my Portuguese adventure. What an amazing day! I started off the day going on a tour in one of those GPS talking cars. That did not go so well. I think it would have probably been fine if I had a 2nd person with me, but as the sole occupant in the vehicle, it didn't really work. The problem was driving those very narrow and curvy Lisbon streets, with cars tailgating me, and trying to read and listen to the GPS at the same time. Mind you, the GPS did not correct itself if you made a wrong turn. It would just keep going until I either got off the route or stopped and turned it off and back on. It's  crappy GPS that doesn't actually tell you where to turn - it just shows a map and expects that you will turn correctly. I missed the very first turn and it was bad from then on out. I finally made it up the hill toward the castle and other sights. Then I went in circles, turned around and always seemed to end up on the wrong street. I stopped in one parking spot at a tourist site 4 times! Yes, you read that right. I got out of the car the first time to take pictures at this amazing viewpoint:

Wish I knew the name of this place I stopped. I was too busy getting lost to actually listen to the tour guide GPS. After a few circles there and other places, I somehow managed to get back down the hill to the areas I recognized and get the car back within the allotted time. Again, I don't think renting a GPS touring car is a bad thing - just not for a situation where the driver is also the navigator. I might be willing to try it again if I had a second person in the car. 

After this somewhat disastrous self tour, I hopped on a train to the coastal town of Sintra from Rossio station. My mom told me this was a fairytale place and it also may those lists of top places to go if you want to feel like you're in a fairytale. I was sure I would like the place and was looking forward to go, but I just didn't expect what the reality actually would be. As soon as I stepped off the train, I started heading down those cobblestone streets and figured out pretty quickly how magical and fairytale-like this place really was. Before getting to the center of Sintra, I stopped for a quick bite to eat at a wonderful little cafe and tea shop. I chose the ham and cheese panini for my entree, but wanted something on the side. So, I had the seasoned cheese appetizer. I didn't know what to expect really, but it wasn't this: 

Arriving at my table was a big chunk of Mozzarella cheese covered with olive oil and basil and I was given salt and pepper to add. I enjoy Mozzarella cheese, but not so much by itself. It tasted good with the spices, but it was a bit weird for me to eat it like this. Of course I was able to wash it down with my white wine. 

Next stop was Sintra village, which was absolutely incredible. It really was like I was walking into a fairytale or Disney story. The buildings in town reminded me of Beauty and the Beast. I went to Sintra not knowing where anything was, so when I looked up and saw this castle way up on the top of the hill, it made me a bit nervous. I had my good sandals on, but I didn't come expecting a hike. Thankfully, I found a hop on and off bus that would take me to both the Moorish Castle and Pena National Palace and then back down the hill for 5 Euros. I sure am glad I chose that option. It would've been quite the hike and nothing like I was prepared for. As it is, I was not prepared for practically every single surface i walked on to be cobblestone. Saying that my feet hate me right now, would be a gross understatement. 

I made the choice to go to Pena first, since that was on my list of places I absolutely needed to see. Then I would walk downhill to the castle. Once again, I didn't realized how much hiking and walking was involved. It was a 15 minute hike up to the palace and then I had the option to by package and see the park also. It was 14 Euros for the ticket, although I found out at castle that they had a bundle for that too and would've only cost me 17 Euros for all 3. Oh well, it was only about 3 more Euros. Pena National Palace was amazing. Such beautiful buildings and unbeatable view. This was the home of former Portuguese Kings and Queens.

Next stop was the Moorish Castle. It was built in the 9th century and sits at the top of the hill, but just below the height of Pena. Again, when I walked into the castle entrance, I had no idea how much hiking I would have to do - on more uneven stones. There were 2 sections to climb, a shorter section of the castle then I climbed up this:

Yeah, that was a bit rough. But totally worth it once I reached the top and had a 360 degree view of Sintra and the surrounding towns. This was my celebratory shot:

Last stop in Sintra was my favorite, Quinta de Regaleria. It is a palace situated just west of Sintra Village and has the one thing on must travel lists: a large, winding well. There is a reason this is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is the Initiatic Well:

The well is described as follows: "The well marks the crossing between the Profane and the Sacred. Here is a bridge between Earth and Heaven. Here lies Jacob's ladder, by with rise and descend the angels." I got there after walking to a waterfall by stepping stones, then going behind it and through underground tunnels. They led me to the base of the well. I was able to walk up the spiral, which is really one of the most enchanting experiences of my life. Every part of this well was just incredible. I spent my time looking at all the beautiful and magical sites on the grounds before finishing up my tour at the main house, which was crafted by builders of Temples and inspired by mythology and the Templars. 

After a wonderful day in Sintra, it was time to head back to the hostel and relax. My feet, quads, hamstrings and calves are hating me right now. I'm taking the train to Faro in the morning. Very excited for the next part of my journey.

Off to Lisbon....FINALLY!

My first day in Lisbon has now come to an end. Other than a couple hours of sleep on the plane, I won't have slept in the past 36 hours. I did find myself a Starbucks near my hostel in Lisbon, so I'm somehow still kicking. Here's how my trip has gone so far:

Tuesday, June 3rd:

Woke up at 2:15 am after not much sleep. I never get sleep when I know I have to get up early or I'm excited about something the next day. This was one of those nights that I really have no idea if I really actually slept. Somehow made it to the airport by 4:15 am for my 6 am flight. The first leg to Newark was pretty uneventful. I probably got about an hour or so of sleep on the 5 hour flight. We actually even got to Newark early, which was not exactly good news for me. I already had a 6 hour layover, so this made it longer. Then the incoming flight was late, so the plane to Lisbon was delayed by an hour. I was surprised that it was only a 6 1/2 hour flight. We had our own personal TVs and were served "dinner" at 10pm Newark time and the a light breakfast. Both were actually pretty decent - nice work United!

Wednesday, June 4th:

Arrived in Lisbon around 9:30am. I think I got out of the airport a little before 11 after passport checks, baggage claim, and my few minutes in the bathroom changing and redoing makeup and hair to be a tad more presentable (pretty sure it looked like I just rolled out of bed after along drunken night).

I immediately took the Aerobus to the Equity Point Hostel (http://www.equity-point.com/our-hostels/equity-point-lisboa/general-information.html) near the Restuaradores. Little did I know that after 25 hours of being awake, I would have to climb a hill and stairs to get to the hostel! There are famous uphill trams in Lisbon. From what I've seen so far, they don't go far and only serve the purpose of getting people up these crazy cobblestone hills. Well, the road my hostel is on is halfway up the hill, so I walked it. Then got the the front of the hostel and saw a steep 30 ft long staircase to climb up. Needless to say, I was out of breath and tired when I walked in the door. The girls at the front desk were so sweet though. I couldn't check in until 2, but they got my bag stored away, got me a glass of water and told me to just rest or take a nap in the living room area. It was good to just put my feet up for a bit, since are still very swollen from the flight. They look like the feet of a 9 month pregnant woman.

After a short break, I asked where to go to lunch and hit the town. The girl at the front told me to go to Santa Rita, which is about 15 minutes from hostel (passing a Starbucks on the way). She promised good, traditional Portuguese food. She wasn't kidding! It took a bit to find it because street signs aren't exactly prominent around here. I'm glad I got there when I did, which was right around noon. The place filled up with locals soon after. I'm pretty sure I was the only foreigner in that place. Between the server speaking just enough English and me speaking just enough Portuguese, we managed to get by. They had a side menu with 9 dishes listed in English. I was glad they did, since the only thing I recognized was bacalhao (salted  cod) and did not have any idea how it was prepared. I ended up ordering the steak Santa Rita (bife de Santa Rita). I really only knew it was steak and had no idea what else. What an interesting and ecclectic dish it turned out to be. The dish consisted of a large steak, fried egg, ham, rice, and french fries. I was worried that I may have just ordered the American dish in the place and then I saw a Portuguese man sitting a couple tables away get the dish. Whew! It was delicious though. Also ordered a glass of red wine. There was a little confusion because I couldn't remember the word for red. I said red, he said rosso. We were in a stalemate. He finally pointed to the table behind me where a man was drinking red wine and he said "rosso". "Sim" (Yes), that's what I was wanting. Didn't remember what the word for bill was, so I just said "begar" (pay). That seemed to do the trick and he brought the check. I'm glad I had just the right Euro and didn't need change back. I would've had no idea how to ask for that. I'm thinking I better be keeping some small bills and change for meals around here.

After lunch, I decided to take a differed route and walked up the hill near the castle. I really wanted to just see the non-touristy parts of town like this:

See that hill? That's what I've been walking up to get to my hostel. Steep, slick cobblestone streets and that section you see is less than half of the few blocks to the street that the hostel is on. Tomorrow, I will take that tram and walk down. Just cause I can.

After walking a bit, I found a square that I thought was Rossio Square, which I had passed on the way up. After walking past it and down the street I realized that no, it was not the correct square and I was now lost. I had a general direction that I felt I should go, so I just turned left at the next street. That turned into more wrong turns. I finally looked for the street name of a larger street to find it on the map. I ended up having to go back to my starting point and the castle to figure out which square I went to and what street I was currently on. I was basically on the opposite side of the city than I thought I was. After a few more checks on the map while navigating these crazy roads, I made it back to the Restauradores and needed a latte at that point.

It was an interesting trip to Starbucks in Lisbon. They only had a few latte flavors and I had no idea how to even ask for it since the girl didn't know what flavor meant. She asked her coworker and she said caramela. *lightbulb*. I got a vanilla latte, hooked up to wifi for a bit and made my way back up the crazy hill to the hostel. This time I was able to check in a got a tour of the hostel. It's a fantastic place with 2 terraces, a full kitchen and dining area, living room and "bar".

After short break, I went back out of the town. The guy at the front desk recommended a few areas to try like Baixa and the waterfront. Went up to the Miradouro, which is situated directly above my hostel and overlooks a lot of the city and the water. What an amazing viewpoint!

You might be able to see the castle in the background. I'm hoping I have the time to swing up there tomorrow. Next stop was heading down to the waterfront. It was pretty cool down there. I could see the huge statue of Jesus across the water - just like the one in Rio De Janiero. They have these super cool seats along the waterfront. They each hold a small tree, but then there are two seats carved out of these plastic bubbles. I just sat myself down on one that was close to the dock and propped my feet up as I looked over the water. It was pretty awesome. 

It was getting close to dinnertime at that point and I was getting hungry. After a quick stop at the Farmacia to get allergy meds cause I'm dying out here, I went back to Baixa to find a place that hopefully wasn't too touristy. That was hard to find, let me tell you! I found one that looked pretty good - even though they had a full english menu on the side. At least they didn't have pictures of the food. If you ever see that, RUN! The waiter was super nice and cute too, which made it all the more fun. I ordered the bacalhao and then the waiter convinced me to get a dessert of chocolate cake and raspberry ice cream. They even gave me bread and a shot of Ginja on the house. It was not a cheap meal at nearly 26 Euros, but those waiter made it totally worth it to me and gave me extra. I'll have to work on a little bit cheaper meals away from tourist areas if I want to stay on budget. I loved all the food and was happy to try to Ginja. Anthony Bourdain recommended it and said this cherry liqueur packed a punch. And yes it did! I had had a couple glasses of wine, but I felt the effects of that shot immediately. 

Now I'm back chilling at my hostel with a glass of wine. Need to stay up until at least 10:15, which is 2 hours after I last ate (assuming alcohol doesn't count). I was told that I need to take the allergy pill on an empty stomach. Worst case scenario is that I take the first pill tomorrow. Not sure I'm going to make it too much longer. At this point, I really just want to sleep then take a shower.